February 23, 2021

23Feb

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Concerns raised over Turlock proposal to hire city attorney with no government experience

Modesto Bee

The Turlock City Council on Tuesday is set to consider a contract appointing real estate lawyer George Petrulakis as interim city attorney, marking another leadership change.

 

Zwahlen talks about her priorities as Modesto's new mayor

Modesto Bee

As Sue Zwahlen is poised to become Modesto’s next mayor, she said there is optimism among city officials and community members that the city can meet its challenges and thrive once the pandemic is behind it.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Fresno County may appoint a new clerk on Tuesday. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors could appoint a new county clerk Tuesday after a closed session meeting. Longtime County Clerk Brandi Orth announced her retirement last month noting she’ll finish her tenure at the end of February.

 

Lee Brand, Fresno’s former mayor, finally reveals fate of campaign war chest

Fresno Bee

Former Fresno Mayor Lee Brand is donating the remainder of his campaign account to local organizations to use for post-high school scholarships. Brand closed out his political career with $400,000 in the bank. He’s using that money for scholarships to help students pay for college and vocational training.

See also:

 

Replay: Systemic racism in Tulare County, an online forum

Visalia Times Delta

Starting Monday, Feb. 22, the Times-Delta and Tulare County Voices, a community group, will hold a series of virtual community forums on systemic racism in Tulare County.

 

‘Glitch’ in California vaccine website sent people to Valley county that denied them shots

Fresno Bee

A “glitch” in California’s COVID-19 vaccine registration website incorrectly allowed anyone in the state to register for shots in Kings County, a top public health official there said. One man who registered, Harinder Singh, 66, of Fresno, was turned away from a Hanford clinic by staff because he’s not a Kings County resident.

 

Tulare County sheriff wants to clear a homeless camp. Those living there are pushing back

Fresno Bee

Homeless residents in the southern end of the central San Joaquin Valley have filed a lawsuit against the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office for attempting to clear out their encampment.

 

Costa reintroduces bill to fund California high-speed rail project

Progressive Railroading

U.S. Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) has reintroduced legislation that would provide $32 billion to fund projects in federally designated high-speed rail corridors.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

In visit to Arvin, Gov. Gavin Newsom says Kern County and Central Valley will receive greater allotment of COVID-19 vaccines

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County and the Central Valley will be receiving larger portions of the COVID-19 vaccine on an ongoing basis, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during a stop in Arvin on Monday.

See also:

 

Salas announces bill to help domestic violence victims

Hanford Sentinel

Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) has introduced new legislation, Assembly Bill 673, which supports domestic violence victims by increasing funding to nonprofits that provide shelter and services for victims.

 

Council approves $200,000 for non-profits

Porterville Recorder

On Tuesday night, during their regular meeting, the Porterville City Council held a public hearing in regards to an amendment that was needed to the 2019 annual Action Plan in order to reallocate the use of up to $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CBDG-CV) funding for the Operational Support to Nonprofits program.

 

City Launching New Local Small Business Grant Program

City of Bakersfield

In continuing effort to help local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Bakersfield is partnering with Access Plus Capital to make financial support available to microenterprises within the City limits.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

State lawmakers approve $600 stimulus payments for 5.7M Californians

abc30

California lawmakers on Monday cleared the way for 5.7 million people to get at least $600 in one-time payments, part of a state-sized coronavirus relief package aimed at helping lower-income people weather what they hope is the last legs of the pandemic.

See also:

 

Q&A: What you need to know about the attempt to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom

Los Angeles Times

Every California governor in modern history has faced recall attempts to oust them from office. All but one have failed, but there is an active effort aimed at Gov. Gavin Newsom that appears to be gaining momentum amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also:

 

Newsom feuds with fellow California Democrats over schools

Politico

California Democrats and Gov. Gavin Newsom are in rare conflict with the governor slamming a school reopening bill he says would set districts further back as lawmakers align with teachers unions by seeking stricter guidelines than the federal government recommends.

See also:

 

Take the term illegal ‘alien’ out of California lottery rules and state laws, new bill proposes

Fresno Bee

California Democrats introduced a bill last week that seeks to eliminate the term “alien” from state laws, an immigration classification used to describe undocumented immigrants and foreign-born individuals.

