KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift The downtown of Isleton along the Sacramento River in the Sacramento Delta on April 9, 2025. Isleton is piloting community-based insurance for California, which desperately needs alternatives for the home insurance market. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)On a typical day, Iva Walton, a bar owner and the new mayor of the nearly forgotten city of Isleton feels like she is trying to save the world “Even though the present isn’t great right now I have faith that our city is going to survive,” Walton said Deep in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s sprawling web of rivers and wetlands deserted storefronts line Isleton’s Main Street presents a stark contrast with its fresh red and green paint Walton sat across a table from Vice Mayor David Kent at her bar on a Friday morning in January, drinking coffee. They mulled over how to preserve free-spirited Isleton — known for its crawdad and Spam festivals — and the troubles the historic city faces some of which stem from the nearby Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers Isleton has a high risk of flooding but few resources, with a fifth of the city’s roughly 800 residents living in poverty After rainstorms damaged its wastewater treatment facility Isleton narrowly avoided bankruptcy this year accountants and flood insurance experts to bail it out “We’re in lightning mode,” Walton said “There’s been a tendency for things to take a while to come to fruition here — you might call that ‘Delta time.’ But now so we can start to build up our city again.” As climate change drives up flooding risk, the safest move for Isleton residents might be to abandon their small city — but short of that drastic option, insurance could provide a safety net. Now, with help from researchers, the state has funded its first community flood program providing one private insurance policy for all Isleton residents at no cost Isleton is piloting community-based insurance for California, which desperately needs alternatives. Wildfires supercharged by climate change have cratered the home insurance market — and many Californians don’t buy flood insurance at all even as severe storms batter the state and its aging levees Isleton hoped to fund the program independently after the pilot ends in 2027 by establishing a parcel tax but many residents seem unsupportive of paying it Isleton’s new leadership said they plan to lock in the insurance policy this month “The idea of insurance for the city of Isleton is hugely important and our number-one priority,” Kent said Isleton resident Pam Bulahan was 9 years old at the time Her family received word before dawn of a levee breach They borrowed a flatbed truck and scrambled to load up their nice furniture “I’m watching the water creep across the road,” remembered Bulahan who today sits on the City Council with Walton and supports the insurance pilot “It was the eeriest thing I ever saw By sunrise, up to 5 feet of floodwater soaked her property. Around 200 buildings remained flooded for months It took Bulahan’s family a couple of years and a loan to repair their house the city this year had to lay off 12 of its 16 staff members to avoid bankruptcy Isleton’s challenges are not going away. With climate change, models predict annual flood damages from atmospheric rivers in the western U.S could increase from $1 billion up to $3 billion by the end of this century Together, Walton, Kent and Bulahan form the board of Isleton’s Geologic Hazard Abatement District, the entity tasked with purchasing the new community-wide insurance policy. With the help of the engineering firm ENGEO the district plans to finalize the policy in May At the district’s planning meeting in January Walton clunked her water bottle on the table: “Call to order.” The group was joined by Kathy Schaefer an insurance advisor who left her longtime job as a FEMA engineer to pursue her civil and environmental engineering PhD from UC Davis She took an interest in Isleton’s high flood risk Schaefer outlined a program she argued offers more affordable and effective private insurance for Isleton than FEMA’s and then successfully lobbied the state to fund that program “I became convinced that FEMA was fundamentally broken,” Schaefer explained “I went back to school to find out exactly what the problem was and how we could solve it.” Because Isleton falls into its high-risk flood zone FEMA mandates that most homeowners with a mortgage buy flood insurance But Schaefer found that less than a quarter of the some 500 Isleton households comply Schaefer fought hard to bring dollars to Isleton so the entire community could have insurance Last fall, the California Department of Water Resources dedicated $200,000 for Isleton’s $2.5 million insurance policy through insurer FloodFlash and with underwriting from Munich Re Since Schaefer wanted this policy to be fast and flexible, she chose an innovative insurance structure dubbed “parametric.” Floodwaters trigger an immediate payout with this plan a more traditional “indemnity” insurance requires a lengthy claims adjustment process to determine payments based on damages if sensors on Isleton’s wastewater pump detect water rising above a certain level the city automatically receives its $2.5 million The new geological district still has to decide how to distribute this money One possibility is for $5,000 to go to each homeowner to cover temporary living expenses The district is also looking into options to include renters and for excess funds to go toward the city’s infrastructure The dollars won’t necessarily make anyone whole Schaefer anticipates that if homeowners know the first $5,000 — and maybe one day $10,000 — is covered they could actually afford traditional flood insurance by raising their deductibles That would lower their total insurance costs to as low as $800 annually residents pay an estimated $1,100 per year — a significant cost given the median household income in Isleton is about $60,000 the statewide median household income is $96,000 Schaefer hoped Isleton property owners would greenlight a parcel tax to fund the parametric policy in the long term but a recent survey revealed a lack of support in the community A contractor stopped after interviewing just three residents strong doubts — such as not wanting to prioritize flood insurance in the first place Longtime property owner Jean Yokotobi helped with the pilot early on but became disillusioned She did not feel confident in Isleton’s ability to navigate an effective program and she doubts her neighbors can afford it “I can say now [a tax] is not going to pass,” Yokotobi said the country’s first community parametric flood insurance program launched in 2023 The California Department of Insurance helped spearhead the Isleton pilot. “We need to help our communities be more resilient to climate change,” Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a press release “We need to think creatively about how new insurance pilots like this Delta community project can be tested and scaled to help our most vulnerable communities.” The “transparency and cleanliness” of parametric policies also appeals to insurers, according to Alex Kaplan, an executive vice president with the insurance broker Amwins. Parametric insurance streamlines the claim process and caps liability for insurers since the payouts are predetermined — an appealing option in the face of heightened natural disasters Tom Corringham, a climate economist from Scripps Institution of Oceanography though infrastructure improvements and insurance can only go so far.“ We’ve spent a lot of money helping people rebuild after a disaster and it may be better to actually move people to a safer location,” he said “Underneath all of this is the changing climate making us more susceptible to floods.” Walton and Kent lingered after the January insurance meeting discussing the responsibility to balance Isleton’s books especially so the insurance plans could continue addressing the city’s flood risk helps ensure its prosperity They envision a flourishing Main Street with hotels shops and restaurants drawing more tourists to enjoy Isleton’s undeniable charm “This tiny spot on the map has so much impact and that’s why we have to take care of it,” Walton said “That’s why I’m doing this.” To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. KGET 17 News Bakersfield hit-and-run suspect turned himself in after crash Lakeside Union School District Grand Jury Report flags concerns Looking at the behind-the-scenes technology behind 911 calls States with the most strict DUI laws - info from Nolo 1 dead at construction site in west Bakersfield Digital Addiction: The time spent in front of cellphone screens has 'rewired' modern childhood The Department of Justice announced that California City Mayor Pro Tem Michael Kulikoff was arrested on an indictment for hazardous waste transportation conspiracy (KBAK/KBFX) — The Department of Justice announced California City Mayor Pro Tem Michael Kulikoff was arrested on an indictment for hazardous waste transportation conspiracy The DOJ said 39-year-old Michael Kulikoff of California City was arrested Tuesday on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to transport and cause to be transported a hazardous waste without a manifest and placing another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury California City Mayor Marquette "Marq" Hawkins released a statement: Greetings California City residents and stakeholders by now you may have heard the news regarding a council member the city is currently in the process of gathering information prior to any formal response at this time Kulikoff was a city councilmember in California City and owned a car wash business Kulikoff learned that a mercury exposure incident had happened at his car wash A person had spilled a jar containing several ounces of mercury inside the cabin of a sports utility vehicle and had tried to clean up the mercury using a vacuum cleaner The person then drove the contaminated SUV to a home in California City where he called 911 because he was experiencing symptoms related to mercury exposure California City emergency services personnel responded to the scene and scanned the SUV for mercury They detected about 20 times the allowable limit of mercury inside the SUV’s cabin and put yellow caution tape around the SUV to deny entry to it Kulikoff tried to clean up the business himself but was told by the emergency services personnel that he had to stop because it was a hazardous materials scene and was unsafe Kulikoff conspired with another person to move the contaminated SUV outside of city limits He directed the other person to drive the contaminated SUV from California City to Boron because the SUV was causing problems for Kulikoff in California City and he wanted the SUV to be outside the jurisdiction of California City emergency services personnel Emergency services personnel left the place of the contaminated SUV scene to respond to a report of a fire that turned out to be a false report Kern County emergency services personnel found the contaminated SUV at the home of the person who had moved the vehicle at Kulikoff’s direction That person also complained of symptoms related to mercury exposure This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kulikoff faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to transport hazardous waste and a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine per day of violation for placing another person in imminent danger would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which take into account a number of variables The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt In 2016, Kulikoff was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $15,000 in cash proceeds for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and hydromorphone The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Boise Police Department as an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation OCDETF partners include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S arrested and faces federal charges involving his place of business where Mayor Pro Tem Michael Kulikoff was arrested on Tuesday on federal indictment charges Kulikoff did not return texts or phone calls Cal City Mayor Marquette Hawkins says the city is in the process of gathering information before making any formal response was charged with conspiracy to transport and cause to be transported a hazardous waste without a manifest and placing another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury Kulikoff learned that a mercury exposure incident had occurred at his car wash business An individual had spilled a jar containing several ounces of mercury inside the cabin of a sports utility vehicle and had attempted to clean up the mercury using a vacuum cleaner The individual then drove the contaminated SUV to a residence in Cal City Investigators say Kulikoff conspired with another person to move the contaminated SUV outside of city limits because the SUV was causing problems for Kulikoff in California City This is the second time a federal grand jury has indicted Kulikoff he ended up pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and hydromorphone Official website of the State of California What you need to know: For the second year in a row California’s Department of Finance released data showing the Golden State’s population grew the state added more than 100,000 residents Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California’s population grew by 108,000 people in calendar year 2024 reaching 39,529,000 people as of January 1st 2025 — according to new data from the California Department of Finance This increase marks the second consecutive calendar year of population growth this report reflects an upward revision of California’s January 2024 population which saw a growth of 192,219 people (year over year) — up from the previously estimated increase of 67,104 people And an upward revision of California’s January 2023 population which saw a growth of 48,764 people (year over year) — up from the previously estimated decrease of 53,727 people Higher 2024 K-8 enrollment by 13,890 compared