ChicoSol

D-Day demonstrators protest cuts to VA

Keep Lincoln's Promise, Marshall says

by Leslie Layton | Posted June 8, 2025

Daneva Marshall suffered blast exposure – an injury that can cause both physical and mental trauma — while serving in the U.S. Army in the Iraq war.

She was medically retired after more than 15 years of service to begin the journey to recovery. On June 6 – D-Day – she was leading a rally in front of the Chico VA Clinic to oppose cutbacks to VA services.

“This is personal to me,” Marshall told ChicoSol. “I utilize these services. I don’t think I’d be here without the VA.”

Marshall said she just completed the eight-week Intensive Pain Rehabilitation Program the local clinic offers. read more

City Council to staff Fire Engine 1

Some road repairs to be delayed

by Yucheng Tang | Posted June 4, 2025

The City Council majority voted at its June 3 meeting to staff Fire Engine 1, but the panel was divided over where to find the funding.

The 4-3 vote to cut the road repair fund — instead of cutting unoccupied positions at Chico Police Department or elsewhere in the budget — elicited sighs from some members of the audience. The road repair fund comes from Measure H sales tax revenue.

“I’m not going to lose sleep if we delay some road projects,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien. “If we lose a neighborhood because our fire department is not adequately staffed, I will lose sleep over that.” read more

Chico Unified uses bond money to rebuild

by Natalie Hanson | Posted May 31, 2025

Chico Unified officials say more than $80 million in taxpayer-approved funds is getting used to address long-known problems at aging schools.

The district is updating or rebuilding most elementary schools, two middle schools and, eventually, both high schools.

Several elementary schools are getting new transitional kindergarten classrooms to prepare for the launch of a new state-mandated TK program for 4-year-olds at the start of the new school year Aug. 19. Those schools are Little Chico Creek, Marigold and Emma Wilson elementaries, and the funding comes from the Measure K bond issue.

“It’s [the TK program] been a challenge for the whole state to implement, but we’re lucky because we have bond dollars,” said Julie Kistle, director of facilities and construction. read more

Chip Chao’s love of the land produces strawberries

Highway 99

by Leslie Layton | Posted May 29, 2025

Fresh fruit and vegetables from highway stands can be one of the joys of travel, particularly in spring and summer. I recognized Chip Chao’s Chip Strawberry Farm stand when I saw him the other day south of Gridley next to Highway 99 — but I thought he was in the wrong place.

Chao once sold his fruit from a stand north of Chico, but when I stopped to sample a strawberry — which oozed juicy sweet — he explained that he lost his lease and moved to this 3-acre parcel north of Live Oak.

“I work hard to take care of them good,” Chao said of his strawberries. Chao drives to his little farm from Sacramento, arriving every morning at 5:30 a.m. to water and pick. The stand opens at 9:30 a.m., and from there Chao sells the strawberries, a strawberry jam his wife makes and cherries that he hauls from the Central Valley. read more

Homelessness on the rise, PIT shows

Mayor Reynolds: May be time to change approach

by Yucheng Tang | Posted May 27, 2025

Three “significant” regional fires last year – including the Park Fire – contributed to an almost 9 percent increase in the number of Butte County residents experiencing homelessness this year, according to a new county report.

The 2025 Point-In-Time (PIT) survey also suggests that a shortage in the supply of affordable housing and more eviction proceedings contributed to the sharp increase.

The PIT survey, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by local continuums of care (CoCs), informs funding for homeless services and offers insight into homelessness. The 2025 Butte County PIT survey was conducted on Jan. 29, and this reporter participated in the count as a volunteer. read more

City to regulate barbecues, ban warming fires

Winslow says the ordinance targets the unhoused community

by Yucheng Tang | Posted May 22, 2025

The Chico City Council on May 20 finalized the adoption of ordinance amendments to further regulate outdoor warming appliances and barbecues.

Fire Chief Steve Standridge said the new ordinance will regulate to “mitigate significant fire risks before the start of the fire season” and to “better protect our community.”

Councilmember Addison Winslow cast the sole vote in opposition to the ordinance. He says it’s one of the many ordinances targeting the unhoused population.

Under the newly-amended ordinance, the use of outdoor warming appliances and barbecues is limited to private property or in some areas designated parks, and the barbecues on public property or in public right of way will be prohibited without a permit. read more