Tag: Chico

Butte County residents come to the aid of hungry people

Government shutdown produced more need
by Yucheng Tang | Posted November 16, 2025
Nick Henderson works at a Faith Tabernacle food distribution event. Photo by Yucheng Tang.

An elderly woman using two prosthetic legs entered a room at Chico’s Faith Tabernacle Church with the help of two walking sticks and a volunteer. She filled out a form, indicating her family size, and then received an allotment of packaged and canned food.

On the morning of Nov. 12 — even though many Californians had already received their allotment of what was formerly known as food stamps — demand for food assistance at Faith Tabernacle still surged by roughly 50% above normal.

Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), issued under the name “CalFresh” in California, were paused during part of what was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown officially ended the day of ChicoSol’s visit to Faith Tabernacle, which is one of a host of organizations that provide food assistance. (See links to food bank directories and Chico pantries at end of story.) read more

Butte County responds to immigration crackdown

Sheriff's Office ends alternative custody for some immigrant inmates
by Leslie Layton | Posted October 24, 2025
Walnut grower Tom Bush protests at No Kings 2 in Chico.

When immigration officers helicoptered into Chico in August, a network of volunteers was prepared. When the officers slipped out before dawn the next morning, they left people with both relief and lingering questions, according to NorCal Resist Chico.

NorCal Resist volunteers say they don’t know whether the officers were merely stopping in Chico on their way somewhere, or whether attention from protesters dissuaded them from taking enforcement actions that they might have preferred to be surprise.

Regardless, the visit showed the role that community preparation can play in view of immigration raids that have produced both violent as well as quiet disruptions to communities across the country. NorCal Resist says that community response is critical as Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) ramps up with a larger budget. read more

California Native American Day: Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future

by Dennis Ramirez, guest commentary | Posted September 25, 2025
Dennis Ramirez, Chairman of Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico

For the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico, California Native American Day on September 26th is more than a date on the calendar. It is a celebration of who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going. It is a reminder that the Mechoopda people have always been here, stewarding the land and passing on our traditions for countless generations. Our Tribe’s ancestral homelands stretch across the Sacramento Valley, with deep roots along Little Butte Creek and what is now known as Chico.

Our history is one of resilience. Despite hardships, displacement, and generations of challenges, the Mechoopda people remain. We remain committed to our culture, our language, our ceremonies, and our way of life. California Native American Day is an opportunity not only to honor that resilience but also to educate others, to ensure that California’s history is told honestly and includes the voices of its first people. read more

Massage ordinance could pose challenge to immigrant workers

by Yucheng Tang | Posted August 22, 2025
Dan Hays. Photo by Yucheng Tang.

The City Council considered a new ordinance that would establish several operational standards for the conduct of massage establishments at its Aug. 19 meeting.

Under the new ordinance, all massage practitioners would have to be certified by the state massage practitioner regulatory body, California Massage Therapy Council (CMTAC).

Code Enforcement Supervisor Charlene Durkin said the goal is to address prostitution and human trafficking in the industry.

Three massage practitioners and stakeholders voiced objections to the ordinance during the meeting. 

Dan Hays, whose wife runs a massage parlor, stressed that he doesn’t oppose an ordinance, but the problem is that the city’s massage therapists were not engaged in the process.   read more

Debajito: una oda a la resistencia y la alegría

Changemakers: Con influencia de la Nueva Canción, el álbum Entremundos
by Leslie Layton | Posted August 21, 2025
El conjunto Debajito de Chico tocando en una presentación reciente. Foto cortesía de Ken Pordes.

Read this story in English here. Changemaker es una serie ocasional de ChicoSol que presenta perfiles de personas que contribuyen a la comunidad.

En la segunda estrofa de “Frontera”, el primer sencillo del álbum recién lanzado “Entremundos”, un pescador emprende el angustioso viaje desde su pueblo en Sonora, México, hasta los Estados Unidos, en busca de trabajo.

El cuento del pescador es típico de las historias que los compositores, miembros del conjunto Debajito de Chico, conocen bien. Como parte del tema “Frontera”, esperan que esta rompa con el alboroto y la represión antiinmigrante que ha seguido ensombreciendo la vida en este país.


“Tenemos una relación con este territorio”, explicó Dani Cornejo, vocalista de Debajito cuya familia materna había emigrado del estado mexicano de Sonora. “De niños, íbamos allí todos los años. Acampábamos junto a un pueblo pesquero. Esa historia está arraigada en nuestra relación con la gente del pueblo pesquero de La Manga”. read more

LaMalfa faces a rowdy, irritable crowd

by Yucheng Tang | Posted August 11, 2025
District 1 Congressman Doug LaMalfa starts the day early with a town hall in Chico. Photo courtesy of Karen Laslo.

At his first in-person town hall in eight years, District 1 Congressman Doug LaMalfa defended his support for the One Big Beautiful Act — as some members of his audience jeered and heckled him.

In fact, interruptions were relentless during the 90-minute town hall that began at 7:30 a.m. at Chico’s Elks Lodge. Despite the early hour, the meeting room filled quickly with 600 people with no seats left.

LaMalfa responded to a question about possible cuts to Medicaid. “When we’re talking about the people that really do need it and are eligible under the program, they’re not being cut,” the congressman said.

The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law by President Trump on July 4, was promoted by the White House as a benefit to the working class. But some analysts say that the bill will slash federal funding for health care and food aid, largely by imposing work verification requirements on recipients and shifting cost burdens onto states. read more