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.

PPIC: Prop 47 didn’t work

PPIC. Homelessness and drug use in CA. 
Synopsis: The Public Policy Institute of CA – the state’s preeminent think tank -- looked at the connection between homelessness and drug use and the impact of 2014’s Proposition 47 which reclassified many drug offenses. Conclusions: 1) Since 2014, homelessness has risen 60% statewide as documented by shelters. In 2025, CA had the sixth-highest homelessness rate in the nation and second-highest unsheltered rate behind only Oregon. 2) Higher rents lead to higher rates of homelessness. 3) CA has lower rates of treating drug abuse compared to the rest of the nation mainly because Prop 47 reclassified drug offenses and allowed people to refuse treatment. 4) Prop 47 increased “serious drug use by 7 to 8 percent” as measured by ODs and ER visits. Bottom line: Prop 47 reduced incarceration but made drug use more prevalent and its impacts more harmful.

‘Sturgeon Moon’ eclipse is tonight

Fresno Bee. Near-total lunar eclipse on display tonight. How visible will it be in CA?
Synopsis: A 97% eclipse of the moon will be visible tonight, with CA being one of the best viewing spots on the planet – assuming the skies are clear. The moon will turn a deep red in areas with low light pollution. Peak illumination is expected from 9:10 to 9:18 p.m. The moon is a “the sturgeon moon” this time of year because the giant fish are often easier to catch under a full moon in summer. While much of CA will have only “fair” viewing conditions, the area from Modesto north is expected to be cloudy. Sacramento has a 20% chance of rain with a higher potential for clouds blocking the view.

Patterson wants to censure mayor

Patterson Irrigator. Council members seek ‘request for censure’ of mayor. 
Synopsis: On 3-0 votes with one abstention, the Patterson City Council has decided to set in motion the process for censuring Mayor Mike Clauzel – issuing a formal reprimand “for misconduct.” The council voted on three separate actions, all in preparation for a formal censure in the near future. Councilmembers Carlos Roque, Kendra Mora and Gabriela Hernandez voted in favor. Councilmember Chinyere Nodim Jack, who was appointed last week, abstained. All inquiries concerning the move were referred to city attorney Douglas White, who stuck to explaining the process. The mayor will have an opportunity to respond at the next step, a closed-session hearing. If the issue is referred to the council in that meeting, then the council will take the hearing public. To approve a censure, the council must vote 4-0.

Atwater hires city manager

Merced County Times. Atwater leaders approve new city manager appointment.
Synopsis: Janell Martin has been hired as Atwater’s new city manager. She has worked for the city for the past 12 years, advancing from clerical roles to deputy city manager. She first moved to Atwater to live at Castle Air Force Base with her parents. She grew up in Atwater and is raising her family in town. Among those speaking on her behalf was Linda Dash, Mayor Mike Nelson and a former mayor.

Election News: 68 days left

LA Times. CA county’s election drama worsens as official locks up contested ballots. 
Synopsis: Shasta County’s supervisors hired a well-known election denier and convicted felon from Florida to run their elections. Now, the county is upset that he is doing some very strange things with ballots. The county exec’s office is asking for state and federal authorities to “please come investigate.” Registrar of voters Clint Curtis made several “unproven statements” and “frivolous” claims after being eliminated from the race for Registrar of Voters in the June primary. He then sequestered all primary ballots in a room in Redding, sealing the doors with locks, duct tape and signs under the guise that the election “did not look, feel or smell right.” County officials are asking the FBI, state attorney general and Secretary of State to intercede. Curtis has gone on Lindell TV to insist a “lot of Antifa people” live in Redding and he fears they will burn down the building. Curtis said he wants to bring Tina Peters, convicted for election tampering in Colorado, to Redding to help oversee elections.
MAD Take: Ahh, the sour aftertaste of snake oil.

Dolly’s Valley connection

LA Times. Dolly Parton stood up for undocumented immigrants when few others would. 
Synopsis: Columnist Gustavo Arellano writes about his favorite Dolly Parton song, one you’ve probably never heard. It was written by Woody Guthrie in 1948 after a plane crashed near Coalinga, killing 32 people – four crew and 28 farmworkers being deported back to Mexico. The news reports of the time listed the four crew members by name, but none of the deportees. It outraged Guthrie, and 32 years later struck a chord with Dolly, who included the song on an album released in connection with the movie “9 to 5.” At the end of the song, Parton recited the first names of all 28 farmworkers killed. It took courage and conviction.

