2013 Columns Archive Stories

The California Budget Project has come out with yet another report slamming the state's program of Enterprise Zone tax credits. And this one actually mentions Yuba-Sutter. The new report arrives when the Legislature is again trying to figure out how to get more bang for the buck from the program, which is supposed to stimulate ec

Oh, Yuba County, you provide such an inviting target. The latest hit comes from blogger Daniel Weintraub in his post last month about how California can be so rich and so poor at the same time. You've heard it before: They're rich on the coast and poor inland, with a few exceptions. Weintraub's blog noted that educational

Bold may not be the word you would apply to the Marysville City Council. You wouldn't expect much leadership from the electeds in this part of California. But when an issue lands in your lap, and you still screw it up, well, that's amazing. Such was the case with the rate increase sought by CalWater, your monopoly water p

Do you ever feel sorry for that Indian tribe in Butte County? You know who they are, the Enterprise Rancheria. They had big dreams a decade ago when they arrived on the scene with promises of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars for the downtrodden governments in Yuba County. That was then, and now it's just a mess.

It was a moment in history that went by in a flash. You may have missed it. Here's your chance to relive the moment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly compilation of metropolitan area employment and unemployment. And in the fourth paragraph was this stunning revelation: "Yuba City, Calif., had the largest over-t

Now that the fluoride debate is over in Olivehurst, it's time to get some real facts, albeit too late. The Congressional Research Service issued a report last month about fluoride, noting the pros and cons. "The fluoridation of drinking water often generates both strong support and opposition within communities. This practice is

Who left the water running in the Sutter County Probation Department? It turns out it was nobody. The pipes froze. That's the report county supervisors received recently when they were asked to approve payment of $100,000 worth of emergency repairs. The incident happened on Jan. 13, according to a report by Public Works D

If you looked at the Yuba City Police Department's website earlier this month, and if you were trying to find out what was going on, you would have learned about the Breast Cancer Race for Awareness. The 2012 Breast Cancer Race for Awareness. Yes, if you wondered what all that shooting was on Plumas Street — the 20, or 30,

There's definitely a difference between Rep. John Garamendi and your former congressman, Wally Herger. Garamendi loves to talk on the floor of the House of Representatives. And talk. And talk. And talk. Herger was more of a church mouse, but Garamendi will talk your ear off. Take March 19, for example. The

That was quite a controversy they had going in Sutter County about solar panels. Last Sunday's Forum page was filled with letters pro and con, but mostly con. What was all the fuss about? Loss of views of the precious Sutter Buttes? Loss of "prime" farmland? An effort to stop development? A battle against evil invaders fr

When it comes to comparisons, Yuba-Sutter tends not to do very well. When you compare this area to other areas, it can get downright embarrassing. But in one recent comparison, Yuba-Sutter came out on top. However, the comparison was with Butte County. The Chico News and Review, an excellent weekly that never saw

When she's not introducing gun control laws, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is aiming at Indian casinos. And she gets some of her ammo from Yuba County. On March 6, Feinstein reintroduced her Tribal Gaming Eligibility Act, which will cut down on reservation shopping by tribes. To bolster her point, Feinstein cited the cases of

It's time for an update on one of your favorite Yuba College administrators, Al Alt. Alt departed Yuba in June when his position as vice chancellor was eliminated. He had arrived in 2003. His tenure was marked by a few controversies, but Alt always managed to survive, until he didn't. What became of him? The news filtered

Let's not move too fast on this one, Yuba-Sutter. You don't want to get out over your skis. And so, with great deliberation, Yuba and Sutter counties, and three of the cities, slog ahead to prepare a regional habitat conservation plan. One has to wonder why they even bother. This process, begun in 2001, seems no closer to ending.

Those "state of" stories have provided an important overview about Yuba-Sutter. But sometimes, they raise more questions than they answer. Take the Feb. 11 pieces about Yuba City in which Mayor John Buckland said: "The debt on Gauche Aquatic Park must be paid directly by the taxpayers of Yuba City. "This is a negative imp

Hordes of tourists will pull Yuba-Sutter out of its economic funk. At least that's what they're betting on in Yuba City, where the City Council allocated $210,000 to the Chamber of Commerce's latest — and greatest — plan to draw those money-spending outsiders to the greater Yuba-Sutter area. How's it gone so far?

They talk a lot about economic development in Yuba-Sutter. But what are they doing about it? There was a burst of excitement recently about a glove factory coming to Yuba County. And how about tourism? How about real jobs and real innovation? The Brookings Institution this month issued a report that measured innovation in

You may occasionally see items in the Sunday paper labeled "military briefs." They're short items about local residents who have undergone basic training as they begin their military career. Some of these briefs have photos. Back in November 2006, this newspaper ran this item: "Air Force Airman Daniel W. Ball, son of Kari Hall of

Sometimes numbers do tell a story when it comes to crime statistics. Last Sunday, this paper ran a piece on the state of the justice system in Yuba County. How are they doing? One statistic that wasn't mentioned is the "clearance rate." You can find that statistic on the state Attorney General's Office website, which provides cle

A few weeks ago, this column noted the former police chief at UC Berkeley grew up in Sutter County. So it's only fair to go from a cop to a judge. How about David Herrick? At 64, Herrick just retired from the bench in Lake County. And, yes, he, too, comes from Sutter County, according to a recent story in the Lake County

There are nightmares, and then there are really bad nightmares. According to a Bay Area newspaper, a really bad nightmare involves the Yuba County Jail. The San Mateo County Times, in a story last month, reported on the travails of Jesus Ruiz Diego, an illegal immigrant who was scooped up by US authorities. But Diego's st

When a story lands in your lap, you have to use it. Such was the case with an article that appeared late last month in the Oakland Tribune, noting the departure of Mitch Celaya as the police chief at UC Berkeley, where he served for 30 years, the last four as chief. His new job is chief in sleepy Calistoga, where the political activism i