Valley Solutions

Details on ICE shooting

Modesto Bee. Man shot by ICE in Patterson ‘absolutely not a gang member,’ family attorney says. 
Synopsis: ICE agents fired multiple shots into the car of a man they stopped on I-5 in Patterson. The FBI, which took over the investigation into the shooting immediately, say he was a gang member in El Salvador. Attorney Patrick Kolasinski says Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez is no such thing. He has lived in Patterson for several years, has an American fiancée and a 2-year-old daughter who are both American citizens. Hernandez was on his way to work in the Bay Area when he pulled over. Kolasinski compared video of Hernandez’s shooting to that of Renee Good in Minneapolis. The lawyer said Hernandez “took great pains to not hit the officers while they were shooting at him.” Hernandez is expected to survive.

Modesto Bee. Man shot by ICE in Patterson was acquitted in El Salvador murder. 
Synopsis: Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, who was shot by ICE Tuesday, was acquitted of homicide charges in 2019 in El Salvador, according to documents obtained by The Bee on Wednesday. Attorney Patrick Kolasinski has not been allowed to speak with Hernandez, who is believed to be under guard at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. Kolasinski said Hernandez is a dual citizen of the US and El Salvador. He had been pulled over in Turlock last Friday for having a cracked windshield. His fiancée, identified as Cindy, speculated that Turlock PD provided ICE with information on Hernandez’s immigration status, resulting in him being stopped Tuesday.

Modesto Bee. 2 arrested during Modesto hospital protest of ICE shooting in Patterson.
Synopsis: Two women were arrested Tuesday night for vandalizing a roadway outside Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. ICE is inside the hospital where Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez is being treated for gunshot wounds. Two women were arrested for painting “ICE out” on the pavement.

Shooting causes fear in Valley

KCRA. Man in critical condition after shooting involving ICE agents along I-5 in Stanislaus County. 
Synopsis: KCRA sent three reporters to Patterson to look into the ICE shooting on Tuesday. Video from the station’s helicopter shows at least 9 holes in the vehicle’s windshield. Reporters spoke to people working near the incident, including Bryan Garcia. “They come after people that have my skin color, my accent,” he said. “So, it could have been me right there on that traffic stop.” The station quoted Rep. Josh Harder saying, “Frankly, folks aren’t going to believe anything ICE tells them.”
MAD Note: Rep. Adam Gray, who represents the Patterson area, was not so quick to judge. Gray reached out to Sheriff Jeff Dirkse, said they will remain in touch and that he will monitor the situation as facts emerge.

ABC10. Patterson residents express concern after ICE shooting prompts heavy police response.
Synopsis: The station recounted the details of the Hernandez shooting, but added reaction from the victim’s attorney, Patrick Kolasinski. “Mr. Mendoza Hernandez is not, and has never been, a gang member. It is (the family’s) belief that the incident is a horrible case of mistaken identity stemming from a name (and maybe date-of-birth) match, as he has never been arrested or had his fingerprints taken.”

Where truancy, lunacy rhyme

Fresno Bee. Fresno DA won’t file charges against man Clovis police said aided student truancy. 
Synopsis: The Fresno DA’s office has decided not to waste its time bringing misdemeanor truancy charges against a man who walked alongside high school students who left their Clovis campuses to protest the ICE killings in Minneapolis. The Clovis police insisted that Alfred Aldrete had provoked truancy and “delinquency of a minor” when he accompanied high school students on their march during their lunch hour. He apparently stopped traffic at one or two intersections so students could cross safely.

UC Merced’s slow growth

EdSource. How UC Merced is trying to attract students after years of slow growth.
Synopsis: Reporter Michael Burke writes about the slow growth of UC Merced, located 300 miles north of LA. The campus has doubled in size over the past decade, but its enrollment has barely budged. Its goal was to have 15,000 students by 2030, but that looks unlikely since only around 9,200 are enrolled this year. Meanwhile, the school has racked up impressive accolades as an R1 research school. The school “sits in isolation,” nearly two miles from Merced. The story says UC Merced is putting a lot of its hopes for larger enrollment on its new Medical Education building, scheduled to open this year. “This is our crown jewel right now,” said a UC Merced spokesperson.
MAD Note: That “crown jewel” is being built with $220 million from the state of California – money Gov. Gavin Newsom credited Adam Gray with driving through the budget process. “They should name that building after Adam,” said Newsom when announcing construction three years ago.

Merced Sun Star. UC Merced’s School of Engineering among nation’s best in latest rankings. 
Synopsis: US News & World Report says UC Merced’s graduate school of engineering is the 99^th best in the nation and among the top 12 in California. Six of the school’s seven grad programs made individual rankings, with the Environmental Systems program ranked No. 82. The website considered 2,000 graduate programs in compiling its rankings.

Is Fresno hiding the facts?

