Almost every day, we survey stories being published by newsrooms in 10 California counties to include in our News Digest. This practice gives us a uniquely advantageous view of trends in the news. Over the past year, we’ve witnessed big changes throughout the state, and today we present a quick look at a handful of some important ways California's civic landscape is shifting.
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By Eric Johnson
Published Dec 30, 2024
Water, and the complex infrastructure required to quench California's thirst, remained a key issue in 2024.
Image credit: Photo by Daniel Parks
CC BY-NC 2.0
The Trending Stories of 2024
Homelessness and Lawlessness
While most Californians continue to express compassion for their unhoused neighbors, for folks experiencing substance-abuse issues, and for the conditions that can lead a person to get in trouble with the police, we saw evidence in 2024 that may people's tolerance for disorder has worn thin. Squalid encampments, overdose epidemics, and thieving mobs led to a tipping point this year.
In the past couple of weeks, local officials began enforcing mandates created by Proposition 36, which made certain property and drug crimes felonies. At the same time, addicts who have been arrested multiple times are being sent to CARE courts. Two new phrases entered the public conversation: “forced treatment" and “coercive compassion."
From our archives, here’s how this legal and social shift occurred.
Newsom’s Prop 1: Revolution or Return to Reason?
Prop 1 was designed to help unhoused people get off the streets by forcing them into treatment. That’s one reason it took two weeks of vote-counting to pass.
Proposition 36, AB 2943 & 1179: California Cracks Down On Crime
Californians are fed up with flash-mob shoplifting, smash-and-grab theft, and an alarming uptick in Fentanyl deaths.
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El Dorado County's Homepage |
| Direct your browser to https://eldorado.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and El Dorado County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community! | |
Dams and the Tunnel
One of our favorite stories of the year came in October from our friends at Local News Matters. It deals with the most durable controversy in the state of California (and throughout the American West)—the use and abuse of our most valuable resource.
In this piece, the writer, podcaster, and video storyteller Ruth Dusseault places a troubling fact at the heart of her story: At the same time that a terrible water shortage is destroying California’s salmon fishery and threatening ecological and economic collapse, farmers are replacing drought-tolerant crops with almonds and other heavy water-users. This (and the still-growing poulation of Southern California) necessitates the construction of the most ambitious water project in human history.
Dusseault’s story, and Chris Neklason’s round up of news about dams throughout the state, deal with one of our favorite topics: resilience, and the infrastructure required to help our state thrive and grow.
From Local News Matters: Water War on the Delta
“This is a local story about a global issue, the future of water. In a three-part series of field reports and podcasts, Bay City News reporter Ruth Dusseault looks at the tunnel’s stakeholders, its engineering challenges, and explores the preindustrial Delta and its future restoration."
The Ups and Downs of California Dams
We check in on efforts to raise some dams in the state to store more water, and to raze some dams to to let water run free.
Recipe of the Week
Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.
See more recipes in their Taste Winter! cookbook.
Persimmons put seasonal twist on California favorite
New! Persimmon date-walnut tea bread uses super-ripe fruit
Get to Know a Group
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Golden Empire Council |
The Golden Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America pursues the mission of this national organization to “instill values in young people and prepare them to make ethical choices during their lifetimes, to take leadership roles as adults, and to reach their full potential.”
