The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Thursday, March 3.
Oroville mass shooting suspect refuses to appear in court for second time
The suspect in a mass shooting last month in Oroville that left one person dead and four wounded was scheduled to appear in a Butte County courthouse Wednesday.
However, the suspect, Asaahdi Coleman, refused to be transported from the Butte County jail to the courthouse in Oroville for a plea hearing, according to court documents.
The 21-year-old Sacramento man is charged with a single count of murder and four counts of attempted murder for his alleged role in the Greyhound bus shooting on Feb. 2. He has not yet entered a plea. A judge scheduled another hearing for March 9.
Court documents show it’s the second time Coleman has refused to be taken to the courthouse. The judge issued an extraction order should Coleman not comply with jail staff for next week’s hearing, meaning he could be forcibly removed from the facility.
— Andre Byik, NSPR
Sacramento church shooting: Domestic violence organization says more state resources needed for victims
The man accused of the shooting deaths of his three young daughters during a supervised visit at a Sacramento church on Monday had a restraining order filed against him and wasn't supposed to have a gun.
Beth Hassett, CEO of Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE), said the situation highlights where society regularly lets victims down, and the state needs to provide more resources for victims to stay safe.
Hassett also said the restraining order system relies too heavily on a potential abuser obeying a court order and voluntarily handing over weapons.
"There is no good system for getting guns out of the hands of prohibited persons who've been told they can't have a gun,” she said. “Unless law enforcement, when they're serving a restraining order, takes the guns right then, they just don't get taken.“
Court documents show the mother of the three children filed a restraining order out of fear for their safety. Authorities say, along with killing his daughters, 39-year-old David Mora also fatally shot a man who was chaperoning his supervised visit with the girls. He then killed himself.
— CapRadio Staff
Interview: Mass shootings often start with a domestic violence incident
The Sacramento County sheriff says the man who shot to death his three daughters, a chaperone, and himself Monday at a church in Sacramento had an active restraining order against him. Yet, despite California’s strict gun laws he still possessed a firearm.
Dr. Amy Barnhorst is the director of the BulletPoints Project, which is a group of UC Davis physicians and researchers that provides clinicians with information on how to have conversations about firearm access with their patients and how to intervene when needed.
Barnhorst spoke with CapRadio anchor Randol White about her research and what light it might shed on the tragic scene that recently played out for one Sacramento family. Listen to the interview in today’s Headlines.
— CapRadio Staff
If you or someone you know needs support around domestic violence, here are some resources:
- Catalyst Domestic Violence Services: (800) 895-8476
- One SAFE Place: (530) 244-0117
- Empower Tehama: (530) 528-0226
- Siskiyou Domestic Violence & Crisis Center: (530) 842-6629
- Plumas Rural Services Inc.: (530) 283-2735
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233
UC Davis professor voices concern about women, children refugees in Ukraine
Ukrainians are fleeing the Russian invasion of their country by the hundreds of thousands. Partly because the Ukrainian government has ordered men — between the ages of 18 and 60 — to remain in the country, the vast majority of refugees are women and children.
Joanna Regulska, vice provost and dean of global affairs at UC Davis, said women make up 15% of the Ukrainian army and are playing critical roles — just as they did when Russia invaded other parts of the former Soviet Union.
However, she said, because these refugees are both women and children, the way international organizations meet their needs is very important.
“What kind of services will be provided? How the women’s health issues will be addressed. How are we going to protect women from violence that will be emerging and we know because that’s part of the whole packet?” Regulska said.
She added that her other concerns include risks of discrimination and the needs of adolescent girls.
— CapRadio Staff
Study shows drought’s fiscal impact on California growers
Last year’s drought cost California farmers more than a billion dollars and the loss of 9,000 jobs. When looking at the ripple effect — like the drought's impact on food suppliers and farm worker families — those losses increased to $1.7 billion and 15,000 jobs.
The numbers come from a UC Merced report which also found about 400,000 acres went unplanted due to water cutbacks.
The report noted that the crops most affected were rice in the Sacramento Valley, cotton in the San Joaquin Valley, and grain and field crops statewide.
— CapRadio Staff
Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.
In other news
- California counted its homeless population, but can it track the money?: “Volunteers fanned out across the state for the first statewide count of California’s homeless population since 2020. The number is expected to be higher, raising more questions about the impact of the state’s increased spending.” — CalMatters
- Red Bluff commits to address homeless issues: “Hearing an outpouring of concern from the community during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, city officials pledge to find solutions to homeless issues plaguing Red Bluff.” — Red Bluff Daily News
- ‘Back in person’: “Moments of discord, ranging from snide asides to outright hostility, punctuated the return to City Council Chambers Tuesday evening (March 1) after three months of virtual meetings due to pandemic precautions.” — Chico News & Review
- Colusa County held highest unemployment rate in state in December: “Colusa County’s unemployment rate was 14 percent in December, which was an increase from the 10.4 percent reported the previous month.” — Colusa Sun-Herald
- COVID-19 in Shasta County: Woman's COVID-19 death 14th reported this week: “Her death brings the total number of county residents lost to the virus to 559 people since March 2020.” — Redding Record Searchlight
- Mount Shasta’s new fire chief is longtime veteran of fire protection district: “For 20 years, he’s helped protect 7,000 people living in a 60-square-mile region in and around Mount Shasta.” — Siskiyou Daily News
- Number of [Lassen County] COVID-19 cases fall: “As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, Lassen Cares reports 39 active cases in Lassen County.” — Lassen County Times
- From new vaccine mandates to terminating a state of emergency: 7 California COVID-19 bills to watch: “Several Democratic lawmakers formed a legislative vaccine workgroup earlier this year and have introduced bills aimed at closing the remaining vaccine gaps and targeting misinformation about the pandemic. Republican lawmakers are more focused on the state’s spending during the pandemic and ending the state of emergency, which they argue gives Newsom too much power.” — CapRadio
In case you missed it
- Winner of Shasta County recall election takes seat — NSPR (Headlines, March 2)
- Dry January and February has Sierra snowpack far below average — CapRadio (Headlines, March 2)
- Newsom imposes state sanctions on Russia — CapRadio (Headlines, March 2)
- Misinformation plagues social media amid Russian invasion — CapRadio (Headlines, March 2)
- Interview: Sacramento Bee reporter discusses what’s known about father who killed his three children, their chaperone in shooting — CapRadio (Headlines, March 2)
- Chico council, public provide input on redistricting — Chico Enterprise-Record
- Emboldened by new majority, Baugh lays out his priorities as chair of Board of Supervisors — Redding Record Searchlight
- Shasta County schools eager to end mask mandate March 14 — Redding Record Searchlight
- Fight continues over Lassen prison closure plan — Plumas News
- New Tehama County Chief Administrator faces backlash over social media posts — Red Bluff Daily News
- Yuba supes approve YSAC resolution — The Appeal-Democrat
- Progressives struggle for influence among California Democrats — CalMatters
- $19 billion: Cost of high speed rail’s Bay Area link surges in latest report, without funding — The Mercury News
- CSU launches new investigation into how Fresno State handled sexual harassment complaints — The Sacramento Bee
- Record number of Black and Hispanic students are applying to UC schools. Is it actually leading to more diversity? — The San Francisco Chronicle
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.