 

California Democrats try again to outlaw gun shows on state property, fairgrounds

Fresno Bee

A Southern California Democrat hopes Gov. Gavin Newsom will ban all guns and ammo sales on all state property, a move that would effectively end firearms shows at dozens of local fairs across the state.

 

California passes bill allocating $1.4 million to track anti-Asian bias and hate crimes

Sacramento Bee

California legislators approved $1.4 million in state funding to help combat anti-Asian violence and racism through the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on Monday.

 

Speculation swirls over Becerra’s replacement

Capitol Weekly

It’s a time-honored habit around the Capitol: Fevered speculation about who may be appointed to fill an empty and important statewide office.

 

In post-Trump convention, California Republicans keep calm and carry online

CalMatters

Missing too were the bullhorn and placard-toting protest marches, the cameo appearance of rightwing Internet celebrities, the raucus parliamentary brawls between college Republicans.

 

Federal:

 

$1,400 stimulus checks could be approved by House this week. What happens next?

Sacramento Bee

The House could vote by the end of this week on a third coronavirus relief package that would send a round of $1,400 stimulus checks to millions of Americans during the pandemic.

See also:

 

Amid GOP opposition, Becerra faces first of two hearings this week over HHS nomination

Los Angeles Times

California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Tuesday faces the first of two hearings this week on his nomination to be Health and Human Services secretary, with Republicans mobilizing to characterize Becerra’s policy positions as extreme.

See also:

 

Biden's Agenda To Come Into Sharper Focus, Even As Trump Plots His Comeback VPR

So far, he has signed a record number of executive orders, brought the United States back into the Paris climate accord, introduced a comprehensive immigration bill and begun the groundwork for his major COVID-19 relief legislation. He has also taken his lumps when it comes to messaging about reopening schools.

See also:

 

Supreme Court to review Trump curbs on abortion clinics, immigration

Politico

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will review a pair of Trump-era policies barring federal family planning funds to abortion clinics and limiting immigrants’ use of public benefits, even as the Biden administration signals it’s preparing to roll back those policies.

 

Biden considers regulating ‘ghost guns,’ other executive actions to curb gun violence

Politico

The White House is weighing a number of gun safety proposals as it looks to deliver on President Joe Biden's campaign promises. But some activists are upset that after one month in office the administration has yet to set a firm timeline or provide specifics about its overarching plan.

 

Opinion: No amount of disaster can shake the GOP loose from Trump

Washington Post

Five years ago, Donald Trump seized control of the Republican Party by attacking conservative icons, insulting former GOP presidents and disregarding Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment that warned against criticizing other party members. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham told me at the time that Trump was like a hijacker taking control of an airplane while the passengers cheered him on.

 

Other:

 

Health care bore brunt of cyberattacks in 2020, study says

Roll Call

The global health care and pharmaceutical industries bore the brunt of cyberattacks in 2020 as nation-state hackers and criminals targeted companies looking for information on COVID-19 as well as vaccine development, cybersecurity research firm CrowdStrike said in a report made public Monday.

 

Google to lift political ad ban this week

Politico

Google will lift its ban on political ads on Wednesday, ending a self-imposed prohibition that had been active since the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

 

Despite Security Concerns, Online Voting Advances

Pew Trusts

The premise of online voting—receiving and returning a ballot using a device connected to the internet—is simple, and it is likely to become more popular as technology improves and some election officials seek innovative ways to expand access to the ballot.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, February 28, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “State Legislative Response to the Pandemic” - Guest: State Sen. Andreas Borgeas; State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, February 28, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “State Legislative Agendas” - Guests: State Sen. Shannon Grove; Asm. Devon Mathis; State Sen. Anna Caballero; Asm. Rudy Salas. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

‘A lot of people say they’re afraid.’ COVID-19 vaccine fears plague California farmworkers

Fresno Bee

When Alma Martinez first heard the rumors that COVID-19 vaccine was coming to her small agricultural community in Fresno County, she started worrying. Though she was eager to get vaccinated, she knew too many farmworkers like her had doubts.

See also:

 

Local fruit-breeders help keep shelves stocked year-round

Bakersfield Californian

U.S. shoppers expect them and so grocery stores do, too — but how do you deliver a summer fruit like grapes all 52 weeks of the year? That's where Kern County fruit breeders come in.

 

What you see is the largest pollination event on Earth: California’s almond blossom

Sacramento Bee

There’s something in the California air. The state’s spectacular almond bloom—the largest single pollination event in the world—has begun. Orchards are blooming and honey bees are buzzing.

