January 14, 2020

14Jan

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Deadline Feb. 28 for Two $56,000 Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowships 

The Maddy Institute

Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through​​ The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place.  

 

North SJ Valley:

 

UC Merced forecast for 2020? More students, employees and campus space

Merced Sun-Star

UC Merced, the youngest school in the University of California’s 10 campus system, is growing up — and fast. Opened in 2005, the size of the student population, number of employees and the size of the ever-expanding campus are on the rise.

After years of talk, city may close and try to sell Modesto Municipal Golf Course

Modesto Bee

The City Council at its Tuesday meeting could vote to close and direct staff to prepare for sale the nine-hole Modesto Municipal Golf Course in an effort to reduce the city’s annual subsidy to its golf fund.

EDITORIAL: How do we pump new life and energy into downtown Modesto? Here are some ideas

Modesto Bee

Some potential changes to downtown Modesto now being floated are eye-opening. These are not minor adjustments, people. Taken together, they could really boost the vibe of an up-and-coming downtown — the cultural and civic heartbeat of our city.

Central SJ Valley:

 

Former leader in Trump’s inner circle coming to Fresno to talk politics

Fresno Bee

More than a year after leaving the White House, where he served as President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly said he remains concerned over whether the president has people in his inner circle who are willing to stand up to some of his impulses and instincts.

 

Fowler councilman arrested, accused of burglary

abc30

Fowler City Councilman Mark Rodriguez was arrested Saturday morning by Fowler police. Police are requesting burglary charges against him.

Councilmen Want to End Dirt Paths to Fresno Schools

GV Wire

Waiting for developers to build sidewalks in Fresno has put generations of schoolkids in jeopardy, and three Fresno City Council members say it’s time to end the wait.

South SJ Valley:

 

Salas, Hurtado issue statements on budget

Hanford Record

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a $222 billion state budget Friday, which is receiving support from local elected officials. On Friday, both Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) and Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) released statements on Newsom’s proposed budget.

City again to look at new library

Porterville Recorder

The Porterville City Council and Library and Literacy Commission will hold a special joint meeting and among the topics will again be looking at the possibility of developing a new library for the community.

Tulare County, Tule tribe reach agreement on casino move

Business Journal

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors and the Tule River tribe have entered an agreement to pay for roadway improvements and to mitigate the county’s public safety costs should Eagle Mountain Casino relocate from tribal land to within the Porterville city limits.

 

False allegations over District 1 candidate's job title arise in early campaign squabble

Bakersfield Californian

Complaints that District 1 candidate Phillip Peters made up a job title to improve his resume are false, Peters told The Californian on Monday.

 

County focuses on access, safety at Tuesday's big oil meeting

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County officials say they're prepared for a big turnout at what could become a contentious meeting about the future of petroleum production in the heart of California's oil patch.

 

State:

California has so much money for these programs it can’t spend it fast enough

Sacramento Bee

Even as he announced plans to spend $222 billion in next year’s budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom noted billions of dollars for kindergarten, housing and mental health programs allocated in past years that still haven’t been spent.

See also:

Slugfest at a California conference has inspired a politician to propose a new law

Los Angeles Times

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) plans to introduce legislation aimed at giving the California auditor the authority to examine the finances of government lobbying organizations such as Contract Cities.

Outspending Every Other State On The Census, California Starts Its Own Count Too

Valley Public Radio

In California, officials are so concerned the U.S. census will undercount the state's residents this year, they want some neighborhoods counted not once, but twice — first by the U.S.​​ Census Bureau, and then by the state government.

California population growth could halt in 2060, demographers say for first time

Politico

Data included in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal suggests that California could nearly stop growing by 2060 — a stark reversal from a boom that has seen California’s population double over the past half-century

Facebook Won’t Change Web Tracking in Response to California Privacy Law

Wall Street Journal

Facebook Inc. has told advertisers it doesn’t need to make changes to its web-tracking services to comply with California’s new consumer-privacy law, setting up a potential early clash over how the closely watched law will be enforced once it goes into effect.

