The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Friday, June 24.
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, reversing Roe v. Wade, the court’s five-decade-old decision that guaranteed a woman’s right to obtain an abortion. Read the full story.
Trustee for PG&E wildfire victims announces departure
The trustee for a more than $13 billion fund set up to compensate Pacific Gas and Electric wildfire victims is stepping down.
Retired Judge John K. Trotter said in a public statement he only ever intended to oversee the Fire Victim Trust for two years and that he'll be leaving the post next week.
Trotter has faced frequent criticism for the performance of the trust, which was set up in 2020 as part of PG&E's exit from bankruptcy. The biggest complaint: The trust's payouts have been slow and its expenses have been high.
Trotter has pointed to the complexity of processing claims filed by nearly 70,000 fire survivors as a major factor in delaying payments.
The trust faces an ongoing challenge turning PG&E stock it holds into the cash needed to pay the fire victims.
— Dan Brekke (KQED), The California Report
Paradise resident honored for having 1st ‘Wildfire Prepared Home’
Safety experts have unveiled a new standard for hardening California homes from fires.
The standard is a collaboration between insurance industry groups, Cal Fire and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Standing in front of her newly rebuilt home in Paradise, which was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire, Casey Taylor held a framed certificate honoring her for having the first certified “Wildfire Prepared Home.”
“I’m a longtime Paradise resident. I love this community so much, and I’m so happy to see it be able to build back safer,” Taylor said.
To meet this designation, Taylor’s home — including its roof, windows, deck and vents — is resistant to flames and embers. Nothing flammable is within 5 feet of the home.
Listen to the full story in today’s Headlines.
— Danielle Venton (KQED), The California Report
Lightning strikes can smolder for days or weeks before turning into a wildfire
Dry lightning over the Sierra Nevada the last few days — including a slight chance for thunderstorms in the northern Sierra Saturday — is causing concern for new fire starts, which can take days to ignite after a strike.
“What’s interesting about thunderstorm ignitions is they can sometimes dwell and hold over for multiple days,” said Matthew Elliot, warning coordination meteorologist for NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center.
While all thunderstorms don’t lead to ignitions, Elliot said when they do, it can be surprising how long lightning strikes can smolder.
“You can have a holdover that’s 10, 14 days from when the ignition occurred,” he said. “Then all of a sudden you have a windy, low relative humidity day come up and all of a sudden you have a fire that develops.”
North State residents should always be wary after thunderstorms, Elliot said, especially when conditions are dry.
— Sarah Bohannon, NSPR
California lawmakers respond to Supreme Court gun decision
Some elected officials in California issued a strong response to Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a New York gun permit law, which required what is called “proper cause” to obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm in public.
“Instead of upholding a law that has kept our communities safe, the U.S. Supreme Court has opted to expose our communities — our communities in California and across the nation — to further violence and fear,” said Assemblymember Mia Bonta, who represents Oakland and other parts of the East Bay.
The Supreme Court’s decision does allow states some latitude. California legislators are working on a measure to be heard next week that will specify where concealed firearms cannot be carried and also clarifies qualifications for getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Read more about the decision.
— CapRadio Staff
Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.
In other news
- Chico PD releases annual report: “After a two-year hiatus, the Chico Police Department is back to publishing an annual report on the city’s crime statistics as well as information on the department itself.” — Chico Enterprise-Record
- Legal Services gets $154,032 to help wildfire victims: “Redding-based Legal Services of Northern California has been awarded $154,032 to deliver legal services to low-income people who continue to be haunted by legal challenges years after being impacted by wildfires in 2020 and 2021.” — Redding Record Searchlight
- Public Health youth center in Quincy to close: “The Plumas County Public Health Agency announced today that it will permanently close the youth center located in downtown Quincy on July 1.” — Plumas News
- Pandemic perspectives: More than 1-in-3 Californians’ views on COVID rules remain unchanged, 2 years on, study reveals: “1-in-3 Californians have lost friends due to disagreements over COVID rules, and 61 percent think if there were to be another pandemic, Americans would be more divided on ways of dealing with the virus in terms of related regulations.” — Lassen County Times
- Tehama County Supervisors adopt work-in-progress budget: “While some assembly may still be required, the Tehama County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to adopt the recommended budget for fiscal year 2022-2023.” — Red Bluff Daily News
In case you missed it
- High school graduation rates lag behind state in Glenn, Trinity counties — NSPR (Headlines, June 23)
- Dry lightning poses fire risk in far northern parts of the Sierra Nevada today — NSPR (Headlines, June 23)
- Head of California wildfire victim trust fund resigns — The Associated Press
- Comanche Creek Greenway selected as next area of camping enforcement — Chico Enterprise-Record
- Why the Pit River Bridge on I-5 may be replaced — Redding Record Searchlight
- Plumas Youth Undivided invites public to a Pride event this Friday at the courthouse — Plumas News
- Red Bluff alleyway named Historic Chinatown District — Red Bluff Daily News
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