Valley Solutions

Indian gangs terrorize Valley

Cal Matters. How gangs connected to India are terrorizing a CA immigrant community. 
Synopsis: Law enforcement in the Valley and in India say criminal gangs in India are targeting California “real estate developers, liquor contractors, transporters and local businessmen” in shakedowns and ransom demands. A task force in the Indian state of Haryana is working with the FBI to track hundreds of threats. San Joaquin Sheriff Pat Withrow said he’s never seen anything like this, with threats crossing international boundaries. With the threats have come violence. Two members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang were killed, one in Stockton and one in Fresno. Bishnoi is believed to have ordered hits, directed shakedowns and managed his criminal enterprises from prison. A rival gang is competing with the Bishnoi gang here in the Valley, with links to 20 shootings over four years. The Jakara Movement, based in Fresno, is aware of extortion taking place in its community and says it is being underreported. The story detailed an effort to bring a Kabbadi tournament to Stockton, but few teams were willing to come due to threats of violence.
MAD Take: Kabbadi is an incredibly fun sport that combines Red Rover with tag and big-time wrestling.

Flowers for Mothers’ Day

Ag Alert. From the fields: Abi Dirkse, Stanislaus County flower farmer. 
Synopsis: Mothers’ Day is upon us, and CA flower producers are prepping for one of their biggest days of the year, says Abi Dirkse. Roses, which grow in “flushes,” have to be properly timed for the occasion. But Dirkse and her family grow flowers year round on 1,800 shrubs and flowering bushes, mainly for weddings, wholesale florists and event designers. “We don’t grow a lot of red roses, which is a question we get a lot.” Instead, the Dirkses grow pinks, beige and orange flowers.

Steyer had already surged

Recordnet.com. Tom Steyer, Steve Hilton surge as CA governor race narrows.
Synopsis: A poll conducted a week ago – even before Eric Swalwell’s campaign was left in disgrace by accusations of sexual misconduct -- showed Tom Steyer was pulling ahead of the Democratic field. Steyer is the pick of 21% of likely voters while Steve Hilton polled 18%. Katie Porter moved into a tie for third with Republican Chad Bianco at 19%. Nearly 58% of respondents said the next governor must stand up to Donald Trump, while 37% want the next governor to work with him.

More politics around CA

Modesto Bee. Candidate for state schools superintendent bringing bookmobile to Modesto.
Synopsis: Josh Newman, who is running for Superintendent of Public Instruction, will bring his bookmobile tour to Modesto on April 18. He will park the vehicle at the UA Local 442 Plumbers & Pipefitters building on Nutcracker Lane and conduct a book swap with kids. It’s his third stop after Orange County and San Diego.

Sacramento Bee. The Bee picks one standout for the 6^th Congressional District. 
Synopsis: The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board writes that with science under attack in Washington, it is a good time to send a doctor to Congress. It endorsed former state Sen. Richard Pan in CA 6. Pan stood up to death threats and personal attacks for defending vaccinations and precautions during the COVID crisis.

Valley Sun. Duarte, Alvarado-Gil get personal in 4^th Senate District debate. 
Synopsis: Incumbent state senator Marie Alvarado-Gil and the wife of a former congressman, Alexandra Duarte, went after each other during a debate hosted by the Maddy Institute in Modesto. Duarte insisted that Alvarado-Gil is a “disgrace” to the district, and Alvarado-Gil likened Duarte to a character in the Handmaid’s Tale. Democrat Jaron Brandon of Columbia was there, too, but mostly stayed above the fray – though his assertion that both of his opponents were involved in a “butt-kissing contest to President Trump” drew Alvarado-Gil’s ire.

Judge sets bail for ICE target

Modesto Bee. Judge pauses ruling after ordering release of man shot 7 times by ICE in Patterson.
Synopsis: Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez will remain in custody for at least until Monday even though a judge ordered him released on Tuesday. Hernandez came to court in a wheelchair after spending a week in the intensive-care unit of Doctors Medical Center where he had several surgeries to address seven gunshot wounds. In court, he was accompanied by his fiancée, several family members, his attorney and a Catholic priest. The government says he is in the US illegally but did not accuse the native of El Salvador of having criminal ties or having committed any previous crimes. Judge Allison Claire seemed skeptical of the government’s claim that Hernandez is a flight risk or that he was trying to hurt the officers who were shooting at him. She set bail at $50,000 but put the order on hold to allow prosecutors to appeal.

