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By Eric Johnson
Published Jan 20, 2025

Edgar McGregor picking up trash on March 18, 2024 in Eaton Canyon. Ten months later, McGregor’s posts on Facebook saved a lot of lives as the Eaton Fire blazed through Altadena.
Edgar McGregor picking up trash on March 18, 2024 in Eaton Canyon. Ten months later, McGregor’s posts on Facebook saved a lot of lives as the Eaton Fire blazed through Altadena.

People Have the Power

Recognizing that today is both MLK Day and Inauguration Day, a fact that provides obvious opportunities to draw contrasts between Martin Luther King and Donald J. Trump, we choose instead to keep The Newsletter on message, which is to say local, and focused on solutions.  

Today we recognize two instances of people-power being exerted by a couple of ordinary heroes. The first you may have heard about—a young Altadena weather-watcher who mounted an effort on social media that saved a lot of people from possible fiery death. (As it happens, we know this guy.)

The second story is less-obviously heroic, but in this era of mass misinformation, the effort of another young man to counteract a campaign that could cripple smart development in the little city of Hollister is worth noting.

And in celebration of this issue's theme, dig this tune for our times from Patti Smith, singing one of the greatest small-d democratic anthems ever written— her own (you guessed it) “People Have the Power. This might be just the thing you need today.


Saving Lives and Fighting Lies

In LA County, a young meteorologist started a Facebook page to help his neighbors keep track of the weather. In San Benitio County, a student of land-use planning started a website to counteract misinformation (and incivility) on NextDoor. Sometimes, as they say, what happens online is happening In Real Life.  


Life and Death and Weather and Planning

Satellite image of Altadena before and after the Eaton Fire.
Raymond Martinez and Edgar McGregor are practitioners of the art of digital citizenship. As allies in this endeavor, we commend their righteous efforts.


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San Joaquin County's Homepage

Direct your browser to https://sanjoaquin.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and San Joaquin County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community!


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.


Serve season's oranges dressed for dinner -- or breakfast

Blood oranges deliver the eye-catching color in this plate of seasonal citrus. The lavender-lemon syrup, at upper right, is pretty, too.
Blood oranges and navels with a lavender-lemon syrup


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Chest of Hope logo Chest of Hope

Created in 2005 by friends and volunteers, Chest of Hope raises funds to support women and orphans who are suffering from domestic violence.

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From Our Media Allies

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Local News Matters Stockton logo Stockton City Hall’s New Security Procedures Add Weapon Screenings, Limit Meeting Entry

Starting this week, most people entering Stockton City Hall are now required to pass through security screening including a metal detector and inspection of bags and backpacks.Only uniformed, on-duty police and firefighters will be exempt from the procedures, which went …

Benito Link logo Cal Fire Warns About Scam Donation Requests

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) is alerting the public about fraudulent social media accounts impersonating Cal Fire and soliciting donations. Cal Fire does not solicit donations from the public, either in person or online.Additionally, all …

Local News Matters Stockton logo Where Are All the Eggs? Bird Flu’s Spread Not the Only Culprit in Crisis of Global Proportions

IF YOU HAVE tried to bake a cake recently, you might have had a hard time finding eggs. The empty shelves are a sign of the devastating impact of avian influenza, H5N1 or HPAI, on commercial poultry flocks in California.

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Recent Local News

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Manteca Police Chief States Immigrant Policy

The Chief of Police issued a statement that the department will follow state law in regards to immigration enforcement. Read on to learn more.

(01/21/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Manteca Sets New Home Permits Record

The recent explosive growth in the City of Manteca is demonstrated by the recent announcement that a record 1,306 permits for new housing were issued by the city in 2024. Read on to learn more.

(01/21/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Roof Issues Lead to Manteca Fire Station Closure

The Manteca fire station at Louise Avenue is closed while a roof issue from the last rain storm is addressed. Read on for more information about when the station will reopen.

