Official website of the State of California What you need to know: Governor Newsom made the fourth stop as part of his California Jobs First ‘tour’ to highlight his Administration’s focus on building more critical water infrastructure and creating jobs COLUSA – Governor Gavin Newsom today continued his California Jobs First ‘tour’ with a visit to a historic farm in the northern part of the state in Colusa where he highlighted his Administration’s efforts to maintain the state’s water supply the Governor learned about its sustainable operations that help the ranch save water and restore crucial floodplain habitat The Governor also met with local leaders of the California Jobs First Capital Region collaborative to hear from them about their economic priorities saving the project from years of litigation delays Governor Newsom’s vision for adapting to the state’s hotter drier future combines multiple approaches to save water including promoting sustainable agricultural practices and building vital water infrastructure the Governor announced new groundwater recharge actions to help accelerate projects critical to replenishing the state’s groundwater supplies About 85% of Californians rely on groundwater for some portion of their water needs Building water infrastructure is critical to Governor Newsom’s build more, faster agenda delivering infrastructure upgrades across the state. Find projects building your community at build.ca.gov. This was the fourth stop of the Governor’s California Jobs First tour after he visited Fresno, Kern County and the southern border region in recent weeks. Last month, Governor Newsom unveiled the framework for the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint The Capital Region – composed of Colusa and Yuba counties – is home to a diverse range of industries from natural resources to biotechnology and manufacturing that have the potential to drive job growth and create a resilient local economy Their plan hones in on four high-potential tradable sectors – business services working lands and research and development For every job created in one of these strategic sectors between 1.6 to 3.1 additional jobs are generated in the broader economy fostering stronger and more sustainable economic growth Last year, California increased groundwater storage for the first time since 2019 – a direct result of state and local work to store more water underground With the actions the Governor announced today the state is doubling down on that work: unveiling a new dashboard to help boost recharge efforts exploring ways to reduce permitting times to 60 days and making it easier for local water districts to pursue recharge opportunities In addition to continuing to encourage smart water practices and groundwater recharge projects the Governor has championed two major water projects that are key to California’s Water Supply Strategy:  Several water agencies representing more than 2 million Californians have voted in support of the additional funding for the project and the Metropolitan Water District is expected to vote on funding today Featured, Press Releases 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 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 the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric are driving away tourists © Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) An official website of the United States government Electrifying Nearly 25% More Tribal Homes and Strengthening Energy Sovereignty Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs learn more about Colusa Indian Community Council’s expansion of the electric distribution line to power more Tribal homes Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy.  The Colusa Indian Community sits in a rural area about an hour north of Sacramento in the heart of Northern California’s agricultural land on a 290-acre Reservation along the Sacramento River.  Since the development of Colusa Indian Energy Tribal homes and businesses are 100% powered by the Tribally-owned and operated cogeneration power plant and microgrid system.  The expansion will enable critical housing for Tribal members by supporting the additional energy demand of 185,000 kilowatt-hours per year This project will power seven more Tribal homes in the community upping the total from 30 to 37—a 23% increase The cost of the project is about $1.2 million shared by DOE ($695,114) and the Tribe ($522 Chief Operating Officer of Colusa Indian Energy How does this project build on the Tribe’s other energy initiatives or projects?  This project is an expansion of the Tribe’s 19-year-old microgrid Tribal members benefit from the expansion and continuing the use of their existing microgrid which has brought energy sovereignty to the Tribe for nearly two decades What excites you most about this project?  What is most exciting about this project is that it expands the Tribe’s ability to build new critical housing for its members without having to sacrifice their existing energy sovereignty The biggest lesson learned has been that any Tribe is capable of generating and distributing their own electricity especially with the help of the DOE Office of Indian Energy how has the Office of Indian Energy partnership benefited your project and energy goals?  The Office of Indian Energy’s staff has long played a key role in the success of all of our DOE-funded projects Without their ongoing support and expertise this project would have been exponentially more difficult to complete Learn more about this project, including additional background information, cost, and status, on the project summary page Explore more Tribal energy projects through the Tribal energy projects database.  