 

Federal:

Here are five USCIS changes that will impact legal immigrants in the U.S. in 2020

Fresno Bee

The U.S. immigration system saw many changes ordered by the Trump administration during 2019, including some that will take effect in 2020.

See also:

 

US stocks fall as investors digest first round of earnings

Fresno Bee

U.S. stocks fell in early trading on Tuesday as investors digested the first significant round of fourth-quarter corporate earnings reports.


Federal government blasts PG&E's deal with fire victims

Bakersfield Californian

Tensions between the U.S. government and Pacific Gas & Electric are boiling over as the two sides battle over whether a taxpayer-funded agency should be allowed to stake a claim on a $13.5 billion settlement covering most of the losses from catastrophic wildfires blamed on the bankrupt utility.

 

Trump Administration Plans to Shift Additional $7.2 Billion for Border Wall

Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration is planning to shift an additional $7.2 billion out of military coffers for border-wall construction, according to two people familiar with the plans.

Child Poverty in the U.S. is at an All-time Low and Saying Otherwise Does Not Help American Families

IFS

Child poverty in America has steadily declined for more than 50 years, and in 2018 (the most recent year of data we have), the child poverty rate was at an all-time low. 

EDITORIAL: New report shows IRS is missing in action

San Francisco Chronicle

The chances of getting away with cheating on your taxes have never been better. Thank anti-IRS Republicans who’ve steadily chopped the tax agency’s budget for years. The mess​​ erodes public faith in government, cuts money for needed programs and punishes honest taxpayers, while rewarding scofflaws.

 

Elections 2020:

Could a long, crowded and expensive primary hurt Democrats’ chances this year?

Fresno Bee

Judging by the huge sums of money Americans are forking over to politicians this cycle, they are very much into the 2020 presidential cycle, even before any primary votes are cast or counted.

See also:

 

Joe Biden says he’d consider Kamala Harris ‘for anything’ she wants, including VP

Fresno Bee

California Sen. Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign is over, but she could still find herself in the White House next year. In his first California interview, former Vice President Joe Biden said he would consider Harris “for anything” she wants, including vice president.

See also:

 

Bernie Sanders surges to the top in new 2020 California poll

Fresno Bee

Support for Bernie Sanders is surging in California, according to a poll released Monday afternoon from the Public Policy Institute of California. 

See also:

Booker ends presidential bid after polling, money struggles

Fresno Bee

Democrat Cory Booker dropped out of the presidential race Monday, ending a campaign whose message of unity and love failed to resonate in a political era marked by chaos and anxiety.

See also:

 

Elizabeth Warren says Bernie Sanders told her a woman couldn’t win the presidency

Los Angeles Times

Elizabeth Warren said Monday that a few weeks before the 2020 campaign started, Bernie Sanders told her that he did not believe a woman could win the presidency.

See also:

 

Bloomberg’s campaign snowballs to 1,000 staffers and counting

Politico

Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign has brought on more than 700 staffers spread out across 33 states, with a growing number of organizers joining his ranks in states that vote on Super Tuesday.

The healthcare issue that Democratic presidential candidates are missing

CalMatters

Created along with Medicare in 1965, Medicaid covers more than 75 million Americans. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid eligibility up to 138% of the poverty level and covered the vast share of the cost. 

See also:

 

Opinion: Tom Steyer: From cash cow to party crasher?

Washington Examiner

Tom Steyer was supposed to be the cash cow for Democrats. Now he may be crashing their party. How has Steyer burst into the fray? By spending unprecedented amounts of his own cash on ads.

 

EDITORIAL: Californians, don’t let this Republican’s conspiracy theory discourage you from voting

Sacramento Bee

Shame on Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, for spreading falsehoods designed to scare and confuse California voters. Specifically, she accused Padilla’s office of changing some Republican voters’ registrations to “no party preference,” or NPP.

 

Other:

 

CASA of Tulare County receives $50,000 grant

Porterville Recorder

CASA of Tulare County has been awarded a $50,000 Recruitment and Awareness grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children. 

