The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Friday, March 4.
Federal prosecutors accuse Shasta County woman of faking kidnapping
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento has accused Sherri Papini, 39, of Redding of faking her kidnapping in a case that garnered extensive media attention in 2016, according to a news release.
Papini — who prosecutors said was arrested Thursday on charges of lying to federal agents and mail fraud — was reported missing in November 2016, setting off a nationwide search. She was found several weeks later in Yolo County near Woodland with bindings and injuries on her body, including a brand on her shoulder.
Papini allegedly told investigators she was abducted and held at gunpoint by two Hispanic women. Prosecutors say the story was a fabrication, alleging instead that she had been voluntarily staying with a former boyfriend in the Los Angeles area and harmed herself to support her story.
Prosecutors also allege Papini’s requests for victim assistance through the California Victim Compensation Board resulted in more than $30,000 in payments from 2017 through 2021.
The charge of making false statements to federal agents carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and the mail fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
It was not immediately clear whether Papini has an attorney.
— Andre Byik, NSPR
New Shasta supes chairman sets pandemic-related priorities
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors unanimously elected longtime Supervisor Les Baugh as its new chairman. He replaces former chairman Leonard Moty, who was recalled last month and succeeded by Tim Garman.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Baugh laid out a list of crowd-pleasing priorities, including instituting more lenient public comment protocols and several pandemic-related items.
“I would like for reconsideration and possible elimination of all Shasta County employee COVID mandates,” Baugh said to sustained cheers in the board’s chambers.
A similar item failed in a 2-2 vote last month, and the Redding Record Searchlightreports any future vote would be symbolic because the county is required to follow state health rules.
Baugh went on to request a closed-session employee evaluation of the county’s health officer. He also said he wants staff to conduct a review of the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency for “possible efficiency changes and reorganization.”
He noted he is not looking to eliminate the health department, but he said department employees have approached him under fear of losing their jobs to voice concerns about its operation.
— Andre Byik, NSPR
Climate change is a ‘threat multiplier.’ This researcher says it’ll take cities to stop its effects
The results of this week’s United Nations climate report warn that the effects of climate change are severe, and coming faster than expected. In California, warming temperatures are already worsening drought conditions, rain storms and wildfires.
To combat these impacts, it’ll take fast, aggressive action toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions. And researchers — like Eric Chu, an assistant professor at UC Davis who co-directs the university’s Climate Adaptation Research Center — say cities are key to these efforts.
“Whatever risks and vulnerabilities that we're facing day to day, climate change risks magnifying that,” he said.
Chu said the options for adapting to climate change will only become more limited for cities. Read the full story.
— CapRadio News
UC Davis researchers working to adapt wheat to climate change
An ongoing program to speed up the development of new wheat strains is taking place at UC Davis.
The grain is critical to the food supply, providing more than 20% of the world’s nutrition. UC Davis researcher, Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky, said varieties are needed that are adapted to climate change.
“People don’t think about agriculture or food production when there is food,” he said. “But when there is no food, that’s the only thing they can think about.”
The breeding program was recently awarded a five-year $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Researchers worldwide are racing ahead on similar projects for other crops.
— Ken Devol, NSPR
Newsom proposes plan to compel people with severe mental illness into treatment
Gov. Gavin Newsom has unveiled a proposal that would force homeless people with severe mental illness or addictions into treatment.
The plan – called CARE Court – would require all counties to set up a mental health branch in civil court to assist people in need of help but who refuse to accept services.
"I mean, we could hold hands, have a candlelight vigil, talk about the way the world should be, or we could take some damn responsibility to implement our ideals and that's what we're doing differently,” Newsom said. “And this CARE Court, it's going to be stubborn, we've got work to do, we've got to get approved by the Legislature, we want to move this in the next couple of months."
Under Newsom's plan, the state would require counties to provide comprehensive treatment to those suffering from debilitating psychosis, and they would be obligated to accept care. Some advocates for the homeless have objected to forced care. Read the full story.
— CapRadio Staff
Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.
In other news
- Five Chico State professors analyze Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “At the time of a panel discussion Wednesday at Chico State, the most successful Russian attack appeared in the southern city of Kherson with a population of almost 300,000 which fell on Wednesday, said John Crosby, political science and criminal justice lecturer.” — Chico Enterprise-Record
- LaMalfa, McClintock introduce legislation requiring U.S. Forest Service to ‘immediately suppress wildfires’: “... Congressman Tom McClintock and Congressman Doug LaMalfa introduced legislation directing the U.S. Forest Service to immediately suppress wildfires on National Forest System lands and put an end to the policy of letting fires burn.” — Lassen County Times
- 2 children in intensive care, 17 others injured after SUV crashes into Anderson day care: “The SUV hit the Great Adventures Christian Preschool at Balls Ferry Road and Martha Street around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, police said.” — Redding Record Searchlight
- Plumas County festivals and fairs are a “go”: “There is plenty of good news circling around the fairgrounds after a very difficult 2021.” — Plumas News
- Marysville considering blight tax for commercial properties: “During Tuesday night’s Marysville City Council meeting, Mayor Chris Branscum introduced the idea of a blight tax for commercial properties in an effort to bring more economic opportunities to the city.” — The Appeal Democrat
- Tehama County Sheriff’s Department halts early morning patrols due to short staffing: “Sheriff Dave Hencratt approached the Board of Supervisors Tuesday with an update on the department’s employment status, stating that the District Attorney’s Office recruited two of his officers, further cutting staffing.” — Red Bluff Daily News
- Striking new evidence points to seafood market in Wuhan as pandemic origin point: “Scientists who weren't involved in the research papers are calling the new data "very convincing" and a "blow" to the lab-leak theory — that the virus somehow escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which does research on coronaviruses.” — NPR
- UC Berkeley enrollment capped, forcing campus to decline by 3,000 students after Supreme Court decision: “Today’s decision means UC Berkeley can only enroll about 6,500 new freshmen and transfer students for this fall, down from the roughly 9,500 the university intended.” — CalMatters
- California Highway Patrol lags local police, other states in officer body cams: “A California Highway Patrol officer drove slowly behind a man walking on the road. An Arcata Police officer rode in the passenger seat, a second CHP officer sat in the back.” — CalMatters
In case you missed it
- Oroville mass shooting suspect refuses to appear in court for second time— NSPR (Headlines, March 3)
- Sacramento church shooting: Domestic violence organization says more state resources needed for victims — CapRadio (Headlines, March 3)
- Interview: Mass shootings often start with a domestic violence incident— CapRadio (Headlines, March 3)
- California counted its homeless population, but can it track the money — CalMatters
- Red Bluff commits to address homeless issues — Red Bluff Daily News
- ‘Back in person’— Chico News & Review
- Colusa County held highest unemployment rate in state in December — Colusa Sun-Herald
- COVID-19 in Shasta County: Woman's COVID-19 death 14th reported this week — Redding Record Searchlight
- Mount Shasta’s new fire chief is longtime veteran of fire protection district — Siskiyou Daily News
- Number of [Lassen County] COVID-19 cases fall — Lassen County Times
- From new vaccine mandates to terminating a state of emergency: 7 California COVID-19 bills to watch — CapRadio
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