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From Our Media Allies |
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Reduced Speed Limits Now in Effect in Areas of South Lake Tahoe |
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New speed limits are now in effect on several sections of city streets within the City of South Lake Tahoe. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department will begin enforcing these changes to enhance road safety for all users. |
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Matt Hedges Named Chief of Staff to County Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez |
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Today, Sacramento County Supervisor-elect Rosario Rodriguez has officially announced that she has selected Matt Hedges as her new Chief of Staff. Hedges, an experienced public servant with deep roots in Sacramento politics, starts in his role today. |
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Presentation to Supervisors Highlights Biomass Possibilities |
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The final El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting in 2024 featured discussions of clean energy, wood utilization and rural community development among other related issues. Continued from its Sept. 24, session, the agenda explored several ongoing projects taking place … |
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‘It’s a Once in a Lifetime Kind of Change’: Sustainability Office Brings Major Energy Upgrades and More Electric Vehicle Chargers to Tahoe |
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Sustainability in South Lake Tahoe had a major win with the three-cart system in 2024, helping to further prevent food waste in the community. But Sara Letton, sustainability coordinator for the city of South Lake Tahoe, said that 2024 was … |
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Preparing for ‘The Big One’: How Computer Modeling Can Help Cities Plan for Massive Floods |
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Nearly 30 years ago, unseasonably warm rains melted the snowpack in the Truckee, Carson, and Walker Rivers, bursting over their banks and eventually covering almost 64,000 acres of land over the course of three days. |
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What Happens After a Wildfire Is Put Out?: A Caldor Fire Example |
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After burning for 60 days and dropping into the Tahoe Basin within that time, the Caldor Fire reached 100% containment on Oct. 21, 2021, yet work related to the over 220,000 acre fire was far from over. |
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SMUD Partners With Scout Troops to Recycle Local Christmas Trees |
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Give your Christmas tree the proper holiday send-off. Instead of tossing it in the trash, recycle it. You’ll be doing our local landfills a big favor and in some cases, helping local your charity at the same time. |
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Training to Save Lives Together: The Vital Partnership of Malea Jordan and Her Avalanche Dog, Ripp |
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When Malea Jordan, a ski patroller and search-and-rescue avalanche dog handler at Northstar California, first got her avalanche dog Ripp, he was so small he could fit inside her ski helmet. |
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New Book Delves Into Tahoe Geology |
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A new book by award-winning author and 50-year Lake Tahoe resident David C. Antonucci brings the reader comprehensive and understandable coverage of Tahoe's ancient, diverse, and complex geology. |
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A Tiny Solution for a Big Housing Problem in Tahoe |
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To most people, having a mother-in-law unit or guest house on their property would be considered a luxury, something not very common in the Tahoe region. But what if there were more guest houses built here, where local workers could … |
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Heavenly Mountain Resort Helps Bread & Broth Feed the Community |
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During 2024, Heavenly Mountain Resort hosted six Bread & Broth Adopt A Day of Nourishments thanks to Vail's Epic Promise Grant. The Vail grant funds are awarded annually to non-profits in the communities where Vail Resorts are located, and Bread … |
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Recent Local News |
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• How to Recycle Your Christmas Tree in South Lake Tahoe
Use this short guide to dispose of your Christmas tree in South Lake Tahoe through January 9.
(12/29/2024) → South Tahoe Now• Supervisors Consider Biomass Plant
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors were given a presentation by the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment about their biomass plant projects in Plumas County. Read on to learn more.
(12/27/2024) → Mountain Democrat• Study Opens Exploring How to Deter Mountain Lions
Read on to learn about the study of nonlethal means of protecting livestock from mountain lions underway by a coalition of universities and government agencies and how livestock owners can apply to participate.
(12/27/2024) → Mountain Democrat• Mosquito Bridge Damaged By Vehicle, Again.
For the second time this year, Mosquito Bridge in Placerville has been damaged by a vehicle on December 22, the first time being October 29. Read on to learn more about the results of an inspection by county officials and next steps.
(12/25/2024) → Mountain Democrat• Soroptimists Hold 20th Annual Holiday Luncheon and Auction
Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe held the 20th annual holiday luncheon and auction, raising $10,000 for scholarships and program benefitting young women. Read on to learn more and enjoy photos from the ugly sweater contest.
(12/24/2024) → South Tahoe Now|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• Protect Your Cats from Bird Flu
Following news of the death of pet cats from eating bird flu infected raw food or raw milk, CapRadio has information about how to protect your feline friends.
(12/26/2024) → CapPublicRadio• Legal Battles and Funding Woes: California Housing 2024 Year in Review
California officials continued to fight with cities that don’t want to build more housing and everyone struggled to find more money to pay for new housing.
(12/26/2024) → CalMatters• California’s Economy of Ups, Downs and Uncertainty: 2024 Year in Review
Despite a budget deficit and continued high costs, there was good news and bad news for the California economy in 2024. The next year will depend in part on what the Trump administration does.
(12/26/2024) → CalMatters• California Stiffened Penalties for Theft — And More Changes Are Coming
Californians accused of certain drug and retail theft crimes may already be facing stiffer penalties under an initiative voters passed this year, alongside related bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law.
(12/26/2024) → CalMatters• New Law Doubles Eviction Response Time, Giving California Tenants Leeway to Fight Back
Tenant advocates suffered a big defeat this fall when California voters decided against expanding cities’ ability to limit rent increases. But a state law set to take effect Jan. 1 will give renters facing eviction a little more breathing room.
