California storms: Reservoirs are filling quickly, boosting water supplies after years of drought
PAUL ROGERS and SCOOTY NICKERSON, Mercury News: "Across the Bay Area and California, the past two weeks of soaking storms have brought mudslides, floods and power outages. They’ve also brought something not seen in years — billions of gallons of water rushing into reservoirs, renewing hopes that the state’s relentless drought may come to an end this spring.
Six atmospheric river storms since the end of December have dumped half a year’s worth of rain on San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and other Northern California cities in two weeks. The ferocious weather has saturated soils and bolstered runoff while also smothering the Sierra Nevada in snow, leaving the statewide snowpack Wednesday at a breathtaking 226% of its historical average and setting up reservoirs to receive more water when it melts later this spring.
“There’s no getting around it. This is great for reservoir storage,” said Jeffrey Mount, a professor emeritus at UC Davis and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California’s water center. “It will clearly help the drought. We are likely to have full reservoirs this spring because there’s such a huge snowpack."
California snowpack skyrockets to two-decade high, putting ‘serious dent’ in drought
SCOOTY NICKERSON, Mercury News: "The California snowpack is the largest we’ve seen at this time of year in over two decades, as yet another atmospheric river is forecast to dump several feet of additional snow in parts of the Sierra by Monday morning.
In the wake of all this fresh snow, experts are expressing increasing optimism that the drought conditions which have gripped the Golden State for three years could meaningfully ease by the end of the snowy season.
“The fact that we’re continuing to get this precipitation is just absolutely fantastic,” said Andrew Schwartz lead scientist at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory near Donner Summit. “It’s still unlikely that we’re going to get completely out of this drought in single year. But if the storm door stays open… we can put a serious dent in it.”
Death toll rises to 19 in California as new storms hit battered communities
LUKE MONEY, SUMMER LIN, JESSICA GARRISON and RONG-GONG LIN II, LA Times: "From the Pacific coast to the Central Valley, California communities battered by days of destructive flooding began repair and cleanup efforts Wednesday as the weather-weary state found itself in the path of yet another in a parade of storms.
The latest system — the seventh atmospheric river storm to train its eye on the state since Christmas — further swamped a state already reeling from widespread flooding, mudslides, washed-out roads, and downed trees and power lines.
“I guess it’s about time we had this kind of notoriety,” said Alan Vidunas, as he walked in the devastated seaside town of Capitola with his 10-year-old dog, Seabass. “I always call my friends in Florida after they’ve been hit by hurricanes. They’re now calling me.”
Onslaught of Bay Area storms continues — but the end is finally in sight
JILL TUCKER, Chronicle: "Devastation from the monster storm that rolled through California this week came into clear view Wednesday as rain tapered off for a respite expected to last about a day. The latest round of storms left at least one person dead, adding to the state’s weather-related death toll this winter, and caused widespread flooding, tornado damage, power outages, downed trees and mudslides, with evacuations and displaced residents scattered across the region.
The latest victim from the series of storms was a woman found Wednesday in a vehicle submerged in 8 to 10 feet of water near vineyards on Trenton-Healdsburg Road in Forestville, about 10 miles northwest of Santa Rosa. The storms have caused or contributed to at least 18 deaths in California.
Officials said a driver had called 911 Tuesday reporting they were stuck in that area, but the line disconnected. Rescue personnel were unable to locate the caller or the vehicle. On Wednesday morning, authorities renewed theirsearch and found the vehicle about 100 yards off the road with the body of the woman inside."
Rep. Barbara Lee tells colleagues she plans to run for Feinstein’s Senate seat in 2024
NOLAN D. MCCASKILL, SEEMA MEHTA, LA Times: "Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland, a seasoned progressive with more than three decades immersed in California politics, on Wednesday told congressional colleagues she plans to run for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat in 2024.
Lee announced her intentions during a meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus, receiving a standing ovation, but has not officially confirmed she is running or formed an official Senate committee to start raising money in a race expected to be both costly and intensely competitive.
Lee’s private disclosure comes just a day after Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) launched her campaign to replace Feinstein, 89, who has yet to disclose whether she intends to retire at the end of her term. As one of the most coveted posts in California politics, Feinstein’s Senate seat is widely expected to spur interest from some of the state’s most ambitious and prominent elected leaders."
Former special education student joins school board in Shasta
CAROLYN JONES, EdSource: "As a new school board member, Joshua Brown is prioritizing special education in his rural Northern California district. But his perspective is unusual: He has firsthand experience with the district’s special education program — as a student.
Brown, 19, has autism and is one of only a handful of people known to have autism nationwide to serve in public office. He was sworn in on Nov. 7 to serve on the Shasta Union Elementary School District, a one-school district in the foothills west of Redding that he attended as a child.
“When I was at that school, I had some challenges. It was hard for me,” Brown said, noting that he had difficulty making friends and succeeding in class. “I am absolutely determined that no student should go through what I went through.”
Sacramento’s iconic tree canopy turns destructive in storms
SOPHIE AUSTIN, AP: "On a good day, the sun shines in California’s capital city — and elms, pines, oaks and hundreds of other tree varieties fill Sacramento’s parks and line streets, fortifying the city’s reputation as the “City of Trees.” But on a bad one, violent winds knock some of the trees down, causing damage to cars, homes and power lines.
That’s what happened in recent weeks as the defining feature that’s normally seen as an asset to the city has given way to destruction and disruption as multiple “ atmospheric rivers ” ripped through Northern California, bringing intense winds and rain.
Wind gusts reached more than 60 miles (96 kph) per hour on Sunday, strong enough to rip massive trees straight up from the root — crashing into homes, toppling cars and even uprooting concrete sidewalk. And as climate change continues to fuel the drought in California, trees are left weakened and more likely to uproot when battling against saturated soil and relentless winds."