(01/20/2025) Manteca Bulletin
San Joaquin County Hospital Go On Strike

On January 17, San Joaquin County Hospital nurses went on a one-day strike as contract talks stall. Read on for details.

(01/18/2025) LodiNews
Grant Funds New Ripon Fire Extrication Equipment

Read on to learn more about the grant awarded to the Ripon Consolidated Fire District by the California Office of Traffic Safety for the purchase of extrication equipment.

(01/17/2025) Manteca Bulletin
State Senator Representing San Joaquin County Appointed to Delta Protection Board

California State Senator Jerry McNerney, representing San Joaquin County and parts of Alameda County, has been appointed to the state Delta Protection Commission. Read on to learn more about the commission.

(01/17/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Supervisors to Mark 175th Anniversary of the Formation of San Joaquin County

Read on to learn how the founding of San Joaquin County 175 years ago was due to a huge land purchase for the price of ... $60 in groceries and a horse?

(01/17/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Enjoy Stockton Restaurant Week Through January 26

Make plans to enjoy some yum during Stockton Restaurant Week running through January 26. Stocktonia has the details.

(01/17/2025) Stocktonia
Tracy Rotary Celebrates 95 Years

Read on to learn more about how the Rotary Club of Tracy has worked for 95 years to make the community better.

(01/17/2025) Tracy Press
Spotlight on Pacific Gateway Development South of Tracy

On January 9, a community meeting was held to discuss the 1,577-acre Pacific Gateway project south of Tracy. Read on for details about the project and feedback from neighbors.

(01/17/2025) Tracy Press
Lodi Leaders Detail Fire Preparations

On January 15, City of Lodi detailed past and ongoing efforts to prevent a wildfire scenario like that in Southern California. Read on for details.

(01/17/2025) LodiNews
Give Your Input: Tracy Aquatics Center Project

The City of Tracy Parks, Recreation and Community Services department is seeking public input about the future Tracy Aquatics Center. Read on for information about the upcoming workshop and survey.

(01/17/2025) Tracy Press
Rate Increase Proposed to Fund Repairs to Manteca Water System

Read on for more information about a proposed rate increase to fund $30 million in upgrades to the Manteca water system.

(01/16/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Big League Dreams Sports Complex Upgrades Coming Soon

Read on for details about the upgrades coming to the Big League Dreams sports complex as part of a new lease agreement between the City of Manteca and operator Unrivaled Sports.

(01/16/2025) Manteca Bulletin
The Ripon Unified School District Superintendent Stepping Down

Read on for more information about the announced retirement of The Ripon Unified School District Superintendent Ziggy Roberson and a look back on her tenure.

(01/16/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Stockton Veterans Administration Clinic Wait Times Spur Change

Read on for information about how long wait times at a Stockton VA clinic led to a new national law to improve veteran health care.

(01/16/2025) Stocktonia
What's Funded by Manteca Special Taxes

A look at how the more than $2 million in special taxes collected in the last year by the City of Manteca will be spent.

(01/15/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Huge Active-Shooter Simulation At Local Campus

Read on to learn more about the huge active-shooter simulation which took place at a local high school campus involving public safety and first responder from agencies throughout the south San Joaquin Valley involving 270 people.

(01/14/2025) Manteca Bulletin
264 Apartments Proposed in Manteca

Read on for details about a proposed 264-unit apartment development on a 9.2-acre parcel on Yosemite Avenue in Manteca.

(01/14/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Manteca Looks Ahead to Homeless Navigation Center

Read on to learn more about the project to develop a homeless navigation center on an 8.1-acre parcel on South Main Street in Manteca.

(01/14/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Subdivision Proposed in Manteca

A subdivision of over 200 homes is being proposed for Sedan Avenue in Manteca. Read on to learn more about this project which would require an expansion of the city limits and annexation.

(01/14/2025) Manteca Bulletin
Update on New Manteca Police Station

Read on to learn about progress in the building of a new Manteca police station. expected to be completed in 2027.