to 2023 An increase in the 65-and-older population of 25,298 people in 2024 up from 6,622,031 people reported last year Natural increase — the net result of births minus deaths — contributed 114,805 to overall population growth in 2024 largely in line with the growth of 105,550 in 2023 More data sources to better estimate California’s share of recent increases in legal immigration to the U.S showing 277,468 more immigrants to the state during this period than in the 2023 estimate The report contains preliminary year-over-year January 2025 and revised January 2021 through January 2024 population data for California cities It’s important to note that these estimates are based on information as of January 1 and therefore do not include data for the Los Angeles County wildfires later that month California’s 58 counties range in size from Alpine County to Los Angeles County with 9.9 million residents Population gains reflect natural increase exceeding losses in net total migration The state’s ten largest counties remain Los Angeles with each having more than one million residents These ten counties represent 72 percent of California’s population Nine of the ten counties with one million or more people have positive population growth leaving Contra Costa as the only county with a very small population loss of 24 people Los Angeles led with an increase of 28,000 persons Population growth rates ranged from a high of 2.88 percent in Lassen County to a low of -1.58 percent in Mono County The next five largest in percentage growth were Glenn (1.35 percent) In addition to the report released by the Department of Finance, the U.S. Census Bureau (which measures on a fiscal calendar year versus DOF’s calendar year) released updated information showing California’s population increasing as well  — with several key revisions upwards: California’s population increased by more than 225,000 people 2023: California’s population increased by more than 50,000 people NOTE: This was revised up from the originally reported 75,000+ decrease 2022: California’s population decreased by just 151 people NOTE: This was revised up from the originally reported 100,000+ decrease Despite the common myth of a continually declining population California has only saw a short period of population loss in its 174 year history — during the peak of the COVID pandemic when it decreased by 379,544 people (which represents about 1% decrease over those two years) with Louisiana — led by a Republican Governor and legislature — seeing the largest percent decrease And 13 states also saw population decreases from July 1 Economy, News, Press Releases, Recent News News What you need to know: The Governor honored the contributions of fallen California law enforcement officers at the annual California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony.  Sacramento, California – Honoring the contributions of fallen California peace officers,... News What you need to know: California applied to the federal government today to update the state's benchmark plan, which would expand coverage requirements for essential health benefits (EHBs) like hearing aids and wheelchairs in the individual and small group... News What you need to know: California remains the #1 state for tourism, with record-high tourism spending reaching $157.3 billion in 2024. However, the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric are driving away tourists, killing tourism and hospitality jobs, and... © Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Federal authorities on Tuesday arrested Michael Kulikoff, 39, of California City, on an indictment for charges related to improper transportation of hazardous waste and “placing another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.” The allegations center around a mercury exposure incident that occurred at a car wash Kulikoff owned. Kulikoff is the mayor pro tem of California City, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. California Irish hotelier Patrick McKillen is suing members of the Qatari royal family, accusing them of defrauding him and his company. The family has denied the allegations. Kulikoff, who was released following his arrest, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. California City Mayor Marquette Hawkins issued a statement that said the “health and safety of our residents is always our highest priority, and we take these allegations with the utmost seriousness.” Hawkins emphasized that “every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.” “We are actively working to ensure that city operations continue without disruption and that public trust remains strong throughout this difficult moment,” Hawkins said. “Any necessary steps to safeguard the public interest and maintain ethical standards will be taken in accordance with the law.” According to the indictment, in February 2024, Kulikoff learned that an individual, identified only as “PERSON ONE,” had spilled a jar holding several ounces of mercury inside the cabin of an SUV. Also known as quicksilver, mercury is a neurotoxin that can affect the nervous system and kidneys, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When metallic mercury is inhaled, it can result in tremors, headaches and neuromuscular changes. After the spill, the indictment says, the SUV driver tried to use a vacuum cleaner at Kulikoff’s car wash to clean the spill. The individual then drove the SUV to their mother’s home, near a school bus stop, and called 911 after experiencing symptoms of mercury exposure, according to the indictment. When city emergency services personnel responded and scanned the SUV, authorities said they detected approximately 20 times the allowable limit of mercury inside the cabin. They put yellow caution tape around the vehicle and shut down the car wash business because of the contaminated vacuum cleaner. According to the indictment, Kulikoff attempted to clean up the business himself but was told by emergency services that he needed to stop because it was a hazardous materials scene and was unsafe. The next day, prosecutors charge, Kulikoff returned to the scene and got a quote from an environmental services company to clean the mercury. He then allegedly sent a video to his brother, then the mayor of California City, through Facebook. “So they’re coning it off right now and taping it, but that motherf— [is] going to drive it to Boron right now,” Kulikoff told his brother, according to the indictment. A judge ruled Tuesday that Eugene “Big U” Henley will remain behind bars pending trial. He cited the violent allegations against Henley, including the murder of an aspiring rapper, and what he called “a lot of evidence of obstruction of justice.” Later that day, court papers say, emergency services personnel left the SUV to respond to a fire that turned out to be a false report. When they returned, the SUV was gone. Authorities say Kulikoff conspired with another person to move the contaminated SUV outside of the city. He allegedly directed that person to drive the vehicle to the Kern County town of Boron because he wanted it outside the jurisdiction of California City. Kern County emergency services personnel found the SUV at the home of the individual who had moved it. The driver, who is not identified or charged, also complained of symptoms tied to mercury exposure. The environmental services company remediated the SUV and, while doing so, detected high levels of mercury and recovered solid mercury, according to the indictment. If convicted, Kulikoff faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to transport hazardous waste and up to 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine per day for placing another person in imminent danger. Politics Climate & Environment Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A tax on sugary drinks takes effect Thursday in the beachside community of Santa Cruz seven years after California banned its cities and counties from implementing local grocery taxes as part of a reluctant deal with the powerful beverage industry is the first in the state since lawmakers approved the 2018 deal The American Beverage Association spent heavily to campaign against the ballot measure in the small city of 60,000 and in court called the tax illegal and likely to strain city resources Santa Cruz officials are prepared to challenge the state's preemption law in court hope their new tax will spur other states and cities to act The measure aims to reduce sugar consumption and raise money for health programs and other community initiatives “It's about democracy and and standing up to special interests,” said Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson “It's about having the independence to generate revenue for our community.” The trade organization representing Coca-Cola PepsiCo and others said in a statement Wednesday that it is assessing next steps including labor unions and small businesses "as an unfair burden on working families struggling with record-high prices,” said Steven Maviglio a spokesperson for the American Beverage Association Health advocates have been fighting for more than a decade to tax sugar-sweetened beverages saying higher prices would curb consumption of a product that increases the risk of obesity Opponents say the regressive tax disproportionately impacts low-income families who can least afford it and hurts local businesses in 2014 passed the country's first tax aimed specifically at sugar-sweetened beverages as well as Philadelphia; Seattle and Boulder No state has approved a sweetened beverage tax at the state level California lawmakers reluctantly passed the Keep Groceries Affordable Act banning local taxes on soda and other sugary drinks until 2031 the advocacy group California Business Roundtable withdrew a beverage industry-backed ballot measure that would have made it much harder for cities and counties to increase any taxes The deal forced Santa Cruz to abandon its plans to bring a sugary drink tax to a vote a city councilmember and health advocacy nonprofit sued arguing that the Groceries Act's penalty provision unlawfully targeted voter-approved charter cities from exercising its authority over local affairs a charter city that pursued a local tax on sweetened drinks could be penalized by losing its sales tax revenue a state appeals court struck down the penalty provision as unconstitutional the Santa Cruz City Council placed a tax measure on the ballot and in November nearly 32,000 voters approved it by a margin of 52 to 48 The "no" side spent $2.8 million; the “yes” side spent under $100,000 sports drinks and any other non-alcoholic beverage that contains an added caloric sweetener and has 40 calories or more per 12 fluid ounces of drink There is an exemption for small businesses with less than $500,000 in gross receipts a year Carina Moreno opposed the tax measure and said she will have to raise prices at her restaurant "I was really disappointed when I heard that it did pass,” she said in an email “We already pay high prices for sugar drinks." But tax advocates say the Santa Cruz win is stunning given how much money the opposition spent a San Francisco surgeon and chair of the American Heart Association's advisory committee in California said the future of sugary drinks taxes may lie in smaller communities where advocates can mobilize grassroots support “This is a big week for the soda tax movement,” he said Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday California City Mayor Pro Tem 39-year-old Michael Kulikoff was arrested Tuesday on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to transport and cause to be transported a hazardous waste without a manifest and placing another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury A person had spilled a jar containing several ounces of mercury inside the cabin of a sports utility vehicle and had tried to clean up the mercury using a vacuum cleaner. The person then drove the contaminated SUV to a home in California City, where he called 911 because he was experiencing symptoms related to mercury exposure. California City emergency services personnel responded to the scene and scanned the SUV for mercury. Kulikoff tried to clean up the business himself, but was told by the emergency services personnel that he had to stop because it was a hazardous materials scene and was unsafe. Emergency services personnel left the place of the contaminated SUV scene to respond to a report of a fire that turned out to be a false report. When they returned to the scene, the contaminated SUV was gone. A couple of hours later, Kern County emergency services personnel found the contaminated SUV at the home of the person who had moved the vehicle at Kulikoff’s direction. That person also complained of symptoms related to mercury exposure. If convicted, Kulikoff faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to transport hazardous waste and a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine per day of violation for placing another person in imminent danger. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. California City PD officer and 17-year-old girl hospitalized after shootoutby BakersfieldNow Staff BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — An officer-involved shooting Monday afternoon left both a California City police officer and the alleged suspect, a 17-year-old girl, hospitalized. The California City Police Department said on April 21, 2025, at around 4:04 p.m., the department received a 911 call for shots fired at a passing vehicle in the area of Lime Avenue and Corwin Street in Cal City. The caller described the suspected shooter as a light-skinned Black female walking westbound toward Hickory Avenue. California City police officers immediately responded to the area. Police said one officer contacted the reporting party in the van, while the second dispatched officer began to search the area for the alleged suspect. The second officer saw a person who vaguely matched the suspect’s description and tried to stop the person. Cal City said that when he got out of his vehicle, the girl turned and immediately opened fire on the police officer, striking him in the leg. The officer returned fire, and the suspect ran. The first officer dispatched, and the California City Director of Public Safety arrived on the scene immediately after the shots were fired. The second officer placed a tourniquet on the downed officer while the Director of Public Safety went after and engaged the suspect at gunpoint, according to Cal City. The suspect dropped their gun and was taken immediately into custody. The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old girl. She was struck twice during the gun battle with the responding officer. California City Fire Department Firefighter Paramedics arrived on the scene and began to stabilize the suspect and the shot officer. The teen was taken by the Hall Ambulance in California City to the Antelope Valley Hospital and escorted by an officer. Due to the delay of a second ambulance to California City, the wounded officer was rushed into the back of the Director of Public Safety’s vehicle and was transported with lights and sirens, along with a California City Firefighter Paramedic in the back, stabilizing him while they drove to rendezvous with the next closest ambulance. Both the wounded officer and the suspect have been treated and are in “stable” condition. