San Joaquin County Local History News Articles and Digest

COVID-19 Elections & Politics History Government

California vs. Florida: Need-to-Know Facts About the Rival States Ahead of Newsom-DeSantis Showdown

11/28/2023
Political wonks in California, Florida and maybe a few states in between, will be glued to their screens Thursday night to watch Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron Desantis square off in a highly-anticipated Blue vs. Red State debate that’s been brewing since the summer.

From SFGate...

History

Hundreds to Gather at Alcatraz at Sunrise on Thanksgiving

11/22/2023
Hundreds of people are expected at Alcatraz on Thanksgiving morning to commemorate Native Americans occupying the island from 1969-71. The event is known as the Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Gathering.

From Sacramento Bee...

History State of California

Capitol Gets its First Monument to California’s Indigenous Population

11/07/2023
A statue of Miwok elder William J. Franklin has been installed on California State Capitol grounds. The monument replaces a statue of Father Junípero Serra, which protestors toppled in 2020.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Health Transportation History

Daylight Saving Time, Explained

11/04/2023
Image for display with article titled Daylight Saving Time, Explained: California Voted for Year-Round DST. Why Do We Still Set Back the Clock?

In 2018, California voted to ditch the twice-annual time shift. But the state still has it. Here’s why.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Education History Government

Affirmative Action: How SCOTUS Decision Changes College Admissions

11/03/2023
Image for display with article titled SCOTUS Ended Affirmative Action and the Decision is Changing How Students Pick Colleges

California has banned affirmative action for three decades, but SCOTUS ruling also affects private universities

From ProPublica...

Education History

UC Berkeley to Relinquish More Than 4,000 Ancestral Remains

11/03/2023
Tribes like the Muwekma Ohlone have been asking UC Berkeley for decades to give back ancestral remains from burial sites around the Bay Area. The school is in the process of repatriating 4,400 remains and 25,000 tribal items.

From New York Times...

Art & Culture History

Remembering Robert Irwin: Influential Artist Dies at 95

10/30/2023
Robert Irwin, an artist and MacArthur genius grant recipient, died in San Diego at 95 on Oct. 25. Michael Govan, who heads the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, offers a colorful retrospective on Irwin's work.

From Tracy Press...

Agriculture, Food & Gardening History

Marchini Inducted Into County Ag Hall of Fame

10/27/2023
Marc R. Marchini, who combined his vocation as a Union Island farmer and a leader of the California asparagus industry, with service as a school trustee, has been inducted posthumously into the San Joaquin County Agricultural Hall of Fame.

From MiceChat...

Parks & Recreation History

Two Disneyland Voices Are Moving On

10/27/2023
Camille Dixon, the announcer for Disney California Adventure, and her husband, Bill Rogers, the voice of Disneyland, are moving on from this work. They have been at the parks for more than 40 years combined.

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Public Safety History Crime & Justice Government

California Gun Control Laws and Mass Shootings

10/26/2023
Image for display with article titled California Gun Control Laws: Mass Shootings Have Sparked New Legislation for Three Decades

How a series of mass shootings has made California the toughest gun control state in the nation.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Elections & Politics History Government

Trump Aside, California GOP Now Embraces ‘Ballot Harvesting’

10/18/2023
Image for display with article titled Breaking With Trump, California Republicans Go All-In on ‘Ballot Harvesting’

Desperate to win elections, state’s GOP embraces voting practices decried by former president as fraudulent.

From LodiNews...

History

Lodi City Council Gets First Look at Renovation Plans for Firehouse, City Hall

10/12/2023
Fourteen months ago, the Lodi Historical Society first proposed renovating the old firehouse and city hall.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Environment Elections & Politics History Government

Dianne Feinstein Dies, ‘Charted Own Path’ in Legendary Career

09/29/2023
Image for display with article titled Dianne Feinstein Dies at 90. ‘Charted Her Own Path’ in a Career Born in the Political Violence of the ’70s

Image for display with article titled Dianne Feinstein Dies at 90. ‘Charted Her Own Path’ in a Career Born in the Political Violence of the ’70s

The longest-serving California senator had a legendary political career spanning seven decades.

From Tracy Press...

Art & Culture History

Centennial Event Translates to Big Fundraiser at Grand Theatre

09/29/2023
It has been 100 years since the Grand Theatre became a fixture in Tracy. The Grand Foundation hosted a formal gala to mark the occasion and raise money for arts programs at The Grand.

From LodiNews...

Agriculture, Food & Gardening History

Owner of Sweet Mel’s, 88, Says He’s Happy to Leave Stress Behind

09/23/2023
For more than a decade, the aroma of pies, sweet breads and cookies wafted from a small bakery at 623 E. Oak St. in Lodi.

From LodiNews...

History City of Lodi

Following Repairs, Lodi’s Favorite Bear Is Back

09/13/2023
After 114 years atop the city’s arched entrance, it’s had more than one brush with death—and most recently almost allowed to simply rot in place.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Art & Culture Education History Government

New California Bill Slaps Back at School Book Bans

09/11/2023
Image for display with article titled California Slaps Back at School Book Bans, Bill Expands Teaching About State’s Diversity

But School Boards Association says bill could further inflame tensions between state and local districts

From Tracy Press...

Land Use & Development History City of Tracy

Remembering the Housing Development That Doubled Tracy’s Population

09/10/2023
As Tracy’s largest rural residential development, Parker Acres changed the face of the town, starting 100 years ago.

From Manteca Bulletin...

Agriculture, Food & Gardening History

Before Things Went Nuts

09/07/2023
Wheat—not almonds, pumpkins or even grapes—is what attracted farmers to the Manteca region after the Gold Rush in a bid to make a living. Manteca Bulletin editor Dennis Wyatt looks back at how irrigation changed everything.

From CalMatters...

Environment Health History Government

California’s Wildfire Smoke and Climate Change: 4 Things You Need to Know

09/04/2023
California wildfires every year emit as much carbon as almost 2 million cars, posing a threat to efforts to battle climate change.

San Joaquin County Local News: History