Valley Solutions

Celebrating Modesto

Fox40. Modesto mayor delivers State of the City address, celebrates crime reduction, investment. 
Synopsis: The State Theatre was packed Thursday night as Mayor Sue Zwahlen delivered the annual State of the City address. There was a lot to talk about, including a homicide rate of zero for more than a year. For a city of 220,000, that is an astounding run. The Mayor applauded the police department for listening to people and for showing up “in emergencies and in everyday moments.” She talked about the new pedestrian crosswalks that make Ninth Street safer, the city’s new Pioneer League baseball team, and the extension of the Virginia Corridor Trail. There’s even more housing for those in need at Grace Gardens and Dignity Village and the planned Seventh Street Village. A lot to applaud and cheer about.

Happening in higher education

Merced Sun Star. UC Merced’s Grad Slam champion is ready to take on rest of CA’s best. 
Synopsis: Grad Slam starts Wednesday in Sacramento, and Tahirah Williams will represent UC Merced in the “Shark Tank” competition for the UC system’s grad students. Williams was chosen based on her 3-minute talk, “More than Slime: When mucus meets the Valley Fever invader.” She is a fourth-year quantitative biology systems PhD candidate who was born in Jamaica. There are nine other finalists, one from each UC. If Williams wins, she will be the second from UC Merced, following in the footsteps of Shayna Bennet in 2021.

Fresnoland. Fresno Pacific to launch ag leadership certificate.
Synopsis: The Ag Leadership program is being offered through Fresno Pacific’s Continuing Education Department and the Farms Food Future (3F) initiative. The seven-week program features one day in class each week, Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon, and includes a trip to Sacramento. Among those who will talk to students are Ryan Jacobsen of the Fresno County Farm Burreau, Manuel Cunha of Nisei Farmers League and Connie Conway of the Farm Service Agency.

Merced Sun Star. CA high school celebrates large number of UC Merced scholarships. 
Synopsis: Sixteen high school students from Arvin have been awarded full-tuition scholarships to UC Merced. Arvin is a farming community of 20,000 just south of Bakersfield with one of the highest poverty rates in the state. Said one student: “My parents were initially going to help me fund it, but we don’t have that much. So, it was going to be difficult.” UC Merced is among the top five universities in the US in securing upward mobility for those who attend.

Modesto homicide streak ends

Fox40. Arrest made in suspicious death near Modesto boat ramp.
Synopsis: A 41-year-old man, Juan Trujillo Mendoza, was arrested and charged with murder in connection to the death of Juan Carreon, whose body was found near the Tuolumne River on April 9. It was the first homicide in Modesto in 16 months.

Jury: Drunk driving is murder

Fresno Bee. Repeat DUI driver convicted of second-degree murder in crash that killed retiree.
Synopsis: A Fresno woman with two previous drunk-driving convictions was found guilty of second-degree murder on Thursday. It took the jury only 60 minutes to convict Leigha Linae Addington, who had been driving on a suspended license when she crashed into Brenda Sue Ricci. Addington was on probation from a DUI conviction in Stanislaus County at the time. She faces 15 years to life. Ricci had only recently retired and was driving her new car into “the new chapter of her life,” said her husband. Addington’s BAC was 3x the legal limit.

Castle Air Museum’s new exec

Merced County Times. New Air Museum director looks to expand offerings.
Synopsis: Jared Hines is the new Castle Air Museum director, taking over Feb. 2 for Joe Pruzzo. The museum attracts 1,000 visitors a month. “We have a collection of aircraft not seen anywhere else in the world. If you are interested in aviation, especially military aviation history, this is an exceptional collection.” It costs $34,000 a month to keep the lights turned on, and that is his top priority.

Why power, water cost so much

Sacramento Bee. An overlooked reason for rising energy and water bills in CA. 
Synopsis: Danielle Blacet-Hyden, executive director of the public utilities association, writes about the cost of implementing state rules which are driving up the cost of electricity, water, gas, etc. For instance, utilities are required to have fleets of zero-emission vehicles by 2030, a plan that is driving up rates. Cuts to cap-and-trade credits have dried up a revenue stream, which has driven up electricity prices. Changes to landscaping requirements will result in “tens of billions of dollars” in costs by 2040. Not-for-profit utilities “are shouting from the rooftops that we must find balance between aggressive policy and economic realities.”
MAD Take. Blacet-Hyden didn’t even mention one of the most costly rule changes – declaring hydropower non-renewable in 2014. That decision forced public utilities who generate power in dams to purchase more costly electricity from other sources. That, in turn, passed along higher costs to customers. Many of those dams belong to Valley water districts, and Valley residents benefited from the lower-cost power. But a political deal to spur solar-energy production sacrificed Valley residents for green cred. Now, with solar farms sprouting like mushrooms, it is clear the financial incentives are redundant. The justification for continuing a policy that costs utilities and customers millions of dollars no longer is needed. Adam Gray pointed out all this when the law was passed. It’s time for the state to reconsider, and once again embrace the cleanest energy on the planet – falling water.