 

Burns in San Joaquin Valley vineyards, orchards may finally end. What delayed it?

CalMatters

Laura García is haunted by the last time her daughter woke her up in the middle of the night, struggling to breathe. It was 2019, during the rainy season, when growers burn piles of grapevines surrounding her home in Raisin City, southwest of Fresno.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Last year's protests resulted in dozens of criminal cases

Bakersfield Californian

Nearly three dozen criminal prosecutions have resulted from street protests last year in Bakersfield over racial injustice and later from clashes between Black Lives Matter activists and Trump supporters leading up to the presidential election.

 

California passes bill allocating $1.4 million to track anti-Asian bias and hate crimes

Sacramento Bee

California legislators approved $1.4 million in state funding to help combat anti-Asian violence and racism through the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on Monday.

 

Salas announces bill to help domestic violence victims

Hanford Sentinel

Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) has introduced new legislation, Assembly Bill 673, which supports domestic violence victims by increasing funding to nonprofits that provide shelter and services for victims.

 

California Democrats try again to outlaw gun shows on state property, fairgrounds

Fresno Bee

A Southern California Democrat hopes Gov. Gavin Newsom will ban all guns and ammo sales on all state property, a move that would effectively end firearms shows at dozens of local fairs across the state.

See also:

 

Public Safety:

 

Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise, where do we go from here?

abc30

A series of attacks against Asian Americans in recent weeks is stoking fear and anger. In San Francisco, an 84-year old Thai man was shoved to the ground and died days later. On a New York City subway, a Filipino man was slashed across the face by another passenger.

 

KCSO hiring 100 new deputies, applications open

KGET

Sgt. Danisha Ashley with KCSO, joined 17 News at Sunrise to share details about openings for new deputies. The department is looking to hire over 100 new deputies. To apply, visit the County Human Resources website at KernCounty.com.

 

Fire:

 

First fire, then flood: Inside Caltrans’ effort to repair washed out Highway 1 in Big Sur

Sacramento Bee

In Big Sur, mother nature is hard at work healing from the Dolan Fire. In many places, it’s a peaceful transition. Fresh, green growth covers fire-blackened hillsides, hiding the remains of the massive blaze that scorched the region and shut down one of the world’s most scenic routes last summer.

 

California’s Plan to Save Its 1,000-Year-Old Redwoods From Wildfires

Wall Street Journal

Ancient giant redwoods are among the charred survivors in Big Basin Redwoods State Park after a wildfire last year. Now rangers and conservationists are developing plans to better protect them out of fear that the world’s tallest trees may not survive future blazes that are almost certain to come.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Council approves $200,000 for non-profits

Porterville Recorder

On Tuesday night, during their regular meeting, the Porterville City Council held a public hearing in regards to an amendment that was needed to the 2019 annual Action Plan in order to reallocate the use of up to $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant CARES Act (CBDG-CV) funding for the Operational Support to Nonprofits program.

 

City Launching New Local Small Business Grant Program

City of Bakersfield

In continuing effort to help local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Bakersfield is partnering with Access Plus Capital to make financial support available to microenterprises within the City limits.

 

Innovative community engagement on fiscal issues

Public CEO

The City of Roseville, CA, has led the way with its award-winning initiative, EngageRoseville. The program was designed to “get feedback from citizens, business owners and visitors about services offered by the City and what level of service is best to meet your needs given the budget constraints.”

 

Biden boosts Paycheck Protection Program lending to smallest businesses

abc30

President Joe Biden announced changes Monday to target more federal pandemic assistance to the nation's smallest businesses and ventures owned by women and people of color.

 

Your Modesto, Central Valley restaurant delivery could be coming from a ghost kitchen

Modesto Bee

Restaurant delivery is nothing new. But, thanks to the pandemic, these days the food you order in the Central Valley could be coming from a “ghost kitchen” instead of a regular restaurant. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean Casper or any other friendly or non-friendly ghost is making your meal.

 

Why some state and local governments are desperate for more stimulus aid

Washington Post

Facing deep budget shortfalls, state and local governments have shed 1.3 million jobs since the pandemic began last year — a loss of more than 1 in 20 government jobs, according to a Washington Post analysis of government data.

 

Consumer Demand Snaps Back. Factories Can’t Keep Up.

