Chico PD says officers returned fire, killing suspect Two SWAT sergeants were involved in previous fatal incidents

photo by Leslie Layton
Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge called the shooting that killed Michael Oxley a “traumatic incident.”

by Dave Waddell
posted March 21

While few details have been disclosed about the fatal shooting March 2 by Chico police of 43-year-old Michael Oxley, quite a lot is known about two SWAT team sergeants who fired their assault rifles.

The sergeants, Alex Fliehr and Nick Bauer, were each involved in a previous fatal shooting incident, while Fliehr’s unorthodox use of a taser in yet another case led to a civil rights trial in federal court.

Police say Oxley was killed after four SWAT team members returned his fire. In addition to Fliehr and Bauer, officers Tyler Hernandez and Gabe Durney shot at Oxley, said Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge. read more

Homelessness complicated by shortage of services Accessing mental health services a challenge for the homeless

photo by Karen Laslo

by Melissa Herzstein & Amy Ballard
guest commentary posted March 18

“I never know what day it is. I only know the time based on whether the sun is out.”

I (Melissa) was alarmed by this statement from an unhoused individual I interviewed as I helped with Butte County’s 2025 Point in Time (PIT) count, the biennial study that measures the number of unhoused persons through observation and response to a survey about their needs. This man was describing the challenges he faced in seeking mental health services at a walk-in facility. He was given an appointment for months out, making it impossible for him to attend because he had no reliable way to tell time. read more

Paradise symphony rehearsal moves Ukrainians to tears Ukrainian delegation visits to learn about Camp Fire recovery

by Yucheng Tang
posted March 15

On a rainy afternoon, the Paradise Symphony Orchestra and dancers from Northern California Ballet performed for six Ukrainians who were visiting this past week to learn about Camp Fire recovery.

At the end of the March 14 performance, the orchestra played the Ukrainian National Anthem. Most people watching in the Paradise Performing Arts Center stood while the song played, and the Ukrainian guests placed their right hands over their hearts. After the song finished, some of them wiped tears from their cheeks. read more

Chico Unified eyes some declining test scores Primary schools see improvement

photo courtesy of state Department of Education
Almost 53 percent of Chico Unified students met or surpassed the standard for English Language Arts testing in the 2023-24 school year.

by Natalie Hanson
posted March 11

Test scores in English are on the rise at some Chico Unified School District (CUSD) elementary schools, but there was an overall decline in English and math at 16 of the district’s 22 schools, including the two high schools.

An analysis of state and national test scores shows the average student remains half a grade level behind pre-pandemic achievement in both reading and math.

CUSD, as a whole, is following that trend.

Schools showing the most progress in both English and math were McManus, Citrus, Chapman, Little Chico Creek and Hooker Oak elementary schools, said Tim Cariss, CUSD director of assessment and accountability. For example, Hooker Oak and Little Chico Creek improved their math scores during the 2023-24 academic year by 16.6 and 9.8 points, respectively. McManus students are still below the state standard in English testing, but they made the most growth by improving 17.6 points last year. read more

An iconic downtown Chico store calls it quits Collier, Chico's first hardware store, to close at end of month

photo by Karen Laslo
Matt Lucena, one of the brother owners, behind the Collier Hardware counter.

by Karen Laslo
posted March 8

As I crossed the street to park my bike in its usual spot in front of the store on a recent afternoon, I saw the big sign in the window: “Store Closing Sale.”

From our house in the Avenues, Collier Hardware was just a short bike ride downtown. I looked forward to my jaunt to the venerable 154-year-old store. My routine was I’d park my bike conveniently in front of the store, go in and look around to see what was new, find the item I needed, make my purchase and ride home. I confess that I felt a little smug knowing that I hadn’t contributed to the climate crisis by driving my car downtown. read more

City Council forms ad hoc committee on homelessness Lemner: "There isn’t a carpet big enough to sweep all these people under"

photo by Yucheng Tang
Margo Lemner was one of 18 people who asked City Council for action.

by Yucheng Tang
posted March 5

The City Council unanimously passed Mayor Kasey Reynolds’ motion to create an ad hoc committee to address homelessness at the March 4 meeting.

Reynolds noted that “the scope of the committee would be on the three items originally agendized,” including ordinances, code changes and programs distinct from anti-camping ordinance enforcement.

“The committee would have a time-sensitive due date of coming back in one of our June meetings,” Reynolds said, in making the motion for the ad hoc group. “We would bring a report back to Council with recommendations for the full Council to consider at that time.” read more