(01/13/2025) Manteca Bulletin
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Recent Statewide News

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Will New Bond Funds Be Enough to Rebuild LA Schools — And All of California’s Other Crumbling Schools?

Some schools destroyed years ago in the Sonoma and Butte fires are just now reopening. The long, expensive process of rebuilding in LA may eat up much of the money voters approved in November for school repairs statewide.

(01/21/2025) CalMatters
Trump Takes Step to Overhaul Delta Water Deliveries to Farms, Cities

Trump apparently wants to override new Biden-Newsom rules that have widespread support among Southern California cities and some Central Valley farmers.

(01/21/2025) CalMatters
Resistance State: Tracking California’s Lawsuits Against the New Trump Administration

California’s Democratic leaders set aside tens of millions of dollars to challenge President Donald Trump’s executive orders and policies.

(01/21/2025) CalMatters
Trump’s New Executive Orders Target Policies Dear to CA

With assurances that “sunlight is pouring over the entire world,” President Donald Trump was sworn into office Monday for his second term. He wasted no time taking potshots at California.

(01/20/2025) CalMatters
Fact Check: Did Gavin Newsom Really Help Create 625,000 New Job Opportunities in California?

In 2018, Newsom promised to add 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. The state is making progress, but how much depends on the definition of “apprenticeship.”

(01/20/2025) CalMatters
As President Trump Declares a Border Emergency on Day 1, California’s Targeted Immigrants Lie Low

Along the California-Mexico border, immigrants at risk of deportation are seeking to live undetected through an unprecedented crackdown.

(01/20/2025) CalMatters
An oasis of peace survives Palisades wildfire

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(01/19/2025) Sacramento Digs Gardening
PG&E Receives $15 Billion Federal Loan

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(01/18/2025) The Mercury News
California Lags in Making Homes Fire Resistant

As wildfires ravage southern California, state mandated defensible space requirements legislated in 2020 haven't been encoded into enforceable regulations. Read on to learn why.

(01/17/2025) CapPublicRadio
More Funding Allocated to Raise San Luis Reservoir Dam

Read on for the latest progress in the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project to raise the dam at the San Luis Reservoir to add storage capacity.

(01/17/2025) San Joaquin Valley Sun
LA Fires Bring Scrutiny to Worker Safety, Private Firefighting

Describing the active wildfires in Southern California as a “catastrophe at an unprecedented scale,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas gathered with dozens of Assemblymembers on Thursday in Los Angeles to introduce new bills that seek to quicken rebuilding efforts and lift development restrictions.

(01/16/2025) CalMatters
LA Will Need Workers to Clean Up After Fires. It Can Be a Dangerous Job

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(01/16/2025) CalMatters
As LA Fires Destroy Homes, California’s Housing Crisis Is About to Get Worse

The wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles County communities have destroyed at least 10,000 homes so far and more are in the path of still-uncontrolled flames.

(01/16/2025) CalMatters
Private Firefighters Are Increasingly Popular With Insurers. But Do They Pose a Risk?

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(01/16/2025) CalMatters
LA Wildfires Could Clobber California Economy as State Recovers From a Pandemic Recession

Three days after immensely destructive and deadly wildfires broke out in and around Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a $322.3 billion state budget with a positive revenue forecast “based on an assumption of continued but slowing economic growth.”

(01/15/2025) CalMatters
Hardening Your Home Against Wildfires - Wildfire Proven

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(01/14/2025) The Sacramento Bee
CA Abandons Clean-Air Rules on Diesel Trucks

In a striking setback to reduce California’s air pollution but a win for trucking companies, state regulators have walked away from their ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

(01/14/2025) CalMatters
‘Literally Off the Charts’: LA’s Critically Dry Conditions Stun Scientists as Fires Rage

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(01/14/2025) CalMatters
How the LA Fires Could Exacerbate California’s Homelessness Crisis

Jennielynn Holmes stood in the middle of a make-shift evacuation center when the scope of the crisis hit her.