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office has taken over the shooting investigation on behalf of California City. Cal City PD said this is an active investigation, and more details will be released at a later time. President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House. WATCH LIVETeen suspect in Cal City officer shooting identified faces attempted murder chargesby BakersfieldNow Staff (KBAK/KBFX) — The 17-year-old girl accused of shooting and injuring a California City police officer was identified and faces several charges The California City Police Department said on April 21 the department received a 911 call for shots fired at a passing vehicle in the area of Lime Avenue and Corwin Street in Cal City The caller described the suspected shooter as walking westbound toward Hickory Avenue California City police officers immediately responded to the area Police said one officer talked to the reporting party in the van while the second dispatched officer began to search the area for the alleged suspect The second officer saw a person who vaguely matched the suspect’s description and tried to stop the person Cal City said that when he got out of his vehicle the girl turned and immediately opened fire on the police officer The suspect dropped their gun and was taken immediately into custody She was struck twice during the gun battle with the responding officer The teen was taken to a hospital and escorted by an officer The wounded officer was rushed into the back of the Director of Public Safety’s vehicle and was taken to get to the next closest ambulance Both the wounded officer and the suspect were treated RELATED: California City PD officer and 17-year-old girl hospitalized after shootout The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said the suspect was identified as Annette Garcia The DA’s office said they filed several Welfare & Institutions 707(b) charges The Kern County Sheriff’s Office took over the shooting investigation on behalf of California City Scientists and government officials have long warned of climate-induced sea level rise along California’s coast But a single event could eclipse those gradual changes A new study describes the nightmare scenario that would unfold in the event of a major earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) The CSZ runs from Cape Mendocino in Northern California through Oregon and Washington all the way to Vancouver Island in British Columbia According to the new study published Monday in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” an 8.0 earthquake or higher could permanently sink land by 1.6 to 6.6 feet and produce an immediate three-foot sea level rise The area’s flood plain would increase 168% This would lead to “compromised roadways and bridges” and cause “profound and ecosystems.” Humboldt Bay — including the cities of Eureka The last major earthquake on the CSZ occurred 325 years ago FEMA estimates it would immediately kill 5,800 people Another 8,000 would perish in the ensuing tsunami The authors of the study hope state and local officials will use the new information to plan for the aftermath of a large Nor Cal quake They advise officials to consider whether critical infrastructure would fall within the new post-quake flood plain They also caution against building new schools fire stations or wastewater plants in areas that would be highly susceptible to flooding after a megaquake Contact Job Board Terms of Use Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Approximately 187,000 people are sleeping on the streets statewide I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A California city is considering arresting unhoused people who refuse their offer of shelter San José Mayor Matt Mahan made the admission last month Just 48 miles south of San Francisco, where officials are also struggling with how to solve homelessness, Mahan is aiming to fit the proposal into a pending budget plan that would allocate funding for shelter and temporary housing, per KQED unhoused residents would first be issued a citation or warning They’d only be subject to arrest if they decline shelter three times The city of nearly a million operates tiny homes converted motels and parking lots as part of its 1,000 shelter spaces Constructing temporary housing has been a hallmark of the mayor’s agenda City staff have faced challenges when trying to encourage unhoused people to take beds in a new 204-unit interim housing site that opened in February People currently living outside near a housing site can accept spots before the building opens “If someone is refusing a brand new apartment with an en-suite bathroom and a kitchenette as is the case at Branham and Monterey — where we just saw roughly one-third of people encamped in the area say ‘no’ — we are probably beyond the point where the city has the tools to help that person,” Mahan opined Roughly 5,477 people are living in San José without shelter The majority of the people rejecting help might be dealing with chronic homelessness or behavioral health issues and addiction, Mahan wrote in a Medium article. He noted the city would only consider imposing trespassing laws as a last resort to get someone off the streets. Trespassing violations are subject to behavioral health court. Once in court, a judge will listen to health care professionals and decide whether mandated treatment is warranted, wrote Mahan. Individuals charged with trespassing will not spend time in jail. “Our best case scenario is diversion to mental health or drug court and the worst case scenario is that the person is simply released back onto the street where we can only hope that this brief interaction with law enforcement might increase their willingness to seek a change in their lives by accepting shelter,” the mayor continued. He said the city has listened to the homeless community about ongoing issues with shelters and emphasized most of the housing on offer looks like market-rate housing or college dorms. He expects hundreds more of the units will be built this year. People are allowed to bring their partner, pets and belongings with them to the sites. Individuals will not be kicked out on a predetermined timeline. Some might spend a couple of months in transitional housing before moving to something permanent, while others might take years. “In no way do I judge people who are suffering from addiction or other forms of mental illness,” he wrote. “But I do believe we have a collective responsibility to bring them indoors and give them a chance to detox, medicate, reconnect with loved ones or otherwise accept the help they need to achieve greater health and independence and have less impact on the broader community. “Otherwise, we are leaving our most vulnerable to continue deteriorating on our streets with no plan in place to help them.” The only expectation, Mahan says, is coming indoors to “stop the continuous fires, trash and other impacts of long-term encampments that harm our collective safety and quality of life.” He added: “If someone doesn’t agree with these expectations, they are free to find another city that refuses to intervene and help people when their behavior is harming their own health and the safety of the community. Because in San José, our community is unwilling to allow indefinite public camping when housing is available.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"San Francisco Homeless Outreach","description":"Homeless people gather with their belongings and tents in the Mission District, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)","caption":"Homeless people gather with their belongings and tents in the Mission District in September 2024. Homelessness has become a problem across California Homeless people gather with their belongings and tents in the Mission District in September 2024. Homelessness has become a problem across California govt and politics"},{"score":0.768498,"label":"/health and fitness"},{"score":0.738585,"label":"/health and fitness/addiction"},{"score":0.737103,"label":"/health and fitness/addiction/substance abuse"},{"score":0.729787,"label":"/society"},{"score":0.696058,"label":"/education/homework and study tips"},{"score":0.683387,"label":"/family and parenting/children"},{"score":0.625455,"label":"/education/teaching and classroom resources"},{"score":0.619996,"label":"/law California Forever is back with a proposal that has some on board: using the land it owns to create a shipbuilding hub which now owns more than 65,000 acres in Solano county said in a statement that Solano “is uniquely positioned to answer the call for rebuilding our nation’s naval power” and that it could “drive economic revitalization” across the region and are working with elected officials and local communities to explore how we can best use these assets to support American Sailors and stimulate economic growth in our cities and broader region,” the company said in a statement View image in fullscreenAn artist rendering provided by California Forever shows a Main Street of a proposed new city in Solano county, California. Photograph: APSolano county, located about 60 miles (97km) from San Francisco is home to nearly 450,000 people and has a history of shipbuilding It was the site of the first US navy base on the Pacific Ocean Today the largest employer in the region is the Travis air force base – the country’s busiest – which has more than 10,000 personnel But they quickly encountered intense pushback A local chapter of the Sierra Club described the company’s efforts as a “hostile takeover” they withdrew the measure from the ballot and agreed to an environmental report and development agreement on the project last year as Joe Biden expressed interest in bringing shipbuilding back to the US the company was in touch with local officials expressing interest in pursuing such an opportunity on the west coast Then last week Edwin Okamura the mayor of the Solano county town of Rio Vista announced that he had met with California Forever representatives retired military leaders and other officials in the county to discuss the matter as well as a proposed site near the small riverside settlement of Collinsville The effort is still in its early stages, officials have said, pending the executive order. But so far, officials in the region have expressed enthusiasm about efforts to expand the maritime industry. Alma Hernandez, the mayor of Suisun City about 30 miles north-west of Collinsville, said in a statement that the city backs an expansion. Read more“Suisun City stands in support of a regional effort to invite the US government and leading defense contractors to invest in Solano county’s future,” Hernandez said. “Our region has a proud history of shipbuilding – it is part of our identity. We are eager to contribute in every way possible to ensure maritime success in our region.” The benefits would extend far beyond the shipyard, Carli said, pointing to the more than $2.7bn in economic impacts the air force base has in the region. And a maritime industrial base would be a benefit to the air force base, he said. With the history of shipbuilding in the region and the role it plays in US defense, it makes sense to have this kind of project in the region, said state assembly member Lori Wilson, and it would bring significant opportunities. If it were to move ahead, Wilson expects the shipyard could become the largest employer in the county. Wilson said she had heard from many constituents about the project, most of whom were supportive. Some have expressed concern about the environmental impacts of the maritime industry and the role of California Forever, given the level of distrust that exists with the organization. The lawmaker has herself been skeptical of the company. “That’s something as a legislative representative for this area I’m mindful of, but it’s not something I can address. It’s up to them to build trust.” Still, even those who did not support plans for a new city are interested in this project, Wilson said. “Folks are really excited about this opportunity and [the potential] for shipbuilding to come back to Solano county. There is a groundswell of support for this project and I’m really excited to do my part to bring this to fruition.” Carli expects the community will look beyond the landowners. “I’m confident residents will recognize and support this project if the opportunity would present itself here locally,” Carli said. “It merits thoughtful discussion with the community to understand this is different than a proposed city.” Our council-manager form of government combines the civic leadership of elected officials with the managerial experience of an appointed city manager. Beyond all else, we are a service organization, and we are here to serve our community. Roseville is the largest city in Placer County and called home by 150,000 people. Find the resources you need here. We are a place where businesses small and large find success. Ideally located, Roseville provides first-rate services, competitive costs, solid long-range planning and an educated, growing