This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation 6 May 2025 5:16:18 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); From the State Water Resources Control Board: recommending that the State Water Board return the subbasin to the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) jurisdiction The board’s staff assessment of Chowchilla’s latest 2025 Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) found that the Chowchilla Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) made significant progress in adequately addressing the plan’s deficiencies Release of the assessment starts a four-week public comment period that ends May 23 the five board members will consider acting on the recommendation at a June 3 meeting SGMA established a new framework for local groundwater management to achieve long-term sustainability GSAs in subbasins are required to achieve long-term groundwater sustainability within 20 years of implementing their GSPs The board’s intervention process is triggered when DWR finds that management in a subbasin fails to reach groundwater sustainability the Chowchilla Subbasin would return to DWR’s jurisdiction How to Provide Comments on the Staff Assessment Send any comments to SGMA-Chowchilla@waterboards.ca.gov and use the subject line: “Comments – Chowchilla Subbasin” The deadline for written comments on the Staff Assessment for the Chowchilla Subbasin is 12:00 noon on Friday How to Provide Public Comments at the Board Meeting If you do not wish to provide a comment, you can watch the Board meeting in English, Spanish, or Punjabi on the CalEPA webcast Spanish and Punjabi interpretation will be provided at the Board meeting. For language services other than Spanish or Punjabi, please call 916-322-6508 or email opp-languageservices@waterboards.ca.gov by May 19 The June 3 Board meeting agenda item to consider returning the Chowchilla Subbasin to DWR’s oversight is subject to change. The State Water Board will send a notification to the SGMA Groundwater Management email list if the agenda item is postponed. The Board meeting agenda will be available at least 10 days before the meeting and will be posted on the Board Meeting Calendar webpage Questions? Contact the SGMA Program at sgma@waterboards.ca.gov or 916-322-6508 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Heavy police presence on North Maroa and E Fedora Avenue — A work trailer that has been up and running for 15 years providing for a family is now parked because of thieves Jose Donato is the business owner of 'Donato's Lawn Service' in Chowchilla He says his trailer was stolen overnight and when he woke up Wednesday morning to take off for work [RELATED] Loving husband decorates neighborhood for wife with Alzheimer's to earn my little money of the day and now.. and fixing things that were destroyed." The trailer was found but $20,000 worth of equipment accumulated over 15 years is now gone and has halted business Mostly all of his tools to get the job done was stolen He says he only found the trailer because of a security hack he came up with to help him find his trailer if it were ever stolen He would chain up a tire with a lock every night and if someone took it he says at least the tire skid marks left behind would signal what direction the thieves went followed the tire marks in the small town and found the trailer in a nearby field yes it's a little sad because Christmas is around the corner and actually right now When I looked at my trailer and it was empty a total of 9 clients had to be canceled just in one day alone [RELATED] Local Fresno business gives back to families in need until he can get back on his feet and replace all the tools needed to get the job done "It’s all going to have to wait," Donato said "It's really sad for things like this to happen during the holiday season." His daughter who spoke to us off camera is now hoping for a Christmas miracle She hopes that people can sprinkle in a little donation to help their family during an urgent time of need just wants to spread the message to warn their community of what's happening so that another family doesn't go through it too The family hopes that someone saw something or caught the vehicle description on camera they hope the community can keep a close on eye gardening tools that are being sold in the streets or online at large Print CHOWCHILLA Calif. — Gazing across the crowd of women fresh from county jail in their orange prison jumpsuits Lena Coleman wishes she could save them all after 20 years in prison for attempted murder and a gun enhancement became one of three dozen prisoners at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla to graduate from a peer support specialist program where incarceration is considered a tool for rehabilitation rather than harsh punishment a sprawling campus set in the farm fields of Madera County the peer support specialists have become the backbone of that transformation serving as something between a therapist and life coach to the roughly 2,100 women incarcerated at the facility a reception yard that houses new prisoners before they transfer “over the wall” into the general population Prisoner Markeisha Dixon is among the trained peer support specialists