Over 230 million dollars has been allocated to California dairy farms to compensate for losses from the bird flu. The virus impacted over 75 percent of the state's one thousand dairy farms since August 2024. Farmers received relief through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). From November 2024 to June 2025, over 640 payments were made to nearly 360 farms. Paymants from the federal government averaged about 645 thousand dollars each. Payments are expected to rise with the many of the most recent payments linked to 2024 outbreaks.

California and nearly two dozen other states are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its demand for personal information from people applying for food assistance, or SNAP. Led by attorneys general from states like California and New York, the lawsuit claims the demand violates privacy laws and the Constitution. California Attorney General Rob Bonta says people on SNAP are promised when they apply, their information will only be used to verify the eligibility for the SNAP program. The USDA's deadline for the data is July 30th. They have added requests for details like immigration status and want records back to 2020. The states want to prevent the USDA from cutting off funding to those who don't comply. The legal dispute over SNAP data arises as the Trump administration collects and links government data for immigration enforcement.

An Oroville Woman was arraigned on Monday on 39 counts of animal cruelty. Brandi Jacobs and her husband, Jose Martinez Jr., were arrestedat their home on Fallbrook Avenue on July 24 for "failing to provide the dogs in their care with proper food, drink, shelter and protection from the weather," according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey. Both were arrested after officers discovered over 38 dogs caged in thier home living in waste and trash...a veterinarian who examined the dogs said they all suffer from malnutrition, and other serious conditions All of those 38 dogs are expected to recover. Shes being held at Butte Co Jail and will l be back in Court Thursday to enter her plea

The Butte Interagency Narcotic Task Force reports A fentanyl trafficking arrest unfolded Thursday leading to the arrest of 37-year-old Juan Medina in Chico.BINTF officials say that agents detained Medina and a female. While officials searched his vehicle, they uncovered nearly a pound of fentanyl, methamphetamine, a loaded handgun and equipment linked to drug trafficking. With the recent approval of Proposition 36, Medina could face a large enhancement to his state prison sentence if convicted

Petersen Memorial Drive in Lower Bidwell Park is set to reopen to the public on Friday after a significant road rehabilitation project. According to the City of Chico, the project restored the structural integrity of Petersen Memorial Drive and improved safety and accessibility Construction efforts included resurfacing the roadway, stabilizing pavement edges and improving gravel parking lots. New striping and signage were also installed

A federal judge's decision last week halted progress on the Stonegate Development Project in Chico, Off Bruce road and East 20th Street , citing concerns over its impact on the local ecosystem. The judge ruled that the original approval of the 314-acre project, which included housing, parks and an open land reserve, did not meet necessary regulations, particularly in reporting its impact on local wildlife. The City of Chico initially approved the project in 2018, followed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2020. However, the site is identified as a core recovery area for vernal pool species. Local Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against federal agencies for failing to report the project's impact on protected species that include the meadowfoam and Fairy shrimp. Chico City officials indicated that the future of the project now rests with the landowners and federal agencies.

PGE Trustee Cathy Yanni says that there will be a final Pro Rata Settlment payment for Camp Fire Victims. Yanni posted online There will be one more pro rata payment. The pro rata payment increase will be approximately 1% or less. . . Yanni posted some of the stats with the Trust including Accepted Determination Notices: 100% and Amount Paid: $13.7 Billion. In her statement Yanni stated " Our goal is to make the final pro rata payment as soon as possible Given the uncertainty surrounding the resolution of the third-party cases and ongoing litigation, we are unable to know when we can make the final pro rata payment"

The California FAIR Plan has seen a significant rise in property insurance demand. The insurer of last resort has seen a 42 percent increase and has reached 650 billion dollars in the first nine months of the year. The surge is driven by rising wildfire risks and other providers leaving the state. There's over 610 thousand active policies, a 31 percent increase since last September. Premiums have risen by 33 percent to nearly two billion. That is split between just over one and half billion for homes and about 201 million for businesses.

