Valley Solutions

Getting feds to move faster

Western Farm Press. Permitting reform vs. farm reality: Will faster fed reviews help producers?
Synopsis: Dan Keppen, former executive director of the Family Farm Alliance, is skeptical of “permitting reform” and efforts to reduce costs and delays under the federal Clean Water, National Environmental Policy and other such acts. Current reform proposals aim to narrow what triggers full federal review, set firm deadlines and limit the scope of litigation. The purpose of the legislation is to accelerate everything from water infrastructure projects to ecosystem restoration. Keppen says farmers are asking: “Will any of this actually make it easier to get real work done on the ground?” He says there’s a difference in “big project” permitting and promoting “smaller projects that matter most in rural landscapes.” He worries that as statutory timelines are shortened, lawsuits will increase resulting in even longer delays. He recommends a “farm-level test for permitting reform: Does it improve timeline certainty? Does it reduce duplicative review?” He concludes: “That’s not anti-environment. That’s pro-function.”
MAD Note: In California, just clearing brush from a slough can require a notebook full of permits. When such work doesn’t get done, we get floods like the one that swamped hundreds of buildings in Planada. Rep. Adam Gray has authored or sponsored several bills to set limits on how long federal agencies can take to review projects, and to specifically hasten construction of water-storage projects and rural roads. The SPEED Act, Build Now Act, WATER Act and Central Vallery Water Solution Act are not pie-in-the-sky “permitting reform,” but laws with very real deadlines endorsed by, literally, hundreds of organizations and government agencies with both Republican and Democrat co-sponsors.

Valley residents struggling

Merced Sun Star. Survey finds Merced residents battle inflation, food insecurity, bills. 
Synopsis: The Legacy Foundation’s Jeffrey Lewis and pollster Justin Wallin write about the loss of purchasing power for Merced families, saying politicians fail “to understand the plight of middle-income America.” A 2025 poll found 79% of Merced residents struggle to pay bills, buy food and keep up with medical costs. Some 24% said they eat only one meal a day. Lewis says the Child Tax Credit has been helpful but is insufficient to pull families out of poverty. Lewis suggests refunding all income taxes paid by families earning less than 140% of the federal poverty level -- or $45,000 for a family of four. He would refund half of all taxes to any family earning less than 7x the national poverty level, about $225,000. On top of that, he suggests paying people to save, matching their contributions to Roth Savings Accounts and IRAs.

High-speed rail’s real plan

Fresno Bee. High-Speed Rail wants to capture taxes around stations. 
Synopsis: Citing the need to deliver rail “more efficiently,” an official with the CA High Speed Rail Authority said the agency wants control over all land-use decisions and tax revenues within a half-mile of its stations. In Fresno, that would include most of downtown, including Chinatown, Chukchansi Park, the Brewery District and government buildings. The Authority also wants a share of property tax revenues for all those properties. “As much as I have been supportive of high-speed rail in the past, any attempt to take revenue from the City of Fresno … will be strongly opposed,” said Mayor Jerry Dyer. The League of CA Cities called such a plan “unconstitutional.”
MAD Take: Leland Stanford got rich by collecting rent on land around his railroads. Maybe that’s where the Rail Authority got this idea. At least it brings into focus the HSRA’s sudden desire to move the train station out of downtown Merced 4 miles south of town; they’d control what gets built, when and by whom.

Merced County Times. Letter: It’s time for Merced to stand up to HSR. 
Synopsis: Jeff Denno writes to call BS on the CA High Speed Rail Authority’s efforts to move the train station out of downtown Merced. He adds that suggestions the Authority will someday offer train service from Merced to Yosemite “a fraud.” He concludes, “Merced should stand up to HSR and demand that they get the station that was promised and not accept the bone that HSR is offering.”

Honoring 2 presidents in Merced

Merced County Times. Merced County honors two US presidents with statues.
Synopsis: Steve Newvine writes about the unveiling of two statutes at the Hotel Mission de Oro in Santa Nella – busts of John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The busts honor presidents who contributed to the area. Kennedy came to Santa Nella to dedicate San Luis Reservoir; Eisenhower created the Interstate highway system, that passes by the resort motel.

Stores, bars, eateries coming

Ceres Courier. Commissioners approve plans to reuse old Walmart site. 
Synopsis: The Ceres planning commission approved splitting up the former Walmart at Hatch and Mitchell, making way for a Vallarta Supermarket, Dutch Bros coffee and Take Five Oil Change facilities. The 14-acre site has been vacant since 2021 when Walmart opened a supercenter. The Vallarta markets in Modesto and Fresno have been extremely well received and would provide a draw for other stores. The market will occupy 60,478 square feet with a Ross store next door.

Modesto Bee. Pizza My Heart opens first Central Valley location.
Synopsis: You can buy pizza by the slice at the first Pizza My Heart pie shop in the Valley. The iconic Capitola Beach pizzeria has opened its 29^th location, this one just off I-205 in Tracy. Or you can drive to Santa Cruz.

Merced County Times. Enjoy ‘Una Mas’ in downtown Merced.
Synopsis: There’s a new taproom on Main Street in Merced, courtesy of brothers Abraham and Issac Santana. Their Una Mas is just across the street from the Regal Cinema, offering 24 brews on tap and several non-alcoholic options. Their parents immigrated from Jalisco to run Imagine Graphics, so entrepreneurship runs in the family.

