Category: Sacramento

The island home to Hawaii’s capital may be surrounded by ocean, but years-long drought conditions, tourist activities and contamination are jeopardizing the island’s only source of freshwater.

Three mariners were rescued after they spelled out “HELP” with palm leaves on the beach. It marks the second time in four years that castaways were found on the same island.

My fellow authors might disagree, but it seems like sometimes it’s hard to come up with a suitable topic.  This time, however, I felt good – I had two or three plants that were lined up, with reasonable photos for each one.  That changed the other day as we were driving south, back from Redding on I-5.  There were the smoke trees, more eye-catching than ever before, especially looking west while passing over Cottonwood Creek.  (There’s a hint.  Take that trip as soon as you can, during the day, of course.)  I knew I had my plant. In my opinion, the smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria or C. obovatus) is truly one of the great highway plants of Northern California, along with western Redbud and Fremontia.  I’m listing both species because after doing my research, I wasn’t sure which one we saw along the highway.  The first species is Eurasian, whereas the second is native to North America.  The picture I took is of a bus station in Red Bluff.  The Plant finder app identified it as C. coggygria.  I would love to see what the

REDDING — The USDA Forest Service and partners, including the Army Corps of Engineers and  Redding, will celebrate on April 25 the completion of phase 1 in a five-year, $28 million project to expand air tanker loading capabilities by 132 percent at the Redding Interagency Air Attack Base. The upgrades allow for the simultaneous loading of five aircraft, up from two. This base is vital in providing initial and extended attacks for wildfires across the western United States, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the USDA Forest Service. In 2021, the base loaded 3 million gallons of fire retardant. The new configuration offers the potential to load over 6 million gallons. Plus, air tankers will no longer have to wait to be loaded, with direct access from the taxiway to reduce turnaround times. Aviation Management for the Pacific Southwest Region Deputy Director of Fire Fuels Yolanda Saldana said completing this phase is a huge milestone, significantly increasing our ability to accommodate five Next Generation air tankers and fill them simultaneously. “Our firefighting crews and the communities we serve will directly benefit from these

RED BLUFF—The Jolene Kemen Tough Enough to Wear Pink Luncheon returns this year to the Tehama District Fairgrounds on Tuesday, April 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Red Bluff Rotary is gearing up for its annual luncheon that helps to support the local fight against breast cancer. Tickets cost $25 in advance. Attendees will receive a barbecue meal catered by O’Dell BBQ. Activities also include live and silent auctions, entertainment, a dessert raffle, and more surprises. The Green Barn Whiskey Kitchen in Red Bluff will serve signature cocktails and mocktails for the occasion. Tickets are available at the Red Bluff Round-Up Mercantile Store, online or from a Rotarian. All proceeds benefit Tough Enough to Wear Pink via the Red Bluff Round-Up. For 16 years, the Sunday performance at the Red Bluff Round-Up is dedicated to Tough Enough to Wear Pink. Between rodeo events, a live auction unfolds, pitting local business owners and families against each other in a bidding war. The highest bidder secures a giveaway item and contributes to vital breast cancer treatment and care in the area. The combined donations from this

CORNING — In an act of compromise with the public, the City Council Tuesday night decided not to remove all the palm trees on Third and Solano Streets, choosing only to remove three trees that would interfere with the planned storm drain modification and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. Those involved with the Corning Recreation Center and City Plaza project were concerned that the palm trees could adversely affect the drain modifications and the planned splash pad. According to city staff, this topic has come up several times with the city’s ad hoc committee. An idea presented to the council was to remove the trees on Third Street and Solano Street and replace them with broad-leaf European Beech trees. Paulyne White mourned the loss of Corning’s historical features, like the tower across from Corning City Hall.  According to White, the city does not have evidence to keep Corning ordinances to keep Corning’s historical buildings, which would allow residents to preserve their local history. “The city’s beautiful trees, benches, planters, and family names engraved on bricks were all removed,” she said. “The least we can do