working to instill a stronger sense of community for women incarcerated at the Chowchilla women’s prison (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Her job is often limited in scope: helping a new arrival find prison garb that fits or working with the healthcare services team to remind patients to take their medicine or attend an upcoming medical appointment the work requires more intense intervention Staff might call a peer support specialist to help de-escalate violence or ease a behavioral crisis they can be the difference between someone dying of suicide or accepting mental health services Coleman is there for whenever someone needs to talk — or cry — with a trusted confidant “I tell them that prison is going to be what you make it,” she said And then she offers them a piece of advice: “I’m just like you Only difference is I have changed my ways.” to jump-start the California Model last year prison officials are focused on improving relations between officers and prisoners two historically warring factions in a violent system unaccustomed to change The California Model looks a bit different at Chowchilla — and it must At the same time, women’s prisons often lack the mental health services and rehabilitative programming to help address deep trauma, said Alycia Welch associate director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin were not built at all with women in mind,” Welch said inappropriate touching and rape by correctional workers alleging graphic incidents of sexual abuse by prison staff dating back a decade Corrections officials have said they welcome the investigation They said that recent reforms have made it easier for women to report misconduct and that staff are now required to wear body cameras at the two women’s prisons Expanded training to help staff work with prisoners who have dealt with significant trauma is a key pillar of the California Model While Coleman appreciates the efforts by Newsom and others in Sacramento to overhaul the state’s dark prison culture she thinks it’s important for prisoners themselves to help steer the changes And she views her mission as a peer support specialist as central to that transformation: working to instill a sense of community inside prison walls that was often missing for these women on the outside “We all have untreated trauma that contributed to criminalization we share our lived experiences with each other,” Coleman said “We’re more comfortable with each other than we would be with staff.” female inmates make up fewer than 5% of California’s 91,000 prisoners Of the nearly 51,000 people serving time in state prisons who were convicted of violent crimes researchers have found the episodes often are tied to self-defense or coercion by an abusive partner “Sometimes women describe it as something just snapped And they acted out as their only means of protection,” Welch said Women attending a support group at the Chowchilla prison reflect on the role trauma has played in their lives — and how it helped put them behind bars (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) That makes it more crucial for women’s prisons to have the kind of robust rehabilitation and job training envisioned under the California Model The peer support specialists are part of that effort chief nurse executive for the state prison system providing formal training as certified peer support specialists gives the women who eventually will be released from prison a transferable job skill combined with their on-the-job experience while incarcerated ensures “they’re not coming out as entry level,” Tamuno-Koko said the role “has restored their value as people,” Tamuno-Koko said but really want to spend your time genuinely helping someone.” “You’re going to get on the train or get off,” Lt Monique Williams says of California Model naysayers “Because we’re moving.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Lt said the women doing peer support are making a tangible difference The peer support specialists at Chowchilla have provided more than 10,000 one-on-one counseling sessions and 430 group sessions Acosta was incarcerated for more than 20 years for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder before her 2018 release from Chowchilla Now she’s back inside on a regular basis running group sessions as a life coach working for the Anti-Recidivism Coalition a nonprofit that provides reentry and support services for former prisoners Huddled in a circle in a drab prison classroom in the middle of June she led a group of two dozen women who were reflecting on the role trauma had played in their lives — and how it helped put them behind bars The women gathered had been locked up for charges including drug and firearms possession revictimized everyday in here,” said prisoner Kandice Ortega a peer support specialist at the Chowchilla women’s prison “That needs to change.