Women's Right To Vote Centennial: First Ladies, Rhetoric, And A Fresno Portrait Exhibit

Valley Public Radio

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The Fresno League of Women Voters is kicking off its celebration with a First Ladies portrait exhibit at city hall showcasing a rare collection of oil paintings.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, January 19, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 –​​ Maddy Report:​​ PPIC: K-12 Test Scores - What do they tell us?​​ - Guest: Julien Lafortune, Public Policy Institute of California. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, January 19, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –​​ Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Educational Performance from A to Z​​ - Guests: 

Julien Lafortune, Sarah Bohn, Radhika Mehlotra and Patrick Murphy from PPIC and Dorothy Leland, Chancellor, UC Merced. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, January 19, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) –​​ El Informe Maddy: State Auditors Nurses: What would California do with a Nurse Shortage​​ - Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

App founder’s Davis-based business looks to pair customers with California wineries

Fresno Bee

The number of Asian business women is on the rise nationwide. A report by the Asian Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship shows AAPI women-owned business grew by between 76 percent to 108 percent in 2017.

 

Visalia Farmers Market looks ahead to 2020

Visalia Times Delta

One thing the Visalia Farmers Market hopes to expand this year is its outreach to seniors with low incomes through its participation in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

 

Cannabis Tax Revenues In Woodlake Hit $800,000 And Counting

Valley Public Radio

In January 2018, the Tulare County City of Woodlake became home to the San Joaquin Valley’s first-ever recreational marijuana dispensary. Two other businesses, a large-scale cultivator and extract manufacturer, opened in 2019.

 

Farmers Received $22 Billion In Subsidies In 2019 – Here’s Why Some Economists Are Concerned

Valley Public Radio

Farmers across the country have had a tough few years, between drought and climate change, evolving regulations, and of course, tariffs due to the Trump administration’s escalating trade war abroad. In one big way, however, 2019 was a good year for agriculture: Farmers received their largest subsidies in over a decade.

See also:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Sheriff’s deputies didn’t use excessive force, Modesto man died from drugs, DA says

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County prosecutors on Friday announced that sheriff’s officials did not use excessive force while trying to subdue a man who died after the July encounter with 10 deputies and a sergeant.

 

Fresno sees violent start to new year compared to 2019

abc30

Leftover police crime scene tape is an eerie reminder from a violent weekend that saw two people killed in separate Fresno shootings.

See also:

Modesto​​ police to sweep city for shopping carts, whether abandoned or possessed illegally

Modesto Bee

Modesto Police Department personnel will be out Wednesday clearing abandoned shopping carts from around the city and seizing those illegally possessed “to store or transport personal property,” which is common among the homeless population.

 

Auto theft locally and statewide on the decline

Visalia Times Delta

Nearly every day of the week, a Tulare County auto theft investigator is tracking down a stolen vehicle — sometimes finding only pieces of what was once an automobile. 

California drivers aren’t paying traffic fines. Here’s what Gov. Newsom plans to do

Fresno Bee

Turning right on a red light without fully stopping will cost you $500 in California. Parking blocking a wheelchair access curb could get you a $1,100 ticket. Is your license plate paint peeling? Some car owners have been hit with a $1,000 ticket for that.

How to navigate California county jails: A guide for inmates and their loved ones

Sacramento Bee

What do if you or a loved one is booked in a California county jail. How do inmates advocate for health care, mental health and legal representation? What records do you need? How do you file a grievance?

 

Public Safety:

Fresno chief says officers need new handguns. Critic says he’s ‘creating an emergency’

Fresno Bee

Fresno Police Chief Andy Hall has asked City Hall for the money to replace about 900 service weapons that aren’t working well, but critics of his request say the chief should be able to find the money in his $200 million budget. 

 

MCSO Invites Public to Attend Swearing-in, Awards Ceremony

Sierra News

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a swearing-in, promotional and special awards ceremony to recognize recent new hires and promotions within the department. The event will take place Thursday (Jan. 16) at 4 p.m. at MCSO headquarters.

