How will Chico handle homelessness 20 months from now?

It's not too soon to plan, councilmember says
by Yucheng Tang | Posted May 18, 2025

photo by Karen Laslo

An officer tells a homeless woman at Humboldt and Forest that she must move from the encampment.

Councilmember Addison Winslow, at the next City Council meeting, says he will push for a study of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ordinance designed to guide cities that are struggling to manage homeless encampments.

Last week, Gov. Newsom released what he called a “model ordinance” that can be used to “address unhealthy and dangerous encampments.” The ordinance provides a framework local jurisdictions can use to remove encampments from public spaces, and permits speedier enforcement than the framework the City uses now under the Warren v. Chico Settlement Agreement.

For example, the so-called model ordinance requires that officials or officers post a notice 48 hours before taking enforcement actions, “except in exigent circumstances involving an imminent threat to life, safety, health, or infrastructure.” In contrast, the Settlement Agreement mandates 7-day notice to Legal Services of Northern California prior to enforcement planning, 7-day notice to homeless persons who are camping on public property, and finally, a 72-hour notice prior to enforcement. read more

Why did Big Chico Creek turn chocolate?

Runoff brings up the sediment "problem"
by Leslie Layton | Posted May 15, 2025

photo by Karen Laslo

Sycamore Pool in the One Mile Recreation Area, which was built around Big Chico Creek, turned brown early this week.

Big Chico Creek turned chocolate brown earlier this week after a light May 12 rain washed vegetation and eroding bank sediment from the Park Fire burn scar into the water. Today the water look somewhat clearer.

Environmental studies professor Mark Stemen said the wash-off has environmental benefits, but also poses potential danger.

“We should be seeing this happen for a while,” Stemen said. The dry weather that followed rain “freed up much more sedimentation.”

Some of the sedimentation “will end up in the creek and provide good sediment for spawning.” But if there’s too much, he warned, “it could suffocate [salmon] eggs. One of the things that’s really striking is how much of our watershed has burned and destabilized the sediment.” read more

Appellate court revives gender identity lawsuit

Chico parent Aurora Regino makes progress on appeal
by Natalie Hanson | Posted May 12, 2025

photo by Karen Laslo

CUSD offices

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has given new life to a lawsuit against Chico Unified School District that was filed in response to its policy that shaped the handling of a gender identity case.

The higher court in April said that U.S. Eastern District Court Judge John Mendez erred in dismissing a lawsuit filed by Chico parent Aurora Regino. Mendez said Regino didn’t have the legal foundation to pursue a claim opposing the district’s anti-discrimination and student privacy policy.

That policy prohibits the school from notifying parents about a student’s gender identity concerns or decisions without the student’s consent. read more

Guerrilla activists strike on Chico State campus

University administration has dozens of unauthorized flyers removed
by Leslie Layton | Posted May 6, 2025

The flyer that appeared on classroom doors last week

This story was updated at 4 p.m. today to include the university’s response.

Three hundred flyers suddenly appeared on campus doors at Chico State University last week, warning that law enforcement officers – a reference to immigration agents — would only be allowed in classrooms and other “private spaces” if they possessed judicial warrants.

“CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION” warns a flyer banner highlighted in yelllow. The flyer then notes that a classroom is a “private space” with entry restricted to faculty, staff and enrolled students. “Law enforcement may only enter with a valid judicial warrant … Everyone in the United States, regardless of immigration status, has the right to remain silent,” it continues. read more

New Council sub-committee discusses the “shelter-resistant”

Community members who spoke hold out hope for people who seem challenging to help
by Yucheng Tang | Posted May 3, 2025

photo by Yucheng Tang

Behavioral Health Director Scott Kennelly speaks at the first meeting of the City’s ad hoc committee on homelessness.

At the first meeting of the City’s ad hoc committee on homelessness, the discussion touched on the overlap between homelessness, substance abuse and mental health. It also raised two related questions: how to address the problem of shelter-resistant homeless individuals, and whether compelled treatment is sometimes necessary.

Scott Kennelly, the director of Butte County Behavioral Health, said homeless outreach teams have worked to convince unhoused people to take advantage of services and have tried to connect them with services, but there are always people who say, “Leave me the hell alone.” read more

May Day anti-Trump protesters thank Chico’s Social Security

Senior citizens worry about losing democracy, Constitutional rights & benefits
by Leslie Layton | Posted May 1, 2025

photo by Leslie Layton

Kathy Hume

About a month ago, Kathy Hume was one of only three people standing outside the Social Security offices in Chico protesting the Trump Administration. But today she was one of several hundred protesting cuts to Social Security infrastructure, as well as the expansion of executive power.

“He’s just a tyrant,” Hume said. “We got rid of mad King George and now it’s mad King Donald. There’s nothing he does that’s not ludicrous.” Adding that she thinks Trump is a poor speaker, Hume said, “Bigly wasn’t a word before he became president.”

Some 350 protesters lined up with anti-Trump signs today on Lassen Avenue and Cohasset Road near the north Chico offices of Social Security as thousands of people poured into the streets nationwide for anti-Trump demonstrations that had been planned for May Day, also celebrated as International Workers Day. read more