population. faces charges of conspiring to transport hazardous waste without a manifest and causing the movement of the waste in a way that placed another person in imminent danger 25 that several ounces of mercury had been spilled inside a sport utility vehicle at his business The individual responsible reportedly tried to clean the toxic substance with a vacuum cleaner before driving the contaminated SUV to a residence and calling 911 after experiencing mercury-related symptoms Emergency personnel in California City responded found mercury levels inside the SUV at 20 times the allowable limit and cordoned off the vehicle with caution tape They also ordered Kulikoff to stop attempting to clean the car wash Authorities allege that early the next morning Kulikoff conspired with another individual to move the contaminated SUV out of California City’s jurisdiction He reportedly directed the person to drive the SUV to Boron to avoid local scrutiny Emergency crews briefly left the scene to respond to a false fire report It was later discovered by Kern County personnel at the second individual’s residence where that person also reported symptoms of mercury exposure Kulikoff faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge and up to 15 years in prison and a $50,000 daily fine for placing another person in imminent danger Trump Administration Freezes Future Grants to Harvard (KERO) — Cal City police officer continues to recover at home; 17-year-old suspect to be prosecuted as an adult The officer involved shooting that took place on Monday is now being investigated by the Kern County Sheriff's Office The suspect is a minor so little information is being released I'm Steve Virgen your neighborhood reporter leaving a California City police officer wounded with a shot in the leg "The officer that was shot is at home recovering And we do expect him to make a full recovery in time," said Justin Vincent Another officer placed a tourniquet on the downed officer while the Director of Public Safety went after and engaged the suspect at gunpoint The suspect who shot the officer is a 17-year-old girl KCSO was in Cal City Wednesday taking over the investigation "We do not know at this time how the district attorney's office will choose to charge this case We are working very closely with the Kern County Sheriff's Department." The shooting occurred in the late afternoon near Corwin Street and Lime Avenue Officers responded to shots fired at a passing vehicle The suspect shot at a police officer upon exiting his vehicle and struck him in the leg The suspect herself was also struck twice during the shootout that went into another neighborhood near Hickory The 17-year-old was hospitalized and listed in stable condition "This has been a very difficult time for our department We all realize the risks involved as first responders And that any call can be that call where lethal force becomes a factor in an incident I'm extremely proud of our officer," Vincent said ABC 23 has learned the kern county district attorney's office plans to prosecute the 17-year-old suspect as an adult KCSO says the shooting remains an active and ongoing investigation (KERO) — Several break-ins have occurred over the past year at the Boys Scout Lodge in California City leaving the city-owned building with no electricity That's some of the damage left behind at the Scout Lodge in California City The city owned building is falling apart with little hope in sight She says she wants to raise money to repair the lodge that’s been a victim to burglary and vandalism over the past year The great thing about scouting is it teaches our youth some lifelong skills that they can take into their adulthood and possibly pass along to the next generation,” said Rojas Jessica says she’s been told the repairs won’t be fixed any time soon because of the city’s budget issues Electrical repairs could cost up to $50,000 “We would love to reach out to anyone in the community who would join us in our fundraising endeavors in order to raise about $50 to $75,000 for the repairs needed Anyone else that wants to be a voice and speak on our behalf and reach out to the city to let them know how important this is for our next generation and our community.” Our mission is to support a model of growth that allows America's cities towns and neighborhoods to become financially strong and resilient The new book from Strong Towns, Escaping the Housing Trap, is available for preorder now. Get yours today Denyse Trepanier is the president of Bike Walk Alameda a nonprofit organization in the island city of Alameda She joins Norm to discuss the city's efforts to improve biking infrastructure including the creation of a network of low-stress bikeways and neighborhood greenways I often think I've got to tell you about this person and that's what bottom up shorts is all about Quick introductions to regular people doing exciting things They once felt like you might unsure if they could make a difference and a board member since 2016 when she moved to Alameda after years of bike commuting in San Francisco she recognized the need for continued investment in the types of things that make the community more safe she's working within the city of Alameda with a lot of other people in order to bring forward their city as the one of the strongest town contestants for this year And so it's exciting for this community to come together to really grapple with the question what is it that makes us a stronger community one that is making demonstrable progress towards making a place great so that many people will enjoy prosperity within the community And so I'm so glad that Denise shared this with us do you want to share as someone who's lived and biked in both San Francisco and Alameda What are some of the lessons that you feel like Alameda has learned well in its application of efforts to make the streets just more navigable for people with topography and geography and climate that make us a really ideal place to bike but we're lucky not to have any major highways so we don't have to contend with a lot of that traffic Our egress is limited to bridges and tunnels and so we have just a really nice topography and geography to make cycling very available And I think one of the things that Alameda has done really well is focused on building a network of places to ride bikes around the school or around the shopping center or around the park the city has developed a bike plan and is actively working on implementing a connected network of low stress bikeways but we have a lot of residential streets as well that we're converting into what we're calling neighborhood greenways which will discourage through traffic and be open and pleasant for cars and then that will connect most of our city and major spots together It's probably going to take a few years for us to implement it We're not looking at completing the low stress backbone until 2030 but it's really nice that the city has the vision and we have the leadership on our council and in our staff where we have a great staff that's working really hard on getting this stuff implemented what changes physically on the street when it becomes part of the low stress sort of network and is sort of brought to an incrementally improved state it really depends on the type of road that we're starting with little neighborhood streets that you would sort of think of as in a neighborhood with driveways Driveways can be a little contentious if you're trying to put in protection So what we're trying to do is calm the traffic on those with speed bumps and so we're doing that on those residential streets We actually have a lot of road diets going on We have a major project starting on a major four lane road in Alameda that that runs to at least three or four schools and that's getting a road diet and a protected cycle track on part of it so we're building out it really depends on the type of facility that we're starting with will determine the type of treatments that the city's putting in place together with a local PTA at the elementary school even before it became like officially permanent Can you share a little bit about the bike lane Protection Program and its roots and why that has been fueling sort of more development of new opportunities to improve other places been a really interesting project spearheaded by another board member she has a child that she was bringing by bike to Bay Farm Elementary every day and she just recognized that there was a painted bike lane there And so she took upon herself to basically start a process where she went out there every morning and put out a bunch of cones to keep the bike lane safe and she kept kind of hounding staff about it and she's got them to put in some flex post so she doesn't have to go out there every morning with the with to drag the the cones out I think it's a great example of how much you can get done by just kind of doing the work but she basically showcased what could be available if we kept cars out of this space and got staff to recognize that It was on a plan for 2030 or to happen sometime before 2030 and she got it pushed all the way up by by doing this work so and an element of it was that people can visualize what it is that is needed And I think we were just chatting before we started recording on people's challenge of grappling with something that is hypothetical or in the future versus those things that you actually get to experience the housing that is still to come in a community is the thing that people fear but the housing that already exists is the thing that they don't bat an eye about often to the point where you'll have people that have been vociferous opponents of particular housing projects that later like move into those very same neighborhoods And I think that this is one of the challenges where as Alameda grapples with what it takes to build local prosperity that really radiates through everyone's or to everyone's benefit Can you share a little bit about some of those features of your community that make it a really strong and strengthening place so we're pretty we're pretty close to San Francisco but we were also Naval Air Station after World War Two so a good third of our island is an abandoned Naval Air Station there's a huge portion of our land that is undeveloped And so the city is going through a process right now of redeveloping that we've opened up the first phase of housing but it's all planned to be redeveloped over the next eight rebuilding roads and infrastructure out there they're putting in all this sort of best in class although I would say there's still room for improvement because we get to sort of start over over there with building it all we've got very forward thinking for the most part The reconfiguration of our existing roads is a little trickier because you have the conversations around parking and car throughput and prioritization at Signal phases there's kind of a blank canvas to do the right thing because your community is not a blank canvas as as through its history and also through sort of the web of relationships one of the components of a strong community is having a lot of active maybe not only bike walk Alameda share a little bit about that but also maybe some of the other groups that you regularly can sort of lift up and work with together in your community we went through a pretty contentious housing fight recently part of the we had to get our mobility and and it has to be approved by the state to show that we're planning for sufficient housing or housing allocation at that point Advocate just how closely the housing and transportation issues are intertwined I don't even want to say they're two sides of the same or two different sides of the same coin we worked really closely with some of the MB organizations in town to move the general plan forward and the general plan had both a mobility element and a housing element we had a much stronger voice advocating for our own and each other's views of what should be included in that plan We have Alameda has a very engaged citizenry There's very few boards or commissions where we don't have a lot of public comment So there's a little bit of a component of people who want to preserve Alameda and Amber and never have anything change but we're an inner ring suburb of San Francisco And so to what we need to do is plan for it thoughtfully and make sure it the plans that we're putting in place match the vision that we all want we also have a lot of fairly progressive people coming in from San Francisco on a regular basis and so that counteracts or counterbalances some of the more old guard that want to keep it nothing changing in Alameda You get an opportunity to educate a lot of people on a lot of different issues and your your resources have been tremendous for that So thank you for all the work that you do in providing the resources to us locals to educate the people we're advocating with And I know that I've done a number of presentations just even personally but also strong towns has for different bike walk groups across the country And it's really exciting to know that there is that close connection between the way that we make land use decisions transportation decisions and housing decisions and really beginning to grapple with that longer term impact of taking steps to make places more expensive and exclusive actually comes at the cost of the long term prosperity of the community And so as you sort of reflect on where you're at and your community is now in the round of 16 for the strongest town contest I feel like there's just so many good things happening We the plans I've been talking about were put together so now we're starting to see the fruits of the labor says she's seeing cones and dozers on the street We also had a really positive election where we got one of our bigger obstructionists off the council we're just getting stuff done now and getting stuff passed I'm not looking at anything outside local I feel like we have the hearts and minds of the community now and we have a lot of the elected officials and I think those are the three legs of the three legged stool that you you need to have in order to get stuff done funding as well I just love hearing how the work that you're doing is making