Tag: Butte County

Tuscan Water District ballot-counting cancelled; election to be “redone”

Ballot deficiencies had "consequences," attorney says
by Leslie Layton | Posted September 30, 2022

photo by Karen Laslo
Deseret’s facility on Wilson Landing Road.

Ballot-counting in the election on the Tuscan Water District (TWD) was cancelled Sept. 27 because of defects in the noticing process, the Butte County Clerk-Recorder’s office has said.

In a press release Sept. 28 -– the day the ballots were to be counted -– the clerk-recorder released a statement saying that concerns had been “raised regarding whether adequate notice” to voters had been provided. Today Clerk-Recorder Candace Grubbs said the election “wasn’t noticed properly and will be redone.”

TWD was the subject of heated debate early this year at public meetings, with many county residents objecting to the voting structure, which allocates votes based on the number of acres or value of the land owned. That structure thus gives several large corporate landowners far more influence over groundwater management than small landowners and tenants. read more

Saturday event recalls people killed by police

Memorial brings 7 families together on fifth anniversary of Tyler Rushing’s death
by Dave Waddell | Posted July 21, 2022

Paula Rushing with her late son Tyler

The year was 1976 and Paula Staben from Santa Paula was a senior child development major at Chico State. She lived off campus at Gordon Hall, an “all-girls dormitory.” As that year’s activities director for Alpha Chi, Paula frequented the sorority’s distinctive yellow house at the corner of Fourth and Orient streets. There, she coordinated events such as theme dinners and movie nights.

Paula completed her bachelor’s degree, returned to Ventura County, and married Scott Rushing, a real estate broker and property manager. She became mom to Tyler and, a couple of years later, to Hillary. She directed a preschool. She launched a 17-year public school teaching career after her children went off to school. read more

Disinformation dampens enthusiasm for Covid vaccinations

In Butte County, misinformation appears to affect case rates
by Natalie Hanson | Posted July 7, 2022

This graph from Butte County Public Health’s Covid page shows the comparatively low vaccination rate as cases surged nationwide in recent months.

As California assesses the lasting impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, public health experts say they are concerned about managing future health emergencies after battling a disinformation crisis.

For the last two years, county public health departments have been tasked to respond to a pandemic unlike anything seen in decades. As guidance from the California Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for managing local crises shifted weekly, local departments like Butte County’s faced an enormous task of keeping the public informed using rapidly changing methods, including Facebook and YouTube – with mixed results. read more

Public health experts: the vaccine is safe for babies and young children

Covid vaccine rumors scare parents, leaving children at risk
by Natalie Hanson | Posted July 7, 2022

This graph from the Public Health Covid dashboard shows the number of confirmed and probable cases of Covid by age in the county since March 14, 2020, including more than 5,000 confirmed cases among children

California children are lagging behind adults in vaccination rates, and misinformation about vaccine safety may increase risks for families, health experts say.

The battle over scientific data versus politicized debate erupted in Butte County, where parents and political leaders at times pushed false information about the virus to argue against shutdowns and removal of masking requirements.

While vaccines for those younger than 5 were approved in June, vaccines for children older than 5 have been available for months. But the state’s Health Equity dashboard shows that statewide, in the 5-11 age bracket only 36% are fully vaccinated and in the 12-17 bracket 67% fully vaccinated. The average vaccination rates for adults in California range from 78% to 85%. read more

Medical experts warn against complacency as new COVID variant appears

Counties like Butte most at risk for a surge
by Natalie Hanson | Posted April 16, 2022
Enloe Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Marcia Nelson

Public health experts are urging people to stay vigilant and get vaccination boosters as the new COVID-19 variant BA.2 becomes the dominant strain of coronavirus.

Experts worry that as the new variant spreads, in counties like Butte where vaccination rates and community masking are low, communities will be particularly vulnerable.

Butte County Public Health data reports that as of April 11, the population is 55.8% fully vaccinated, 5.76% partially vaccinated and 38.35% unvaccinated. Yet, statewide, 75% of people 5 and older are fully vaccinated and 9% are partially vaccinated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, by April 2, BA.2 had become the dominant strain in the United States. However, in Butte County, omicron still appeared in 84.6% of the county’s cases while BA.2 was responsible for 15.4% of cases in March. read more

Tuscan Water District gets LAFCO nod

Commission unanimously approves TWD
by Leslie Layton | Posted February 3, 2022

photo by Leslie Layton
Wilson Landing Road orchard.

The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) today gave its unanimous approval to the Tuscan Water District (TWD), a proposed district that will now give northwestern Butte County landowners the chance to vote on formation, with one vote allocated for each acre owned.

The seven-member commission voted after more passionate debate, with members of the public often arguing that the landowner-based voting structure isn’t fair to small farmers and homeowners. But TWD and LAFCO said the district has agreed to divide into nine voting blocks to minimize influence by the largest landowners.

The argument that the two largest landowners will control the board has thus been “seriously de-bunked,” said LAFCO Executive Officer Steve Lucas, referring to Utah-based Deseret Farms and Concord-based Rancho Esquon. “They will only control two seats. They will always be in a minority position.” read more