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Milly Alcock, 24; Joss Stone, 37; Teo Yoo, 43; Jennifer Esposito, 51. Happy Birthday: Spice things up. Make grand gestures that impact you and those close to you. Open the door that leads to possibilities and positive change. Put your energy into making your dreams a reality. Be the one to negotiate and navigate your way to victory. You have plenty to gain if you are willing to take the time, do your due diligence and seize the moment when opportunity strikes. Your numbers are 5, 13, 24, 27, 33, 39, 44. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep your records and documents in order. Don’t expect things to run smoothly, and be ready to counter any negativity that comes your way. Use intelligence and practicality to ward off being compromised by someone trying to blame you. Protect your interests. 2 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Put your money, personal papers and possessions in a safe place. Be a good listener and a helpful associate, but don’t take the blame for someone else’s shortcomings. Focus on what you can learn and accomplish

Golf caddies are paid a salary from two sources during the PGA Masters Tournament — one part is a weekly wage between $2,000 and $4,000. See how much of a percentage of the total prize they can make.

The Biden administration is finalizing plans to expand background check requirements in effort to close the “gun show loophole.”

Thursday, April 11, 2024 6:14AM Wednesday night marked a move towards transparency, according to the Fresno Unified School board. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Wednesday night marked a move towards transparency, according to the Fresno Unified School board. The board is considering options for the superintendent search process and for purposes of transparency the board will proceed with an external search for qualified candidates. The process will also include community participation. Further updates will be provided at subsequent board meetings,” said FUSD board president Susan Wittrup. More input from the community will be considered in the search for the next superintendent, the one employee in the district the board hires. The push for a new search comes as “Leadership Associates” backed out of its contract with the district to find a new superintendent, after controversy that the process was limited to only internal candidates. Political and community leaders were among many who called for a broader, nationwide search for the next superintendent. No timeline has been announced yet for when community meetings will be held or when the board hopes to hire a new superintendent, as

Thursday, April 11, 2024 4:05AM It’s not National Signing Day, but Clovis North High School held a celebration Wednesday afternoon to honor student-athletes headed to play at the next level. CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — It’s not National Signing Day, but Clovis North High School held a celebration Wednesday afternoon to honor student-athletes headed to play at the next level. Action News stopped by the Clovis North gymnasium for the official ceremony where six senior signed their national letters of intent – bringing the school’s total to 23 for the class of 2024. The Broncos’ 2023 Division-I Central Section Title football team led the charge with two players signing – WR Vincent Cordoba (Lehigh University), and OL Davit Boyajyan (University of Washington). In the winter season, the boys basketball team also took home a D-I title – a first in program history. Clovis North standout guard turned Dartmouth signee, Connor Amundsen, says the championship is finally starting to sink in. “There was a lot of excitement, it felt unreal for a while after we got the section championship because we had to focus pretty quick on

Hawaii-born Akebono, the first foreign-born sumo wrestler to reach the level of “yokozuna” – or grand champion – in Japan, has died, his family said. He was 54

NEW YORK — Donald Trump is now 0 for 3 in last-minute attempts to get a New York appeals court to delay his looming hush money criminal trial. An appeals court judge Wednesday swiftly rejected the latest salvo from the former president’s lawyers, who argued he should be on the campaign trail rather than “in a courtroom defending himself” starting next week. Trump’s lawyers had asked the state’s mid-level appeals court to halt the case indefinitely while they fight to remove the trial judge and challenge several of his pretrial rulings, which they argue have seriously hindered the presumptive Republican nominee’s defense. Justice Ellen Gesmer’s ruling, after a third straight day of emergency hearings on Trump’s delay requests, was yet another loss for Trump, who has tried repeatedly to get the trial postponed. Barring further court action, the ruling clears the way for jury selection to begin next Monday. “We’re here for this stay because there are restrictions in place that cannot operate in a constitutional way in a trial environment,” Trump lawyer Emil Bove argued at the hearing, which was held in a court