real change in your community I hope you'll look for ways to take action where you live And so thanks for listening and take care and take care of your places Bike Walk Alameda (site) Alameda made it to the Sweet 16 in this year’s Strongest Town Contest, from a list of almost 40 nominees. There are many great lessons that cities of all sizes can learn from their hard work. Click here to read more about their progress Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! Subscribe to The Bottom-Up Revolution on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Podbean or via RSS Norm Van Eeden Petersman is the Director of Movement Building at Strong Towns. He is a skilled communicator of the Strong Towns message and a community builder. He leads DelPOP, a land use reform and housing advocacy group in Delta, British Columbia, and is a leader of the Strong Towns Toastmasters Club Norm has a Master of Divinity and a Bachelor in Political Studies He spent 10 years pastoring churches in Canada as a preacher He worked in communications for the second-largest city in British Columbia and carried out infrastructure-related stakeholder outreach for Canada's Minister of Health and Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario in Ottawa Norm has published articles on housing, transportation, faith, and culture and his writing appears regularly on the Strong Towns site. You can connect with him on Twitter at @normvep or on LinkedIn towns and neighborhoods take local action to grow safe Become a MemberSign Up for EmailsPitch a StoryRSS Feed BooksAction LabBlog RollShopPress About UsTeam | BoardEmploymentContact Us Privacy PolicyComment PolicyFAQSearch Strong Towns is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our work is performed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License with a population of 62,691 was the 146th largest out of 482 cities in California The Family City is now the state’s 82nd largest municipality with 93,733 residents as of Jan according to the California Department of Finance California now has 483 cities after Mountain House incorporated on July 1 of last year as San Joaquin County’s eighth city Lathrop was the fastest growing city in San Joaquin County with a 4 percent gain in population to reach 38,596 residents Lathrop was the 9th fastest growing city in California Manteca continues a streak extending more than a decade as being the San Joaquin County city with the largest year-to-year population gain The city added 1,617 residents making it the county’s second fastest growing city and 75th fastest growing in the state Only one other city gained population in San Joaquin County That was Lodi that added 591 people to push its population to 67,953 Every other city in the county dropped slightly in population Included was Ripon that lost 1.3 percent of its population going from 15,966 to 15,753 Manteca became California’s 100th largest city with a population of 84,800 in 2020 It was the 103rd largest city in 2018 and 116th largest in 2017  While Manteca is now the state’s 82nd largest city Tracy is the 78th largest and Lathrop the 210th largest California’s population grew by 108,000 persons in calendar year 2024 to reach 39,529,000 people as of Jan 2025 according to new data reported Thursday by the California Department of Finance The 0.28-percent increase marks the second consecutive year of population growth since the p Pandemic and reflects the combination of several principal factors: *Higher 2024 K-8 enrollment of 13,890 compared to 2023 *An increase in the 65-and-older population of 25,298 people in 2024 *Natural increase—the net result of births minus deaths—contributed 114,805 to overall population growth in 2024 largely in line with the growth of 105,550 in 202 *More data sources to better estimate California’s share of recent increases in legal immigration to the U.S  Other highlights of the population report include *California’s 58 counties range in size from Alpine County *The state’s ten largest counties remain Los Angeles San Dieg10 ten counties with one million or more people have positive population growth *Population growth rates ranged from a high of 2.88 percent in Lassen County to a low of -1.58 percent in Mono County *Statewide housing grew at 0.84 percent in 2024 California added 125,228 housing units on net including 26,648 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to bring total housing stock to 14,949,001 units New construction added 118,957 housing units with 70,694 single family housing units ADUs are included in the single-family category and comprised 37.7 percent of the state’s new single-family housing and 21.3 percent of total new housing *The top five cities where housing production drove population growth include: Huron (7.9 percent housing growth and 8.0 percent population growth) in Fresno County Paradise (10.3 percent and 7.8 percent) in Butte County Shafter (4.9 percent and 4.7 percent) in Kern County Winters (5.2 percent and 4.1 percent) in Yolo County and Lathrop (5.6 percent and 4.0 percent) in San Joaquin County while 240 lost population and one (Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County) had no change Mountain House had an official population of 28,795 and became California’s 483rd city seven gained population: Led by Bakersfield (1.16 percent *Accessory Dwelling Unit production increased by 14.3 percent a 10-percent increase over the previous year * The City of Merced in Merced County grew by 5.3 percent due to the annexation of the University of California Merced into the city (4,000 students) A dog rescue owner was arrested in California City for alleged animal cruelty after more than 50 dogs were found neglected and malnourished The arrest comes as an animal advocate's tip sparked the investigation The advocate spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News The home on 94th Street was an animal rescue in California City that housed over 50 dogs just to be found neglected and malnourished California City police and animal control put an end to the nightmare needed a routine vet visit—an ordinary moment that would spark an extraordinary mission she had no idea that a simple conversation with her veterinarian would change countless lives a nonprofit dedicated to covering medical expenses for rescue animals in dire need Fast forward to January of 2025: Amanda Glover When she arrived at the home of LaQuenta Reynolds Amanda reached out to Cassandra Mann with concerns and Cassandra noticed Amanda Glover was distraught Glover told her that she believes there was mistreatment going on at the rescue “You need to get them to the vet right away." She got to the vet and that's where they were hospitalized and being treated.” Mann called the local animal patrol in California City An officer went to the Pawfect Companions’ property and saw dogs but nothing that was initially concerning The Animal Control officer was unable to speak to Eyewitness News because of the ongoing investigation A few weeks passed and Amanda said there were three more dogs in bad condition Mann called the ASPCA but they wouldn’t be able to help for a few weeks I think there's a lot of dogs on this property,'” said Mann ‘I will take them on.’ But you need to go in the garage.” The officer returned to the home in early January Inside the garage was a scene straight out of a nightmare What he found was 23 malnourished and neglected dogs California City Police Department released additional details on the investigation officers arrived and Reynolds allowed access to her garage The dogs were being kept in metal dog crates with several of them allegedly appearing emaciated and having apparent wounds on their extremities The dogs were taken out of the home and five of them were taken for emergency veterinarian care Officers arrived and Reynolds allowed access to her garage An officer told Eyewitness News 23 dogs were being kept in metal dog crates with several of them allegedly appearing emaciated and having apparent wounds on their extremities The officer gave LaQuenta Reynolds two choices: Relinquish every single dog in this garage to the rescue or the ASPCA will seize them all—and/or she will face criminal charges Police said the dogs were taken out of the home and five of them were taken for emergency veterinarian care Police said it was determined that the animals were suffering from malnutrition and open infected wounds with bacterial and fungal infections CCPD said it was also determined after a thorough investigation that the animals were allowed to fall into poor condition while under the care of Reynolds and their conditions were due to her neglecting them and allowing them to needlessly suffer while not providing adequate food or water you've got to file criminal charges,” said Mann “And I believe that's what they're doing with the DA is they're trying to file criminal charges you won't be allowed to come back on my property without a warrant there's nothing to be done except wait for them to get the warrant so that they can go in and just confiscate all her dogs.” She reached out to a few rescue partners to take some dogs As the dogs required a lot of medical attention Saving Gizmo’s Friends has been covering all the medical costs police said based on these facts and new findings a search warrant was sought and granted California City Police Department officers along with Animal Control and the Fire Department responded and executed the warrant on Friday the California City Police and Animal Control successfully arrested LaQuenta Reynolds 33 additional dogs were seized from bedrooms The 33 seized dogs were not in grave condition and were sent to other approved and safe animal rescues in California She faces charges related to animal cruelty and was taken to Lerdo Jail “The California City Police Department takes crimes against animals very seriously and we will not hesitate to hold anyone accountable for animal cruelty in California City.” Marley’s Mutts in Tehachapi is housing six dogs Melissa Branson has limited space at her facility but is making it work “It's really difficult when someone calls themselves a rescue to find out that they're starving dogs because they're dogs that have medical issues," said Dr "It's a reminder to everyone to really check into who they're getting dogs from It's a reminder to neighbors and neighborhoods to really pay attention to what's going on in the homes next to them." Scooby was one of the first dogs to receive attention Scooby was brought to Marley’s Mutts for adoption so we actually have him here with us" said Dr It's just an unfortunate situation." Cassandra Mann and her team have given the dogs a chance at a new life Mann said the remaining dogs need urgent veterinary care Saving Gizmo’s Friends is shouldering the medical cost They said donations are needed to help continue with their care and boarding costs Those interested in donating to help can by visiting the Saving Gizmo’s Friends website here. — (KBAK/FOX58) California City's newly elected mayor is setting the stage for significant changes in the desert town following his victory in November's election a college professor and music industry professional "A substantive foundation not on sand or house of cards but really getting at the root of the issues." Hawkins' Vision 2050 plan aims to address the city's major budget shortfalls by boosting housing His inspiration to run for office began with a personal experience when he attempted to take his daughters to play basketball at a local gym there is nothing for kids to do out here,'" Hawkins recalled Let's go check it out.' Went to the gym 'Let me go to some of the city council meetings and see what some answers are and I was just not getting those answers.'" who has lived in California City for three years and spent a decade in nearby Rosamond said the community has deeply influenced him I want to be able to look around at my town and have people satisfied and happy,'" he said Despite the city's financial struggles which have led to the cutting of numerous local government jobs He plans to utilize grants to improve the city's roads enhancing the quality of life for residents and attracting industries that rely on transportation "How can you bring in industry that is going to move and shake products when the trucks cannot even get in over the roads?" Hawkins said The mayor emphasized the importance of achieving short-term goals before tackling the more ambitious aspects of Vision 2050 "It is going to take a while but we have to start somewhere," Hawkins said We have to lay that foundation in order to make sure that by 2050 we are actually actualizing that vision." (KERO) — Kids League of Cal City and Good Samaritan Hospital to partner to provide free mobile clinic at resource center on the second Tuesday of each month What started as an after-school program for kids has shifted to a community resource center for families It's called Safe Haven Kids League of California City Anthony Myers: “Because God led us to this door So we know we are doing exactly what we’re supposed to do And we continue to keep adding to our resources.” Safe Haven Kids League of California City is a non-profit that began four years ago is surprised it became a community resource center a little more than a year ago But they remain confident it was the right choice Victory Baptist Church helped provide the facility for the resource center “We started out looking as an afterschool program and that took off real slow But we started seeing the needs of this community and when we saw the needs of the community we shifted into handling those needs And now we’re serving the needs of Southern East Kern County,” Myers says Safe Haven has partnered with Good Samaritan Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital will provide a free mobile clinic on site on the second Tuesday of each month “Safe Haven is a community resource center and being a community resource center what we’re trying to do is to have all resources in one place This is just one part of what we’re doing to have health care free to the community free to the adults and children of this community.” Safe Haven is part of an Easter event and food giveaway on Saturday at Central Park the BUHS Girls and Boys