The management of manure

Dairy Cares. CA dairy farmers work together to innovate and advance manure management. 
Synopsis: One of the most important and difficult jobs in dairy farming is protecting the farm and its water from cow waste. But “manure management” is changing through new technologies such as methane digesters and better feeding regimes. Diary Plus is a program for helping farmers evaluate manure-management programs and procedures. Among them is the BioFiltro vermi-filtration systems – aka, worm beds – used to reduce nitrogen loads. Early adopters are working with next-generation adopters to answer questions about cost, maintenance, labor, smells and results. What comes off the worm bed improves feed yields and reduces water consumption for forage crops. The Postma brothers of Stanislaus County use a Dairy Plus solid-liquid separation system to help manage their lagoon, producing “much cleaner water” at the back end. That, in turn, improves cow health and reduces labor costs.

Sneaky way to sell water

National Review Capital. Data centers use little water, so where does it all go?
Synopsis: One of the top fears about data centers is “excessive water use.” But this story calls that a “fiction.” Data centers consumed 17.4 billion gallons of water last year, which sounds like a lot but works out to about 53,000 acre feet – or about 5% of what is typically stored in Don Pedro Reservoir at full capacity. “Data centers use less water than the nation’s golf courses or California’s almond industry,” says the story. Even with expectation of 4x or 5x growth in data centers, the amount of water use will not exceed 4% of total US water use. After making this point, the story gets to what it is really about – insisting that we could make more “efficient use” of limited water through markets. That’s the entire point of this story – a justification for opening water to speculation and commoditization.

Grammy-winner in Modesto

Modesto Bee. Grammy-winning singer bringing her music and more to Modesto’s Gallo Center.
Synopsis: Ledisi will perform at the Gallo Center Friday night at 7:30 p.m. She won her first Grammy in 2021 for the song “Anything for You.” The audience can expect storytelling and vocal power, reads the press release. Ledisi’s current concert honors the work of jazz singer Dinah Washington – but Ledisi is not a “tribute” performer. Tickets are from $78 to $98.

School news on Westside

Westside Express. Los Banos Unified high schools recognized in latest US News & World Report. 
Synopsis: Los Banos and Pacheco high schools have been recognized in the annual US News & World Report rankings of 18,000 schools across America. Pacheco was ranked the No. 1 high school in Merced County and among the top third of all high schools in California. Los Banos High moved up to No. 6 in the county from No. 10.

Westside Express. Dos Palos-Oro Loma JUSD names new superintendent.
Synopsis: Sean Richey has been named superintendent of the DPOL joint unified school district. He had been interim superintendent at Los Banos Unified having moved up the ranks from teacher to assistant principal to principal to chief academic officer. He led efforts to strengthen professional learning communities and supports expanded English-language programs. His doctorate is from Stanislaus State and he is a former “principal of the year.”

Why so many salmon?

Cal Trout. Salmon came back: Study confirms rapid chinook return in Klamath River after dam removal.
Synopsis: In the first year after three dams were removed from the Klamath River, some 7,740 salmon returned to spawn on the stream above the former dams. That represented 18% of all the salmon on the Klamath in 2024. Last year, that number rose to 13,310 – or 19% of the basin-wide return. The study showed salmon have reoccupied 88% of their historical range on the river, essentially reinhabiting 214 miles of the Klamath and 11 other rivers previously locked off by dams.
MAD Note: The story doesn’t mention it, but the salmon numbers are stunning. We constantly hear that salmon are on the brink of extinction, but the number of salmon reaching the upper reaches of the Klamath grew by an astounding 71%. What’s more, this huge jump was only a tiny sliver of increased salmon numbers across the entire watershed. The previous year, the upper-reach numbers represented 18% of the total salmon on the entire Klamath. But with 71% more fish it was only 1% more of the total. That means the number of fish in the lower reaches of the Klamath were truly astounding – an explosion of salmon. Since we didn’t have more water than normal, it can be due to only one thing. A commercial fishing ban for the past three years. It proves the point: If you want more salmon, stop killing them in the ocean.
Yioutube: https://youtu.be/PnkttOsC3J4

‘Sweetie’ ready for new home

Merced Golden Wire (Facebook). Sweetie Update: A new chapter begins.
Synopsis: The Merced SPCA announced that the official “hold” on Sweetie has ended and the husky mix dog has been placed with a rescue organization “as she prepares for her forever home.” Sweetie formerly belonged to a homeless man who lived in city parks and was believed to be mistreating the dog. One commenter asked if the case had been closed. Another asked how to adopt Sweetie.