A swim advisory in Butte County has been expanded to include all of Big Chico Creek due to E. coli contamination. Initially, the advisory was limited to Sycamore Pool in Bidwell Park, but Butte County Public Health officials announced the expansion on July 18 after investigating two additional cases of E. coli upstream in the creek. The advisory warns people to avoid entering the water in Big Chico Creek until further notice Testing in Big Chico Creek has not yet begun, according to Health officials it will take several weeks to complete the current round of testing

The Glenn Medical Center in the City of Willows is on the verge of closing their doors over a dispute on distance and mileage. In April, the hospital received a letter from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notifying the hospital that it was no longer in compliance with the distance requirement to qualify as critical access. That requirement is that distance between Hospitals is 35 miles between Colusa Hospital and the Glenn Medical Center . According to the Federal Medicare and Medicaid Agency. Locals say the distance is 35.7 miles and has never been called into question. Officials plan on traveling to Washington DC to meet w Congressman Doug LaMalfa to discuss their options. Otherwise the Center will lose funding and have to close .

Thursday afternoon , Bomb squad technicians were dispatched to Philadelphia Square at Eaton and Esplanade, to investigate a suspicious package. The building closest to the package included Congressman Doug LaMalfa's office . Technicians determined its contents to be safe. Inside the bag, techs located soiled diapers. Chico Fire Department's Hazmat Team examined the white powdery substance located near the package and determined it to be white granulated sugar. LaMalfa released a stemnt that said in part "This behavior is an embarrassment to those in opposition of what they believe my team and I are about. Sadly, today was just another example of Trump Derangement Syndrome coming home to Chico."

Construction costs for California's Sites Reservoir in the Sacramento Valley have increased from four and a half billion dollars to nearly seven billion dollars. Additional costs are said to be due to inflation, pandemic-related supply issues, and tariffs. Supporters, including Governor Newsom, emphasize the reservoir's importance for water security amid climate change. Environmental groups express concerns about ecological harm. The project is scheduled to start in 2026 and finish by 2033.

A Chico woman was arrested for attempted murder after strangling a patient at the Oroville Hospital on Wednesday. Oroville Police officers were dispatched to Oroville Hospital around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday after receiving reports of a volent altercation taking place between two patients in the waiting area. Officers arrived at the scene and found 34-year-old Cassandra Roller of Chico being restrained by hospital staff. Authorities say that Roller allegedly used a drawstring to strangle another patient without warning or provocation. Roller was arrested and booked into the Butte County Jail on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and causing injury to a dependent adult.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced a $50 million program to assist customers with overdue energy bills. This initiative includes the new Match My Payment Program, which offers matching bill credits of up to $1,000 for eligible low-to-moderate-income customers to prevent service disconnections. The funding for these programs is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and PG&E estimates that around 400,000 customers may benefit. find out more at pge.com

Middle Bidwell Park is once again hosting a herd of 200 to 500 goats, courtesy of Capra Environmental Services Corp., to help manage vegetation in the area. The herd will be working their way from Manzanita Avenue between Lindo Channel and Wildwood Avenue to 5 Mile Way, potentially covering about an acre per day. Grazing areas will be enclosed with electric fencing and warning signs will be posted throughout the park. A herdsman and guard dogs will be on duty around the clock to keep an eye on the goats.

No homicide charges were filed against Chico man involved in deadly shooting, after investigators and prosecutors concluded he had a reasonable self-defense claim. The Incdient happened at the Chico Homeless Alternative Camping Site on Eaton and Cohasset Roads that occurred last week. The standoff was between Gerald Thompson, 51, and Donald Stevens, 53, both residents of the camping site, that resulted in Stevens' death. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said that under California law, self-defense is justified when an individual, who is not the initial aggressor, reasonably believes they are in imminent danger of being killed or suffering great bodily injury. Thompson will be back in Court Thursday

A federal judge Friday ordered the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit last week accusing President Donald Trump's administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during its ongoing immigration crackdown The White House calls it a "gross overstep of judicial authority to be corrected on appeal." It also says "no federal judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy."

A woman was arrested on Friday for multiple offenses, including driving under the influence and possession of drugs and weapons, after being found unresponsive in her vehicle in the Palermo area. Authorities at the scene observed signs and symptoms of drug intoxication in the driver and conducted a field evaluation. The woman was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence. Following a search of the vehicle , they discovered drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and evidence of narcotics-related activity. They also found multiple concealed firearms, some loaded, and several hundred rounds of ammunition.

