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Here are some of the top news items that made headlines recently in Merced County and the San Joaquin Valley
The view of downtown Merced, looking east down Main Street, is shown on a hot August afternoon. CVJC PHOTO
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The following is a collection of news written by CVJC, in addition to our partners KVPR and Fresnoland.
Congressman Duarte tells Valley voters he’ll stand against ‘the woke’ and ‘ultra-conservatives’
With a tough re-election bid ahead of him, the first-term Republican says he puts local interests over partisan battles
Merced police unit geared toward ‘quality-of-life’ issues returns, despite staff shortage
The Disruptive Area Response Team, commonly known as DART, went dormant at the start of 2023 despite protests from locals who credited it for keeping homeless encampments in check and curbing street crimes.
Supporters of Merced’s Public Safety Tax submit signatures to put Measure C before voters in 2024
Without the half-cent tax, city officials estimate Merced could face a $7 million annual budget shortfall and lose stable funding for police and fire departments.
Merced County tops California for highest homicide rate
Despite ranking just 23rd in population, Merced County ranked No. 1 in homicides per capita last year and joined many Valley neighbors in recording some of the worst homicide rates.
Valley professors sue California Community Colleges over equity rules
The professors who filed the suit say they should not be required to teach concepts they do not personally agree with.
The ascension of Charles Ogletree: How a Black child on Merced’s impoverished south side became a star legal scholar and mentor
Charles Ogletree rose to prominence as a defense attorney and served as counsel to Professor Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings and as mentor to Barack and Michelle Obama when they were at Harvard Law.
Valley CSUs falling short of graduation goals. But some campuses are still trying
“It's one thing to set goals, 10 years ago and saying ‘In 2025, we're going to graduate this many people,’ and then not be aware of all of the things that might be happening to impact those goals,” says one expert.
After spotlight on sexual misconduct at CSUs, Valley campuses try to meet accountability
After the CSU chancellor’s public resignation last year over accusations of mishandling sexual harassment complaints, a law firm was brought in to assess every Title IX office in the CSU.
Murals by Merced artists unveiled at Highway 99 underpasses
The City of Merced recently unveiled a series of murals by local artists on the walls of Highway 99 underpasses as part of the Clean California Initiative.
Fresno’s budget subcommittee doesn’t meet in public. Legal experts say it’s a ‘major problem’
Fresnoland confirmed that the budget subcommittee, which city officials assert is temporary, has met annually over the same general subject in June since at least 2019. Does that violate the Brown Act?
Democrat Adam Gray says he’ll run again for Congress, seek rematch with John Duarte
Last November’s race for the 13th District was one of the tightest congressional races in the nation with a count that lasted for weeks.
Highway 99 construction frustrates Merced County drivers. When will it be done?
Each day the busy stretch of highway is used by about 62,000 motorists, including 12,400 truckers.
