Category: Community

Carr Fire driven by changes in climate Chico can prepare for extreme weather events that will be more common

photo courtesy of CSUC’s Jason Halley
Associate Professor Mark Stemen

by Leslie Layton

The Shasta County Carr Fire, with its towering, tornado-like flames tearing into the city of Redding, is the kind of summer fire that could cease to be an anomaly as climate change reshapes the Northern California environment, said Mark Stemen, a professor in the Chico State Geography and Planning Department.

It’s also the kind of fire that this city must work to prevent, said Stemen in a telephone interview Friday. “A fire like this could absolutely happen in Chico if the winds were strong and blowing down the canyon,” Stemen added in an email to ChicoSol. read more

‘Angelversary’ of Rushing shooting observed Family of Palermo woman killed by deputies gains ‘voice’

photo courtesy of Rushing family

by Dave Waddell

A couple dozen citizens gathered Monday evening for an “angelversary” to remember the life and death of Tyler Rushing, one year to the day after he was killed in a downtown shooting involving Chico police.

“It’s a very hard day for us,” said Scott Rushing of Ventura, Tyler’s father. Rushing said he expects to experience “a lifetime of trauma” over the killing of his only son on July 23, 2017. The shooting involved a private security guard and a Chico police sergeant. read more

Inday’s serves up Filipino dishes for Chico Restaurant’s origins from neighborhood cookouts

photo by Leslie Layton
Inday Geiger

by Jae Siqueiros

The origin of Inday’s Restaurant started with a friendly neighborhood cookout 20 years ago after Ethel “Inday” Geiger emigrated from the Philippines to Chico.

Her deep craving for traditional Filipino meals was so persistent that she started preparing them at home with her husband, John Geiger.

Traditionally, Filipino homes have multiple generations living in a household. Adults often care for their aging parents while raising their own children. As a result, preparing large meals has been a regular occurrence for Inday Geiger. read more

Noted journalist speaks on mental illness Pete Earley chronicles son’s ordeal, offers tips

photo by Dave Waddell

Pete Earley

By Dave Waddell

Desperate to get help for his mentally ill son, journalist Pete Earley told Chicoans Saturday he did things he never thought he’d do.

Earley said he lied about what his son had said, violated his own professional ethics by threatening to summon feared investigative reporter Mike Wallace of “60 Minutes” TV fame, and “literally went out and grabbed a doctor” from a crowded emergency room hallway to evaluate his delusional son.

Eventually, Earley’s wife advised him that he couldn’t help his son, Kevin, as a parent, but that he could as a journalist. “For once, I listened to her,” Earley said. read more

“Soul of Chico” will support investigative journalism ChicoSol's first annual nonprofit news benefit this evening

ChicoSol will hold its first annual nonprofit news benefit from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday, May 4 at the Chico Peace & Justice Center, and all proceeds will support investigative reporting and student mentorship. Buying tickets in advance here will help us control costs and funnel earnings to our journalism — which, of course, is the point.

The evening will open with live music by Coco Dulce, an act you don’t want to miss. You’ll have a chance to meet and talk with ChicoSol editors and we’ll provide fabulous appetizers. Drinks offered will include water, tea, beer and wine. There will be a silent auction with proceeds going toward professional and student journalism. read more

Scores of stolen guns found in Chico annually Most are pistols, but AR-15-style rifles are also recovered

ChicoSol and Tehama Group Communications infographic

by Gabriel Sandoval and Dave Waddell

Against a backdrop of rising gun thefts nationally, a stolen gun is recovered by authorities in Chico an average of once every eight days. And while nearly three-fourths of all stolen guns in the city are pistols, multiple stolen assault rifles are recovered each year.

That’s based on data from an 18-month investigation by The Trace, a nonprofit news organization, and more than a dozen NBC-owned television stations, which collected information on stolen guns from hundreds of law enforcement agencies and collaborated on a series of reports last year. read more