California has achieved clean energy for part of the day on over 90 percent of days so far this year. That according to new data from the California Energy Commission. Clean energy has powered California for the equivalent of just about 52 days. That's nearly 30 percent of the year and represents a 750-percent increase from 2022. In 2025, the state's grid has run on one-hundred percent clean electricity for an average of seven hours daily. Governor Newsom announced earlier this year the addition of over 25-thousand megawatts of new energy capacity in the past five years, nearly half of what was needed during last year's highest demand.

The Glenn County Sheriff's office announced a shooting at a fireworks stand on Friday left a 35-year-old man injured in Hamilton City. The suspect, who fled in a white Chevrolet pickup, remains at large. According to the Glenn County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a report of a physical dispute involving five men at State Route 32 and Sacramento Avenue. During the incident, one man reportedly pulled a gun and shot another man in the head. The Glenn County Sheriff's Investigations and Narcotics Task Force are investigating

California State Parks officials announced cleanup has begun at Chico's Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park following the damaging arson fire that sparked on December 11, 2024. This crucial phase involves clearing fire-damaged debris around the historic mansion. the cleanup will not involve any demolition or debris removal from inside the historic mansion. Officials say the process is expected to last about three weeks. Officials stated the future of the historic park remains uncertain. However, the cleanup will pave the way for structural and cultural assessments needed for planning its recovery.

Chico Police are investigating a shooting at the Alternate Homeless camp in Chico that left a victim dead reports of shots fired came in around 1030p last night..Officials say they have no suspect in custody and the investigation continues..no further information has been released on the victim..

Authorities continue to investigate the deadly explosion at a Northern California fireworks warehouse. Yolo County officials announced over the weekend that the charred remains of seven bodies have now all been located in the remains of the building. The identities of the deceased have yet to be released. Two other people suffered injuries in last Tuesday's blast in the community of Esparto. The explosion also caused several nearby fires.

Governor Gavin Newsom is on the campaign trail. Next week Newsom will be heading to South Carolina. Some political analysts say he's dipping his toes into the presidential pool and wants to gauge the type of reaction he will get in highly conservative states. However, Newsom's office says the Governor is simply focused on helping other Democrats get elected. The "On the Road With Governor Newsom" tour will be making stops at cafes, coffee shops, community centers and churches which are often used by presidential candidates to make a connection with the locals to gain votes.

25-year-old woman was arrested for selling fireworks illegally in the Chico area. Naudia Velasquez was taken into custody after a warrant search on her property revealed approximately 60 pounds of "illegal fireworks as well as other illegal items," according to CAL FIRE. CAL FIRE investigators said "evidence was found that indicated she had previously possessed and already sold a much larger number of fireworks." She was arrested on a misdemeanor health and safety code violation. CAL FIRE said that arrest was considered a violation of her previous probation terms, so she is now being held in the Butte County Jail without bail.

The planned July 4th Fast Cars and Freedom event at Silver Dollar Speedway has been canceled following a tragic fireworks explosion at a facility near Esparto in Yolo County. According to SLC Promotions, the fireworks intended for the event were destroyed in the explosion, leading to the decision to cancel both the fireworks display and the auto races. Tickets purchased for the event will be refunded automatically.

The City of Chico issued a swimming advisory for Sycamore Pool in Bidwell Park until further notice due to elevated bacteria levels. Residents are urged to avoid swimming as the water poses increased health risks, especially to children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. The advisory encourages washing hands thoroughly if in contact with creek water and keeping pets out of the pool. Residents should heed posted signs and stay updated on city advisories.

The North Valley Community Foundation has teamed up with the Chico Area Recreation & Park District to establish the CARD Foundation, enabling tax-deductible donations for specific projects, such as a planned aquatics center. CARD Offcials highlighted the benefits of the partnership, noting it would enhance fundraising efforts and foster long-term community investment in CARD services.

Sierra Pacific Industries announced Monday their plans to close its California forestlands to public access starting on Tuesday, July 1, due to increasing wildfire risks. According to company officials factors such as dry vegetation, low moisture levels, and rising temperatures have contributed to this decision to close public access to their forest lands. During the closure, SPI's roads and walk-in access to its lands will be off-limits, except for roads shared with federal landowners and designated for public use. Public roads crossing SPI lands will remain unaffected. Officials say they will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates .