POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Coronavirus update: As summer surge continues, hospital bed use declines Modesto Bee In the last 37 days, Stanislaus County has recorded 7,000 new COVID-19 cases after announcing Saturday that 225 more residents had become infected. It took 136 days – and with a greater number test results – to […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Foster Farms processing plant in Calif ordered to shut down over COVID-19 outbreak Fresno Bee The Merced County Health Department ordered the Foster Farms Livingston Facility to shut down over the largest and most severe COVID-19 outbreak in Merced County, according to a statement released on Thursday by the […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Modesto mayoral candidate, who is subject of city investigation, ends campaign Modesto Bee Bert Lippert, who also is the city’s building safety program coordinator, said Wednesday he was no longer a candidate because he is the subject of a city investigation. Can south Merced get a grocery store? Mayoral […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Still too many COVID-19 cases in county for schools to reopen Turlock Journal Stanislaus County still has some progress to go before getting off the state’s county monitoring list and begin re-opening businesses and schools. See also: Coronavirus update: Stanislaus deaths reach 232. Positive rate drops again Modesto Bee […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Marijuana dispensary gives councilwoman $100K in her campaign to become Modesto mayor Modesto Bee Councilwoman Kristi Ah You has accepted a $100,000 contribution from one of the owners of a cannabis dispensary for her campaign to become Modesto’s next mayor in the November election. The Aug. 17 donation from […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Marijuana dispensary gives councilwoman $100K in her campaign to become Modesto mayor Modesto Bee Councilwoman Kristi Ah You has accepted a $100,000 contribution from one of the owners of a cannabis dispensary for her campaign to become Modesto’s next mayor in the November election. EDITORIAL: Stanislaus County leaders must […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Merced City Council nixes proposed Black Lives Matter mural San Joaquin Valley Sun A proposed Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Merced was voted down by the city council. The proposition failed as the council voted 5-2 against the mural that would have been located on Canal Street south […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: UC Merced makes Princeton Review’s ‘Best 386 Colleges’ for 2nd year abc30 UC Merced received national recognition after landing in the Princeton Review’s annual “Best 386 Colleges” list for the second year in a row. The guide showcases the universities it recommends to students and families as the best […]

POLICY & POLITICS Will the pandemic make or break Calif’s Central Valley? CalMatters Gov. Gavin Newsom described the Valley as his “biggest area of concern” recently and dispatched three of his coronavirus “strike teams” to the region to help local officials halt the spread. North SJ Valley: Stanislaus deaths at 200. Distance learning camp in […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Coronavirus outbreak at Livingston Foster Farms plant reaches 200 cases, 2 deaths, mayor says Fresno Bee The Foster Farms facility in Livingston has had an outbreak of more than 200 infections in recent weeks, including at least two deaths, according to Mayor Gurpal Samra. Officials with Foster Farms would […]