Quick reads — Chico State President responds to sexual assault on campus, nationwide

Chico State President Steve Perez says he has confidence in how the university handles sexual assaults.

Perez sent a campus-wide email today responding to an alleged rape at Cornell University two years ago that has gotten national attention, as well as to a reported rape at a Chico State dorm on Sept. 19.

Perez says how Chico State responds to reports of sexual assault depends on what the survivor wants to do. He says each report is investigated "promptly" and follows CSU policy, and that the school prioritizes education and prevention against sexual violence.

Editor's note: NSPR's broadcast licenses are owned by Chico State. It does not oversee our news production or programming.

Erik Adams

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NSPR

Say goodbye to two-hour free parking in downtown Chico — for now.

The city’s summer “Park & Go” test program ended Wednesday, meaning drivers once again have to pay during enforcement periods.

The City Council approved the experiment to get more people downtown, and directed staff to come back with a report this fall to see whether it worked.

The city is expected to review the results before deciding what comes next.

Governor Gavin Newsom

A bill meant to strengthen local journalism across California was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday.

The Community NEWS Act will allow eligible print, digital and broadcast outlets to apply for refundable tax credits starting in 2027. Outlets could get $20,000 for up to five journalists on staff, and $15,000 for each additional staff member.

Newsom says the bill was designed to support existing California newsrooms and help create new journalism positions.

Californians now have one more place to turn to for timely information on wildfires and other emergencies.

On Thursday, Cal Fire and the state of California launched a new app called AwareCA. Cal Fire says the app is meant to give the public fast and accurate information while reducing confusion caused by what it describes as "unofficial reports, rumors and misinformation.”

AwareCA appears to work similarly to the popular app Watch Duty, with near real-time incident updates, interactive maps and push notifications.

Visitors to Lassen National Forest can once again make campfires, use stoves and grill over barbecue pits.

Forest Service officials say recent wet weather in Lassen has decreased fire risk enough to lift their restrictions on camp fires. But they say this doesn’t mean fire season is over, and restrictions can come back if the area sees a stretch of dry weather.

Burning is still banned in the Plumas and Shasta-Trinity National Forests and most North State counties until later this year. Residential burns are also suspended in most North Coast counties.