Wall Street Journal

U.S. manufacturers aced the shutdown of their factories and warehouses last spring in response to Covid-19. They’re botching the recovery.

 

Jobs:

 

Unemployed Californians face months of delays when appealing denial of jobless benefits

Los Angeles Times

Californians who believe their unemployment benefit claims have been wrongly denied are facing significant delays in having their appeals addressed during the COVID-19 pandemic, waiting an average of 92 days for assistance — more than double the wait time before the pandemic put millions of residents out of work.

See also:

 

Silicon Valley suffers huge job losses in 2020, but tech gains

Mercury News

Silicon Valley suffered mammoth job losses during 2020 that affected nearly every industry except the tech sector, whose employers managed small job gains despite coronavirus-linked economic woes, a report released Tuesday shows.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Fresno Unified launches ‘pricey’ COVID-19 testing program. Is there a cheaper way?

Fresno Bee

As Fresno Unified School District students and teachers begin returning to campuses this week, officials are exploring ways to have randomized COVID-19 testing for hundreds of employees but at cheaper prices.

 

More Central Valley schools bring back students for in-person learning this week

abc30

This week marks the return to on-campus instruction for many school districts across the Central Valley and state. As campuses prepare to welcome back some students for in-person learning, Gov. Gavin Newsom encouraged others to follow their lead.

See also:

 

Modesto City Schools board OKs plan to reopen 7-12 campuses when county is in red tier

Modesto Bee

At a special meeting Monday, the Modesto City Schools Board of Education approved a plan to open junior high and high schools on a hybrid learning schedule that would have students on campus two days a week.

 

Ask Sondheimer: You have high school sports questions, Sondy has answers

Los Angeles Times

The California Department of Public Health released its much-anticipated youth sports update last week, clearing the way for high school football and other outdoor sports to resume on Friday provided counties meet various coronavirus thresholds.

 

S.F. parents have complained about school board members. But could an effort to recall them work?

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco is no stranger to political scandals and controversial policies, and yet not a single elected official has faced a serious recall attempt in nearly 40 years.

 

California teachers move to the front of the vaccine line in most counties

EdSource

Thousands of California teachers from urban and suburban school districts who had been waiting for Covid-19 vaccinations finally began receiving their first doses last week, with those numbers expected to climb as the state takes additional steps to prioritize teachers.

See also:

 

Education Department requiring standardized testing, giving schools pandemic flexibility

The Hill

The Education Department on Monday announced that standardized testing must occur this year, though it will allow states to delay testing or apply for certain exemptions.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Is COVID-19 keeping California students from going to college? Here are the numbers

Fresno Bee

As the University of California smashes freshman application records for the upcoming school year, a troubling trend has emerged at state and community colleges — fewer first-time students are applying for the fall semester.

 

A Conversation with California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro

PPIC

How is the California State University addressing major ongoing challenges, from the pandemic and its economic impact to persistent concerns about racial equity? Recently appointed CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro will join PPIC President and CEO Mark Baldassare for a wide-ranging conversation about short- and long-term priorities for higher education in California.

 

California lawmakers propose Cal Grant reforms to help low-income students

EdSource

Hundreds of thousands of students attending California’s colleges and universities may soon become newly eligible for financial aid awards if lawmakers have their way with a proposal to reform how the state distributes that aid.

See also:

 

Financial aid applications lag among California high school seniors

EdSource

With just a couple of weeks to go before the state filing deadline, far fewer California high school students have completed college financial aid applications than is typical.

 

The State of Higher Education for Black Californians

The Campaign for College Opportunity

California has long been a land of opportunity, a place where determination and hard work are rewarded. Through the birth of the silver screen, the explosion of Silicon Valley, and countless other revolutions, California is always at the forefront of innovation and economic success.

 

Commentary: Biden is right to reject calls to forgive $50,000 in student debt

AEI

Responding to a personal plea for the forgiveness of student loans totaling up to $50,000, President Joe Biden explained recently that he “will not make that happen.” The rebuke was a bit startling given the growing support among Democrats for proposals to cancel such loans, but it is not inconsistent with Biden’s campaign platform, which limited loan

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

After Texas crisis, Biden’s climate plan hangs on fragile power grid

Sacramento Bee

The millions of people who struggled to keep warm in Texas, with blackouts crippling life inside a dominant energy hub, have laid bare the desperate state of U.S. electricity grids. To fix nationwide vulnerabilities, President Joe Biden will have to completely reimagine the American way of producing and transmitting electricity.