By Meredith Deliso Thursday, April 11, 2024 3:19AM A total of six people were shot, including two children, after gunmen opened fire into a crowd of people. WASHINGTON, D.C. — One person was killed and five others injured, including two children, after gunmen opened fire in a residential area of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, police said. A suspect vehicle is being sought in connection with the shooting, police said. The incident occurred shortly after 6 p.m. ET in the Carver Langston neighborhood in Northeast D.C., on the 1100 block of 21st Street, NE, police said. Based on preliminary information, the suspects exited a vehicle and “began shooting into the crowd” outside, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters. One man was killed in the shooting, Smith said. Two men, one woman and a 9-year-old boy were transferred to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, she said. A 12-year-old boy also arrived at a local hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound from the shooting, Smith said. Police said they are searching for a light blue Toyota sedan “possibly occupied with two shooters inside” in connection with the

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — Many families deal with the heartbreak of missing pets, but Cheeto’s story is a little different. The beloved cat has many owners, or more accurately, Cheeto is the owner of many humans. He’s a bit of a local celebrity in his Clovis neighborhood, even though he only sports a tux for special occasions. “He’ll be waiting outside the Shop N Go,” said customer Tyler. “I’ve seen him hanging out in the bar for long periods of time.” Cheeto has been missing for almost a week, absent from his normal routine. During the day Cheeto makes his rounds to all his favorite shops at the corner of Fowler and Nees demanding love from all his favorite people. “I think at first they were a little worried he was a little bit of a nuisance coming in, but over time everybody could see how much the customers loved him,” said Chris Flores, Cheeto’s Owner. His first stop each morning is the Shop N Go, where he acts as Cari Commin’s shadow and sometimes roadblock. “Not a day goes by he wasn’t here 5

Saturday, April 13, 2024 1:44AM 041024-kfsn-6p-fresno-co-187-hearing FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A young man accused of killing a Mendota man made his first court appearance in the case Wednesday afternoon in juvenile court. Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies made a disturbing discovery back in a car parked in a field near Belmont and Washoe, just west of Mendota in January 17. “They made the decision to get into the car and once they popped the trunk, they made gruesome discovery of a man who had been chopped up,” said Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. The victim was identified as 25 year old Fraylee Hernandez, and last Friday detectives made an arrest for his murder and mutilation. They say both men are from Mendota and were acquaintances. The suspect was 17 years old at the time of the crime, and turned 18 last month. He appeared in juvenile court Wednesday, but now the Fresno County District attorney’s office has filed a petition to transfer the case. Attorney and legal analyst Ralph Torres says there are certain factors the court uses to determine whether or not

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas was a guest speaker at Fresno City College on Wednesday afternoon. Vargas made waves in 2011 when he wrote a groundbreaking essay in the New York Times magazine about his experience as an undocumented Filipino-born man living in the United States. Several dozen people gathered in the Old Administration Building auditorium to see Vargas share his thoughts about living in America as an “Undocumented Citizen,” as his book is titled. “If you’re undocumented and you’re sitting here, I really just want you to think about that. Freedom a thing you couldn’t get or where you can’t go, this your freedom,” Vargas told the audience. During the hour-long discussion, Vargas spoke about several topics including activists who have inspired him. “In the farmer’s movement, Cesar and Dolores of course gotten their story told and it needs to keep being told,” explained Vargas. Vargas also discussed how he helped create undocumented LGBTQ+ TV characters for network television. “We read all the scripts; we fact checked it right. We make sure it has context,” Vargas said. Born

Bipartisan condemnation of Ariz. abortion limitations; Republican campaigns bring up violent crime

John Dickerson reports on what is keeping inflation high, the Japanese prime minister’s visit to the White House, and why 211 operators are flagging calls about poverty.

The Wall Street Journal reports Americans are turning to social services helpline 211 in economic emergencies. Rachel Wolfe, consumer trends reporter for The Wall Street Journal, joins CBS News to discuss.

Republican state lawmakers in Arizona blocked efforts by Democrats on Wednesday to overturn a near-total abortion ban. CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes reports. Then, CBS News producer Elizabeth Campbell joins with more from Phoenix.