(12/26/2024) → Local News Matters• Community Volunteer Program Helping Reach Zero Recidivism Among Parolees in California
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS ARE proving that they play a vital role when it comes to public safety in California. The California Reentry Institute, directed by Collette Carroll to help potential parolees, has graduated more than 230 incarcerated individuals in San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.
(12/26/2024) → Local News Matters• Number of Registered Lobbyists Jumps to a Record High in California
The increase in lobbyists means there’s now at least one lobbyist for every legislative staff member.
(12/26/2024) → CalMatters• 2024 Year in Review: How Did California Pay for Everything?
The California state budget has been a rollercoaster over the past few years. Big deficits generally mean cutting plans and programs.
(12/25/2024) → CalMatters• Get Up to Speed Fast on These New California Laws Taking Effect in 2025
Here are some of the most noteworthy 2025 laws that go into effect on Jan. 1.
(12/25/2024) → CalMatters• Most Medical Debt Can No Longer Hurt Your Credit Score Under New California Law
A new state law will keep medical debt off your credit report, sparing a hit to your all-important credit score. This is a big deal for California where millions struggle with unpaid medical bills. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.
(12/25/2024) → CalMatters|
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Government Announcements |
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United States (12/27/2024) Braga Fresh Issues Voluntary and Precautionary Advisory Due to Possible Health Risk |
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Soledad, Calif. - Dec. 27, 2024 - Braga Fresh is voluntarily issuing a precautionary advisory of a single production lot of washed and ready-to-eat 12oz Marketside Broccoli Florets with best if used by date.
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United States (12/27/2024) Gardners Candies Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Tree Nuts in Cappuccino Meltaway® Bars and Gardners Meltaway Treat Boxes Containing Cappuccino Meltaway Bars |
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Gardners Candies of Tyrone, PA is recalling its 1.25 ounce packages of Gardners Candies brand Cappuccino Meltaway Bars because they may contain undeclared tree nuts (cashews). People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to tree nuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction
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United States (12/20/2024) Lidl Recalls Taste of Deutschland Buttered Vegetables Due to Undeclared Milk Allergens |
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DECEMBER 20, 2024 - Lidl US is recalling all lots of their Taste of Deutschland Buttered Vegetables 10.5 oz box UPC 4 056489 122876 due to undeclared milk allergen. The recall was issued due to undeclared milk in the products. People who have allergies to milk run the risk of serious or life-threate
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United States (12/20/2024) Recall of Jose Madrid Salsa Chipotle Con Queso |
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Jose Madrid Salsa is announcing a voluntary recall of our Chipotle Con Queso Salsa. The salsa is being recalled because it contains Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, which were not listed on the ingredient label. Individuals who are allergic or sensitive to Yellow 5 or Yellow 6 run the risk of minor to serious
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United States (12/20/2024) Impero Foods & Meats, Inc. Recalls Raw Pork Sausage Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection |
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2024 - Impero Foods & Meats, Inc., a Baltimore, Md. establishment, is recalling approximately 7,485 pounds of raw pork sausage products that were produced without the benefit...
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United States (12/20/2024) Ralph's Packing Company Recalls Ready-To-Eat Pork and Beef Bologna Products Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen |
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2024 - Ralph's Packing Company, a Perkins, Okla. establishment, is recalling approximately 3,132 pounds of ready-to-eat pork and beef bologna products due to misbranding and an undeclared...
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United States (12/19/2024) Orgain Issues Voluntary Allergy Alert on Possible Undeclared Peanut Residue in a Single Batch of 30G Protein Organic Plant Based Powder - Chocolate 2.01lb |
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Orgain of Irvine, California is voluntarily recalling a single batch of its 30g Protein Organic Plant Based Powder - Chocolate 2.01lb because it may contain undeclared peanut residue. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts may run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic
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United States (12/19/2024) Nail Factory Recalls Ineligible Frozen Siluriformes Fish Products Imported From Vietnam |
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2024 - NAIL Factory, the importer of record, located in Huntington Beach, Calif., is recalling approximately 1,635 pounds of ineligible frozen Siluriformes fish products that were produced...
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City of South Lake Tahoe (12/17/2024) Join us for our 2nd Annual Winter Operations Open House on Saturday, January 11. |
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United States (12/16/2024) Frito-Lay Issues Limited Recall on Undeclared Milk in Lay's Classic Potato Chips Distributed in Oregon and Washington |
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December 16, 2024 - Frito-Lay today issued a recall of a limited number of 13 oz. bags of Lay's Classic Potato Chips that may contain undeclared milk, after being alerted through a consumer contact. Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening al
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