News

Work resumed Wednesday morning on the major flood protection project along the Feather River in southern Butte County that was delayed several months after the discovery of Native America artifacts during construction.

The message is simple: leave the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air this year, to the pros.

With North State forests and grasslands seemingly as parched as the Mojave, traditional Independence Day revelry runs the risk of sparking devastating wildfires.

“Every year we have fires up and down the state of California started by fireworks, whether they be illegal fireworks or even the safe and sane product when not used correctly can start a fire,” says Tonya Hoover, the California state fire marshal.

Some holders of highly coveted “senior” water rights received some unwelcome and unprecedented news late Friday — they’re officially in the same boat as everyone else.

For the first time, water rights dating as far back as the mid-19th century are being curtailed. Citing drought conditions, the State Water Quality Control Board told 11 entities, including the operators of three canals and two irrigation districts to stop taking water from the San Joaquin River and its tributaries.

All of the new restrictions are south of the Delta.

A man who police say recently robbed two Chico banks and possibly one in Paradise has been arrested.

According to a press release, officer Kevin Hass was making a routine patrol through the parking lot of a local motel and saw a man he thought matched the description of the suspect. The man, identified as Joe Federico Nunez Martinez of Salinas, was arrested on an outstanding warrant and later was linked to the bank robberies, the latest of which was the Rabobank on East Avenue yesterday.