Mussels ‘exploding’ in canal

Fox26. Golden mussels detected in Friant-Kern Canal threaten water deliveries. 
Synopsis: The Friant Water Authority reported two months ago that invasive golden mussels had been found in the Friant-Kern Canal. Now, officials say those mussels are everywhere and threatening water deliveries this year. A Bakersfield farmer says the mussels are reproducing so fast that they’re already  clogging pipelines and gates. He called it a “huge population explosion.” The 152-mile canal runs from Millerton Lake to Bakersfield, carrying the San Joaquin River south. Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom is trying to speed permitting to decontaminate infrastructure. “We don’t want to wake up in May after this whole spawning period and have an even bigger problem on our hands,” she said. 

USDA to buy milk, beans, nuts

Successful Farming. USDA to buy $263 million in dairy and specialty crops. 
Synopsis: Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Thursday that the USDA would buy surplus specialty crops – fruit, dairy, legumes, tree nuts – and send supplies to food banks. “Through these Section 32 purchases, USDA is delivering wholesome, real food to Americans while injecting critical dollars into local economies.” Of the $263 million set aside for the program, $148 million will be used to buy dairy products – butter, cheese, fluid milk, etc. Another $75 million will be spent on beans and lentils, with walnuts and pears getting $15 million each. This is separate from the $11 billion being sent to corn and soybean farmers to make up for foreign sales lost due to Trump’s tariff war.

Fresno Bee. Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs: ‘Time to pay the piper,’ Newsom says. 
Synopsis: The Supreme Court voted 6-3 to strike down the Trump Tariffs, declaring them an overreach and constitutionally invalid. Several small businesses sued the administration after being forced into bankruptcy. “These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately – with interest. Cough up.” At a breakfast for Republican governors, Trump called the decision “a disgrace.” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court, saying Trump could impose tariffs only with “clear congressional authorization.” Justices Thomas, Alito and Kavanaugh dissented.
MAD Take: While many are relieved and happy to see Trump’s illegal power grab thwarted, the worst harm has been retaliatory tariffs imposed by other nations on American products. The court’s ruling will not remove those tariffs or return the lost good-will toward American products – such as CA wine in Canada.

Kopi will be signing off

Fresno Bee. Famed Fresno TV personality Kopi Sotiropulos retiring: ‘Time to just let go.’
Synopsis: After 30 years on the air, Kopi Sotiropulos said he is retiring on March 27. “It’s been a good career. It is time to just let go.” Born in Greece but raised in Fresno, he started with KMPH in 1971 – the year the station went live. His first job in front of cameras came in 1992, when he started doing the weather. By 2003 he was providing comic relief for Great Day host Kim Stevens, wearing Hawaiian shirts and making fun of his own hairpieces.

ICE facility: No drama

Fresno Bee. What CA faith leaders saw inside a divisive immigration facility. 
Synopsis: Chandler Marquez, director of public affairs for the Diocese of Fresno, writes vividly about his visit to the ICE facility in California City near Bakersfield. He accompanied Bishop Joseph Brennan of Fresno, Bishop Brian Nunes of LA and several other clergy members as they brought communion to those being held there. Expecting worse, Marquez said guards were “professional and courteous.” And “nothing we witnessed in those spaces caused alarm among our delegation.” Those being held spoke 90 different languages, and some were US citizens who had been caught up in the “confusion” of “chaotic” enforcement. “We hope government entities will continue to allow detainees access to pastoral care and spiritual support.” 

Sharing Black History

Merced County Times. Black trailblazers whose stories deserve to be told. 
Synopsis: UC Merced’s Patty Guerra and Jody Murray offer short biographical essays on several prominent African Americans, ranging from NAACP founder W.E.B. Du Bois to journalist Ida B. Wells to inventor Granville Woods. Each is accompanied by a commentary from a UC professor providing context and additional history. All of the stories mention the racism that each person had to overcome to make their significant contributions to American life.

Merced County Times. Black leaders providing support, community for students. 
Synopsis: Three African American educators and administrators are making Merced College more welcoming and useful for Black students. Travis Hicks, Dean of Humanities, teaches mathematics and philosophy and was a 2025 Black Educator Excellence (BEE) finalist. He said the testimonials collected on his behalf moved him and made him a better teacher. Student Support Coordinator LaDenta Smith said she is as concerned with a student’s well-being as she is with their education. Financial aid technician Ashleigh Rice works with local businesses and individuals to create scholarships and opportunities for students. She is keenly aware that for many students, she serves as a role model. As for her own role models – her mother LaTanya Love and grandmother Gladys Cooksey, “They’re amazing.”

Aspiring ‘snakers’ apply here

Modesto Bee. Jobs for makers, bakers, snakers’: See who’s hiring creatives in Stanislaus County. 
Synopsis: Reporter Maria Figueroa coins a new term, “snaker,” in describing some of the job openings in Stanislaus County. Wood Connection is hiring a cabinetmaker. Safeway is hiring a baker, but is paying only $16.70 to $20.83 per hour -- about what people make in fast-food restaurants. “Latte artists” are in demand at the Matriach Café at the Hotel Bayit in Salida; if you can fix bicycles, Dick’s has a job for you. Then there’s that snake-handling job at The Serpentarium. If you’re in the mood for a more cuddly pet, Ikadoodles Breeder & Groomer is also hiring -- and the pay is better.