
Ken Devol
All Things Considered Anchor & ReporterKen came to NSPR through the back door as a volunteer, doing all the things that volunteers do. Almost nothing – nothing -- in his previous work experience suggests that he would ever be on public radio.
His resume is nearly Frankensteinian with one disparate job sutured to another: California Department of Parks and Recreation, marina employee, archaeological field technician, electrician, woodworker, furniture import, and 20 years in manufacturing management. He was an English major.
He’s traveled some. He likes to sail and writes fraudulent poetry. And now he’s in radio -- another unlikely part is sewn into the whole. And he loves it.
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The current exhibit at the Gateway Science Museum in Chico is all about the California grizzly. Its natural history, its demise, and how its legacy continues to influence our iconography and popular culture.
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From podcasts to mobile library trucks, Butte County Library branches are trying to address community needs in unique ways. Also, Butte County supervisors approve budget adjustments for nine new mental health positions, and the Yuba Water Agency is working with governmental agencies and research centers to better understand the local impact of atmospheric rivers.
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A program in Paradise is geared toward helping survivors of the Camp Fire afford a home. The down payment assistance program is funded by a state grant. Also, Butte County supervisors are set to decide whether to approve more than $800,000 in new county salaries, and you may see a lot of smoke in the Magalia area, but it's just a prescribed burn to reduce hazardous fuels.
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Kevin Alexander Carlson entered a no contest plea today to felony arson charges stemming from the Bidwell Mansion fire in December. Also, protesters in Chico were some of thousands of people who marched nationally this week to oppose recent policies from the Trump Administration, and State Parks said there will be three phases of recovery for the Bidwell Mansion at this week’s Chico City Council meeting.
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Kevin Alexander Carlson entered a no contest plea today to felony arson charges stemming from the Bidwell Mansion fire in December.
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Chico Fire Department has been increasingly responding to warming and cooking fires started at homeless encampments. Last night the city council considered banning camping in some places of the city. Also, Nevin Kallepalli, a Shasta Scout reporter, explains what is currently known about Juan Moreno, the fifth person to die in the Shasta County Jail since 2023, and PG&E says crews and equipment are in place to respond to any power outages caused by the next atmospheric river forecast to move through the region Thursday and Friday.
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The Redding City Council will discuss a lawsuit filed by a former police officer who says she was wrongfully terminated after making claims of persistent sexual harassment. Also, after testing free parking in downtown Chico during the holidays, the city council is considering bringing more free parking downtown, and Pro Championship Wrestling hosted a show over the weekend in Oroville that drew hundreds of fans from across the area.
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There have been reported sightings of ICE agents across the North State on social media. But local organizations and law enforcement agencies report most are likely false alarms. Also, Chico State President Steve Perez sent a message to the campus community last week in response to worries about the school’s fiscal situation amid a freeze on federal funding, and the second manual snow survey of the season measured 22 inches of snow depth, only 46 percent of average for the location near Echo Summit.
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Incoming storm prompts the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for the region. Also, volunteers collected information about Butte County’s unhoused residents during what’s called a Point-in-Time Count, and the Inspire School of Arts and Sciences could break ground on a permanent campus this year, after years of delays and funding woes.
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President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Sunday that directs federal agencies to find ways to override decisions made by California water managers. Also, many areas of Upper Park that have been closed since the Park Fire will reopen soon when crews finish removing dead and hazardous trees, and a strain known as H5N9 was found in a duck farm in Merced County. The novel virus was found alongside the more common H5N1 variant.