Priced out of health insurance

Modesto Focus. Loss of tax credits drive Covered California premiums higher for middle-income buyers. 
Synopsis: New enrollments in Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act, are down by nearly a third over the past year due to federal subsidies that lowered the cost of policies for most buyers. The credits were eliminated in Trump’s Big Beautiful Budget Bill, which shifted the money into tax refunds. In the seven-county San Joaquin Valley, just over 22,000 people signed up for coverage this year – down from 32,400 in 2025. While all of the policies cost more, they also cover less and require higher deductibles. The Public Policy Institute of CA estimates premiums increased by $5,200 per person in Fresno County and by $10,000 in Merced County. In Stanislaus, average premiums were up $6,085. Those who are chronically ill will suffer the most, said KFF CEO Drew Altman.

Docs vote to join union

Fresno Bee. Doctors at this Central Valley hospital voted to unionize.
Synopsis: A “super majority” of 150 doctors at Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia voted to be represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, a component of the SEIU. The union said doctors wanted union protection because hospital leadership overworks and underpays staff, something it says will get worse as hospitals must deal with federal budget cuts. The hospital had no comment. Doctors at the region’s largest hospital, Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, unionized in 2021; doctors in Modesto’s Valley Consortium for Medical Education joined the SEIU two years ago.

Curbing ‘vexatious’ lawyers

GV Wire. CA goes after ‘vexatious’ PAGA law firms; how much have they cost employers?
Synopsis: The Private Attorney General Act allows aggrieved parties to sue businesses over violations of state rules and regulations and keep the proceeds from verdicts or settlements. It’s been a gold mine for some lawyers who sue for minute infractions. A proposed law would require such lawyers to identify themselves as “vexatious” filers, perhaps spurring well-meaning violators to fight them in court rather than settle. Most PAGA lawsuits are over missed lunches or unpaid overtime. In 2024, those lawsuits and settlements cost businesses $1.6 billion, with $508 million going to attorneys. So far this year, there have been 754 lawsuits filed with settlements totaling $599,512,610 – of which, lawyers got $197,370,049. Of that, three law firms filed a quarter of all the cases.

Ahwahnee prices going up

SF Chronicle. Yosemite’s Ahwahnee to see major – and pricey – dining change.
Synopsis: The vendor who operates Yosemite’s Ahwahnee dining room – one of the most stunning in the world – will offer only a fixed-price menu (or prix fixe, if you prefer pricier words) starting at $95 a person for a five-course meal. If you want the seven-course meal with wine pairings, you’ll pay much more. But you can sit in the same room that John F. Kennedy and Barrack Obama enjoyed on their visits to Yosemite. The hotel has had $35 million in seismic retrofits since 2023.

Farmers forget the fertilizer

Ag Daily. Most farmers can’t afford fertilizer, new Farm Bureau survey shows. 
Synopsis: As the war in Iran upends international cargo shipping, the financial hit is landing on farmers who say they can’t afford to buy fertilizer. The American Farm Bureau Federation polled of 5,700 farmers and 70% said they were cutting back on fertilizer purchases. In the South, 8-in-10 say they cannot afford all they need to farm this year. In the West it’s 66%, compared to 48% in the Midwest. “The skyrocketing cost of fuel and fertilizer is creating more economic hardship for farmers who have already endured years of losses,” said Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall.

Tribe won’t halt construction

Fresno Bee. Construction of massive Madera casino will continue despite new ruling, tribe says.
Synopsis: The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians says work on the massive casino they’re building near Hwy 99 will continue despite the state Supreme Court’s decision calling into question their authority to operate it. The tribe is certain it will be given federal approval and won’t need the state’s permission. One of the most vocal opponents of the new casino is the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, who operate a casino off Hwy 41. The new casino is 30 miles from the tribe’s 80-acre rancheria in eastern Madera County.

Woman killed in tunnel project

KCRA. Woman killed in tunnel collapse near Knights Ferry is identified.
Synopsis: Twyla Capurro of Coulterville was killed in a collapse at the Canyon Tunnel Project on Tuesday. She was a tunneling geologist. A spokesperson for Provost & Pritchard Consulting said a portion of the tunnel “came loose,” and the tunnel did not suffer a “cave-in.” The $84 million project began in January and is scheduled for completion in April 2028. CA OSHA is investigating.

Correction

Valley Solutions. Woodward Reservoir, in Stanislaus County, belongs solely to South San Joaquin Irrigation District. Though Oakdale Irrigation District and SSJID share rights on the Stanislaus River and jointly own the Tri-Dam Project and other water infrastructure, OID does not have any interest in Woodward – which will require a spillway.