Yolo County History Digest

Some residents fear development could destroy parts of the historic land.

In a gesture intended to rectify historical injustices, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution to rescind a regrettable decision made during World War II.

Members of the board gathered to put forward a resolution that takes responsibility for the history of discrimination against Black San Franciscans.

The Yolo County Women’s History Month celebration will take place at the Gibson House with the theme of “Women Who Advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.”

In the heart of Dunnigan, the Union Church stands as a symbol of the town's history, with a legacy spanning over 130 years.

She toured the world wowing audiences, and she captured the public’s imagination for decades. No, not Taylor Swift; Ellen Beach Yaw, also known as Lark Ellen.

An extinct species of walrus was unearthed in Santa Cruz County, evoking a time when California was teeming with odd creatures that feel closer to fantasy than reality, researchers said.

James Dean’s last stop before he died in a car crash was at Blackwell’s Corner, a gas station in rural Kern County. His memory isn’t the draw it once was.

Lawmakers introduced a package of bills designed to tackle some forms of reparations. The measures may face budget constraints and opposition.

The California Legislative Black Caucus released a list of 14 bills as a first set of reparations for the descendants of African Americans who were enslaved.

Pea Soup Andersen’s, a Buellton, Calif., restaurant just shy of its 100th birthday, closed suddenly. The restaurant's other location, near Interstate 5 in Santa Nella, remains open.

The Winters Express looks back at some of the top topics that made headlines in 2023.

Davis resident Shelly Bailes has made an impact on the LGBTQ+ community in Yolo County and beyond. Her work in obtaining respect and acceptance for the community earned her the honor of being the 2024 recipient of the Brinley Award.

For as long as he can remember, David Rosenberg has never held just one job. The
longtime judge, who is retiring from the Yolo bench after two decades, was a journalist, an attorney, and an elected official before he became a judge.

Under new state laws, five cities will test cameras to catch speeding drivers and cruising bans will be lifted statewide. The first is supposed to improve road safety, but critics of the second say it will endanger the public.

State audits of the University of California and the California State University found both systems have failed to comply with decades-old state and federal laws mandating the return of Native ancestral remains and cultural artifacts. Only UCLA and Cal State Long Beach have returned a majority of their collections.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe announced it is acquiring about 10,000 acres of land in Northern California for $14.1 million. As part of this, the tribe will remove dams along the Klamath River and restore salmon runs.

Water fights have shaped California since its infancy as a state, when its abundance seemed limitless. Now, Californians are being forced to confront limitations, and the state that prides itself on creating the future is now reckoning with its past.

The Fort Independence Indian Community is getting the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at no cost in 2024. Native Americans had lived on this land for centuries before the hatchery’s construction.

In conversations about the history and present of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ communities, the Lavender Heights district in Midtown is often the first area to come to mind.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, celebrated nationally in November, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is partnering with Yolo and Solano County libraries to offer giveaway bags filled with activities and handouts about Patwin culture and language.

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.

Since 1993, Impossible Acres has served as a representation of Yolo County’s agricultural roots. This quaint family farm just west of Davis provides an opportunity to interact with farm animals and pick seasonal produce.

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.

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

December 2023 will mark a momentous occasion for the Winters Theatre Company as it takes over the lease for the historic Winters Opera House in downtown Winters.

The city of Placerville is looking for ways to attract more visitors. Councilmember John Clerici came up with the idea to transform the Bell Tower Plaza, located on Historic Main Street, into a wedding venue.

Yolo County Supervisor Gary Sandy died Aug. 17 after a battle with liver cancer. His “untimely departure has left the Yolo County community and beyond in profound sorrow,” a release from the county stated.