The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Monday, Feb. 7.
Murder charges filed in Oroville bus shooting
Murder charges have been filed against the Sacramento man accused of carrying out a mass shooting Wednesday in Oroville.
According to Butte County Superior Court records, the District Attorney’s Office is charging 21-year-old Asaahdi Elijah Coleman with a single count of murder and four counts of attempted murder, among other charges.
Coleman has not yet entered a plea. He is next scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning.
Law enforcement officials allege Coleman opened fire in a Greyhound bus that had stopped in Oroville, killing 43-year-old Karin Dalton of Seattle.
Coleman allegedly wounded four others in the shooting.
— Andre Byik, NSPR
Moty likely to be replaced by Garman, according to unofficial Shasta County recall tally
The unofficial ballot tally of the Shasta County recall election was last updated Friday — and it shows District 2 Supervisor Leonard Moty will likely be replaced by challenger Tim Garman.
Garman is the board president of Happy Valley Union Elementary School District and leads the election by about 126 votes. The unofficial count indicates Moty will be recalled with about 56% of the vote, although ballots correctly postmarked by election day will still be counted through Tuesday.
Shasta County Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen said Friday there are 121 ballots yet to be counted, not including mail-in ballots that may still arrive before Tuesday.
— Adia White, NSPR
New COVID-19 testing site to open in Oroville Tuesday
Butte County has been seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases ever since the omicron variant was first detected in the county in late December.
In response, the county is opening another free state-run OptumServe COVID-19 testing site. It will be located in Oroville at Feather River Tribal Health and have the capacity to perform 210 tests per day.
The county’s other OptumServe testing site is located in Whitney Hall on Chico State’s campus. It has capacity for 600 scheduled tests a day, but in a recent email, Lisa Almaguer, Communications Manager for the Butte County Public Health Department said it’s currently being used at only 25% of its capacity.
The health department says testing remains an important way to stop the spread of COVID-19. Testing can also make it possible for infected individuals to seek treatment earlier, which can reduce long-term disability and death.
— Sarah Bohannon, NSPR
CSU chancellor faces backlash over misconduct complaints
The fallout continues for California State University Chancellor Joseph Castro after an investigation found he failed to discipline a senior administrator following a series of workplace harassment complaints.
Before he was chancellor of CSU, Castro was president of Fresno State. One of his administrators faced at least a dozen misconduct complaints, according to a recent investigation by USA Today. The report found Castro paid the administrator $250,000 plus full retirement benefits to quietly separate from the university.
In a statement, Castro said he welcomes an investigation and recognizes the situation should have been handled better.
— CapRadio Staff
Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.
In other news
- California’s no-bid contract with Kaiser triggers concerns: “The proposed contract, which would begin in 2024, allows Kaiser Permanente to skip a bidding process required for other commercial insurers to participate in Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program for low-income residents.” — CalMatters
- How are North State schools using restorative justice to discipline students?: “The student panelists find resolutions to bullying, class disruptions, fights and other disciplinary issues that could potentially lead to suspension.” — Redding Record Searchlight
- Housing workshop provides pragmatic and creative ways to see a future Greenville: “The Housing Workshop put on by the Dixie Fire Collaborative on Saturday … might have been best described as a pragmatism-meets-creative-thinking in helping to guide property owners in Greenville to take the steps necessary in attempting to rebuild.” — Plumas News
- Yuba County Jail inmate dies at hospital: “According to a news release from the [Yuba County Sheriff’s Department], Daniel Herbert, 45, of Wheatland was found unresponsive in his jail cell by correctional staff at about 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday.” — The Appeal Democrat
- Tehama County reduces isolation and quarantine periods for COVID exposure: “Tehama County Public Health is bringing its isolation and quarantine orders in line with the state’s guidelines.” — Red Bluff Daily News
- Sheriff pleads for more staffing help: “While the Sheriff’s administration may be facing some of the worst of the county’s staffing shortages, it’s far from the only department with staffing woes.” — The Trinity Journal
- Oroville celebrates Chinese New Year: “The sound of large drums boomed rhythmically as two ornate lions, yellow and red with flames and gold, began dancing to the beat.” — Chico Enterprise-Record
In case you missed it
- Tuscan Water District gets LAFCO nod — ChicoSol
- Statement from Leonard Moty, District 2 Supervisor — A News Cafe
- Anti-democratic extremists are set to take over this California county. Will more of the state be next? — Los Angeles Times (Column)
- From Plumas to Tehama; County Administrator moving for his children — Plumas News
- Tehama County Sheriff reduces office hours — Red Bluff Daily News
- Two Yuba County COVID-related deaths reported — The Appeal Democrat
- Chicostart, Butte County Library announce partnership — Chico Enterprise-Record
- Colusa County seeks restraining order for residential development project — Colusa Sun Herald
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