North State

Chico State will host a two-day symposium dedicated to making communities more resilient and better adapted to wildfires.

There have been 15 confirmed or probable wolf attacks on livestock so far this year. Increasing wolf populations are celebrated by advocates, but can cause problems for farmers.

Dozens of residents from around the North State are showing up to Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s office in Chico to picket outside on Fridays. At their latest gathering, protestors indicated frustration over not being able to reach the representative.

It’s National Brain Injury Awareness Month. A group in Chico says brain injuries impact more people than you might think. Also, Chico State will host a two-day symposium dedicated to making communities more resilient and adaptive to wildfires, and the Red Bluff campsite for the unhoused will close soon.

The Secure Rural Schools act historically helped fund school districts with large swaths of federal land that can't be taxed or developed. They weren't renewed by the federal government, leaving many districts with huge funding gaps.

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.