The Chico Unified board of trustees voted Wednesday to adopt a resolution authorizing the issuance and sale of bonds for Measure K, a $152 million school bond approved by voters in November."
"The district plans to issue its first series of bonds under Measure K in an amount no greater than $45 million to be issued in two parts with approximate repayment terms of five to eight years and 20-25 years. Property taxes for Chico residents will likely increase to $60 annually per $100,000 of assessed value of property in both counties. For a home with an assessed value of $300,000 that would result in a property tax increase of $180 a year."
"The board also approved applicants for the Measure K charter school facilities committee, which will make recommendations to the trustees based on charter school facilities needs. In campaigning for Measure K, CUSD agreed to make 15.34 percent of bond funding available for charter schools serving in-district students, representative of the number of in-district students attending area charter schools."
READ MORE related to Education: Trustees pass $270 tuition hike for Cal State students -- OC Register's ANDREW EDWARDS; Howard University campus to open at Google's headquarters -- The Chronicle's WENDY LEE; Parents empowered by Supreme Court ruling in special ed case -- AP's CAROLYN THOMPSON/SAM HANANEL; Oakland school district spending 'limits' backfire, $10M in cuts still needed -- East Bay Times' JOYCE TSAI; CSU $270 tuition hike triggers debate about access and affordability -- EdSource's LARRY GORDON
San Joaquin Valley farmers will see a boon to their irrigation water this year through the Central Valley Project.
Chico ER's STAFF: "Users of federal water north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will get 100 percent of their requests this year, while those south will get more than in recent years."
"The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wednesday announced allocations through the Central Valley Project, and the 65 percent given to south-of-delta farmers was met with howl of outrage even though it’s a huge increase from the 5 percent they got last year."
“In the alternate universe of California water, we can have floods, full reservoirs and a huge snowpack and still not have full water supplies. It boggles the mind,” California Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger said in a press release."
READ MORE related to Environment: Big rainstorm falls short in Southern California -- Daily News' ANNE MILLERBERND; State may face 'significant risk' from Oroville Dam -- AP's ELLEN KNICKMEYER; Winter rain -- achoo! -- puts allergies in bloom -- Daily News' ANDREW EDWARDS; Rare frog discovery has California researchers hopping for joy -- AP; Goats seek greener pastures in West Sacramento -- Sacramento Bee's DON SWEENEY; Despite Trump promise and a wet winter, California farmers don't get full water supply -- Sacramento Bee's RYAN SABALOW/DALE KASLER; Native flowers aren't the only plants in 'super-bloom' this spring -- nasty weeds have also flourished -- LA Times' LOUIS SAHAGUN; From the California Sky. Measuring all that Snow -- NY Times/CA Today's MIKE MCPHATE/DEREK WATKINS/JIM WILSON
A disgraced ex-California State Parks sergeant has been accused of abusing his police canine's painkillers, and reckless driving.
Chico ER's STAFF: "A former California State Parks sergeant has been charged in a case where prosecutors said he crashed his patrol vehicle into a parked car and power pole and then fled from Oroville police."
"The sergeant, Daniel Kenney, 43, of Chico also has been accused of using “extensive amounts” of the painkiller Tramadol, which had been prescribed for his police dog, prosecutors said."
"Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey announced Wednesday that Kenney has been charged with a single felony count of evading a police officer while driving recklessly, as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and hit-and-run."
READ MORE related to Public Safety: Judge to sentence ex-LA County Sheriff Lee Baca in May for obstruction of justice --Daily News' SUSAN ABRAM; Why are thousands of cops running 120 miles through the desert this weekend? -- OC Register's BRIAN ROKOS; Lawmaker in emotional tribute to slain policeman -- AP; Sacramento City Council orders police to release video from North Sacramento shooting -- Sacramento Bee's ANITA CHABRIA; Oakland: BART train rider kicked in head, man arrested -- East Bay Times' GEORGE KELLY; Southern California aerospace and defense contractors expecting boost from Trump budget -- LA Times' WJ HENNIGAN; In case testing police liability in shootings, Supreme Court shows divide -- NY Times/CA Today's RICHARD PEREZ-PENA
'ObamacareLite' is poised to empty California's coffers of $24 billion by decade's end.
Daily News' ANNA GORMAN: "California would lose $24.3 billion annually in federal funding by 2027 for low-income health coverage under the current Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, according to a state analysis released Wednesday."
"The bill, up for a vote in the House on Thursday, represents a “massive and significant fiscal shift” from the federal to state governments by setting caps on Medicaid spending, reducing the amount of money available for new enrollees and eliminating other funding for hospitals and Planned Parenthood, the analysis said."
“It’s really devastating,” said Mari Cantwell, state Medicaid director with the California Department of Health Care Services, who co-wrote the analysis. “It raises some serious questions about whether we can continue to operate the program the way we do today.”
READ MORE related to Health: Medi-Cal faces major funding cuts -- Capitol Weekly's JOHN HOWARD; Where do Southern California Republicans stand on GOP health care bill? -- OC Register's JEFF HORSEMAN/MARTIN WISCKOL; GOP health care bill would send California's costs skyrocketing -- The Chronicle's MELODY GUTIERREZ; Some of the youngest opioid victims are curious toddlers -- AP's GRETCHEN EHLKE; Jerry Brown sounds skeptical note on single-payer health care for California -- Sacramento Bee's CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO; Eyes on 2018, Democrats salivate over GOP health plan -- Sacramento Bee's ALEX ROARTY; In Deep-Blue state, millions in Reddish Heartland are counting on Medicaid -- Healthline's ANA B. IBARRA
3D printing is in a position to revolutionize production but small businesses most likely won't benefit as much as large companies.
San Gabriel Valley Tribune's KEVIN SMITH: "Large manufacturers benefitting from advances in 3D printing and other technology are saving time and money, but the speed of change will likely leave small and mid-sized companies behind."
"Gregg Profozich, director of advanced manufacturing technologies for California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC) in Torrance, said nearly 99 percent of U.S. manufacturing businesses are considered small, with many employing 20 or fewer workers."
"And integrating the latest technology — regardless of its efficiency — is often not a priority for these businesses. For many, it’s not even possible."
READ MORE related to Economy: Bay Area population growth slows, some counties losing people -- The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER; 7 of 9 puppies taken from Cypress woman accused of running bogus rescue are adopted -- OC Register's TOMOYA SHIMURA; 'Hamilton' at the Orpheum: Here's where to eat & drink nearby -- The Chronicle's STAFF; If Sears closes, these 26 Bay Area locations would be left vacant -- East BayTimes' ANNIE SCIACCA; Raiders' Las Vegas plan flimsy, Stanford economist says -- East Bay Times' ELLIOT ALMOND
Immigrant advocates have some words of advice for those under threat from the Trump administration's hardline.
LA Times' ESMERALDA BERMUDEZ: "Ever since President Trump was elected, people have been asking Pablo Alvarado:"
“If I get detained, you will protect me, right? You will help me so I don’t get deported?”
"The longtime immigrant-rights organizer increasingly answers, point-blank: Don’t count on it. Get ready to fend for yourself."
