The city of Chico postponed its planned removal of homeless camps outside City Hall Monday .City staff said that the City Hall cleanup is now expected to move forward . Chico Public Works said crews simply ran out of time Monday after spending the day clearing Bidwell Park encampments.

Starting Jan. 1, California will enforce a complete ban on plastic bags in grocery stores, requiring shoppers to use paper bags instead. This change follows the state's 2014 ban on single-use plastic bags. Stores may charge a minimum of 10 cents per paper bag. California is among 11 states implementing the plastic bag ban next year.

Californians who receive SNAP benefits, known as Cal Fresh in the state, could soon lose food assistance. Food benefits are being fulfilled again after a lengthy government shutdown paused the program. However, new work requirements under federal law could leave many families ineligible. Starting next month, a new law expands work requirements to include healthy people aged 55 to 64 and parents with children aged 14 and older, who must work or train for an average of 20 hours per week. The law previously applied to people aged 18 to 54. If the requirements aren't met, benefits are limited to three months every three years. The law also removes exemptions for homeless people, veterans, and young adults leaving foster care.

The House could vote soon to release all of the Jefferey Epstein files. The chamber is expected to take up procedural measures on Tuesday which could start to pave the way to force the Department of Justice to release all of the Epstein investigation files. It comes as newly released documents show President Trump mentioned in Epstein emails dating back to 2011. On Monday, Trump said House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, and he'll sign the measure if it passes the Senate.

Governor Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff is facing more allegations. Federal officials say Dana Williamson used her power to pressure state attorneys to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit with Activision Blizzard. The video game company is one of her former clients. In the spring of 2023, she allegedly passed "California state government information" about "corporation one" to lobbyist Alexis Podesta, a friend and accused co-conspirator. The timeline and details in the indictment align with the state's court battle with Activision Blizzard. The state settled with Activision Blizzard in late 2023. Williamson was indicted on 23 counts last week. She and several other suspects are accused of stealing money from a dormant campaign fund.

Butte County is looking to enhance fire protection services by relocating Fire Station 41 in Chico. If approved, the station would move from its current location along Highway 99 to a new site near Keefer Road and Garner Lane. The Butte County Board of Supervisors is set to discuss funding the project at a meeting on Tuesday. The project will be funded by Measure H, a one-percent county sales tax approved in 2024 to boost public safety services. The expected cost is around $12 million

The Town of Paradise is sending a letter to the U.S. bankruptcy court advocating for full compensation for Camp Fire victims. The letter was also sent to PGE. It was their faulty equipment that started the Camp Fire in November of 2018. The town wants fire victims to receive full payment. Town officials says Camp Fire victims have only received 70 percent of what they are due because of PGE's bankruptcy. The Butte County Board of Supervisors sent a similar letter at the end of October. PGE spokesman Paul Moreno says the power company had no role in selecting the trustee or administrator and does not have a role in reviewing claims or payments to fire victims.

A 49 year-old Chico woman is sentenced for causing a fatal crash in Butte County more than three years ago.... Elizabeth Dahl was sentenced to six years in prison after leading police on a high speed chase along Highway 32 in Glenn County. Prosectors said Dahl had a history of driving recklessly and witnesses testified she was emotional about a recent break-up with a boyfriend. The chase only ended when Dahl slammed head-on into a car driven by 51 year-old Mia Gentry who was killed in the crash. The judge ordered Dahl to pay restitution to the victims family

PG&E is investing millions of dollars to prevent wildfires in Northern and Central California by burying power lines. The lines underground could reduce fire ignitions by up to 98 percent. PG&E is working on underground projects in 27 counties, aiming to complete 16-hundred miles of buried lines by the end of 2026. This could potentially lower the systems fire risk by nearly 20 percent. PG&E is using plastic conduits to minimize sparks. The new material along with predictive technology will also cut down on outages. Costs for the lines per mile have decreased from four-million to just over three-million.

A bid to overturn the right to same-sex marriages has been rejected by the Supreme Court. The justices declined to take up the appeal from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to overturn the 2015 landmark decision. The bid had been seen as long-shot by analysts. Davis received national attention when she refused to issue marriage licenses to a same-sex couple due to her religious beliefs. One of those couples was awarded damages by a jury after they sued.

The man charged with shooting and killing a woman outside the Centerfolds strip club in Butte County was found guilty by a Butte County Superior Court jury. On Friday, a jury found Fernando Palomares guilty of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of 21-year-old Alicia Flores from Corning. The verdict was delivered after a three-week trial and less than an hour of deliberation. Due to his criminal history, he faces 80 years to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December 4.

The Senate has voted 60 to 40 to pass a funding measure, marking a major step toward reopening the government. It includes a stopgap measure to fund the rest of government through January 30th. Sunday's vote breaks a 40-day deadlock in the chamber after the eight Senate Democrats reached an agreement that included a future vote on extending health care subsidies and assurances that federal workers furloughed during the shutdown would be reinstated. The House must reconvene to approve the Senate's deal.

The City of Chico is asking the public to share their experiences and ideas for making local streets safer through a public survey. The survey is part of the City's Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) with its main goal being collecting community feedback on traffic safety concerns and potential solutions. The survey is open now and will remain active until December 15. Take the survey online at chicoca.gov Paper copies of the survey are also available on the 2nd floor of Chico City Hall, located at 411 Main Street

The city of Chico's annual leaf collection program starts today and will continue through Jan. 1, 2026 Public Works Offcials said the program helps prevent street flooding by keeping storm drains clear. The city's collection route begins on the southwest side of Chico and moves north in a clockwise direction using Highway 99 as a divider. There is no set pickup schedule for residential areas.

The City of Chico has had their motion to modify their agreement with homeless advocates shot down by the federal courts. The U.S. District Court rejected Chico's motion saying their enforcement challenges in clearing out public spaces should have been addressed when the agreement was signed. The court said the original agreement, known as the Warren Settlement, does not allow the city to permanently clear homeless camps. And, the court went on to say the agreement does did not address re-occupation of sites that were cleared. The city wanted to change the notification guidelines so they could clear out high wildfire risk areas where homeless congregeate. The court also said the city knew a homeless person might refuse shelter. Several city leaders have been critical of the orginal agreement saying they had inefficient legal representation when the Settlement was signed.

The City of Chico Public Works Department is set to kick off its annual leaf collection program on November 10. Officials say the final leaf collection route will begin on January 1, 2026, marking the end of the program for the season. The collection route starts in the southwest part of the city and moves north in a clockwise direction, taking up to six weeks to complete.

California voters approved new congressional district boundaries Tuesday, delivering a victory for Democrats in the state-by-state redistricting battle that will help determine which party wins control of the U.S. House in 2026. State wide the Yes campaign counted 64% of the vote...locally Butte Glenn Colusa Tehama and Shasta Counties all voted No on the proposition.