Covid-19

Ronnie Dean Stout II pleaded not guilty in court yesterday to Park Fire arson charges. Also, at Chico State's Fall Convocation, faculty and community members addressed students. Chico State's President highlighted increased admissions at the school. Mayor Andrew Coolidge also spoke in a video about the city’s homeless settlement agreement. And moderate to heavy rainfall is possible over the Park Fire burn scar today and tomorrow.

The city of Chico is looking into reports of potential contamination in water at its sanctioned alternative campsite for unhoused residents. Also, a fast-moving grassfire in Butte County yesterday prompted evacuations. Forward progress was quickly stopped, but Cal Fire says it’s another reminder to be ready to evacuate, and California has ordered insurance companies to keep policies in place for those affected by the Thompson Fire.

The city of Chico is being ordered to release information surrounding the 2017 police killing of Tyler Rushing. Also, health officials are urging the public to get vaccinated against the newest strains of COVID-19, and as a prolonged heat wave continues in the North State residents may struggle to pay their electricity bills.

Fire survivors finding it challenging to pay for building permits in Butte County could get some help from the board of supervisors. Also, part of Highway 70 may remain blocked for two more weeks after a rockslide, and the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that it will now dispatch emergency calls for all fire districts as well as law enforcement.

Part of Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon is still closed after a rockslide earlier this week. Also, cars and trucks made and sold in California would have to be equipped with technology preventing them from traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit under a new bill in the state Legislature, and Californians have relied on the hotline to get same-day prescriptions of Paxlovid — the medication that treats COVID-19. When the hotline shuts down, this easy access will come to an end too.

California relaxed its COVID-19 isolation guidelines just as infections for the respiratory virus increased. Symptom-free people can go to work or school.

The Chico City Council called an emergency meeting over the weekend regarding Safe Space winter shelter. The meeting comes after Safe Space moved its intake center to the city’s “Our Hands” sculpture on Friday night due to receiving a fine for using the former 7-Eleven downtown. Also, some residents have had close calls walking or biking through intersections in downtown Chico that don’t have crosswalk signals but Caltrans says more will be installed this summer, and the Butte County Board of Supervisors will vote on accepting grants that would be used to hire year-round defensible space inspectors.

An ongoing study is giving unhoused people $750 a month with no strings attached. A professor who helped create the trial told NSPR that so far the payments have helped many participants in Los Angeles meet their basic needs. Also, according to the CDC Wastewater Data Tracker cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in Butte County, and the city of Chico is removing 28 trees to make way for construction on the Esplanade.

Over the next four years, a handful of school districts in Butte County will see more mental health professionals and support thanks to a federal grant.

A $4 million grant to fund mental health care in underserved school districts was received by the Butte County Office of Education. The funding will go toward more mental health professionals and support for students. Also, Safe Space’s low-barrier emergency shelter in Chico is about to start for the winter. The nonprofit has announced its new intake center will be at the former 7-Eleven building on Main Street, and if you’re wanting to get a note to Santa you might want to head to downtown Chico. Santa has received hundreds of letters from kids thanks to mailboxes located at six downtown businesses.