Don’t blame Turlock PD

Modesto Bee. Turlock police department denies it tipped off ICE, which would violate state law. 
Synopsis: Turlock police emphatically denied having anything to do with ICE’s arrest or interaction with Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez. ICE shot him seven times outside of Patterson on April 7. His fiancé said last week that she believes Hernandez was targeted by ICE after an interaction with Turlock PD four days earlier. If true, that would violate CA’s laws forbidding local law enforcement from helping federal immigration authorities. Turlock PD issued a statement saying it had not been in contact with ICE before, during or after the incident in Patterson.

Profiling local candidates

Merced County Times. Supervisor Silveira seeks third term while advocating for efficiency, services.
Synopsis: Scott Silveira is profiled by editor Jonathan Whitaker, highlighting his dedication to the Spring Fair. Running for this third term, Silveira stressed his knowledge of the community. “I know the struggles of Dos Palos. I know the struggles of Los Banos. I’ve worked really hard to maintain relationships with both city councils in the district,” he said. Miguel Alejandre, a business owner in Los Banos, is running against Silveira. The seat will be decided in the June 2 primary.

Merced County Times. Heupel highlights student support, smart investments, family engagement.
Synopsis: Editor Jonathan Whitaker profiles Paula Heupel, who is one of four candidates running to become Superintendent of the Merced County Office of Education. She has been in education for 37 years, including working for Merced City Schools and the MCOE, and is currently superintendent of El Nido Elementary School District. The Hilmar native is facing Alberto Velarde, Ana Boyenga and Richard Lopez.

Celebrations this weekend

Stockton Record. Sikh heritage on display at Stockton’s storied Nagar Kirtan parade.
Synopsis: The Stockton Sikh Temple, the oldest outside of India, will host the 27^th Nagar Kirtan Parade on Sunday. More than 19,000 people are expected to take part in the parade, which will begin and end at the Gurdwara Sahib. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and finish by 4:30 p.m.

Westside Connect. Gustine invites community to join Earth Day beautification event on April 22.
Synopsis: The city is asking for volunteers to come out on April 22 to help with painting, planting and picking up the community. The event officially kicks off at 3 p.m. and finishes at 6.

Stockton Record. Celebrate Cambodian New Year this weekend at Stockton’s iconic temple.
Synopsis: The Stockton Cambodian community will celebrate the New Year at the Buddhist Temple at 3732 E. Carpenter Road. The free festival is from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Best baguettes in Fresno

Fresnoland. Fresno’s 7 best baguettes, tasted and ranked, according to our food editor.
Synopsis: Food editor Vince Mancini writes that while many learned to bake good baguettes during the pandemic, it’s easier to just a buy one. And there are plenty of good ones from which to choose. Among his top breads: Breadroom Bakery, in operation since 2020. Eddie’s Bakery, baking since 1939 with an “almost lacquered finish.” Save Mart: Chewy, soft with bigger crumb and sweet. There are, obviously, others on his list. (But don’t expect just seven.)

Another brewery goes dry

Fresno Bee. Another Fresno-area brewery closes: ‘I’m just sitting there by myself for hours.’
Synopsis: Incinerati Brewing Co. in Clovis is closing and its brewmaster is moving to South Dakota to make beer. It joins a list of craft breweries that have called it quits in the Valley over the past year as alcohol consumption drops and business dries up. The brewery will remain open through April 26, or until the beer runs out, said Mike Sumaya. He and wife Natalie started the brewery eight years ago.

Who? He saved young owl

KSEE / CBS47. CHP Los Banos officer saves injured owl on I-5.
Synopsis: A CHP officer, identified only as Officer Senense, was on patrol along I-5 west of Los Banos when he found an injured owl on the shoulder of the road. He rescued the gray-horned owl, put it in a box and drove it to the Nature Center near Fresno. Chances of recovery look good, say the folks at the Nature Center.