 

Ivanka Trump plans White House summit on human trafficking

Fresno Bee

The White House will host a summit on human trafficking at the end of January marking 20 years since Congress made it a federal crime, amid an uptick in reported cases in recent years.

BPD steps up street racing enforcement, plans community forums

Bakersfield Californian

After weeks of trying to put the brakes on illegal street racing, the Bakersfield Police Department plans to hold community forums addressing the issue in the near future.

Fire: 

Federal government blasts PG&E's deal with fire victims

Bakersfield Californian

Tensions between the U.S. government and Pacific Gas & Electric are boiling over as the two sides battle over whether a taxpayer-funded agency should be allowed to stake a claim on a $13.5 billion settlement covering most of the losses from catastrophic wildfires blamed on the bankrupt utility.

Sonoma County readies legal action against PG&E over Kincade Fire

San Francisco Chronicle

Sonoma County is preparing to take legal action against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. as it weighs a regional economic blow of some $725 million from last year’s Kincade Fire and a string of forced power outages.

California's wildfire risk keeps getting worse. Now a decade of blackouts lies ahead

The Guardian

In stark contrast to recent years past, California’s 2019 wildfire season was relatively mild: just 732 structures destroyed, compared with the tens of thousands and dozens killed in 2017 and 2018.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

 

US stocks fall as investors digest first round of earnings

Fresno Bee

U.S. stocks fell in early trading on Tuesday as investors digested the first significant round of fourth-quarter corporate earnings reports.

Child Poverty in the U.S. is at an All-time Low and Saying Otherwise Does Not Help American Families

IFS

Child poverty in America has steadily declined for more than 50 years, and in 2018 (the most recent year of data we have), the child poverty rate was at an all-time low. 

Jobs:

 

California workers would still get paid if their boss cancels a shift under proposed law

Sacramento Bee

California workers could still get paid if their boss abruptly cancels their shift under a proposed law backed by a Democratic lawmaker and former union leader. 

 

Trump makes wage-theft lawsuits harder — but not in California

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration Monday loosened the federal government’s “joint employer” rule for businesses that contract out work, making it harder for victims of wage theft at staffing agencies and subcontractors to sue companies where the violations take place. 

How AB5 affects gig rivals: One gets more business, one exits California

San Francisco Chronicle

AB5, the state’s new gig work law, took effect Jan. 1, and has already changed some livelihoods, with Uber drivers, freelance writers and performing artists among those feeling its impact.

‘Techlash’ Hits College Campuses

New York Times

Facebook, Google and other major tech firms were every student’s dream workplaces. Until they weren’t.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Valley HS offering new and exciting electives for special educations students

abc30

Staff said they felt there weren't enough opportunities in the arts for their special education students, so they started something new.

 

Trustees to decide VUSD superintendent’s fate

Visalia Times Delta

On Tuesday, trustees will vote on whether Interim Superintendent Tamara Ravalín will shed her "interim" title to become the district's permanent leader after an eight-month trial run

Councilmen Want to End Dirt Paths to Fresno Schools

GV Wire

Waiting for developers to build sidewalks in Fresno has put generations of schoolkids in jeopardy, and three Fresno City Council members say it’s time to end the wait.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Means to Succeed: Tule River holds career, college fair

Porterville Recorder

Organizers for the Fifth Annual Tule River Tribe’s Career and College Fair expected about 300 students from tribes all over the Central Valley, and elsewhere.

 

UC Merced forecast for 2020? More students, employees and campus space

Merced Sun-Star

UC Merced, the youngest school in the University of California’s 10 campus system, is growing up — and fast. Opened in 2005, the size of the student population, number of employees and the size of the ever-expanding campus are on the rise.

 

How Is State Center First Spending $485 Million Bond? Look to Madera.

GV Wire

The opening of the new Center for Agriculture and Technology building at Madera Community College Center marks the completion of State Center Community College District’s first Measure C-funded facility.

Head of California’s new online community college abruptly resigns

CalMatters

Heather Hiles had hoped to draw on tech industry experience to launch the college. But community college faculty complained the courses were redundant, a no-bid contract with a connected Bay Area recruiter drew attention and no full-time faculty have yet been hired. 