(01/14/2025) CalMatters
Newsom Committed California to Making Its Own Insulin. It’s at Least a Year Behind His Schedule

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(01/14/2025) CalMatters
New California Bill Would Block Trans Females From Playing in Girls’ Sports

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(01/14/2025) CalMatters
Presumptive Bird Flu Case Identified in San Francisco Child Who Has Since Recovered

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(01/13/2025) Local News Matters
Small California Schools Brace for Layoffs as Congress Slashes Funding for Rural Education

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(01/13/2025) CalMatters
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Government Announcements

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Image of United States seal. D. Coluccio & Sons, Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Almonds in "Colussi Cantuccini Chocolate Drops" Cookies
D. COLUCCIO & SONS, in is recalling its 300 gram packages of "Colussi Cantuccini Chocolate Drops" chocolate chip cookies because they may contain undeclared almonds.
United States   (01/20/2025)
Image of United States seal. Monkey Spit, LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk/Wheat/Soy in Monkey Spit BBQ Sauces
People who have allergies to milk/wheat/soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The three recalled "Monkey Spit BBQ Sauces" were distributed locally in retail stores on the central coast of California and through mail orders on our website:
United States   (01/17/2025)
Image of United States seal. Wismettac Asian Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk in Curvee Puffs Corn Puff Snack Curry Flavor
Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, CA is recalling 2.46 oz packages of Shirakiku brand Curvee Puffs Corn Puff Snack Curry Flavor. The product contains the undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reacti
United States   (01/17/2025)
Image of United States seal. Mutual Trading Co., Issues Allergy Alert Undeclared Milk in Prepared Monkfish Liver
New York Mutual Trading Co., Inc of Secaucus, NJ is recalling 7.05 oz of Prepared Monkfish Liver (Ankimobo) because the package label contains undeclared milk allergen. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk allergen run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if
United States   (01/15/2025)
Image of United States seal. Quaker Issues Limited Recall on Undeclared Milk in Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffle Mix Distributed in 11 States
January 14, 2025 - The Quaker Oats Company today issued a recall of a limited number of two pound boxes of Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffle Mix that may contain undeclared milk, after being alerted by a retail partner. Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk o
United States   (01/14/2025)
Image of State of California seal. Damon Connolly CA Assembly 12: Assemblymember Connolly Hosts Contest for New Bill Ideas
Assemblymember Connolly Hosts Contest for New Bill Ideas myreme Mon, 01/13/2025 - 12:46 Assemblymember Connolly invites residents of AD 12 to submit their ideas for new state legislation. Monday, January 13, 2025 SACRAMENTO, CA Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) is hosting his third official "There Ought to Be a Law" contest. This program allows residents of Assembly District 12 (AD12) …
State of California   (01/13/2025)
Image of United States seal. UP Products, LLC, DBA Meyer Wholesale Recalls Ready-To-Eat and Raw Sausage Products Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergen
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2025 - UP Products, LLC, doing business as Meyer Wholesale, a Ewen, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 400 pounds of sausage products due to misbranding and an...
United States   (01/13/2025)
Image of United States seal. Lifestyle Evolution Voluntarily Recalls NuGo Dark Chocolate Chip and NuGo Dark Pretzel Due to Undeclared Milk
Lifestyle Evolution Inc., is recalling select lots of NuGo Dark Chocolate Chip and Dark Chocolate Pretzel nutrition bars because they may contain undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume
United States   (01/10/2025)
Image of United States seal. The Mochi Ice Cream Company LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg in Peach Mango Sorbet
The Mochi Ice Cream Company LLC, Vernon, California is recalling 1350 cases of Peach Mango Sorbet, because it may contain undeclared pasteurized cooked egg white. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs, run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume t
United States   (01/09/2025)
Image of United States seal. Apna Wholesale Issues Alert on Undeclared Sulfites in "Paras Premium Golden Raisins
Apna Wholesale Inc of Hicksville, NY, is recalling its 7oz and 14oz "Paras Premium Golden Raisins" because they contain undeclared Sulphur Dioxide (sulfites).
United States   (01/06/2025)