Join us for a 12-hour food drive Friday, 6am to 6pm, in Redding or Chico. Help stuff a RABA or B-Line bus at Les Schwab with food donations! LIVE UPDATESColusa County deputies search for suspect in casino security officer shootingby Christopher West — The Colusa County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is searching for a man wanted for attempted homicide after the shooting of a Colusa Casino Tribal Patrol security officer They said the incident occurred early Saturday morning the security officer was conducting a routine patrol on Colusa Tribal properties when he encountered a dark blue late 1990s Toyota Corolla parked near a walnut orchard with its lights off The bullets struck the officer's bulletproof vest but did not penetrate leaving him with non-life-threatening injuries He was treated at Rideout Hospital and later released They said the suspect is described as a large white man and wearing gray sweatpants and a dark hooded sweatshirt He has a distinctive tribal-like tattoo with a red and black stripe running from his bottom lip down his neck and a green clover tattoo behind his left ear The suspect fled the scene in the Toyota Corolla after the officer fell to the ground The Colusa County Sheriff's Office said it is working with allied agencies to identify and locate the suspect Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Sergeant Luis Ruiz at the Colusa County Sheriff's Office at (530) 458-0200 Photo Credit: Martin Mecnarowski/Shutterstock.com CA FWD’s Voices of Shared Prosperity blog series amplifies the stories of Californians who are committing their time and talent to solutions that embrace equity This year, we’re highlighting leaders who are making a difference in the greater Sacramento region, leading up to the 2024 California Economic Summit taking place in Sacramento on October 8-10 As California strives to meet its goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2045 Colusa County is doing its part to make that goal a reality The County is developing several clean energy projects that will not only transform the region’s agriculture industry but also create good paying jobs for its residents Situated in the northern Sacramento Valley Colusa County has a population of 21,000 and is an agricultural-based economy growing rice “These players are so good at what they do they are community minded people who want to give and want to help.” they learned that clean energy is top of mind at the region’s County and City levels The team works closely with County officials including the Agricultural Commissioner and Air Resources District Manager Anastacia Allen who sees a future where Colusa County can be the first clean energy county for agriculture in the State One focus is on producing energy using by-products from agriculture “We used to call that ‘ag-waste,’” said Spaur “But now it’s called ‘ag-resource.’ What can we do to use these ag resources such as rice hulls and almond hulls California produces 800,000 metric tons of almond shells and 400,000 tons of rice hulls – the rice hulls alone can be converted into enough biofuel to generate electricity for about 22,000 homes without soil or air pollution The County is in the final approval process and has received federal carbon offset credits for a biomass production facility at the former Olam Tomato processing plant in Williams a by-product of biomass production is hydrogen “we could get our ag equipment off of diesel fuel and move them into hydrogen fuel.” He added that could lead to creating a hydrogen fueling station and eventually power entire fleets of vehicles using hydrogen An added benefit of transforming the facility from agricultural to biofuel processing is employment opportunities for the community The new biomass plant will operate daily with a dedicated staff working at the plant Other jobs created will be in the agriculture and transportation sectors to support the plant’s operations The City of Colusa is also contributing to the region’s clean energy evolution by creating a biomass plan plant in the Colusa Industrial Park The goal is to have the entire City use renewable power within ten years as well as generate revenue The City has pledged to create an electric utility company and through a power purchase agreement provide energy to the industrial park as well as sell electricity to PGE “They will create a micro-grid and will be able to power the City off of the electricity that’s produced.” they realized that the development time and cost may make some projects ineligible for California First Funding “But let’s look at Federal financing programs the EDA (Economic Development Administration) Community Development Block Grants and others to see if we can piece some projects and financing together,” Spaur explained “We know we can deliver a list of projects that can create jobs help diversify the economy and update the comprehensive economic development strategy.” One potential project they may recommend is a hydrogen fueling station in Williams at Interstate 5 and Highway 20 is encouraged by the work and planning currently taking place to create a clean energy future in the region “Colusa County is doing it through ag innovation,” he said “Their thought is we move forward and are aggressively working in the energy field to not look at things as ag-waste You can learn more about this and other regional work taking place around the state at the California Economic Summit October 8-10 in Sacramento—register here! COLUSA COUNTY, — The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has located a missing at-risk 83-year-old after issuing a Silver Alert in several counties, including Tehama, Lassen, Glenn, Trinity and Siskiyou Counties. On Sunday, Dec. 1, CHP said Willie Gustave Cain was last seen on Nov. 29 around 5 p.m. at Colusa Casino Resort in Colusa County. CHP issued the Silver Alert in search of Cain in Lake, Mendocino, Yolo, Napa, Sacramento, Nevada, Tehama, Lassen, Glenn, Trinity, Siskiyou, Sutter and Sonoma Counties. The Silver Alert was deactivated on Monday, Dec. 9, after CHP said that Cain had been located. LIVE UPDATESRed Bluff man missing after falling into Tehama Colusa Canalby Christina Mendez — A Red Bluff man is missing after falling into the Tehama Colusa Canal in Gerber according to the Tehama County Sheriff's Department Sergeant Mark Levindofske said three individuals in their late 20s were walking by the canal when one of them fell in but only the friend who jumped in was able to get out officials determined there were no more viable search methods and concluded the search The sheriff's department said the man who fell in is now classified as a missing person They will contact his family before releasing his name To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team 2025-05-05T07:41:43-07:00May 5 2025-05-02T09:39:58-07:00May 2 2025-05-02T08:40:53-07:00May 2 2025-05-04T09:32:06-07:00April 30 2025-04-30T17:06:48-07:00April 30 – Tickets are available for the Colusa Farm Show Breakfast on Feb 5 and the Ag Leadership Alumni World Ag Expo Breakfast on Feb the annual events – which draw several hundred attendees at each venue – have raised more than $2.6 million collectively to help support California Agricultural Leadership Foundation’s (CALF) mission of growing leaders who make a difference Kimmelshue has more than 27 years of consulting experience focusing on practical and applied