Valley Solutions

Valley Solutions offers a daily look at the top headlines appearing on media websites affecting the San Joaquin Valley. It is compiled by Mike Dunbar, who worked in Stockton, Modesto, Merced and Los Banos media for 40 years and later served as Adam Gray’s press secretary when he was in the Assembly. Valley Solutions is brought to readers by Rep. Adam Gray.

Gray confronts tough issues

Modesto Focus. Rep. Adam Gray discusses local, foreign issues after GOP opponent declines debate. 
Synopsis: Garth Stapley has moderated dozens of debates dating back to his days as Modesto Bee editorial page editor. He has built a reputation as both tough and fair in posing questions to candidates of all kinds and at all levels. Regardless, one of the two candidates for California’s 13^th Congressional District – one of the most closely watched political battles in the nation – decided he would not appear in a debate or even answer Garth’s questions. Kevin Lincoln, the Republican who might have been asked about why run for a district you don’t live in, was unwilling to participate or even speak to the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. So, Stapley and Focus Executive Editor Victor Patton spent 25 minutes with Gray discussing everything from ICE detention, high-speed rail, the war in Iran and much more. No ducked question. No hiding. Watch the interview here.

Modesto Focus. Big media can’t get enough of Adam Gray v. Kevin Lincoln House 13 race. 
Synopsis: Garth Stapley looks at the hottest congressional race in California, CA 13. A longtime observer of local politics and media, Stapley writes about how unusual it is for a candidate to turn down a debate opportunity – especially one who is challenging an incumbent. But Kevin Lincoln ignored all requests for a debate or even to answer questions. That decision, writes Stapley, is “less weird after you see Lincoln freeze in a studio interview with KCRA 3 three years ago, when was running (unsuccessfully) against Rep. Josh Harder. Don’t take my word for it – see it for yourself. … If you were Lincoln’s advisors, would you let him debate?”

Stockton site endorses Gray

North Valley Review. Beat Kevin Lincoln; beat 209times; beat MAGA – vote Adam Gray for Congress.
Synopsis: One of the top Facebook pages covering Stockton emphatically endorses Adam Gray. “Gray focuses on kitchen table issues,” writes the North Valley Review. He wants “a world where you don’t have to choose between paying for healthcare or rent.” Meanwhile, Kevin Lincoln’s sales pitch hasn’t improved in the two years since he lost to Josh Harder. Writes the Review, “The most common comment we get about Lincoln on this pager is that he ‘didn’t do shit as mayor.’ That’s a problem when his time as mayor is the main qualification he’s offering voters.” Lincoln’s rise was due entirely to the website 209times and its relentlessly political owner. “The company a candidate keeps matters.” Oh, and “looking the part is not the same as doing the job.”

Feds: You’re on your own

Politico. FEMA tells states to handle disaster on their own.
Synopsis: With California staring down an unprecedented El Niño and the dangers that come in its wake (flooding, tornadoes, wildfire, etc.), the Federal Emergency Management Agency is telling state officials across the nation that it no longer will help them confront natural disasters. Director Cameron Hamilton says the Trump administration has been planning for a shift to state-based response since it arrived. “FEMA is not a first responder,” he said. “But rather a force multiplier supporting states, tribes and local governments.” He suggests mutual-aid pacts between states. States are furious, noting that most have “tiny” emergency offices and “slim rainy-day funds” to confront disaster; the only way to get that will be to raise taxes. Meanwhile, Trump has suggested completely abolishing FEMA.
MAD Take: Remember Donald Trump throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans so they could clean up after a hurricane? How many paper towels will be needed to sop up El Niño?

Manteca Bulletin. State’s water ‘switch yard’: 1,100 miles of Delta levees. 
Synopsis: Columnist Dennis Wyatt writes about the 1,100 linear miles of levees that segment the land in and around the Delta, creating 60 islands and tracts. It is the richest farmland in the state. But those levees are more than 100 years old, created mostly from mud dredged up from the rivers. Now those levees protect 550,000 people living in 13 cities (Lathrop, Stockton, Manteca, Ripon, etc.) and five unincorporated communities. Facing a Super El Niño, will those levees hold?

Pacific is like bathwater

SF Chronicle. CA oceans have become shockingly warm, and strange things are happening. 
Synopsis: Ocean temperatures off the coast of California are “shockingly” high as the historic El Niño builds. Surface temperatures near San Diego were 74.5 degrees this week, the highest ever measured. Up at Point Reyes, temperatures are running 9 degrees above normal. The warm water is expected to generate tornadoes and could create “20 to 40 atmospheric rivers this winter, and each one is 1% to 2% wetter.” Warm water is also drawing fish normally found only in the tropics to California as they search for food. Other fish, accustomed to colder water, are dying and washing up on beaches. Sightings of marlin, sea turtles, blue fin tuna and rays will continue all winter.

