ChicoSol

Dakota Access Pipeline protest in Chico news photo of the week

photo by Karen Laslo

On the Nov. 15 #NoDAPL National Day of Action, Chico-area residents demonstrated in front of U.S. Bank, one of a number of American financial institutions said to be funding the Dakota Access Pipeline. According to the environmental advocacy organization Food & Water Watch, U.S. Bank has some $275 million invested. The pipeline would carry fracked oil from North Dakota to Illinois, and the Standing Rock Sioux are leading what is now an international movement to halt construction in order to protect the Missouri River and sacred grounds. read more

Trump presidency alarms immigrant community Advocates say take steps to prepare

by Leslie Layton

Immigrant rights advocates are bracing for an uphill fight in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential victory and encouraging people who could be harmed by an immigration crackdown to take steps now to protect themselves.

“We definitely have a fight ahead of us,” said Kamal Essaheb, director of policy and advocacy at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), “a fight against the criminalization of immigrants and people of color, a fight for true economic justice for a country where everybody, regardless of the color of their skin or immigration status, can seek opportunities to make their lives better. And immigrants, documented or not, will be a critical part of that fight.” read more

Trumped up hate biggest thing to fear Undocumented students and others are anxious

by Kate Sheehy

Across the country Wednesday morning people woke up to face the unexpected. It’s fair to say that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton supporters alike were dealing with shock.

It seems all along there was a “silent vote” for the former reality TV star that gave him the edge he needed to beat Clinton. Pollsters were not aware. Political pundits were not aware. The best research a campaign could buy could not identify the hidden resentment harbored by thousands who were not visible among the raucous Trump base. read more

Trickle-Down Meanness Shapes Attitudes Toward Homeless Local Election Outcomes Matter

By Dave Waddell

While waiting for coffee recently, I became fixated on a mentally ill homeless man. He lay on his side in the shuttered entrance to what last was a Walgreens at East Avenue and the Esplanade. Every few seconds, the old, bearded, agitated man would flail his arms toward someone or something that was tormenting him but wasn’t really there. His situation – common across our country – struck me as just so sad and seemingly hopeless. read more

Political Action Committee Attacks Again, Undeterred by State Probe Investigation sparked by ChicoSol story continues

By Dave Waddell

Seemingly undeterred by a state investigation into its activities, a political action committee is following a script in this year’s Chico City Council race that is similar to the one that brought scrutiny to its politicking two years ago.

The PAC, called Butte County Awareness and Accountability, widely distributed a mailer in recent days that lambasts council liberals Ann Schwab, Tami Ritter and Randall Stone. All three face re-election Nov. 8, along with conservative Vice Mayor Sean Morgan. read more

Investigators Hunt Cell Phone Missing from Police Evidence CSUC Students Claim Retaliation for Filming, Excessive Force

by Dave Waddell and Bianca Quilantan

What happened to Madeline Hemphill’s cell phone and the video she says would prove excessive force by Chico police?

It’s a question central to law enforcement investigations of the Aug. 27 arrests of Hemphill and her roommate and fellow Chico State student Nicole Braham.
A second cell phone video from the arrest scene — shot by Telvina Patino, a third roommate and Chico State student – has been viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube and can be seen here. read more

Cindy Daley recognized for sustainability work

Chico State professor Cindy Daley this week received a major award for her role at the Chico State University College of Agriculture and CSU’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems.

The $100,000 Gayle E. Hutchinson Award for Excellence – the largest in the California State University system – recognizes people who lead innovation in campus technology, academic research and creative activity, according to Cathy Pleasant, chair of the Chico State University Foundation.

Daley has taught at the College of Agriculture since 1996 and served as the campus coordinator for the University’s Agricultural Research Institute and as a member of the Campus Sustainability Committee. For four years, she also was faculty chair for This Way to Sustainability, the nation’s largest student-run sustainability conference.

“Cindy has been on the forefront of whatever she has tackled for decades, and it is our hope that not only will this further her research and her prominence in the field but it will make other people, both scholars and students, want to come to Chico State because of it,” Pleasant said in a statement.

Daley’s work founding the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems is the focus of the award. Since 2019, her work has helped promote sustainable farming practices that reduce greenhouse gasses, restore soil resiliency and address food and water insecurity. — Natalie Hanson

ChicoSol garners five awards for 2023 reporting

ChicoSol was awarded first place in the Community Focus category in the statewide newspaper contest run by California News Publishers Association (CNPA).

ChicoSol competed with major California newspapers for the award, announced by CNPA July 14.

ChicoSol won a third place in the Youth and Education category, fourth in Investigative Reporting, fourth in Health Reporting, and fifth in Housing and Land-Use Reporting.

Read more here, and thank you ChicoSol donors and readers for making possible our independent and in-depth reporting.