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

Blw​​ a 600-foot hole in the dirt alongside the San Joaquin River? Scrap that idea

Fresno Bee

Yes, aggregate mining on the San Joaquin has been going on for more than a century. But with production tapering off and newer operations opening on the nearby Kings River, it was generally assumed the poor San Joaquin would finally be given a break and allowed to return to something closer to its natural state.

 

2019 Was a Record Year for Ocean Temperatures, Data Show

New York Times

Last year was the warmest year on record for the world’s oceans, part of a long-term warming trend, according to a study released Monday.

EDITORIAL: Getting Closer to ‘Shovel Ready’

Wall Street Journal

Today even modest public works can spend years in limbo, no thanks to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. That 1970 law requires an environmental study of any major project that involves federal funding or permitting.

 

Energy:

 

Rising energy costs lift US consumer prices 0.2% in December

Fresno Bee

Rising energy costs drove U.S. consumer prices higher in December, and American workers’ earnings couldn’t keep up.

California, 15 states question safety of shipping natural gas by rail

San Francisco Chronicle

California and other states on Monday denounced a Trump administration proposal to ship highly flammable liquefied natural gas by rail nationwide, questioning the lack of safeguards.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

North Valley hospital enforcing restrictions on visitors during flu season

abc30

Signs near the entry now let visitors know that children under the age of 13 and anyone showing any symptoms of illness will not be allowed past the lobby from November 15​​ through April 30.

EDITORIAL: Flavored vapes hook kids. Ban them. Finally

Los Angeles Times

If you are confused about the mixed messages coming from the federal government regarding the electronic cigarettes that are so alarmingly popular with teenagers, join the club.


EDITORIAL: Lead in our lipstick? Mercury in mascara? That’s got to stop

Los Angeles Times

Many no doubt assume the government is empowered to make sure the lipstick, lotions and creams they use every day do not include things that might do them harm. It’s not.

 

Human Services:

 

The healthcare issue that Democratic presidential candidates are missing

CalMatters

Created along with Medicare in 1965, Medicaid covers more than 75 million Americans. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid eligibility up to 138% of the poverty level and covered the vast share of the cost. 

See also:

CA bill protecting intersex infants dies in committee

Bay Area Reporter

A California bill aimed at banning unnecessary medical procedures on infants who are intersex died in committee Monday, though its author vowed to bring the bill back in the future.

 

Childbirth comes with staggering out-of-pocket costs

Stockton Record

The sticker shock and staggering costs of childbirth can really hurt a family’s wallet, many doctors and other experts say.

 

IMMIGRATION

Here are five USCIS changes that will impact legal immigrants in the U.S. in 2020

Fresno Bee

The U.S. immigration system saw many changes ordered by the Trump administration during 2019, including some that will take effect in 2020.

See also:

Judge refuses to second-guess family separations at border

Bakersfield Californian

A U.S. judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration is operating within its authority when separating families stopped at the Mexico border, rejecting arguments that it was quietly returning to widespread practices that drew international condemnation.

See also:

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

 

After years of talk, city may close and try to sell Modesto Municipal Golf Course

Modesto Bee

The City Council at its Tuesday meeting could vote to close and direct staff to prepare for sale the nine-hole Modesto Municipal Golf Course in an effort to reduce the city’s annual subsidy to its golf fund.

Housing:

$80M off-campus housing project for UC Merced students slated to create around 500 jobs

Merced Sun-Star

A new housing development aimed at UC Merced students is expected to be the closest off-campus housing alternative for the ever-expanding university. 

Caltrans would have to send social workers to homeless camp cleanups under proposed law

Fresno Bee

Caltrans would have to help homeless people find housing before clearing their tents from state property under a new proposal in the California State Legislature.

 

Joe Biden on housing: ‘No one should pay more than 30 percent of their income’

Fresno Bee

Former Vice President Joe Biden is aiming to woo California voters with a plan to make sure no American pays more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

 

Newsom homeless task force wants CA to require cities to meet aggressive housing goals

Sacramento Bee

A state task force co-chaired by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is calling for a statewide measure to be placed on the November ballot that would require localities and the state to meet aggressive goals to house the homeless.