Barbara Boxer: An Oral History
CARLA MARINUCCI, Capitol Weekly: "In 34 years representing the Bay Area in Congress — 10 years in the House of Representatives and 24 in the U.S. Senate — Democrat Barbara Boxer forged a reputation as a feisty liberal firebrand.
Boxer jumped into politics in 1976, becoming the first female president of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. By 1991, the Congresswoman from Marin cemented her image as a feminist icon after charging up the steps of the U.S. Capitol with a female delegation to demand a full Senate investigation of sexual harassment allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
A year later, Boxer and fellow Bay Area Democrat Dianne Feinstein were swept into office in what was dubbed “The Year of the Woman,’’ making California the first state in the nation to be represented in the Senate by two women. After an active Senate tenure that included heading the Environment and Public Works committee, Boxer retired in 2016, but vowed “as long as there are issues and challenges and strife, I will never retire — because this is the meaning of my life.”
Homeless woman sprayed with hose by S.F. gallery owner is hospitalized. Why was she on the street?
RACHEL SWAN and CHASE DiFELICIANTONIO, Chronicle: "Two days after a San Francisco art gallery owner sprayed her with a garden hose on a sidewalk in the posh Jackson Square neighborhood, the homeless woman nonprofit workers and officials know as “Q” was receiving treatment in a local hospital, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin said.
It was unclear as of Wednesday what Q was being treated for. Police were investigating the incident that was recorded and posted online by a chef from a nearby bakery, with plans to present the case to city prosecutors for a charging decision.
“The process from here is to collect evidence, interview witnesses, develop the case, and present it to the District Attorney,” Police Chief Bill Scott said."
S.F. leaders tout steep drop in anti-Asian hate crimes
NORA MISHANEC, Chronicle: "San Francisco Mayor London Breed braved a downpour in Chinatown Wednesday to celebrate a recent drop in hate crimes against the city’s Asian American community ahead of upcoming Lunar New Year festivities, expected to draw thousands to the neighborhood.
Hate crimes against people of Asian descent droppedsignificantly from last year, according to San Francisco Police Department data, with just six hate crimes reported in 2022, down from 60 such incidents the previous year. Experts warn, however, that hate crimes, including those targeting Chinese-owned businesses, may be vastly underreported.
Breed cheered the downward trend, which her office has attributed in part to boosted law enforcement efforts and a community-led campaign against violent attacks on Asian elders."
Pearl Harbor vet arrives at WWII museum in time for 105th birthday, gets tribute
CLARA HARTER, Press-Enterprise: "Redondo Beach resident and America’s oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor Joseph Eskenazi, made it safely to the National WII Museum in New Orleans, following his two day Amtrak voyage from Los Angeles’ Union Station.
“It feels great,” Eskenazi told the Associated Press after posing for pictures with his great-grandson, who is about to turn 5, his 21-month-old great-granddaughter and six other World War II veterans, all in their 90s.
He was greeted on Wednesday morning, June. 11, by flag waving fans and appreciators who lined up outside the museum to wish him a happy 105th birthday. Eskenazi traveled to New Orleans through the Gary Sinise Foundation’s Soaring Valor Program, which helps bring WII veterans from across the country to the national museum."
Oil companies sue L.A. over ban on drilling
DAKOTA SMITH, LA Times: "An oil company with a drilling operation in Wilmington filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city of Los Angeles over its a sweeping new law that will phase out oil production.
The lawsuit by Warren Resources, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, says the city failed to do a required environmental study of the effects of stopping oil extraction.
The city’s ban will lead to more oil imports, causing increased emissions from trucks and oil tankers that arrive to the L.A. area, according to the lawsuit. The suit also questions the city’s analysis of the health impacts of conducting plugging and abandonment operations."
Councilmember Kevin de León says censure penalties would hurt his constituents
JULIA WICK and DAVID ZAHNISER, LA Times: "Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León addressed his colleagues for more than eight minutes Wednesday, speaking publicly in council chambers for the first time since an incendiary leaked audio conversation upended local politics in October, propelling the legislative body into crisis.
De León spoke out against a council proposal that would explore new penalties that could be imposed on censured council members. The council censured De León in October, a largely symbolic move.
The proposal, approved on a 12-2 vote, directs city departments to report back on the viability of various potential consequences. Imposing those consequences would be a lengthier and more complex process."
They sang at breakfast, said goodbye and left in separate cars. Then, she vanished in Sonoma County floodwaters
MATTHIAS GAFNI, Chronicle: "The kids had left for school, so it was just Daphne and Marc Fontino at the breakfast table Tuesday. Daphne spread jelly and cream cheese on her homemade cinnamon bagels and scrambled some eggs while Marc sang two of her favorite Smokey Robinson songs to her — “Just to See Her” and “One Heartbeat.”
Still beaming from their 15th wedding anniversary celebration 11 days earlier, the couple looked forward to renewing their vows later this month. They planned to shop for a new suit and dress this week. The couple, who both work for a company that shuttles elderly and fragile clients to their medical appointments, jumped into their company cars and left for work.
“I love you,” Marc told his wife.
“There needed to be a correction.” Investment in San Diego startups drops by half in 2022
MIKE FREEMAN, Union-Tribune: "Given global economic headwinds, there was little doubt that venture capital funding for San Diego startups would decline last year. The question was how steep would the slide be?
It turned out that startup investment dropped roughly in half. Venture investors pumped $4.85 billion into young San Diego firms last year, down from a record $9.6 billion in 2021, according to the latest Venture Monitor report from the National Venture Capital Association and PitchBook, an industry research firm.
Even so, it actually wasn’t as bad as some feared, as 2022 still ranks as the third-highest year for local venture capital fund raising since PitchBook began publishing data in 2014."