Track & Field teams competed against California City High School with Mojave High School also in attendance While some performances were up and down due to the conditions—our Boys 4×1 team struggled with a handoff and our two standout discus throwers had trouble finding their rhythm—there were still some exciting highlights: We were originally scheduled to attend the Carson City Invite this Saturday we won’t be making the trip as a full team a few of our athletes will still be competing—I’ll keep everyone updated with their results Our next full team meet—and our final dual of the season—will be Wednesday Attached are some great photos from Wednesday’s meet at Cal City featuring our high jumpers who tied or broke class records: Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The headline was one of hundreds like it on GoFundMe campaigns that launched even as the embers of the fires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena were still smoldering They were a grim reminder that even in more affluent areas of the US there are always people who are uninsured or still need help with immediate needs like clothing and shelter after a disaster Three-hundred and fifty miles to the north of Los Angeles another California city is pioneering a form of disaster insurance that could provide more reliable relief than the kindness of strangers Related: Cascading Extreme Weather Events Unleash Billions in Damages Globally in September became the first municipality in the nation to buy its own citywide flood insurance policy It’s what’s known as parametric insurance: If the agreed-upon threshold or “parameter,” for flooding is met Fremont could use the money for anything it needed whether cleaning up debris or helping uninsured citizens to get back on their feet or even just replenishing the general budget While there are plenty of smaller experiments in community-wide parametric insurance — there are homeowner associations in California that carry wildfire insurance — Fremont’s marks a major step forward since it involves public monies and coverage for an entire city It comes as pressure for communities to do more to protect themselves is growing intense Private insurers are leaving more households exposed by dropping policies and exiting some markets altogether the Trump administration has fired hundreds of employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has targeted more at an office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development that is key to funding disaster relief President Donald Trump has said he’d like to close down FEMA altogether and have states handle their own disaster response and recovery “It’s clear that more innovative solutions need to be brought to the table” to protect Americans a former FEMA official who now leads the public sector practice at Marsh McLennan “We feel that community-based catastrophe insurance is one such approach.” The US is vastly underinsured for catastrophes Home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage and only about 4% of Americans purchase it separately through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program Roughly 12% of US homeowners have no home insurance at all (Lenders require mortgage holders to have insurance but homeowners without mortgages are under no such obligation.) Local governments may insure key public buildings they mostly rely on aid from FEMA and HUD to recover The president must declare a major disaster for FEMA funds to kick in it can take a very long time for residents’ claims to be processed a delay that has financial repercussions for cities and towns as the tax base shrinks although that wasn’t entirely what inspired the recent purchase The city was required to take out flood insurance for its police headquarters building because it serves as collateral for municipal bonds But that building is on a hill and never floods even when other parts of the city are inundated Fremont could get more extensive protection “The parametric basically allows me to provide specific coverage and then broaden it,” he said “I’m actually covering the event and not the building itself.” The additional cost is just 20% more than the city was paying for a traditional policy on the police HQ Related: Los Angeles County Sues Utility Edison Over Deadly Wildfire The policy starts paying out when flooding is observed in a contiguous area of at least 0.58 square miles anywhere within the city’s 78 square miles of land That would trigger a $200,000 payout that could increase with worse flooding Although mainstream insurers only began to offer parametric insurance in the 1990s it’s becoming a favored way to insure against catastrophes like earthquakes It is more affordable than traditional insurance because it only triggers if and when the parameter is met — for example with 1 inch of water on the ground following heavy rains or when storm winds reach 145 miles per hour The downside is that if a catastrophe misses the prescribed metric by a tiny amount Parametric insurance for earthquake damage has been available in California for several years Crafting an option for flooding has become possible only more recently with new mapping technology that can accurately measure flooding and flood severity the chief executive officer of New York City startup Floodbase (and no relation to Fremont’s Schwarz) “This coverage requires a dataset that can monitor flooding inside the entire extent of the city all the time,” she said Floodbase is providing just that to underpin Fremont’s policy: constant Fremont couldn’t have gotten parametric flood insurance in 2017 the city would have received more than $710,000 (The city’s conventional policy on the police building did not pay out.) With the new policy there hasn’t been a rain event yet that threatened to trigger a payout While Fremont put its own money toward the policy there is at least one similar pilot out there non-profit groups including the Environmental Defense Fund and the Center for NYC Neighborhoods banded together to buy parametric flood insurance to cover some low- and moderate-income neighborhoods The policy was active in both 2023 and 2024 the retailer and wholesaler respectively behind Fremont’s plan believe there is widespread appetite for this type of insurance “I am seeing a lot of interest in this right now,” said Rob Lowe who has been selling insurance to public entities in California for 15 years says recent extreme events like downpours caused by atmospheric rivers have awakened cities to their vulnerabilities and they see parametric insurance as a way to close that gap Floodbase’s Schwarz said the company hopes to scale citywide parametric flood insurance across California and eventually to flood-prone regions around the country She said she’s received inquiries from cities in the Southeast affected by Hurricane Helene a professor at Tulane University who studies cities and climate risk could use these policies to reduce the disruptions to their tax base brought by disasters “This would likely be very positively viewed in the muni bond credit rating agencies,” he said cities would basically be kicking the can down the road unless they take bigger more expensive steps — like reining in new construction — to lower risk and adapt to the climate that is coming local governments will need to reduce risk through appropriate land use zoning and building controls,” he said parametric insurance might not even be available in the future.” Top photo: The Warm Springs area of Fremont Please tell us what we can do to improve this article Get the insurance industry's trusted newsletter Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Hundreds of L.A. residents and city workers packed Van Nuys City Hall chambers on Friday and Monday to protest planned layoffs and cuts to city services. The Budget and Finance Committee had scheduled the two special hearings to discuss a $13.9 billion budget proposed by Mayor Karen Bass for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year The city is facing a nearly $1 billion deficit brought on by rising labor costs Bass has proposed laying off 1,647 workers and eliminating another 1,053 vacant positions Around 5% of the city’s workforce would be on the chopping block The mayor’s plan would cut nearly $500 million from Los Angeles Animal Services potentially leading to the closure of animal shelters across the city Personnel cuts would also hit transportation and Economic and Workforce Development would be merged City financing of affordable housing units would drop by 80% going from 770 homes in the current fiscal year to 160 homes in 2025-26 There would be no cuts to core public safety services but there would be non-officer staffing cuts within the police department The fire department would receive funding to hire another 227 employees The spending plan still represents an 8.2% increase over the current budget. Bass is lobbying state officials for a relief package to further offset austerity "My proposed budget is balanced but we are facing dire economic times It's more important now than ever that we work closely with our state and labor partners especially as we rebuild in the Palisades," Bass said in a statement “Balancing the budget on the backs of essential workers and services means these cuts equal threats to public safety, and will increase future liabilities,” Jenita Igwealor, SEIU Local 721’s regional director, told the Budget Committee on Monday who heads the Librarians’ Guild AFSCME Local 2626 warned that the cuts “will be substantial and will be easily visible.” Representatives from the city’s 99 Neighborhood Councils also decried the planned reductions The cuts may be painful, but the current situation is unsustainable — and it’s already having an impact. On Friday, S&P Global Ratings lowered the city’s bond ratings The long-term rating for general obligation bonds is now AA- (down from AA) The rating for lease revenue bonds went from from A+ to AA- Declining bond ratings could lead to higher interest rates making it more expensive for the city to borrow money in the future The full City Council will now hold deliberations on Bass’ budget proposal and must adopt or modify the plan by June 1 The deadline to approve a final budget is July 1 Fremont adopts sweeping law that bans camping on public property and makes ‘aiding A northern California city passed a law targeting unhoused people that will ban camping on public property and make “permitting [or] abetting” encampments illegal – a provision that has caused worry among non-profits and advocates adopted the sweeping new ordinance – which has been described as one of the strictest in the state – on Tuesday with Fremont’s mayor arguing such action was necessary to ensure residents’ health and safety in the Bay Area community of 226,000 City officials were insistent that the law would not be used to target aid workers but declined to clarify that point in the ordinance itself with its unusual language about aiding and abetting had attracted considerable attention and condemnation from civil rights groups and community organizations Nearly 20 such groups signed a letter urging the council to vote against it describing it as “misguided” and warning it would create “legal liability and devastating humanitarian consequences” “This sweeping language would effectively make it a crime to be unsheltered in the City of Fremont,” the letter stated adding that unhoused people cannot avoid living outdoors when there is no access to housing there is effectively no way for unsheltered individuals to comply with the proposal.” The ordinance in Fremont comes as cities across the US are cracking down on homeless encampments following the US supreme court’s ruling last year that cities can criminalize unhoused people for sleeping outside – even when there are no shelter spaces available In Fremont, a 2024 count found that 807 people in the city were experiencing homelessness and 612 of them were unsheltered – a decrease from 2022. But the city, like much of California, had seen a major rise in homelessness in recent years with the population increasing from 608 in 2019 to 1,026 just three years later. Fremont has just over 100 shelter beds available. Housing in the city has not kept up with the growing number of jobs, said David Bonaccorsi, a member of the Fremont for Everyone group and a former city councillor. In December, the council began considering the proposal to ban camping on public property and make “aiding and abetting” a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The ordinance also makes it illegal to store personal property in public areas. Fremont had a long history of working with non-profit and advocacy groups, Bonaccorsi said, but that suddenly changed when the council moved to consider the ordinance without consulting with those organizations. Elaine Sanchez with the Sisters of the Holy Family echoed that sentiment. “That’s why it’s such a surprise because Fremont has already done so much good with housing,” Sanchez said. “It was a real reversal when we read this ordinance. Why did they not consult or call together some of the stakeholders? Instead [they crafted] an ordinance that really does criminalize people that are poor, people that are unhoused.” The council moved ahead with the ordinance despite the objections of community groups who feared they may be subject to fines or arrest for providing support and aid to unhoused people, and took a final vote on the matter this week. On Tuesday evening, as many as 700 people showed up at the Fremont city council chambers, where the line to enter snaked around the building and into a parking lot. Some carried signs reading “don’t criminalize aid workers” and “poverty is not a crime”. Dozens of advocates and residents begged the council not to pass the ordinance, arguing it was cruel and would not solve the crisis and would instead criminalize unhoused people and those who help them. It would force people to leave encampments even when there is nowhere for them to go, several speakers said. “What are we doing?” said Thaddeus Sprinkles. “We are playing musical chairs with people’s lives. This is not a solution.” And there aren’t enough services to help people who are unhoused, said Kimberly