See also:

Should Trump declare California a national disaster to help homeless? One congressman’s idea

Sacramento Bee

A California congressman wants to allow states to apply for emergency funding for homelessness crises in the same way they’re granted funding for natural disasters like wildfires or hurricanes.

See also:

Voters could consider mandate to end California’s homelessness

Stockton Record

An advisory council appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom called Monday for California voters to consider a legally enforceable mandate to end homelessness, as the most populous state grapples with one of its most pressing and politically fraught problems.

See also:

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

This tax break is popular in Fresno and Merced. But federal limits still apply

Merced Sun-Star

Deducting state and local taxes from federal returns is highly popular in Fresno and Merced — but for at least another year, those deductions are going to be limited.

See also:

More entitlements as economy slows?

CalMatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom is tiptoeing into a political region that predecessor Jerry Brown purposely skirted — expanding expensive services and benefits that are difficult, and perhaps impossible, to shrink if California’s economy turns sour.

U.S. Budget Gap Continued to Widen in 2019

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. budget gap continued to widen in 2019, but not as much as the previous year when Republican tax cuts reduced revenue and a bipartisan budget deal boosted government spending.

Introduction to Tax-Cruncher

AEI

Tax-Cruncher is a new open-source project for analyzing how tax policy affects taxpayer finances. Tax-Cruncher allows policymakers, researchers, and everyday taxpayers to analyze how changes to current tax law would affect a taxpayer’s financial situation.

 

Opinion: Let’s Make a Deal on Tech Taxes

Wall Street Journal

The digital economy has radically changed the way consumers buy goods and services—and upended the principles of modern taxation. Companies now create economic value without any physical presence, which leaves government without a way to tax them.

 

TRANSPORTATION

Bill to weaponize clean car rebates stalls in California’s pollution battle against Trump

CalMatters

A bill to restrict clean car rebates to vehicles from companies that signed on to California's greenhouse gas deal stalled in the state Legislature.

 

WATER

 

Winter storms bringing rain, snow to region

Stockton Record

The National Weather Service has issued a series of winter weather advisories and watches up and down the Sierra’s eastern front as a series of storms make their way into the region.

Ocean temperature was highest on record in 2019, study says

Merced Sun-Star

The world's oceans hit their highest temperature on record in 2019, and the rate at which they are warming is speeding up, a new study showed Tuesday.

 

A Changing Water Landscape

Public Policy Institute of California

California saw some especially big changes over the past year in its ever-changing water world. New groundwater sustainability agencies finalized their plans to better manage overtapped groundwater supplies, and are poised to begin implementing them.

The delta’s sinking islands

San Francisco Chronicle

A fight over the management of a diked island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is shining a light on a growing conundrum for California water managers, farmers and environmentalists over the best way to restore natural habitat on cropland created more than a century ago by draining marshes.

 

“Xtra”

 

Rock stars, air guitars and a politician or two: Fresno State Amphitheater remembered

Fresno Bee

Over the span of the past six decades, the amphitheater at Fresno State has been the site of politician rallies and rock concerts, movie nights and days of simple sunshine. 

South Valley animal shelters seeing influx of dogs, including litters

abc30

The non-profit took in more than 20 dogs from Tulare County Animal Services on Thursday, including an abandoned German Shepherd and her puppies.

 

In Kerman, This Punjabi American Stays Connected To His Faith And Family

Valley Public Radio

We know the San Joaquin Valley is home to diverse communities and cultures, and this year we’re bringing you audio postcards from some of the families who settled here a little more recently. Today we’re going to hear from Amanprit Singh Dhatt at his home in Kerman. 

 

Local artist hopes to open eyes to dangers of addiction

Hanford Record

Local artist Tanya Miller hopes to open some eyes at the opening reception of her exhibit this Friday. Miller’s artwork depicts drug addiction, mental illness and the stigma and culture surrounding those topics.

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

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute​​ at California State University, Fresno 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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