In this interview by podcaster Sunny, writer Dave Waddell talks about the stories he’s contributed to ChicoSol during the past year and his fight for public records. Waddell is writing a book about Butte County law enforcement. Sunny’s interview will be broadcast at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 as part of KZFR’s weekly news show. Correction to interview comment: Former Chico Police Chief Michael Dunbaugh wrote the memo referred to in this interview in 2015, not in 2025 as was inadvertently stated.
Where to put the tiny homes for four elderly women?
Search still on for a willing church partner
The tiny home project that would house four elderly women on a church parking lot faces new challenges, including the loss of the church that, it was hoped, would provide space.
City Light Church had expressed interest in supporting the project by allowing the placement of four tiny homes on its parking lot, said Charles Withuhn, president of the North State Shelter Team (NSST) that has lobbied for the program.
But the church’s Rev. Steve Cox has indicated to NSST there are “risks we can’t move past.”
Central Valley farmworkers confront rising hunger
Immigration crackdown and fewer jobs spell trouble for families
Teresa was anxious as she waited for Valley Voices, the non-profit behind a monthly food distribution network that reaches hundreds of farmworker families in the Central Valley, providing groceries and other staples to those who don’t have enough to eat.
For area farmworkers the decline in available work adds to the growing sense of unease, as prices for daily staples continue to climb and as the Trump Administration doubles down on its immigration enforcement policies.
Butte County needs a Public Defender Office
Attorney Ron Reed: A Public Defender Office would save taxpayer moneyAttorney Ron Reed has worked as a public defender in Butte County since 1986. This guest commentary was extracted, with Reed’s permission, from a report he prepared and mailed to about 150 interested parties.
In 1989, a group of 10 local lawyers formed a consortium in Butte County to handle indigent defense. They operated independently, kept private practices, and renewed contracts every three years as caseloads grew. Today, 18 attorneys each receive $14,000 per month to cover a share of indigent defense.
White nationalist speech becomes mainstream, say researchers
In the North State, nationalist ideology has a history of impact
White nationalist rhetoric has become common in U.S. mainstream politics – and some educators point out that it also has a long history of prevalence in the North State.
Chico State University professor Shawn Schwaller said such language is now common in this “extreme political climate,” and its use has been increasing since 2016. Extremist language often affects, in particular, marginalized communities.
“When you hear Trump and his cronies talk about immigration, they sound a lot like the nativist supporters of the State of Jefferson movement in the North State, who have sought for years to break a portion of Northern California off from the rest of the state to create a white ethno state,” Schwaller said.
Shop owners bring Pink Friday to downtown
Brick-and-mortar shops "taking a big hit"
Pink balloons adorned street corners in downtown Chico Nov. 21 to signify 15 small businesses banding together for the first ever Pink Friday.
Pink Friday is a nationwide event that encourages consumers to shop at local businesses in lieu of big box stores. Founded in 2020 by the Boutique Hub, a community dedicated to supporting independent retailers, the event takes place the week before Black Friday to encourage customers to “support small retailers first,” according to its website.