Wise, who was unhoused in Fremont for more than a year. Read moreMany others advocated in favor of the ordinance with residents stating they no longer felt safe in their community and had found needles near their homes and businesses Some reported encampments that butted up against their properties and posed a hazard and said the situation was negatively affecting the city and economy “Compassion is not about enabling,” one resident said The city attorney said the ordinance does not make it illegal to provide food or aid to unhoused people The council briefly considered amending the proposal to explicitly state that the ordinance would not affect aid workers but ultimately opted not to and the ordinance passed with just one councillor opposing it argued that despite criticism that the council lacked compassion Fremont was a leader in providing support to unhoused residents “It’s not fair for folks to have to navigate their paths around these large encampments,” he said “These encampments are not humane for the unhoused “We are a leader in homeless prevention,” he said but added the city “must balance accountability with compassion” continued shouting “shame” until she walked to her car It’s all thanks to a duo who are reshaping the dining scene One quiet coastal city in San Diego’s North County could be the next big Southern California getaway Carlsbad has transformed into one of the newest dining destinations for Angelenos thanks in no small part to the partnership between proprietor John Resnick and chef Eric Bost To back up a bit: Carlsbad, which has a population of just over 113,000 people, has long been a resort city. The discovery of a mineral-rich spring akin to the spa waters of Europe in the late 1800s prompted the building of the luxe Carlsbad Hotel and turned the coastal area into a health and wellness destination Hotels like the Mineral Springs and Royal Palms sprung up in ensuing decades To read more, please visit SFGATE Wilks Development Partners with Chef Jenna Kinard on Culinary Concepts Inside Historic Fort Worth Public Market How Bugs and Beet Juice Could Play Roles in the Race to Replace Artificial Dyes in Food Its triumphant return to New York City introduces a modernized version of the beloved restaurant and entertainment venue. A transformative $20 million investment, the cutting-edge, technology-driven space sets a new standard for unparalleled dining and entertainment experiences. … Firefighters extinguish blaze at Cal City marijuana grow facilityby BakersfieldNow Staff CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Firefighters successfully extinguished a blaze at a marijuana grow facility early Wednesday morning in California City, officials said. At approximately 2:41 a.m., emergency responders arrived at the scene of a reported fire at a 10,000 square-foot facility in the 2100 block of Maverick Street. Upon arrival, they encountered heavy smoke and flames emanating from the building. Firefighters quickly moved to extinguish the fire and confirmed that all individuals had been evacuated safely. No injuries were reported. The fire was brought under control within 45 minutes. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Cal City Police Department, Kern County Fire Department, Edwards Air Force Base Fire Department, and Emergency Communication Centers assisted in the incident. President Donald Trump delivers the commencement address at the University of Alabama on Thursday evening. WATCHCalifornia City PD: Missing 11-year-old foundby BakersfieldNow Staff (KBAK/KBFX) — UPDATE (March 18): Cal City PD said Tadeo was found The California City Police Department is searching for 11-year-old Tadeo Cortez near California City Middle School at 9736 Redwood Boulevard Tadeo is described as approximately 4 feet tall and weighs 96 pounds The California City Police Department urges anyone with information on Tadeo's whereabouts to contact them at 760-373-8606 By peakins@santa-ana.org The America Connects Heart & Home National Mural Mosaic will be unveiled on February 19 at Jerome Recreation Center SANTA ANA, Calif. – The City of Santa Ana is proud to announce its selection as the only city in California to receive a new public arts installation provided by international arts organization Mural Mosaic in its winter 2025 tour Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency (PRCSA) and Mural Mosaic’s Global Roots Project will unveil the new America Connects Heart & Home National Mural Mosaic on Wednesday “We are deeply grateful to Mural Mosaic for selecting Santa Ana as the home for this groundbreaking art installation,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said “This mural is more than just a piece of art; it is a vibrant celebration of the rich diversity within our community It will serve as a lasting symbol of unity We are proud to have it as a centerpiece at this neighborhood community center where it will inspire generations to come.” The America Connects Heart & Home National Mural Mosaic showcases the creative collaboration of hundreds of individual artists from across the United States and around the world This collaboration offered a unique opportunity not only to install meaningful art in a park but also to engage the Santa Ana community in the creative process Throughout the month of January, community seniors, students, athletes, neighborhood associations, and other recreation participants crafted individual tiles as part of the mural project. As part of the mural’s progression, Mural Mosaic offers an active view of submitted tiles on their website where participants can further engage with their artwork In its commitment to the City’s 2022 Parks Master Plan to improve quality of life and address inequities in green spaces PRCSA increased efforts to produce public art in park spaces and applied for the opportunity to work with Mural Mosaic the Jerome Recreation Center was selected as one of only six communities across the United States and Canada to participate in the winter 2025 tour This selection was based on demonstrating the ability to provide: The organization stated: “The Mural Mosaic team is elated to have the opportunity to have the America Connects Heart & Home National Mural installed in Santa Ana We hope to inspire those who visit it to explore their creative side and to create works of art that bring them happiness; we encourage everyone to find their own unique way of expressing themselves through art.” Community members are invited to join the mosaic unveiling ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at the Jerome Recreation Center, 726 S. Center St., Santa Ana. Additional information regarding the mural project is located at www.muralmosaic.com/heart/ Get directions to City Hall This content is for decoration only skip decoration The painter and digital artist said he and his wife have spent more than 30 years growing colorful plants and foliage around their home near Grizzly Peak in Berkeley They're meticulous about where numerous agapanthus campanulas and camellias should line up in their Japanese-style garden and how the listeria plant Monroy strongly objects to a proposed ordinance before the Berkeley City Council to ban most plants and other flammable items within five feet of houses in scenic and hilly neighborhoods which city officials consider the most wildfire-prone "People tell me my house looks serene and peaceful," said Monroy, 76, renowned as one of the earliest innovators of Photoshop the software widely used for editing and creating images Berkeley council members unanimously approved the ordinance's plan during their special meeting on April 15 The ordinance will still need a final vote from the City Council to become official on May 8 The goal would be to create an "ember-resistant zone" for almost 1,000 homes between Tilden Regional Park and Panoramic Hill in the eastern part of the city, Berkeley councilmember Brent Blackaby told USA TODAY He believes creating defensible space could allow for fast-moving fire embers to land on rock or cement instead of plants and other shrubbery Blackaby said he’s held about a dozen neighborhood meetings on the topic and is optimistic residents will respond He’s hoping to get between 60% to 80% compliance within the affected neighborhoods "I feel very comfortable knowing where my neighbors stand We know many may not love being asked to do it but I think we all want to protect our homes and our community," Blackaby said "The defensible space would give our firefighters a much better chance of holding the line." the ordinance could drastically alter the neighborhood’s charm every home will have to remove some foliage," Monroy said It's going to look a lot like just rocks and concrete." 'What America should look like:' Loss in the Altadena fires, and a hard road to recovery fueled by an unusual combination of strong winds Berkeley is following California’s long desire to remove home vegetation and create "zone-zero rules," beginning with a 2020 law ordering the state's Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to draft new standards for what items can be placed near homes by 2023 A committee drafted zone-zero regulations in 2022 but the board has never voted on the draft Officials are still trying to work out how those laws would be implemented on a statewide scale, but California Fire Marshall Daniel Berlant told KGO-TV they're coming "There are certain plants that are more flammable than others but the reality is even well-manicured and well-watered plants at the right temperature are going to burn," Berlant said Before that, insurance companies statewide urged policyholders to harden their homes against wildfires to keep their coverage; Their suggestions include implementing 5-foot ember-resistant strategies near their homes "To meet the needs of increasingly extreme weather where decades-old buildings weren't planned and designed for today's realities these proposals are part of a bigger state strategy to build wildfire and forest resilience from forest management to huge investments in firefighting personnel and equipment and adopting state-of-the-art response technologies," Newsom said on Feb Soaring: Costs from Southern California wildfires will be 'astronomical' as million-dollar homes burn There are many reasons why Berkeley residents need to clear the foliage around their homes, Char Miller an environmental analysis professor at Pomona College in Claremont it gives the homeowners a possibility of saving their properties Although if a wind is blowing 40 to 50 mph the clearance gives them a buffer to escape more quickly they can do it to protect the lives of firefighters who are coming up to save their homes," Miller concluded "It’s an essential part of our social responsibility to protect those who protect us."  Berkeley's proposed ban isn't limited to foliageBlackaby's Berkeley home is among those within this proposed zone near Tilden Regional Park “They’re not the only ones,” Blackaby said “I’ve got some serious work to do myself.” According to the city’s latest draft of the proposal released last week The proposal would also apply to wooden fences Some trees would also have to be removed from the 5-foot zone unless they are taller than the house they are near Blackaby said he realizes this could be an expensive proposition as Berkeley officials are working on a financial plan to help alleviate some pressure on residents But Monroy told USA TODAY he believes "there won’t be enough money to go around for everybody These homes are far too big for the millions of dollars it will take to remove all of this foliage."  Blackaby said the goal would also be to educate residents living on Berkeley’s eastern edge on how to make the defensible space within the next 12 to 18 months to reach “the level of protection needed to shift our attention to other areas.” "We’re not dismissing anybody’s concerns," Blackaby concluded "But there is a sense of urgency to get this done."  The homeless encampment near the corner of Osgood Road and Washington Boulevard in Fremont on Feb The Fremont City Council gave final approval this week to an ordinance that bans camping throughout the entire city, while also making anyone “aiding, abetting or concealing” a homeless encampment guilty of a misdemeanor The aiding and abetting clause has sparked alarm from local outreach workers who worry they could be targeted for helping people living in camps, and experts in homelessness law who say they’ve never seen anything quite like it in California Council members considered changing that part of the ordinance Tuesday night “Our public spaces belong to the entire community and it’s really not compassionate at all to cede our public spaces to a select few individuals at the expense of everyone else in the general public,” said Councilmember Raymond Liu “Families should be able to take their children to the parks and all residents should be able to use our public spaces without encountering any unsafe conditions.” Council members discussed the camping ban at length in a five-hour meeting Tuesday where nearly 200 people lined up to speak for and against the measure during public comment It was an unusual amount of fanfare for an ordinance that the city council already passed once earlier this month – Tuesday’s vote was a “second reading,” which typically is just a formality that warrants no discussion streets and parks in Fremont and makes anyone who aids or abets such a camp subject to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail prompted the City Council to reevaluate the ordinance expressed interest either in removing the aiding and abetting clause or adding language to specify that it wouldn’t be used to punish people for handing out food water and other essentials in homeless camps That change seemed likely to go through until minutes before the final vote But after City Attorney Rafael Alvarado said multiple times that the aiding and abetting clause would target people who help unhoused people set up illegal camps Changing the language would have forced council members to re-introduce the ordinance meaning they’d have to go through two more votes By the time the City Council voted Tuesday The text of the ordinance doesn’t specify what qualifies as aiding