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) “How many of you in here it’s your first time ever in trouble?” Acosta asked How many were survivors of domestic violence And how many think they might have avoided their crimes if they had received support for addiction Acosta remembers the years when such support groups were uncommon “Women aren’t supposed to commit violent crimes,” was the common notion Women were “demonized and dehumanized,” as though because of their gender they should be doubly punished for ending up in prison pushes a condemned prisoner out of her dorm unit at the Central California Women’s Facility (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Acosta now lives nearby in the Central Valley and visits the prison almost every day to lead sessions She’s optimistic that the state’s reform efforts are creating opportunities that might make things a little better for her friends who are still inside Lozano, 49, grew up in a violent neighborhood in Long Beach, where she said she experienced sexual abuse by a family member. She was sentenced to life without parole for her involvement, at age 16, in a 1992 gang shooting that killed a 13-year-old girl although her boyfriend said he pulled the trigger Lozano received her associate’s degree in behavioral and social sciences and co-founded an organization for juvenile offenders along with another group that brings victims law enforcement officers and prisoners together for discussions Lozano became a peer support specialist as another way to make amends She works with fellow prisoners on coping skills and anger management and helps them set goals for their time in prison or look up legal cases in the law library After losing a loved one in prison in 2016 to an apparent suicide Lozano also counsels women experiencing mental health crises Recent changes to state law make it easier for offenders who were imprisoned as youths to be released “I can’t undo the great harm that I have caused,” Lozano said “I feel like the only thing that I can do is give from the best part of me and help others in their recovery.” The majority of incarcerated women endured some combination of physical sexual and emotional abuse before committing the crime that sent them to prison (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Adding to the challenges of overhauling an entire correctional system are the traumas that happen within prison walls The allegations of widespread sexual abuse and serial rapes at the Chowchilla and Chino facilities that are the basis for the federal civil rights investigation may have come as a jolt to state corrections officials but not to the women who came to see it as part of prison life revictimized everyday in here,” said Kandice Ortega a peer support specialist who has served 15 years for second-degree murder said she hopes — and believes — that change is underway Williams has worked for the corrections department for 23 years, rising through the ranks to become a lieutenant. She worked for several years in the unit that housed California’s death row for women before the state’s recent efforts to transition condemned prisoners into the general population. Fellow staffers, as well as prisoners interviewed, said Williams embodied the spirit of the California Model before it had a name. She spends her days in a swirl of energetic motion, defying stereotypes of cold, bullying guards. She addresses prisoners with candor and kindness, stopping frequently to ask about their lives. Williams has visited Norway twice to learn about prison practices she could bring back to Chowchilla. She’s coordinated barbecues and parties for staff and prisoners to improve relations. During a Juneteenth celebration, she took the stage and sang gospel music for the prisoners. “You’re going to get on the train or get off,” she said of California Model naysayers. “Because we’re moving.” Coleman, the peer support specialist, also chooses to believe that progress is possible. Either things can continue as usual, leaving incarcerated women to deteriorate in their isolation and trauma. Or they can grow and heal so they are better citizens when they leave prison — and strengthen the sense of community for those left behind. “We have each other, we have the peer support specialist program, and we do have some staff that do care,” Coleman said. “Is this going to be make it a perfect setting? ... No. Not even the world outside these gates is.” California California is reenvisioning prison life, starting with San Quentin, the state’s oldest and most notorious prison. Step one is changing the relationship between incarcerated people and their guards. On a Friday at the end of October, Coleman was working her way through a stack of paper with the names of dozens of women she was supposed to counsel that week. She called one woman over for a check-in. For more than half her life, Collins, 43, has struggled with addiction to crystal meth and crack cocaine. Prison records show she has been incarcerated nearly a dozen times. “I have a criminal thinking,” Collins said. “This is my home.” But this time, she has Coleman, someone she can trust and confide in. “I felt bad about my dang self. So maybe the first week I was here, I said, ‘Can I talk to you?’” Collins said. “Do we judge you for returning?” Coleman asked. “No, she didn’t judge. I know they’ve seen me on this yard a thousand times,” Collins responded. “I want to forgive myself, and I want to change, and I don’t know what it takes,” she said. Then, turning to Coleman, she said, “I look at you and you give me