Around The Valley
Growing threat of Valley Fever Valley Fever, once a rare fungal infection communicated by blowing dust, has become a growing threat to public health, especially in the southern San Joaquin Valley. As more and more people are infected, it’s imperative that people become more aware of this potentially fatal disease. A new report details why. Read more
Valley is “ground zero” for groundwater management It’s been ten years since passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SIGMA) and two groundwater basins are still on probation for failure to produce acceptable sustainability plans. Many San Joaquin Valley towns still don’t have safe drinking water and almost every large city is still dependent on groundwater. Though many authorities think the Valley will achieve sustainability by 2040, the first decade since passage of has been fraught with difficulty, despite the expenditure of a billion dollars. Read more
Alvarado-Gil at center of new scandal and lawsuits California State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil caused a stir recently when she switched parties from Democrat to Republican. Now she’s being sued for sexual harassment and suppression of First Amendment rights to free speech. Chad Condit, Alavarado-Gil’s former Chief of Staff, has alleged she pressured him into oral sex by threatening his job security. In an unrelated action, the owner of Turlock’s B&C Investigations has sued the Senator for having been removed from a June 21 press conference. Read more
Modesto police review board recommends stricter oversight The Modesto Police Community Review Board’s first annual report recommended greater transparency, more emphasis on de-escalation techniques, and enhanced awareness of the effects of trauma on police officers. The wide-ranging report, released in late August, included the need for local communities to engage with law enforcement in compiling data that would reflect community needs and areas for improvement. Read more
Fresno Supervisor claims camping penalties not about homeless Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau claims that the county’s new anti-camping ordinance isn’t directed at homeless people. “It’s about all the rest of us that are impacted by people who do things that are not right in the public space.” Advocates for homeless people disagree. They cite lack of services and housing as driving factors in homelessness and argue that the elderly people on fixed incomes, the disabled, and victims of domestic violence make up large percentages of the homeless population. Read more
Letters
- Congressman Duarte can run, but he Can’t Hide
California Congressman John Duarte insists that he’s a moderate Republican willing to go against the doctrinaire commands of his party. Nonetheless, Duarte knows any candidate… Read more: Congressman Duarte can run, but he Can’t Hide
FEATURED
- Illegal Immigration in the San Joaquin Valley
Over the twelve years from 2010 until 2022, California’s total immigrant population increased about 3%. The portion of undocumented immigrants in that total declined from 28% in 2007 to 18% in 2021. That’s compared to a 14% (or 1.2 million) increase from 2000 to 2010, and a 37% (or 2.4 million) rise in the 1990s.… Read more: Illegal Immigration in the San Joaquin Valley - San Joaquin Valley Election: Your Vote and Mine
Flannery O’Connor’s short story, Good Country People, features a Bible salesman who steals a woman’s artificial leg, leaving her stranded in a hay loft in the family barn. That’s just the bare plotline. Like any of O’Connor’s stories in the broad Southern Gothic tradition, it has multiple layers of irony, elements of the gruesome and… Read more: San Joaquin Valley Election: Your Vote and Mine
RECENT
- The Kindness of Trees…and People
A few days ago, I was in the community laundry room at my apartment complex when I spotted a bottle of Tide detergent sitting on a table, a handwritten note taped to its front. The message on the bottle read: Repaying kindnesses I hope you have a wonderful day! Please only take what you need.… Read more: The Kindness of Trees…and People - Why Homeless People Don’t Want Help, Part III: A Long and Winding Road to Nowhere
“I spent 90 minutes on my phone trying to get some help,” said the homeless man. “After 90 minutes of bouncing to a different person or group, I was told to call the first place I called. There’s no real help anywhere.” The man, call him Mike, is not alone when it comes to frustrating… Read more: Why Homeless People Don’t Want Help, Part III: A Long and Winding Road to Nowhere