Russian military forces and Russian-backed separatists have invaded Ukraine. Follow the latest updates on the crisis from NPR news.
Here’s the latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Thursday, Feb. 24.
COVID-19 cases declining from omicron peak in Butte County
COVID-19 case numbers have been declining across the North State.
In Butte County, public health officials say they’re now seeing about 60 to 70 new cases per day. Butte County Public Health Director Danette York told the Board of Supervisors this week that those numbers are down from the peak of the omicron surge, which at one point resulted in hundreds of new cases per day.
“It’s actually odd for me to say that that’s declining,” York said. “Because that’s really a high case rate.”
Health departments in Shasta, Tehama and Plumas counties report similar declines.
— Andre Byik, NSPR
California farmers won't receive water deliveries from federal government
California farmers won’t receive water deliveries from the federal government, according to The Associated Press.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation cited severe drought in the West, which has left its system of reservoirs depleted, the AP reports. Environmental laws also require that system to have supply to maintain water quality throughout the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta.
Affected farmers will likely be forced to plant fewer crops, according to the AP.
— Andre Byik, NSPR
Interview — ‘We can’t have one gigantic shelter that’s going to take care of everyone’: Safe Space’s Rick Narad on the needs of Chico’s unhoused residents
Sub-freezing temperatures will persist across the North State through Saturday.
The city of Chico has opened an Emergency Warming Center for unhoused residents at Comanche Creek Greenway through Friday morning, but development of the city’s new homeless shelter site is still underway. City officials anticipate a March opening.
One of the places that is up and running is Safe Space. It’s a nonprofit, rotating, low-barrier shelter that mobilizes during the winter.
NSPR’s Sarah Bohannon recently spoke with Rick Narad, one of Safe Space’s operations managers, about the ongoing needs of Chico’s unhoused residents. Listen to the interview in today’s Headlines.
— Sarah Bohannon, NSPR
Data show how many college students use CalFresh
A new report from the non-partisan California Policy Lab shares insights on college students and food insecurity. The numbers focus on how many students take advantage of the state's CalFresh program.
The enrollment data for the 2019-2020 academic year show just over 10% of California community college students, just under 12% of University of California (UC) undergrads and 4% of UC grad students were getting CalFresh benefits.
Elise Dizon-Ross, a postdoctoral scholar at the California Policy Lab who worked on the report, said the low percentages could mean a lack of information about how to take advantage of CalFresh.
— CapRadio Staff
Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.
In other news
- Lawsuit alleges violations of public records laws: “The City of Chico may have lost or destroyed public records related to police killings, and has stonewalled for more than a year in response to record requests, says a lawsuit filed Feb. 18 against the City.” — ChicoSol
- High Desert officials and state investigating inmate homicide: “Officials at High Desert State Prison and the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide after he was attacked by two other inmates Friday, Feb. 18.” — Lassen County Times
- Biden wants to cut into China’s electric battery dominance: “The Democratic president announced his administration is giving $35 million to MP Materials, a company that mines rare earth metals near the Nevada border in Southern California … He also touted efforts to extract lithium from geothermal brine found around California’s Salton Sea.” — The Associated Press
- North State water rations cut to zero in 'historically dry' conditions: “Citing "unprecedented" North State drought conditions, federal officials on Wednesday delivered bad news to numerous local water agencies, with some being told they would not receive any water this year.” — Redding Record Searchlight
- Corning budget in good shape to start long-term planning for growth: “A review of Corning’s budget at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting indicated the city is in a position to start long-term planning for growth.” — Red Bluff Daily News
- Candidate filing is underway in Colusa County: “Colusa County residents interested in running for an office in the June 7, 2022 Statewide Direct Primary Election may now obtain and file their candidate filing documents through March 11 at 5 p.m.” — Colusa Sun Herald
- Russia invades Ukraine: live updates: “Russian military forces and Russian-backed separatists have invaded Ukraine. President Biden warned of a ‘catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.’" — NPR
In case you missed it
- Memorial recognizes Shasta County’s pandemic death toll — NSPR, Headlines (Feb. 23)
- City of Chico anticipates March opening for homeless shelter — NSPR, Headlines (Feb. 23)
- Redding police to get body cameras, 9 new officers under proposal going before City Council — Redding Record Searchlight
- ‘It’s a county issue.’ Yreka’s housing plan brings into open rural areas’ struggles with homelessness — Siskiyou Daily News
- Supervisors nix commercial cannabis cultivation in Lassen County — Lassen County Times
- Plumas COVID cases continue to fall — down to 14 in past 7 days — Plumas News
- COVID-19 cases declining in Butte County — Chico Enterprise-Record
- Yuba County supes delay arts support — The Appeal Democrat
- ‘We don’t count’: The Californians who can’t return to normal as COVID fatigue grips state — CalMatters
- Who might benefit from a 4th shot — and who might not — NPR
Headlines is published every weekday morning at 8:30 a.m. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and NPR One. Theme song Borough is courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.
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