hope.” Hannah Wiley is a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map The state Water Resources Control Board will consider sending the Chowchilla subbasin back to another state agency for evaluation of its revised groundwater sustainability plan If Chowchilla makes it back to the arms of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) it will be the first of seven San Joaquin Valley subbasins considered for enforcement action to have made that full U-turn The recommendation to send Chowchilla back to DWR will be considered at the Water Board’s June 3 meeting In an assessment released Friday Water Board staff said Chowchilla’s four groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) adequately addressed deficiencies “The GSAs show a greater commitment to protecting drinking water users and improved groundwater management,” the assessment stated The plans were evaluated and tweaked by DWR But if they still couldn’t past muster One of the hammers used by the Water Board is probation under which farmers must meter and register wells at $350 each report extractions to the state and pay $20 per acre foot pumped If an adequate plan couldn’t be produced after a year under probation the Water Board could step in and set its own pumping limits for the subbasin The Water Board has already placed two valley subbasins on probation, including Tulare Lake which covers the southern half of Tulare County’s flatlands The Kings County Farm Bureau sued the state and has so far been able to stave off probationary sanctions in the Tulare Lake subbasin. Probationary sanctions are just getting under way in the Tule subbasin The Kaweah subbasin which covers Tulare County’s northern flatlands was given a reprieve when the Water Board canceled its probationary hearing as staff found it was making good progress on its plan The Water Board held Kern’s probationary hearing in February but gave water managers until June to come back with several tweaks to its plan before issuing its ruling The Chowchilla and Delta-Mendota subbasins were to come before the board next. The Pleasant Valley subbasin just received an inadequate designation for its plan in February Water Board staff will accept public comments on the Chowchilla assessment document via email to  SGMA-Chowchilla@waterboards.ca.gov with the subject line: “Comments – Chowchilla Subbasin” until noon on Friday Asterisk Talley has moved into the top 15 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings.FRESNO (KFSN) -- Thanks to a whirlwind 2024 season Asterisk Talley has moved into the top 15 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings The 16-year-old sophomore at Chowchilla High School stopped by the Action News studios to reflect on finishing as the top amateur in the 2024 US Women's Open and her long-term goals in the game of golf Welcome, Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog Out1 person injured following shooting in Chowchilla, police saySunday 2024The Chowchilla Police Department is investigating a shooting that injured one person.CHOWCHILLA (KFSN) -- The Chowchilla Police Department is investigating a shooting that injured one person officers were called out to the Shasta Court Apartments near Santa Cruz Boulevard Investigators found a person who had been shot They were rushed to the hospital and are expected to survive police are not releasing any other information on the suspect or the victim but did say the shooting involved juveniles Calif (FOX26) — A 15-year-old boy was arrested on Sunday for having a semi-automatic pistol in his possession Around 1:45 PM a CPD officer was patrolling the area near Ed Ray Park when he noticed a large group gathered The officer identified the groups as gang members in the area While an officer tried to talk to one of the individuals involved identified as the 15-year-old from Madera he ran away CPD says once the suspect was caught in the area of Magnolia Court and Thomas Chidlaw Drive the officer found a black semi-automatic pistol tucked in the suspect's waistband Officers say he then became combative and was placed in handcuffs The boy was taken to CPD shortly after for medical clearance from an ambulance then to Valley Children's Hospital for further medical clearance and later to the Madera County Juvenile Hall They say he was booked on numerous firearm-related charges as well as battery on a peace officer and possession of a knife (FOX26) — A sergeant with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has been arrested for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material The Madera County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children leading detectives to identify 39-year-old Ralph Contreras Jr [RELATED]Fresno man sentenced to 21 years for using hidden cameras to make child porn along with the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant on Thursday at a residence in the 11000 block of Muirfield Road in Chowchilla was taken into custody and booked into the Madera County Jail "This operation highlights the critical partnership across law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation and vehemently protect the safety of children." All electronic devices associated with Contreras Jr