Sherri Papini pleads guilty | Butte County suspends applications for new non-drinking wells | Renter tax credit could get boost

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Tuesday, April 19.

Sherri Papini, 39, pleaded guilty in Sacramento federal court to making false statements to FBI agents about the circumstances of her disappearance. She also said that she committed mail fraud based on her being a kidnapping victim. Papini had been facing 35 different counts, but agreed to plead guilty to just two of those.

The Redding-area mom was missing for three weeks in 2016 and found on the side of a road near Woodland on Thanksgiving Day.

Papini said at the time that she’d been kidnapped at gunpoint while jogging near her home. Instead, federal officials say she was voluntarily staying with a former boyfriend in Southern California.

Papini is scheduled to be sentenced in July and still faces up to 25 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

— CapRadio Staff

Permit applications for new non-drinking water wells are being suspended in Butte County after a recent executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Following the order, Butte County Public Health, and other local agencies, will be changing the process for permitting new wells that are not being used for drinking water.

Butte County Public Health officials said in a press release Monday that under the new requirements, the agencies will need to review the proposed wells’ impact on local water systems and infrastructure before approving the permits. While the policies are being implemented, Butte County Public Health will not be accepting permits. The rules do not apply to small, residential drinking water wells.

These changes come after some of the driest months in state history. What should have been the rainiest months of the year have provided little precipitation, and snowpack in the state is nearing an all-time low.

 — Alec Stutson, NSPR

California environmentalists are applauding a new legal settlement that could have statewide implications for protecting low-income communities from industrial pollution.

Under an agreement with the state Department of Justice, the Southern California city of Fontana will require warehouses to keep trucks away from schools and hospitals, install landscaped buffers and promote zero-emission vehicles for on-site operations.

Mary Ann Ruiz is with the Sierra Club and said she hopes the settlement will create a model for other communities to build on.

“It requires the developers to follow these standards, and we know that when they're faced with litigation, the developers have been willing to do this,” she said. “We hope that this leads to other city and county leaders adopting similar standards."

The settlement, announced Monday, will also resolve allegations that the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by approving a warehouse project without first conducting a full environmental analysis.

— CapRadio Staff

More than 3 million Californians could get a break on their tax bill with a proposal to boost benefits for renters.

Homeowners in California receive more than $9 billion annually in direct subsidies. Renters, on the other hand, only get about $160 million. A new bill by state Sen. Steve Glazer would increase that amount significantly by raising the renter tax credit from $60 to $500 for single filers, and from $120 to $1,000 for couples and single parents.

If approved, it would be the first increase in the renter tax credit since 1979.

Rob Wiener, executive director of the California Coalition for Rural Housing, which represents many low-income renters, said while the cost of housing has more than tripled in the past 42 years, the renter tax credit has stayed the same.

“So, the benefits have been significantly reduced, the burdens are significantly higher,” Wiener said.

The refundable tax credit is projected to cost roughly $2.5 billion annually. Read more about the proposal.

— Erin Baldassari (KQED), The California Report

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

• Questions remain about Shasta County teen who vanished in 1998: “With the face of an angel, Tera Lynn Smith still continues to haunt North State residents. It was 10 years ago today that the former Central Valley High School homecoming princess disappeared into the unknown.” — Redding Record Searchlight

• Chico school board to note completion for CTE programs: “The Chico Unified School District Board will hear several presentations at Wednesday’s meeting. One of them regards the Career and Technical Education program at Pleasant Valley High School which has finished several construction projects.” — Chico Enterprise-Record

• Sheriff Todd Johns addresses issues; outlines plans for [Plumas County]: “It’s been a grueling couple of years for Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns — dealing with COVID-19 and back-to-back years of catastrophic fires — and now he is in the midst of an election.” — Plumas News

• Dwight Cline takes time to discuss his bid for Plumas County Sheriff: “Cline addressed the Dixie Fire and said that there are FEMA protocols in place that direct emergency response.” — Plumas News

• 68th Red Bluff Round-Up Parade shows big turnout despite rain: “The 68th annual Roundup Parade was a success with dozens of floats and crowd goers showing up despite the wet weather on Saturday morning.” — Red Bluff Daily News

• City breaks ground on Didar S. Bains Park: “Yuba City leaders broke ground Monday on the city’s next great park, Didar S. Bains Park, during a ceremony attended by several city and Sutter County officials and members of the Bains family, including Didar Bains, the park’s namesake.” — The Appeal-Democrat

• California man exonerated after 32 years in prison: “Joaquin Ciria, who is now 61, was arrested in 1990 and convicted of a shooting death in San Francisco based on false witness testimony and police misconduct, said San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who dismissed the case against Ciria on Monday after a judge overturned his conviction.” — The Associated Press

• 2022 Voter Guide: “Here’s what Californians need to know to prepare to vote in this year’s primary election on June 7.” — CalMatters

• Study: People with psychiatric illnesses face higher risk of breakthrough COVID — CapRadio (Headlines, April 18)
• Interview: California voters divided on top issues — CapRadio (Headlines, April 18)
• Medical experts warn against complacency as new COVID variant appears — ChicoSol
• Environmental groups say city must conduct environmental review before declaring riverfront land ‘surplus’ — Shasta Scout
• Portola man sentenced to life in state prison for child molestation —  Plumas News
• Potential hiking trail stuck in regulatory process between PG&E and FERC — Chico Enterprise-Record
• Red Bluff Round-Up crowns champions — Red Bluff Daily News
• Interim Planning Director resigns — The Trinity Journal
• DA: 3 of 6 dead in Sacramento shooting were in gang dispute — The Associated Press

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