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Quick reads — Chico City Council votes to keep alternative homeless camp at Eaton, Cohasset
Chico leaders opt to keep alternative campsite in place, seek security improvements
After considering several locations presented by staff, the Chico City Council voted unanimously yesterday to keep the City's Eaton and Cohasset alternative homeless camping site at its current location.
Residents near the site have voiced concerns about safety in recent months. Council requested City staff to come back in two weeks with options for enhanced security.
The alternative camping site is a result of the Warren v. Chico settlement agreement, which says the City must provide alternative places for unhoused people to live if they don't qualify for existing shelters.
Redding husband accused of killing wife enters not guilty plea
A Redding man charged with killing his wife pleaded not guilty yesterday, according to reporting from KRCR.
Tyler McCain is accused of killing his wife Nikki Saelee-McCain. She went missing last year, and her body has never been found.
McCain is being held in Shasta County Jail without bail, and will stand trial on Nov. 18.
Arrest made after incident at Tehama County Juvenile Detention Facility
Tehama County Sheriff's Deputies have arrested a county employee in connection with alleged sexual activity with an inmate.
Investigators last month became aware of the incident involving contracted employee Charlotte Peery who works in the youth rehabilitation program at the detention facility.
After investigating, Peery was arrested and booked into the Tehama County Jail. The probation department says it screens all entrants for criminal history. This event prompted a review of tighter security protocols for facility access.
Chico City Council weighing new sites for homeless campground
The Chico City Council tonight will consider moving its alternate camp site for unhoused people.
The council directed city staff to bring proposed options for the site’s new location to the meeting.
It’s currently located at Eaton and Cohasset roads. Public Works plans to present six new potential locations. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
After deadly fires, PG&E undergrounds 1K miles of powerline
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has now put over 1,000 miles of cable underground in an effort to decrease the risk of wildfire. PG&E says its undergrounding project is the largest wildfire mitigation project done by a utility.
Poorly maintained power lines and faulty equipment owned by PG&E have been responsible for some of the deadliest and largest fires in California history, including the Camp and Dixie fires.
Nearly half of the cables placed underground are in Butte and Shasta counties.
Chico faces tough questions in bid to exit homelessness lawsuit agreement
A federal judge is reviewing the City of Chico’s latest effort to dissolve its settlement agreement in the Warren v. City of Chico case — the lawsuit that reshaped how homelessness is addressed in the city.
Lawyers representing the City argued today that the agreement should only apply to the individual unhoused plaintiffs who originally sued the City, not to all unhoused residents in the region. The City previously tried to exit the settlement last year, but that request was denied.
Judge Dale Drozd appeared skeptical during the hearing on Zoom, questioning the validity of the City’s arguments and describing some of them as “absurd.” He said the process had become irritating given the City’s repeated attempts to challenge the agreement.
Drozd took the City’s motion under review and is expected to issue a ruling at a later date.
Chico installs red light cameras at high-risk intersections
Chico is getting its first red light camera system.
Construction started this week along Mangrove Avenue. The City and Chico Police Department say five high-risk intersections will get cameras. Each will be marked with signs to alert drivers they’re being filmed.
The City hopes the project will help reduce accidents. The system was approved by the Chico City Council in April.
The cameras won’t be turned on until construction wraps up in several months.
Shasta supervisors push back on Prop 50 map tying Shasta to Marin
Shasta County supervisors have officially come out against Proposition 50. Supervisors voted unanimously to oppose the measure which would redraw California’s congressional districts to add additional Democratic seats.
If Prop 50 is approved by voters next month, Shasta and some nearby counties would move California’s 1st congressional district to the state’s 2nd district, which stretches down to Marin County.
Politically, the two counties look very different. In Shasta County 52% of registered voters are Republican versus 21% Democrat. In Marin County, 61% of the electorate are registered Democrats and just 9% Republican.
BLM lifts fire restrictions after rain, cooler weather
As the North State sees rainstorms and cooling fall temperatures, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is lifting fire restrictions on public land.
Fire bans were rolled back this week at the Arcata, Eagle Lake and Applegate field offices. The bans will be lifted next week at the Redding field office.
Residents on BLM managed land can now barbecue again, as well as operate combustion engines without spark-controlling safety measures. Campfires are allowed, but visitors still need a valid California campfire permit.
California sees sharp rise in deportations while national numbers fall
Deportations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in California have increased by nearly 80% under the Trump administration.
According to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, about 5,500 people were deported between January and July of this year. That’s compared to 2024, when there were only about 3,000 California deportations.
ICE deportations nationwide have decreased by about 14% since 2024 and are below the administration’s goal.