The USDA’s Farm Service Agency announced that signup for the Conservation Reserve Program will begin on Monday, December 9th. The signup period ends on February 28th for general CRP, while the signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP get a yearly payment for voluntarily establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant…… MORE
CA Supreme Court: Secretly Recorded Conversations Admissible in Criminal Cases
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The California Supreme Court says while secretly recording someone else’s conversation is illegal, prosecutors can use the illicit recording as evidence in a criminal case. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the unanimous ruling Thursday cites a 1982 ballot measure that allows all “relevant evidence” to be introduced at trial. The case…… MORE
Merced Parent Pays Off Entire School’s Lunch Debt
MERCED, Calif., (KMJ) – Tis the season of giving and families at one Merced City School District campus are feeling the impact. A parent whose child attends John C. Fremont Elementary school has given an extremely generous gift to the campus. This week, Rey Lupian offered to pay off the outstanding school lunch debt…… MORE
Police Arrest Man Allegedly on His Way to Kill Girlfriend’s Ex and His Family
A 29-year-old man was arrested while allegedly on his way to kill his girlfriend’s ex and his family, police say. It happened Wednesday around 7:30 p.m. on Kim Avenue in Atwater. According to the Atwater Police Department, officers found out that Ramon Maldonado threatened to kill his girlfriend’s ex. Maldonado’s girlfriend, Jillian Johal, and…… MORE
Flesh-Eating Bacteria Tied to Heroin Kills 7 in Calif.
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Authorities say a flesh-eating bacteria linked to the use of black tar heroin has killed at least seven people in Southern California. San Diego County health officials say nine people who injected heroin in the past two months were hospitalized with a soft-tissue infection that destroys muscle. Investigators are trying to…… MORE
California Bans Insurance Companies from Dropping Policies in Fire-Ravaged Area
OAKLAND, Calif. — Today Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing policyholders–helping at least 800,000 homes in wildfire disaster areas in Northern and Southern California. The commissioner’s action is the result of Senate Bill 824—authored last year by Lara while serving as state senator—in order to give temporary…… MORE
Japan Approves Partial Trade Agreement with U.S.
Japan’s Upper House of Parliament ratified a partial trade agreement with the United States, which will go into effect on January 1, 2020. That nation is one of California’s biggest agriculture export markets. Ryan LeGrand, President and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council, notes that the agreement “solidifies trade with our second-largest corn market.”…… MORE
CA Governor Newsom Blames President Trump for Delayed Homeless Aid
(AP NEWS) – California’s governor blamed the Trump administration for withholding data needed to release $650 million in state aid to combat homelessness. California’s cities and counties have been waiting since June for the money approved by the state Legislature. But state law says the money can only be distributed based on federally approved…… MORE
Fresno County Detectives Arrest Man For Stealing Shotgun at Sanger Gas Station
FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Detectives in Fresno County have arrested the man they say stole a shotgun at a gas station in Sanger. On Tuesday, December 3rd, property crimes detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office arrested 34 year old Khamphanh Srimala of Fresno. Thanks to tips from the public who saw those images, detectives…… MORE
Gun Background Checks Set to Reach a Record
FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Background checks on gun purchases are climbing toward a record high for this year. The firearms industry claims people are rushing to buy weapons, in reaction to the Democratic candidates’ calls for tighter restrictions. By the end of last month, more than 25.4 million background checks, which are generally seen…… MORE