 

Smoothing the Bumps in the Road to Ecosystem Restoration

PPIC
California’s environmental permitting system was developed to prevent bad things from happening to the environment, but it often slows efforts to do good things, too. How can California improve regulatory processes to make them more efficient and effective?

 

Energy:

 

How About Wind? California Explores Plan For Wind Energy Along Coast To Combat Climate Change.

Capital Public Radio

About an hour-and-a-half southwest of Sacramento, hundreds of nearly 20-stories tall windmills line the Montezuma Hills in Solano County. On back roads through these rolling peaks, the windmills’ shadows steadily move with the sun over farms, sheep and cows.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Half a million dead in US, confirming virus’s tragic reach

Fresno Bee

For weeks after Cindy Pollock began planting tiny flags across her yard — one for each of the more than 1,800 Idahoans killed by COVID-19 — the toll was mostly a number. Until two women she had never met rang her doorbell in tears, seeking a place to mourn the husband and father they had just lost.

See also:

 

Why The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Has Gotten A Bad Rap — And Why That's Not Fair

VPR
Two COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed in the U.S. right now, and this week an FDA advisory committee will vote on whether a third should join them.

See also:

 

When will kids, teenagers get vaccinated for COVID-19? Here’s what experts say.

Modesto Bee

COVID-19 vaccines are in short supply and kids are last in line to get shots. With few exceptions, they’re not expected to get vaccines until next September. And that’s for high schoolers. Young children may not be eligible until next year.

 

These Californians are less worried about COVID-19, getting a vaccine or wearing a mask

Sacramento Bee

Fewer than half of California Republican voters are eager to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent survey gauging interest in the shots the promise to be the single best tool in ending the deadly pandemic.

 

We might need to keep wearing masks into 2022 to defeat COVID-19

Los Angeles Times

Despite a sharp decline in coronavirus cases and continued success with COVID-19 vaccines, it’s looking likely we will still be wearing masks for some time to come. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s coronavirus czar, said it’s possible masks could be needed until 2022.

See also:

 

FDA Looks to Quickly Authorize Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shots as New Variants Emerge

Wall Street Journal

The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it will quickly analyze any vaccine booster shots against Covid-19 variants such as those from South Africa and the U.K., and won’t require further large clinical trials of the new shots’ effectiveness.

 

False claims tying coronavirus vaccines to infertility drive doubts among women of childbearing age

Washington Post

As the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine ramps up across the United States, women of childbearing age have emerged as a surprising roadblock to efforts to halt the pandemic by achieving herd immunity.

 

Why We Can’t Make Vaccine Doses Any Faster

ProPublica

President Biden has promised enough doses for all American adults by this summer. There’s not much even the Defense Production Act can do to deliver doses before then.

See also:

 

Human Services:

 

‘Glitch’ in California vaccine website sent people to Valley county that denied them shots

Fresno Bee

A “glitch” in California’s COVID-19 vaccine registration website incorrectly allowed anyone in the state to register for shots in Kings County, a top public health official there said. One man who registered, Harinder Singh, 66, of Fresno, was turned away from a Hanford clinic by staff because he’s not a Kings County resident.

 

California inspectors find 'deficiencies' at virus test lab

Bakersfield Californian

Inspectors found “significant deficiencies” at California's new coronavirus testing laboratory, problems that state officials on Monday partly blamed on the rapid ramp-up they required from the lab's private operator under terms of a $1.4 billion contract.

 

Stanislaus County reopens COVID vaccination clinics. Who is eligible this week?

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County will reopen public clinics for coronavirus vaccinations Tuesday after a one-day hiatus attributed to delayed shipment of vaccine.

See also:

 

California’s rocky COVID-19 vaccine rollout dogged by poor communication, forecasting

Los Angeles Times

California is failing to provide crucial information about COVID-19 vaccine supply levels to local officials, complicating efforts to schedule appointments and contributing to temporary closures of vaccination sites.

 

Burgeoning child care union secures COVID-19 relief funding approval

CalMatters

The state Senate budget committee approved disbursement of $144 million in federal funds to give child care providers some financial relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. If approved by the Legislature, it will be a major win for Child Care Providers United, which is still negotiating a master contract with California.