Looking at a high-speed debacle

Wall Street Journal. Inside the $126 billion debacle to build CA’s bullet train. 
Synopsis: Back in 2008, CA voters bought into the plan to build a passenger rail line from LA to the Bay Area capable of getting people up and down the state in a couple of hours. It was supposed to cost $30 billion, much of which would come from private investors. Now, 18 years and $126 billion later, it isn’t even close. This video explains why.

More bans on data centers

Cal Matters. CA cities pull the plug on data centers after state regulations don’t scale up fast enough. 
Synopsis: California ranks No. 3 in the number of data centers with 366. Now, residents are rebelling against them. Oakland imposed a 45-day moratorium this week, joining San Francisco, Hayward, San Jose, LA County and Santa Clara. Alhambra will vote on a ban in 12 days. Activists say they’ve never seen anything “catch fire” like the opposition. The CEO of American Edge Project believes the fear is short-sighted and will cost America in the long run, saying data centers are as important as railroads or highways of the past. He recommends limits, not bans on data center construction.
MAD Take: The AI genie isn’t going back in the bottle. The key is to create and enforce rules around data centers that are not harmful to neighbors. No one wants the data centers we’re seeing in operation. But developers willing to conserve energy, preserve water, silence the machinery and offer transparency should be heard.

More envelopes intercepted

SF Chronicle. Suspicious letter sent to Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco office.
Synopsis: Retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district office got a suspicious letter containing an unknown substance on Wednesday. It added her office to a growing list of congressional offices that have received something similar. Reps. Kevin Mullin, Jimmy Panetta, Zoe Lofgren, Ro Khanna, Mark DeSaulnier and Sen. Alex Padilla all reported getting similar envelopes. Many of the envelopes were intercepted before actually arriving at the offices. The FBI and US Postal Service are investigating.
MAD Note: Jim Costa’s office in Sanger also reported receiving a similar envelope Wednesday./

Crime stats fall in Merced

Merced County Times. Merced police chief reports declines in auto crashes, thefts, robberies, assaults.
Synopsis: Chief Steve Stanfield provided an update on his department’s performance. “We really have worked hard by trying to introduce red-light cameras to the city, introduce some additional traffic enforcement officers and, this year, we are seeing extremely good numbers.” There have been 1,236 accidents compared to 2,074 in all of 2025, which was down from 2,628 in 2022. “We are on pace for a record-low,” said the chief. Fatalities have also fallen, from 13 in 2024 to 2 so far this year. Why? Police have issued 4,255 tickets this year compared to 1,441 in all of 2024. There have also been significant drops in property crimes (shoplifting, burglaries, etc.). One reason is the quick response times being seen, another is the Business Watch program that has businesses sharing information and cooperating to help police.

Mapping Modesto’s future

Modesto Bee. Modesto residents can help shape blueprint for housing, jobs, growth. 
Synopsis: Residents have an opportunity to chime in on how Modesto will grow as it considers the General Plan Update. The plan is designed to map growth over the next 25 years and must balance land use, housing demands, amenities, public safety, education and more. A significant driver is the state, which demands cities expand housing stocks while simultaneously insisting environmental justice become part of any plan. In April, city staff presented three growth alternatives to the Modesto City Council, which chose the most ambitious – some would say aggressive – option. Public input will be collected Oct. 26, at 5:30 at the Harvest Hall on Cornucopia Way, and Oct. 29 at the Maddux Youth Center.

Sheriff’s podcast goes live

Turlock Journal. The County Line: Sheriff podcast digs deeper into the issues. 
Synopsis: In an effort to help residents understand public safety issues, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse has revamped his old podcast into “The County Line” show. He has turned it over to Sgt. Nate Craine and his partner, K-9 Colt. Their hope is to go deeper than soundbites and headlines. Crain expects a new show every couple of weeks. “I’m not Joe Rogan,” said Crain. “I don’t have 10 million subscribers. I just try to listen to the guests and pay attention.”

Responding to traffic tragedy

Merced Sun Star. Merced County father dies in crash on I-5 in Stanislaus County. 
Synopsis: Arbin Perez-Chaparro, 29, was killed in a crash on I-5 near Westley on Oct. 17. He lived in Santa Nella with his family, including three children. His Honda was found by the CHP in the median, having flipped. A GoFundMe account has been established.

Merced Sun Star. Merced band grieves death of member in Fresno County crash. 
Synopsis: The Banda La Mas Pedida is hosting a GoFundMe page to help defray the cost of services for band member Juan Jesus Rivera Zepeda. His vehicle was one of three involved in a crash in Fresno Saturday, resulting in moderate to major injuries to six people. It appears other band members were also injured: “We also want to offer our support to our colleagues who are critically ill and fighting for their lives” at Community Medical Center, said the post.

He crawled through fire …

CBS13. Bystander rescues woman from burning Modesto home before firefighters arrive. 
Synopsis: A man driving down East Roseburg near Sunrise saw a house on fire and immediately pulled over. He rushed to the door and encountered a woman sitting in a wheelchair inside. He tried to rush through the door but was driven back by intense heat. So, he told the woman to get out of her chair and onto the floor. Then he crawled through the door and puller her to safety. No other details were available.