Bidwell Mansion destroyed by morning fire "Devastating loss" for the City of Chico, mayor says

photo by Karen Laslo
Officials from California State Parks gaze sadly at the remains of Bidwell Mansion, which was gutted by a Dec. 11 fire.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Dec. 11

Smoke, smoldering flames, and the smells are still there.

The windows are gone. The roof and backside of the mansion are gone. Most of the pink paint on the exterior wall is gone.

And a landmark of Chico is gone.

A fire that happened in the early morning today destroyed the iconic Bidwell Mansion. Chico’s new mayor, Kasey Reynolds, called the early morning fire a “devastating loss” for the city.

“The City of Chico Fire Marshall is working directly with State Parks and state investigators to determine the cause of the fire,” Reynolds said in a statement released by the City of Chico this morning. “As we recover from the loss of our iconic Bidwell Mansion, we’ll continue to rely on the strength of our community to move forward.” read more

Young shooting victims identified Suspect in Palermo school shooting also named

photo by Yucheng Tang
Sheriff Kory Honea identifies Glenn Litton (shown on screen on left) as the suspect in the Palermo school shooting.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Dec. 5

Roman Mendez, aged 6, sustained two gunshot wounds resulting in internal injuries when a gunman entered his school yard Dec. 4 and opened fire. Elias Wolford, 5, was shot one time in the abdomen, also resulting in internal injuries.

The two kindergarten students who attended Feather River Adventist School in Palermo remained in critical condition today. In the pictures shown at a press briefing earlier today, smiling Roman wore a red sweater and Elias cupped his chin in his hands. read more

Conservatives win 4-person majority on City Council Mayor to be selected Dec. 4

photo by Karen Laslo
Councilmember Dale Bennett was re-elected.

by Yucheng Tang

Incumbent Dale Bennett has retained the District 3 seat, defeating challenger Monica McDaniel by only 93 votes in the closest race in the 2024 Chico City Council election.

The majority of the City Council remains conservative, but the number of progressive councilmembers has increased from one to three. A special meeting of the City Council will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Council Chamber at 421 Main St. Newly-elected councilmembers will be sworn in and the mayor and vice mayor selected. read more

Blue trailer delivers to the homeless: Hot showers, clean clothes, hope The Oroville-based Haven of Hope on Wheels now has five trailer units

photo by Karen Laslo
Earl Lewis, who runs on-site operations at the shower-and-laundry unit Haven of Hope on Wheels, discussed his work in a recent November interview.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Dec. 2

“135?” someone calls out from in front of the blue trailer.

“Here,” says a man in a green jacket and blue jeans, who then takes charge of his freshly-packed laundry bag labelled “135.”

The man puts the bag in his arm and walks toward the shopping cart filled with his other belongings.

Suddenly, he lowers his head and leans toward the plastic bag, smelling his freshly washed and dried clothes as if he was smelling the fragrance of flowers. Then, he smiles, illuminated by warm sunlight. read more

Safe Space works to overcome hurdles to intake Unhoused people may be stranded during storm

photo by Karen Laslo
Safe Space volunteers checked in people who needed shelter during an intake held near the municipal center last winter.

by Leslie Layton & Natalie Hanson
posted Nov. 20

The nonprofit organization Safe Space is working to get emergency night-time sheltering available by Christmas Day as unhoused people struggle with this week’s downpour.

Forecasts were indicating that up to 10 inches of rain were possible in Chico between today and the end of the week, as well as localized flooding. Safe Space Executive Director Hilary Crosby said outreach teams were on the streets handing out tarps and making sure homeless community members “knew about the storm coming through.” read more

Día de los Muertos inspira un redescubrimiento cultural Mejor comprensión de la tradición china que era parte de mi niñez

foto por Yucheng Tang
Los bailadores folklóricos celebraron en Meriam Park con coloridos actividades del Dia de los Muertos.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Nov. 19

Read in English here.

Al entrar al lugar llamado “The Barn” donde mucha gente estaba reunida para la celebración mexicana del Día de los Muertos el 2 de noviembre, yo no anticipé que tal celebración me haría reconsiderar un festival chino – Día de la Limpieza de las Tumbas – que fue parte de mi propia niñez.

Música latina sonaba a todo volumen al fondo. Niños con caras pintadas de esqueletos bailaban y cantaban con alegría en el escenario. Al lado había una ofrenda comunitaria, adornada con fotos de seres queridos fallecidos; velas; y las flores cempasúchil las cuales se cree que guían a los espíritus en su regreso a casa. read more