Fire weather arrives in parts of the North State this week

By Sarah Bohannon,

Published February 14, 2022 at 8:03 AM PST

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Monday, Feb. 14.

Fire weather a concern in the valley; Cal Fire says it’s still a good time for controlled burns

It may be the middle of winter, but the National Weather Service says record-breaking temperatures, strong winds and a spell of unusually dry weather are raising the fire risk Tuesday and Wednesday in the Sacramento Valley.

Even so, Cal Fire Public Information Officer Rick Carhart said now is still the best time for residents to keep up with defensible space and controlled burns.

"However dry and however hot it gets now, it's not going to be as hot or as dry as it will be later on in June and into the summer,” Carhart said. “So we wouldn't want people to put things off now and then say, ‘well, I'll get to it later on in May or June.’”

Property owners can safely burn materials on their land, Carhart said, as long as they follow Cal Fire guidelines and regulations.

— Alec Stutson, NSPR

Antisemitic flyers distributed in Chico likely from ‘white supremacist group,’ ADL says

Residents of a north Chico neighborhood woke up last month to find the area littered with antisemitic flyers. The same day, pamphlets were also distributed in San Francisco and near Los Angeles.

Though it’s not clear why Chico was targeted, Seth Brysk with the Jewish advocacy nonprofit Anti-Defamation League said this kind of activity is typical of hate groups.

“They communicate with one another, they sometimes share that template, and then people can print it and distribute it in their own community,” Brysk said.

He added that the ADL knows the group that's responsible for the flyers, but he didn’t want to give them more attention by naming them.

“This is a white supremacist group, which is very much a fringe organization,” Brysk said. “Near as we can tell, it’s very small. One of their primary leaders does live in the Bay Area … they want to try to project themselves to be bigger, more influential, more pervasive than they actually are.”

Brysk said the best way to contend with hate groups is to push back by calling out hate speech when it’s heard and reporting incidents like last month’s to the police.

— Ken Devol, NSPR

California bill would mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for workers

Democratic state lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require all workers in California to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Oakland Assembly member Buffy Wicks said it would boost safety for workers and the public, pointing out vaccines are proven to reduce hospitalization and death from the disease.

“We know the pathway to endemic is through vaccines,” Wicks said. “And to get there, we know Californians need consistency and certainty.”

The proposal comes at a time when the governor plans to lift some pandemic restrictions.

Wicks’ bill would require employers to ensure their workers and independent contractors are vaccinated. Wicks is exploring a financial penalty but hasn’t proposed a specific dollar amount.

The California Chamber of Commerce said it is still reviewing the bill and hasn’t taken a position yet.

— CapRadio Staff

Prop. 47 may have reduced recidivism

The California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) met Thursday to discuss results from programs funded by Prop. 47, which was passed by California voters in 2014.

The proposition reduces penalties for certain crimes and also funds mental health services, substance abuse treatment and other programs. Now, agencies that receive that money report they are seeing results.

Researchers with the BSCC said most of the programs that received grants have recidivism rates below 20%, whereas recently published statewide reconviction rates were 35%. They said this indicates participants in the programs may be less likely to recidivate.

The BSCC said it will soon begin accepting proposals for a third round of funding.

— Alex Hall (KQED), The California Report

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

In other news

California sues Tesla over alleged rampant discrimination against Black employees: “California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing is suing Elon Musk's company Tesla over racism and harassment toward Black employees at Tesla's plant in Fremont, Calif., according to a lawsuit filed by the state this week. The company has called the lawsuit ‘unfair.’” — NPR

Gray wolf protections restored across much of the U.S.: “A judge restored federal protections for gray wolves across much of the U.S. on Thursday, after their removal in the waning days of the Trump administration exposed the predators to hunting that critics said would undermine their rebound from widespread extermination early last century.” — The Associated Press

‘Morale killer’: California scientists battle over pay disparities: “Full-time rank-and-file state scientists on average earned 27% less than state engineers in 2020 wages — $83,586 compared to $114,012, according to a January state assessment.” — CalMatters

Bethel claims miracles. What proof do they have?: “The discrepancy between the thousands of healing stories and the lack of medical proof does not seem to have slowed the steady stream of faith visitors who sacrifice time, money and the risk of hope for healing, to attend Bethel’s services and events.” — Shasta Scout

City Council will meet to discuss employment for police chief position: “Oroville City Council will meet Tuesday during closed session regarding potential exposure to litigation for two cases. Council will also meet with the City Administrator, Personnel Officer and/or the City Attorney to consider employment for the Police Chief position.” — Chico Enterprise-Record

Former district attorney Stephen Carlton dies at age 79: “His wife of 50 years, Terri, said Carlton struggled the past two years with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, the same disease that comedian Robin Williams suffered from.” — Redding Record Searchlight

Manton parks nonprofit offers bid for former Manton School campus: “A new, Manton-based nonprofit Manton Parks proffered a bid of $245,000 Thursday to acquire the former Manton School property in an effort to reclaim its status as the town’s main hub.” — Red Bluff Daily News

Why millions on Medicaid are at risk of losing coverage in the months ahead: “The Biden administration and state officials are bracing for a great unwinding: millions of people losing their Medicaid benefits when the pandemic health emergency ends.” — Kaiser Health News