GV Wire. ACLU wants Fresno police K-9 records; city fights and loses twice.
Synopsis: Two sets of judges have ruled against the city of Fresno’s efforts to keep its police records away from the ACLU. The rights organization filed a request in 2023, but the city refused to provide any information. Council president Nelson Esparza said he is still trying to decide whether to comply or continue the fight. The ACLU used findings from other cities to compile a report it entitled: “Weaponizing Dogs: The Brutal and Outdated Practice of Police Attack Dogs.” The report led to legislation limiting the use of dogs by police departments, but the bill did not pass after police groups protested against it.
MAD Take: Police dogs are utterly integral to law-enforcement activities, performing investigative and protective services that cannot be duplicated or replaced. However, public records are public for a reason. Accountability and transparency are essential for any police department that wants to keep the trust of those it protects.

No sanctions for Delta-Mendota

SJV Water. Fourth San Joaquin Valley groundwater region avoids state intervention.
Synopsis: The State Water Board approved removing the Delta-Mendota subbasin from groundwater enforcement actions. Water board member Sean Maguire said the board is looking for “progress, not perfection” in plans to create sustainable groundwater use. He noted the basin has worked with 23 different agencies to reach sustainability. Avoiding probation is important for growers. Basins on probation face stiff costs for those in the district, including a registration fee of $300 for every well and a fee of $20 per acre foot pumped.

Nutria moved south, not north

Maven. CDFW research links CA’s nutria invasion to Pacific Northwest population.
Synopsis: CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife scientists who study genetics have found that the nutria infesting the Merced River in Merced County came from central Oregon – not South America. They reached that conclusion after compiling a database of all nutria groups in the world. “The genetic data also give insight into how nutria populations spread across landscape – information that will inform eradication efforts,” said the CDFW Genetics Research group. The large South American rodent burrows deep into levees, undermining their ability to protect what’s behind them.

Can city unmask protesters?

Modesto Focus. Modesto city council will weigh spending up to $350,0000 to defend mask ban. 
Synopsis: The Modesto city council will decide this afternoon whether or not to spend another $250,000 on top of the $100,000 it has already spent defending its law prohibiting masks at public protests. The ACLU is among those suing the city, one of only three in CA to prohibit masks in public. The law exempts those wearing masks for medical reasons. The ACLU says officers cannot discern the real reasons for wearing a mask – hiding identity or staying healthy. Attorney David Rockwell said it is a waste of money since a 1978 ruling has already declared such mask bans illegal. The same ordinance prohibits large sticks (including flagpoles), glass or metal water containers or umbrellas with pointy ends. 

Casey won’t run for council

Ceres Courier. Casey won’t run again while two seek his seat.
Synopsis: City councilmember James Casey says he will not seek re-election to the Ceres City Council, leaving the path clear for one of two planning commissioners – Gary M. Condit and Dr. Dorie Perez. Casey said he has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the city and dismayed by turnover among city administrators. Though Casey said he was overwhelmed with family problems, he would not rule out running for mayor someday. Casey is endorsing Condit. Perez has taught history in Modesto and at UC Merced.

Ceres Courier. Petition drive aims to end free benefits for councilmembers.
Synopsis: In announcing his run for city council, Gary M. Condit says his top priority will be getting rid of health insurance for the city’s part-time councilmembers. He notes the city has balanced its last six budgets by dipping into reserves. Condit said 273 people have signed a petition to stop the city from providing health insurance for councilmembers.

Debate in Los Banos

Westside Express. League of Women Voters organizes District 5 supervisor candidates forum.
Synopsis: The most active voter-literacy program in the county will host a debate between Supervisor Scott Silveira and challenger Miguel Alejandre. Residents will be encouraged to prepare questions which will be presented by moderator Anthony Parreira, the Los Banos USD board president. The forum will be April 20 at 7 pm at city hall.

Want some Greek teriyaki?

Modesto Bee. American fare, fusion twist. Kinfolks Blackstone Grill opens in Stanislaus County.
Synopsis: Kinfolks Flatstone Grill has opened in Riverbank, offering Greek and Mexican fare. It is owned by brothers-in-law Jack Sinodinos and Luis Arauza. It’s a varied menu with chicken sandwiches, chicken teriyaki, pollo asado and Korean chicken. The most popular dish is honey-fried chicken, but the beef hot dogs are big, too. And the homemade potato salad promises to rival the “sidewinder fries” as a side dish.  

Can lawyers be funny?

Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County law firm competing with Kimmel for national video award. 
Synopsis: A Turlock personal injury law firm has been nominated for a Webby Award – sort of the Oscars of the internet. Silva Injury Law, founded by attorney Michael Joe Silva, was nominated for its YouTube videos which feature skits inspired by Harry Potter, Beetlejuice and big-time wrestling among many others. The channel has posted 266 videos and has 294,000 subscribers with 29 million views. Silva says that when people think of injury attorneys, “They think of scumbags you can’t trust. This gives us an opportunity to show that we’re like you. We love what you love. … We like to have fun.”