Outcome of Shasta County recall unlikely to change with fewer than 100 ballots to count

By Sarah Bohannon,

Published February 10, 2022 at 8:31 AM PST

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Thursday, Feb. 10.

Shasta County recall election appears successful

The election to recall Shasta County District 2 Supervisor Leonard Moty appears to have succeeded. The results are not yet finalized, but the unofficial tally shows challenger Tim Garman will win Moty’s seat.

Shasta County Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling-Allen said Wednesday there are fewer than 100 ballots left to count. Garman leads replacement candidates by about 155 votes.

Darling-Allen said her department expects to do a final tabulation Monday. She added results will be forwarded to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors, which is expected to take action in March.

— Adia White, NSPR

Suspect in Oroville bus shooting appears in court

Asaahdi Coleman, the Sacramento man accused of fatally shooting one person and injuring four others on a bus Feb. 2 in Oroville, appeared Wednesday in Butte County Superior Court.

Coleman is charged with a single count of murder and four counts of attempted murder but did not immediately enter a plea.

Coleman’s court-appointed attorney, Robert Marshall, told NSPR the lack of a plea at this stage in the case is not unusual. He added that he expects a large amount of discovery will be exchanged, such as voluminous police reports, video and other possible evidence.

Coleman is next scheduled to appear in court March 2, when he may enter a plea. He remained in custody without bail.

— Andre Byik, NSPR

More COVID-19 deaths reported in Yuba-Sutter region as hospital visits surge

Health officials in the Yuba-Sutter region reported two more COVID-19 deaths Wednesday. In all, 315 people in the region have reportedly died from the disease.

Chris Champlin, president of Adventist Health/Rideout, told the Yuba County Board of Supervisors Tuesday that the hospital’s emergency department had been averaging about 180 patients per day, but that number has been on the rise.

“This past couple of weeks — because of COVID — we have been seeing 300-plus people every day,” Champlin said. “The staff are just pushing through it.”

Data for the Yuba-Sutter region show 78 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 Wednesday. Eleven patients were in intensive care.

— Andre Byik, NSPR

North State representative now leads California Republicans in Assembly

Assemblymember James Gallagher of Yuba City is now the new Minority Floor Leader in the California Assembly. The decision was made Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

The AP reports that Gallagher has been “one of the most vocal critics” of Gov. Gavin Newsom. During the first year of the pandemic, he sued Newsom over whether the governor had the power to issue executive orders.

Despite the change, The AP reports that Republicans are in no position to decelerate the state’s Democrats, as GOP members sit in fewer than a quarter of the Assembly’s 80 seats.

The news comes as another North State congressman – state Sen. Brian Dahle – also made Headlines this week for entering the race for governor.

— Sarah Bohannon, NSPR

COVID-19 sick leave bill gets Newsom’s approval

Most California workers will be able to take extra paid time off for COVID-19 under a bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

It requires businesses with more than 25 employees to offer up to two weeks of paid sick time. Workers can use that time if they or a family member gets sick or to get a vaccine. It’s also retroactive to the beginning of the year.

After the first 40 hours of leave, employers can request proof of a positive test. Newsom asked lawmakers to pass additional paid sick leave last month as the omicron variant surged through the state.

— CapRadio Staff

Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.

In other news

Red Bluff police release body cam footage from January shooting: “In the video released, Lt. Matt Hansen details the incident involving Red Bluff Police Officer Jeffrey Mayberry and suspect Carlos Villalobos, 28, of Red Bluff, and the circumstances leading up to the shooting.” — Red Bluff Daily News

As drought continues, Southern California offers millions to buy Sacramento Valley water: “The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California directed its staff Tuesday to start negotiating the purchases of as much as 100,000 acre-feet of water from the Valley — deals that would be worth millions of dollars.” — The Sacramento Bee

Store owners burnt out in North Complex open Gold City Market in Oroville: “When uncle and nephew Mitch and George Dorghalli, owners of Gold City Market, opened up their store early this month, they say they saved the property from the vacant eyesore that was previously there.” — Chico Enterprise-Record

Options for former Greenville hospital won’t include homeless shelter: “Plumas Crisis Intervention and Resource Center (PCIRC) introduced a plan to redevelop the site to accommodate a new center, including space for transitional housing. However, the resource center was under a tight grant deadline and needed to secure the property or an agreement by sometime in early 2022.” — Plumas News

Pre-approved house plans available for fire victims: “The Plumas County Building Department has announced, in partnership with local designers, that it is offering a pre-approved single family dwelling plan program for victims of the Beckwourth and Dixie fires.” — Plumas News

Moty absent from first meeting since recall election: “But his absence didn’t stop recall supporters, who nearly filled the supervisors chambers, from addressing him while putting county officials on notice … .” — Redding Record Searchlight

Is this another way to end California’s death penalty?: “Unable to persuade California voters to do away with capital punishment altogether, the movement to abolish the death penalty is quietly shifting its strategy to shrinking the nation’s largest Death Row.” — CalMatters