North State

The California State Association of Counties hosted a conference on Thursday to discuss disaster recovery, prevention and needs with several county representatives. Also, a new plan to address homelessness in the state stresses accountability at the local level, and Cal Fire is looking for input from the public regarding new fire severity zone maps.

For decades, Secure Rural Schools Act funds have been given to districts with large swaths of federal land that can't be taxed or developed. But now those funds could be cut off, leaving many districts strapped for cash.

Many of Chico’s yield signs will be converted to stop signs by April. Also, bees pollinate orchard crops but there are fewer this year and that could be a problem for almond producers, and Chico Marketplace is accepting donations of formal wear for high school students.

The Trump administration says it plans to fire 70,000 Veterans Affairs (VA) employees and that doesn’t sit well with veterans who depend on the medical care the VA delivers. Also, the man guilty of burning down Bidwell Mansion in Chico appeared in court yesterday and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and three cancer treatment centers in Redding are being consolidated into a central location. The Sierra Pacific Regional Cancer Center just broke ground, and plans to open in summer 2026.

Catalyst, a local nonprofit serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, say they haven’t been impacted by federal funding freezes yet. However, services could be at risk if the freezes go through.

Police chiefs in the North State have different approaches to assisting with potential deportations. Also, homeowners impacted by the Dixie Fire can receive financial assistance from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, and many Chico residents feel unsafe walking at night due to a lack of street lamps, but some advocates say steps need to be taken to keep our skies dark at night.

One North State ecological reserve is using its nearly 8,000 acre property in the Park Fire burn scar to create a prototype for sustainable wildfire recovery in California.

To learn more about these poets, click on their names.

There have been reported sightings of ICE agents across the North State on social media. But local organizations and law enforcement agencies report most are likely false alarms. Also, Chico State President Steve Perez sent a message to the campus community last week in response to worries about the school’s fiscal situation amid a freeze on federal funding, and the second manual snow survey of the season measured 22 inches of snow depth, only 46 percent of average for the location near Echo Summit.

There have been reported sightings of Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents across the North State. Local organizations report that most are likely false alarms, but fears and anxieties remain high for residents.