abetting or concealing a homeless encampment That leaves some uncertainty as to how the ordinance will be enforced UC Berkeley Law professor Laura Riley told CalMatters “That might be their stance at the time of adoption,” she said “but there’s nothing in the language of the ordinance itself that prevents targeting people from doing things as humane as giving unhoused people tarps when it’s raining.” local police often determine how they will enforce an ordinance How the Fremont aiding and abetting clause is interpreted could change when the city’s leadership changes The city attorney’s statements were small comfort to Vivian Wan, CEO of Abode Services clothing and other services to unhoused people living in camps as PD/City staff in Fremont have been known to pressure us to share confidential information including where a participant is staying,” she said in an email to CalMatters “I think this ordinance may be used to compel such information breaking the trust with folks that often takes years to build.” The measure also puts the city of Fremont at odds with the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern and Southern California in a letter to council members signed by several other aid and human rights groups said the aiding and abetting clause is “patently unreasonable and will expose the City to legal liability.” More than two-dozen California cities and counties have either passed new ordinances or beefed up old ordinances banning camping in recent months, after the U.S. Supreme Court gave them more freedom to do so But none of those bans appear to include specific language that makes it a crime to aid or abet a camp the Fremont city attorney’s office said the aiding and abetting language is nothing new – it’s already illegal in Fremont When asked about that by council members during Tuesday’s meeting Alvarado said even if the new camping ban didn’t have that specific clause “in theory,” someone could still be penalized for aiding and abetting a homeless encampment But Riley said it’s significant that the new camping ban explicitly makes it a crime to aid and abet an encampment – language she’s never seen in any other active camping ban in California “This does seem to be going further,” she said “Because by making it explicitly tied to this section of the code it signals that there is intent to prosecute under this section.” Legal experts CalMatters spoke with said this is extremely unusual has attempted to use general municipal code in the fashion this ordinance would Meredith Stevenson, (574) 309-5620, [email protected] Lawsuit Pushes California City to Reevaluate Data Center’s Environmental Harms PITTSBURG, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the city of Pittsburg without considering and planning for its environmental effects and harms to wildlife and surrounding wetlands The project site is on grassland and wetlands habitat with nearby streams and other waterways The area serves as an important wildlife corridor for the region and is home to red-tailed hawks but in fact they pose huge risks to the air quality and water supply of our communities,” said Meredith Stevenson “We wouldn’t let a large industrial plant move into town without first analyzing how it’ll affect neighboring residents and wildlife Pittsburg leaders need to go back to the drawing board and give this project the thorough review the community deserves.” which accommodate artificial intelligence servers and other computer systems are extremely energy intensive and require enormous amounts of land and water communities are rapidly realizing how environmentally destructive these centers can be Monday’s lawsuit filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court says the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act when it approved the project on Nov The lawsuit also asserts the city had failed to consider how the project would affect traffic and noise The Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places More Press Releases Print SANTA ROSA  — The sky above their newly built homes was clear and the ground beneath their feet reassuringly soggy from recent winter rains But as residents in the Coffey Park neighborhood made their way to a community gathering on a recent evening — passing one yard after another devoid of trees or brush or anything readily flammable — many said they still have flashbacks to a night of smoke and flames and fear It’s been more than seven years since homes in this Santa Rosa neighborhood were incinerated by the Tubbs fire which swept across Napa and Sonoma counties in a matter of hours before jumping six lanes of the 101 Freeway The residents of Coffey Park — about 9,000 people — were roused from their beds in a panic and fled through flames and whipping embers with singed pets struggling in their arms and only the clothes on their backs 2025This article previously identified two photos at the top of the article as the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa Both the 2017 and present day photos were taken in the Mark West Estates neighborhood in Santa Rosa A scorched lawn statue stands amid the rubble of the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa in October 2017. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Five neighborhood residents died in the fire, among 22 total in Sonoma County. At the time, it was the most destructive fire in California history — although that record would quickly be broken Fire wasn’t supposed to do what it did that night No one had predicted the flames would move so fast or consume so much of this city of 175,000 and surrounding communities that Santa Rosa would manage to build back so quickly their communities emerged stronger: safer from fire and more closely knit Just more than a week into Los Angeles’ ordeal by fire the neighbors of Coffey Park were gathering in Tricia Woods’ rebuilt kitchen to raise funds to send to fire victims in L.A They also wanted to send a message: You can’t imagine it now the aftermath is hard: “I moved seven times in three years,” Diane Farris said of the uncertainty and dislocation And you never get over the trauma: “I still have a go bag packed,” Anita Rackerby confided But they knew from shared experience that communities can Santa Rosa streamlined the process for rebuilding neighborhoods leveled in the 2017 Tubbs fire (Paul Kuroda / For The Times) People in Santa Rosa are acutely aware that they are in the unenviable position of having hosted one of California’s first and most brutal megafires in this new age of unpredictable burns the Tubbs fire ignited near the town of Calistoga the blaze — spitting embers that helped it leapfrog in all directions — had traveled 12 miles over the hills that separate Napa and Sonoma counties and down into Santa Rosa jumping the freeway and burning through homes that were viewed as being at low risk for wildfire A grassy lot is all that remains of a home lost in the Tubbs fire (Paul Kuroda / For The Times) Gabe Osburn said the L.A.-area fires were still raging when he got his first call from representatives of the city of Los Angeles Osburn was Santa Rosa’s deputy director of city services in 2017 He found out his city was on fire the way most residents did: He woke to a blaring alarm and it had a distinct smell that he recognized as wildfire He glanced out his second-story window and saw a terrifying orange glow over his neighborhood and fled to a relative’s house in southern Sonoma County It wasn’t long before the scope of the disaster became clear With more than 3,000 homes burned within city limits — and more than 5,000 in the surrounding area — Santa Rosa had just lost 5% of its housing stock In a city that already had a housing crunch Where were all the people whose homes had burned going to live And given that many of them were relatively wealthy would their search for housing have the domino effect of pushing other renters out What could or should government officials do about it residents were starting to ask themselves the same questions a neighborhood just north of the city limits had long reassured their children that they had nothing to fear from wildfire “I live on a valley floor,” he said of his thinking “This is not the wild/urban interface” that is prone to burning as so many others have been in recent years when predicting what wildfires would do based on what they have done in the past Sherwood said he “will never forget looking up this canyon as I’m running from my house seeing fire tornadoes ripping down” toward him and the hundreds of things they had to account for in order to get paid and they had to take care of their children who had been through the ordeal of watching their home burn down Brad and Brandy Sherwood had a dining table made from a signature walnut tree on their property that was damaged in the Tubbs fire (Paul Kuroda / For The Times) He and his wife decided they would “divide and conquer.” Brandy would take the “front-line approach,” taking the lead with the insurance company and the builder who constructed their new home “I knew that if we weren’t working together as a community we would not be successful as a whole,” he said he built a website that would serve as an information hub for Larkfield Estates whose residents were now scattered across the county and beyond The community began holding neighborhood meetings and inviting local officials created a “block captain” program for burned-out neighborhoods to simplify communication and allow neighbors to speak collectively The community developed a “needs assessment.” In addition to rebuilding homes water and sewer systems and fixing streets They also needed to figure out how to efficiently rebuild Should every family find its own contractor Or should the city bring in home builders who could mass-produce homes something remarkable happened: The neighbors got to know one another better and began to trust and rely on each other They called the group “Coffey Strong.” They had a website another blaze ignited in nearby Lake County the woman who summoned folks to her rebuilt home last week as Los Angeles burned She blasted out a message to her neighbors telling them she would be sitting in a camp chair next to the burned-out husk of her home “We didn’t have many friends in the neighborhood before this,” said Melissa Geissinger, who was seven months pregnant when her house burned down and endured the trauma of having her newborn baby go through open-heart surgery while the family was displaced. By 2020, just three years after the fire, more than 80% of the neighborhood homes lost in the fire had been rebuilt and families had moved back in. Osburn, Santa Rosa’s planning director, said the city played a key role in making that possible. “We made this commitment to the community that we would understand where they were getting stuck and implement creative solutions to remove the impediment,” he said. That meant a range of actions, including coordinating with state, federal and county officials in the early days of recovery to help people get their feet under them, stripping back discretionary regulations and processing permits within days or hours instead of months. Interviews with pilots paint a graphic picture of the struggle to maintain control of their ships amid one of the most intense and complicated airborne firefights in U.S. history. The signs from the Tubbs fire are still visible in Santa Rosa for those who know how to read them. In the Fountaingrove neighborhood, in the hills east of downtown, many replacement homes are still under construction. And some lots are still empty, the grass from winter rains wafting in the wind, along with the sharp echoes of hammers and nail guns. In Larkfield Estates, Sherwood and his family have moved into their new home. The old walnut tree that used to shade his frontyard has been transformed into an elegant dining room table. Many of his neighbors, also returned, did the same thing with their trees. In some ways, the neighborhood has more amenities than it did before. It finally got a sewer system so residents could move off septic; the county offered loans at a low interest rate to make it affordable. A new park, which the community is helping to raise funds for, is coming. And there is a new sidewalk on busy Mark West Springs Road so children can more safely walk to school. But across the street from Sherwood’s gorgeous new house — white with dark trim and cheerful flowers in the frontyard — is still an empty lot, a forlorn swimming pool surrounded by chain-link fencing the only reminder of what used to be. A plastic chair that blew into the pool the night of the fire is still there; the water protected it from the flames, and no one has touched it since. For now, this pool is all that remains of a property lost in the Tubbs fire. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times) In Coffey Park, there are still a few houses under construction, but the biggest reminder of fire is in the landscaping: very few big trees, and yard after yard ornamented with rocks and other materials that can’t burn. At the wine gathering, one person after another said they hoped the people of Los Angeles could take hope from Coffey Park. Until the fire, said Rackerby, “I lived here for 30 years, and I didn’t know the people across the street.” Now, she said, she feels like she knows everyone. In the months before the local park was refurbished, she opened up her yard as a play area for neighborhood children. She also helped her neighbors make mosaic artwork using scorched jewelry, dishes and other sifted wreckage from their homes — something to memorialize what they had lost. Standing nearby was Geissinger, whose son is now a playful 7-year-old. She recently published a young adult novel, “Nothing Left But Dust,” that includes themes about a fire. Coming through the blaze, she said, gave her the courage to pursue her dream of being a writer. Michelle Poggi, who seven years ago escaped with her husband on foot, walking three miles with their cat through smoke and burning embers, echoed that sense of what’s possible. “This community really did take something horrible, and it’s kind of like we all found the silver linings where we could,” she said. Her neighbors nodded in agreement. Sports