Michael Fitzgerald: Rising tide of litigation for Delta – Good rivers attract people. Bad rivers attract attorneys. That being so, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta is not only the largest freshwater estuary on the Pacific Coast, it is a whitewater boil of litigation.That came home this week. A sportfishing group and a south Valley coalition of water-takers - excuse me, of farmers - both announced they will sue the city of Stockton. Fitzgerald column
Senate committee changes could make high-speed rail less attractive to Valley – A high-speed rail bond remains on track for a November statewide vote, but late changes might not appeal to as many valley voters. A California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee majority on Tuesday rebuffed a Republican charge to remove from the November ballot a $5 billion bond measure providing seed money for 225 mph bullet trains between San Francisco and Anaheim. But members also voted to focus solely on that main line, with no money left for others, such as the Altamont corridor. Modesto Bee article
Kern's property valued at $84.1 billion – Despite a battered housing market, the taxable value of Kern County property is up for the fiscal year beginning July 1, in large part due to new construction of oil and gas wells and production facilities, Assessor-Recorder Jim Fitch said in a news release Thursday. Kern County's taxable property value increased 5.6 percent from last year to $84.1 billion, Fitch reports. Bakersfield Californian article
Kern number one for strokes, but hospital programs responding – The county ranked No. 1 for stroke incidence with 5.2 percent of residents having reported suffering a stroke, according to the 2005 California Health Interview Survey, a report done by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The state average was 2.3 percent. In May, San Joaquin's stroke center received national certification from The Joint Commission, which is widely considered the gold standard in health care. It is the first certified stroke program in Kern County and the only one in the Central Valley, according to the commission's Web site. Bakersfield Californian article
Saint Agnes infection control plan released – Saint Agnes Medical Center will hire more infection-control staff and aggressively monitor surgeries to convince state health officials that an outbreak of infections among cardiac-surgery patients won't happen again. The plan, released Thursday, is part of the hospital's attempt to get its beleaguered cardiac surgery unit reopened. But it remains unclear when surgeries will resume. Fresno Bee article
Stockton Record: High cost of health – If you want to know a major reason why medical costs are soaring, look no farther than California Street and Harding Way in Stockton. St. Joseph's Medical Center's new, 78-bed Patient Pavilion is going up almost as quickly as its cost. Stockton Record editorial
Jim Boren: Would it save gas to slow down? – Gas is now approaching $5 a gallon, but I have my doubts that people will slow down, especially to a turtle-like 55 mph. They drive 55 in school zones, talking on their cell phones, with a flat tire, and intoxicated. Fifty-five on the freeway? No way. Boren blog – scroll to item
High gas prices create a mass-transit boomlet, maybe a trend – America's days as an automobile nation are far from over. But the specter of high gas prices becoming permanent has forced the nation to reassess its "Yeah, right" attitude toward public transportation and to reconsider how Americans get from point A to point B. Sacramento Bee article
Kern fire grows to 16,000 acres – By Thursday evening, the fire had charred more than 2,500 additional acres, bringing the total to 16,461 acres, according to a fire command spokesman. However, firefighters continued to keep the flames away from homes and ranches in the area. As of Thursday, only six outbuildings and one abandoned cabin had been damaged or destroyed. The fire was 18 percent contained. Bakersfield Californian article
Kern foreclosures surge in first half of year – Kern County has been inundated by property foreclosures during the first six months of 2008, with totals already surpassing last year's record-breaking numbers by more than 1,000, Kern County Recorder's office statistics show. Bakersfield Californian article
$20 million grant to aid 'smart growth' in southeast Fresno – With $20 million of grant money in hand, the developer of Fancher Creek can now move forward with plans for hundreds of apartments atop shops and restaurants in the mixed-use project in southeast Fresno. Ed Kashian said he's only waiting for approval of a development agreement with city officials. Then, he'll start work on the $400 million community that incorporates housing, shopping and businesses. Such "smart-growth" planning is designed to reduce driving and air pollution, and is a more efficient use of land. Fresno Bee article
Lodi redevelopment approved – Despite the mayor's objections and the vow of a small group of citizens to oppose the process, Lodi's City Council voted Wednesday to begin redeveloping the eastern half of the city. Beginning in January, more than 2,000 city acres will be designated a redevelopment area, meaning that the city will keep a larger share of the property tax in that section. In turn, the tax money will be used for various revitalizing projects, such as improved sidewalks, roads and parks. Lodi News-Sentinel article
Samples positive for West Nile in Tulare – The Delta Vector Control District confirmed Thursday that four recent mosquito samples have tested positive for the West Nile virus. The test mark the seventh confirmation of the presence of the virus in Visalia this year, said Yolanda Lourenco, assistant manager of the Delta Vector Control District. Visalia Times-Delta article
No deal yet for Stockton Unified, potential superintendent – Negotiations between Stockton Unified School District and prospective superintendent Tony Amato will remain unresolved through the holiday weekend, but members of the Board of Education privately expressed optimism Thursday night that they may be nearing an agreement. Stockton Record article
Merced labor contractor reopens, then is shut down again – The company that employed the 17-year-old girl who died of a heat stroke has been shut down by the state for a second time after briefly reopening. Merced Farm Labor sent its laborers back to the fields this past week after it proved to Cal-OSHA that it met all heat protection requirements. The agency had shut the company down in mid-June because it wasn't making sure that all employees received heat training. Merced Sun-Star article
Turlock Web site is pushing green solutions – Turlock is going green this week with a new Web site offering ways to conserve water, recycle and cash in on energy rebates. The city's municipal services department came up with 100 ways to "go green" in honor of the 100-year anniversary of Turlock's incorporation as a city in 1908. Modesto Bee article
Charities see drop in giving – Charitable giving declined in the first quarter of this year, according to a bellwether study by a consulting firm for nonprofit agencies. It's the first decline since 2005, when charities collected record donations after the Indian Ocean tsunami and U.S. Gulf Coast hurricanes. It came as no surprise; charitable contributions generally track economic conditions. Sacramento Bee article
Stockton airport traffic grows -- Stockton Metropolitan Airport drew the highest number of passengers in June - with more the 4,300 passing through the boarding gate - since leisure-travel specialist Allegiant Air began offering service two years ago. Airport officials reported 3,068 travelers taking the airline's five-day-a-week flights to Las Vegas last month and another 1,260 flying to Phoenix/Mesa. As previously announced, Allegiant has now discontinued the Phoenix service. Stockton Record article
Veterans now have a new place to get help in Modesto – For 10 years, organizations lobbied the federal government to put a Vet Center in Modesto. On Thursday, the Modesto Vet Center finally was christened in an office building at 1219 N. Carpenter Road. Modesto Bee article
Merced nixes bonuses for retirement notice – The Merced County Board of Supervisors finalized a decision this week to scrap a controversial policy that gives bonuses to elected officials who provide at least one-year notice before leaving office. The board voted Tuesday to rescind the bonus, formalizing a tentative decision it made last month. Merced Sun-Star article
Delta, ExpressJet end flying agreement -- ExpressJet will stop flying as a carrier associated with Delta Air Lines as of Sept. 1, the two companies say. ExpressJet currently operates 23 aircraft for Delta on flights that primarily operate out of Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Delta says it intends to award a portion of this flying, including all routes currently operated by ExpressJet at its Salt Lake City hub, to another Delta Connection carrier, the name of which was not made public Thursday. Central Valley Business Times article