Developers file lawsuit against City of Chico Effort underway to void referendum and move forward Valley's Edge

photo by Leslie Layton
The land east of city limits transitions into the foothills.

by Leslie Layton
posted April 2

The Valley’s Edge development group has filed a lawsuit in Butte County Superior Court against the City of Chico, arguing that the 2024 referendum that has blocked its project from going forward must be voided.

The Believe in Chico LLC says that the state’s Housing Crisis Act of 2019 is grounds for voiding the referendum and allowing the development of 2,700 housing units and 57 acres of commercial development on vacant land east of city limits.

In a March 5 election last year, more than 60 percent of Chico voters opposed two measures related to the planned development known as Valley’s Edge. read more

Warren Settlement Agreement left intact by federal judge

by Yucheng Tang
posted April 1

U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Drozd has denied the City of Chico’s motion for relief from final judgment in the case Warren v. Chico.

The case led to a settlement agreement in 2022 that prohibited the City from enforcing anti-camping ordinances when adequate shelter was unavailable. The City later sought to modify or terminate that agreement, citing changes in the law (the Grants Pass v. Johnson decision by the U.S. Supreme Court) and changed circumstances, such as public health and safety concerns. read more

Chico’s Bonfire storytelling is defined by diversity Changemaker: Bonnie Pipkin will tackle language barriers in next week's program

photo by Karen Laslo
Bonnie Pipkin was thoughtful during an interview in her downtown Chico office.

by Leslie Layton
posted March 29

This is ChicoSol’s third monthly profile in our Changemaker series that features people whose work benefits or brings together the community.

Bonnie Pipkin has resurrected the spirit of what some people call “old Chico”: During a couple of recent decades, Chico, to many of us, felt like a city that was big enough to value artistic freedom and small enough to feel like a friendly rural town.

Pipkin accomplishes this every other month when she stages her multi-generational storytelling program “Bonfire” at the Chico Women’s Club. For a couple of hours, an audience of 180 people sits spellbound listening to a 10-minute story from each of six story-tellers that will somehow relate to the evening’s theme. read more

Stonewall Alliance of Chico encourages allyship LGBTQ resource center plans rally to support trans community

by Natalie Hanson
posted March 28

Chico’s Stonewall Alliance is pushing back against nationwide anti-trans rhetoric by bringing together allies and LGBTQ people to stand by their trans neighbors, culminating with a rally Sunday.

The nonprofit organization, which provides resources to LGBTQ people and their families, organized special programming throughout the last week of March, such as workshops and training sessions.

Executive Director Justina Sotelo led one of these sessions March 24, one of several workshops designed to train people on being bystanders prepared to handle escalating incidents where an LGBTQ person is targeted with threats or worse. read more

Protest outside congressman’s office grows Federal workers brace for downsizing; infrastructure cutbacks will affect District 1

photo by Karen Laslo
Lyndall Ellingson

by Yucheng Tang & Leslie Layton
posted March 25

More than 200 people attended a weekly protest near 1st District Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s Chico office on March 21, demanding in-person town halls that haven’t taken place since 2017 and urging the Republican congressman to defend federal programs threatened with huge funding cutbacks.

The turnout was more than twice that of the protest a week earlier. Some passing cars honked in response to show support. There were few young people participating in what has been dubbed in some social media posts as the #FindLaMalfa protest, and has been organized by a coalition of activists from several groups. read more

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