solutions for development and management of agricultural-based systems a Sacramento-based agricultural and remote sensing firm has worked extensively with numerous agricultural Kimmelshue was raised and worked on a diversified tree and row crop farming operation in Durham and still maintains an ownership and management interest in the family farming operation He is a member of Class 37 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program Hosted by alumni of the Chico State College of Agriculture, CALF and Alpha Gamma Rho, the breakfast has raised more than $600,000 for scholarships and leadership programs in its history. Sponsorships are available. Tickets can be purchased for $75 by contacting the College of Agriculture at 530-898-3737 or via the event page All proceeds go to the Chico State College of Agriculture and CALF [email protected] Kabat leads a team of over 30,000 individuals who produce enough protein to feed 90 million people every single day Having led protein teams in Thailand and China before his current role He navigates through complex challenges to lead the protein industry to new Kabat also has deep roots in agriculture having grown up on his family’s farm He gained firsthand experience and a profound understanding of farming life that sparked his passion for the industry Those values continue to shape his vision and leadership today The breakfast is hosted by CALF alumni with support from Gallagher and sponsored by insurance company partners, including diamond sponsor The Zenith. It has raised more than $2 million for CALF since 1995. Tables of eight for $900 and individual tickets for $125 can be purchased via the event page [email protected] — California Agricultural Leadership Foundation ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — As higher education costs continue to rise, the Angus Foundation raises the bar on scholarship investment in young people. To help offset the cost of undergraduate and graduate degrees, 90 juniors received scholarships that totaled $226,700 at the 2019 National Junior Angus Show held July 14-20 in Louisville, Ky. “The Angus […] SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) concluded its bi-annual, three-day California Farm to School Virtual Conference on March 12th. Featured conference speakers include California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, co-chairs of the newly formed California Farm to School Working Group, a […] INDIANAPOLIS — Winners of the 2021 Agricultural Proficiency Awards were named during multiple sessions of the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo, Oct. 27-30, which was held in Indianapolis. Agricultural Proficiency Awards honor FFA members who, through supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs), have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers. Students compete in areas […] SACRAMENTO — FFA members and supporters from across the state of California returned to the Golden 1 Center for the sixth session of the 96th State FFA Leadership Conference in Sacramento, with the theme of “Launching Success.” The 2023-24 State FFA Officer team recognized their parents and thanked the individuals who supported them throughout their […] Robust Red Meat Exports in November; Pork Remains on Record Pace Federal Injunction Grants Small Farms Reprieve From Reporting Rules Your GPS did not respond. Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again. Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor. Thanks for your patience. Ridge Fire is at more than 2,700 acres, but containment is growing with 800 personnel involved in the firefight. Firefighters have reported making good progress containing the Ridge Fire, which has burned thousands of acres in Lake and Colusa counties since erupting Saturday afternoon. The fire — burning at the eastern edge of Lake County and into Colusa County — is at 2,756 acres as of Tuesday evening and is 35% contained, up from 25% on Monday morning, said Cal Fire spokesperson Will Powers. The blaze, which sparked to life in Remington Canyon, grew quickly Saturday, but since late Sunday has been largely kept in check, even amid scorching heat. Tuesday saw temperatures in the area of the fire ranging from 98 degrees to 104 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, but stiffer winds that had been forecast did not materialize, aiding the firefighting effort, Powers said. “There’s been little to no spread over the last 24 hours,” he said. Containment lines continue to be built around the fire, he said, and “due to the progress crews have made over the last 48 hours, the outlook is good for keeping the fire in those lines.” No structures have been reported burned. About 50 structures ― 30 in Lake County and 20 in Colusa County ― are still threatened, Powers said. About 10 of those are in Wilbur Hot Springs, which was evacuated Saturday and where firefighters fought hard and created buffer zones to protect the area Saturday night. Evacuation orders remain in effect in the area of Bear Valley Road to Highway 20 and on Wilbur Springs Road and Walker Ridge Road, said Powers. About 800 firefighting personnel are currently on the fire, with nine helicopters, 46 fire engines, eight bulldozers, 13 water tenders and 17 hand crews engaged in the effort, he said. In 2015, the Rocky Fire burned close to 70,000 acres just southwest of the current blaze, an area now thinned of oak and characterized by a lot of grass and brush. Weather over the next few days should be friendly to the firefighting effort, the weather service said, with temperatures cooling every day by a few degrees until they reach mid-80s to low 90s Friday. While afternoons will see normal gusty winds, “we’re not going to see any big wind event,” said meteorologist Dalton Behringer with the weather service’s Monterey office. You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Hay at 707-387-2960 or jeremy.hay@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @jeremyhay LIVE UPDATESSites Fire in Colusa County grows to over 20K acres the fire is burning southeast of Stonyford near Sites Lodega Road and Wilson Creek in Colusa Crews said northerly winds and low humidity were influencing the fire while a red flag warning was in effect for the area Cal Fire said the Fire Broke out on Monday The Colusa County Sheriff issued evacuation orders for the following areas: Officials also said Sites Lodoga Road at Sites had a hard road closure The Sheriff's Office said the Veterans Hall on Main Street in Colusa was open for people's shelter needs.