 

California Is Losing Its Campaign to Vaccinate Racial Minorities Equitably

Wall Street Journal

Months before a Covid-19 vaccine was approved for use in the U.S., California was planning how to get it to the communities hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, including racial minorities.

See also:

 

COVID-19 Relief Package Includes Expansion of Health Care Coverage

Pew Trusts

Democrats in Congress plan to use the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill to advance President Joe Biden’s campaign promises to make affordable health care available to more Americans, reversing the Trump-era decline in the number of people with health insurance.

 

Biden administration asks U.S. Supreme Court to dump Medicaid work case

Reuters

President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to cancel an upcoming oral argument on a policy introduced under his predecessor Donald Trump backing work requirements for people who receive healthcare under the Medicaid program for the poor.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Lawsuit seeks to stop ICE’s use of private guards to make California immigration arrests

Fresno Bee

Two civil rights organizations have filed a federal class action lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an attempt to get the federal agency to halt what the organizations describe as an “illegal practice” of using private companies to detain people.

 

Immigration detention centers showcase California’s vaccine chaos

CalMatters

Who takes responsibility for vaccinating detainees? “I don’t know,” said California’s surgeon general. Facing such confusion, some county officials are sending doses to immigrant detention centers, while others are awaiting state guidance.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Amid Tower Theater Controversy And A Pandemic, This Iconic Fresno Business District Awaits Changes

VPR

Along Fern Avenue in the Tower District, businesses are boarded up, some lined with graffiti. There’s trash piled in the doorways. But on this sunny Saturday afternoon, volunteers move brooms along the sidewalk and sweep the debris into boxes. There’s an upbeat feeling about their work.

 

Housing:

 

Tulare County sheriff wants to clear a homeless camp. Those living there are pushing back

Fresno Bee

Homeless residents in the southern end of the central San Joaquin Valley have filed a lawsuit against the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office for attempting to clear out their encampment.

 

Housing market starts year with double-digit home price gains

OC Register

High demand, a limited supply of homes for sale and record-low mortgage rates continued to drive up Southern California home prices and sales last month.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

State lawmakers approve $600 stimulus payments for 5.7M Californians

abc30

California lawmakers on Monday cleared the way for 5.7 million people to get at least $600 in one-time payments, part of a state-sized coronavirus relief package aimed at helping lower-income people weather what they hope is the last legs of the pandemic.

See also:

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

A ‘low-cost’ plan for California bullet train brings $800 million in overruns, big delays

Los Angeles Times

A 65-mile section of California’s bullet train through the San Joaquin Valley that a contractor assured could be constructed much more cheaply — with radical design changes — has become another troubling and costly chapter in the high-speed rail project, a Times investigation found.

See also:

 

United Airlines grounds Boeing 777s after engine failure dropped debris on Colorado town

Mercury News

United Airlines grounded 24 of its Boeing 777s on Sunday after one plane experienced an engine failure and spewed debris over a northern Denver suburb this weekend.

 

WATER

 

Webinar Registration: Leveraging the Fresno State Ecosystem featuring Nestle & BovControl

Fresno State Water, Energy and Technology Center

Join us on February 26, 2021, at 10 a.m. to learn about how BovControl (a Valley Ventures alumni) has leveraged the Fresno State ecosystem over the years to accomplish their company's growth milestones, develop partnerships with leaders in their industry, and further improve their product.

 

A dam good example of collaboration on California water issues

grist

The largest dam removal in United States history is set to take place along the Klamath River by 2023, but getting to this point was neither easy nor quick. Water management, especially in densely populated and water-scarce places like California, is a challenge from practically every aspect: ownership and operations of water infrastructure, local politics, maintenance costs, and sustainability concerns.

 

“Xtra”

 

New Bakersfield art exhibit shows off work by detainees at Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center

Bakersfield Californian

A new art exhibition is soon opening in Bakersfield, with the intention of showing off the works of several artists living just down the road. While many exhibitions aim to highlight the talent and dedication of the artists, this one has a deeper purpose.

 

Bethany Clough: Hummus with side of sassy: Downtown Fresno to see new Mediterranean franchise restaurant

Fresno Bee

Something different is headed for downtown Fresno: Hummus Republic. It’s a restaurant and Los Angeles-based company, and a Fresno native is opening one of its first franchises here.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

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