were seized for further examination as part of the ongoing investigation The Madera County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information regarding this case or potential victims to contact detectives at 559-675-7770 Tips can also be emailed to MCSOTip@maderacounty.com Anonymous tips may be made through Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (FOX26) — Hundreds of people lined the streets to watch the annual Chowchilla Cattle Drive Friday morning The Cattle Drive that originally started in 1958 returned to Robertson Boulevard at 10:00 a.m. marking the beginning of the Chowchilla Stampede that runs through March 2nd at the Chowchilla Fairgrounds [RELATED] Merced residents concerned by loud noises linked to low-flying plane in noise study The events to follow over the weekend include many team roping activities from competitors all over the western U.S (FOX26) — A man has been charged with the sexual assault and attempted murder of a child Chowchilla Police Chief Jeff Palmer held a news conference Tuesday afternoon regarding a significant development in the case The attack happened on August 1st in a common laundry facility at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Washington Road in Chowchilla Detectives say the victim was not only sexually assaulted but also had her throat slashed and knocked unconscious The attempt to kill the teen was unsuccessful and she picked herself up and reported what happened She was taken to Valley Children's Hospital and underwent surgery The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Arthur Dean Knapp of Chowchilla Knapp was arrested and DNA collected positively connected him to the crime He was booked into the Madera County Jail on charges of forcible rape and being a felon with two previous strike offenses Knapp faces life in prison without the possibility of parole Chief Palmer had the following message for the family: "I know Chief Palmer has ensured the community that they are safe He has handed this case to us and we are prepared to do everything we need to to make sure the community stays safe and justice is served," said District Attorney Sally Moreno of Madera County Calif (FOX26) — A woman was hospitalized after she was shot in Chowchilla on Saturday According to the Sheriff’s Office in the early afternoon hours of Saturday they received a call about a shooting in the area of Road 22 and Santa Fe Drive in Chowchilla When Deputies arrived at the location they found a woman who had been shot The woman was airlifted to the hospital for treatment There was no further word on her condition MCSO investigations bureau determined that the shooting happened at a home in the area [RELATED] Two injured after they were shot at; while possibly in their car in Visalia They then served a search warrant at a home in the 26000 block of Road 22. There have been no arrests of any suspect(s). MCSO asks anyone with information to call their detectives at (559) 675-7770. You can also leave an anonymous tip through Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867). You can also text anonymous tips by texting “Tip MaderaSO” and your message to 888777. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. making its way down Robertson Boulevard at 10 a.m. gathers hundreds of onlookers as local ranchers and their herds celebrate Chowchilla’s agricultural roots and bring “the spirit of the Old West alive.” This kicks off the annual Chowchilla Western Stampede set to host a variety of events at the Chowchilla Fairgrounds The tradition began in 1958 when young cowboys bringing a stock of 150 steers and 60 calves for the Western Stampede guided the herd straight through the center of town it is a valued part of Chowchilla’s heritage setting the stage for a weekend of community festivities This includes several team roping events with cash prizes bringing contestants from all over the West City officials encourage spectators to arrive early and find a good spot to catch the action Trump Administration Freezes Future Grants to Harvard It may be hard to miss the brand-new AutoZone warehouse in the North Valley.CHOWCHILLA (KFSN) -- It may be hard to miss the brand-new AutoZone warehouse in the North Valley The distribution center is now open in Chowchilla It's located between Highway 99 and the Chowchilla Airport and created some 280 new jobs for the area The last project of this scale to hit the city of about 19,000 residents was more than 40 years ago which sells aftermarket auto parts and accessories (FOX26) — A “Sureno” gang member was arrested for a stolen Glock 19 pistol Saturday afternoon in Chowchilla Chowchilla Police responded to a report of juveniles fighting in the Veterans Memorial Park area while in route the officers received an update that one juvenile had a knife they contacted two validated “Sureno” gang members and three juvenile “Sureno” affiliates One “Sureno” gang member was identified as Aaron Jimenez of Chowchilla officers found on his person a stolen Glock 19 He is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition Jimenez was booked into Madera County Jail on numerous firearm-related charges and possession of stolen property Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.