Tulare man convicted in molestation case

A Tulare County jury has convicted 52-year-old Steven Brian Arey of Tulare on 20 counts of molesting two girls and a boy. 

The verdict was reached on Friday, and Arey faces 300 years to life in prison at his sentencing on May 26. 

Deputy District Attorney Chelsea Wayt prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Sergeant Matt Muller of the Tulare Police Department. 

The Tulare County District Attorney's Office issued a news release announcing the verdict.

Funds short for Corcoran levee project

The Corcoran levee, which protects the town from the old Tulare Lake, is sinking due to subsidence caused by excessive groundwater pumping by farmers, according to a report by GV Wire.

With runoff from record-breaking snowpack expected to inundate the area, the levee needs to be raised by four feet to avoid flooding. 

However, the Cross Creek Flood Control District, which is responsible for the levee, has only $1 million to complete a project that is estimated to cost between $17 million and $21 million. The district and the city of Corcoran have urgently requested funding from various sources, including the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, but it remains uncertain whether they will receive any financial assistance.

Gov. Newsom signs executive order to support Tulare Lake Basin flood response

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to protect the Tulare Lake Basin communities from significant flooding resulting from the historic storms that California experienced this winter and spring. The order aims to streamline state preparation, response, and recovery actions, and supports local flood response efforts.

State agencies, including the California Department of Water Resources, CAL FIRE, and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, have been actively engaging with local officials managing flood response efforts, providing technical assistance, resources, and support to protect public health and safety.

The Governor's order streamlines regulations to expedite emergency flood preparation and response activities, such as floodwater diversion, debris removal, and levee repairs in the Tulare Lake Basin. In addition, it waives work hour limitations for retired annuitants working with state agencies and departments on the emergency response to ensure adequate staffing for response efforts.

McCarthy criticized for releasing security footage to Tucker Carlson

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing criticism for giving Tucker Carlson, a Fox News commentator, exclusive access to police security footage of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. 

McCarthy of Bakersfield has vowed to make the footage available to the public, but said that Carlson will have first access. 

Some Democrats have raised concerns about the potential misuse of the footage as a political tool to rewrite the history of the attack. 

Access to the footage will also be made available to the nearly 1,000 defendants being prosecuted for their roles in the siege. Source: AP

Snowpack may endure despite rain storms

California is expected to experience rainy and snowy weather throughout March, even after the start of spring on March 20. 

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has modelled the continuation of the inclement weather. Forecasters are also monitoring the possibility of warmer storms hitting the state, which could increase the likelihood of flooding. 

Yosemite National Park closed last week due to heavy snow, while the China Peak ski resort is closed for the weekend. Fresno County has opened shelters for residents without power, but warns motorists against trying to drive in the Sierra due to deep snow.

It is uncertain whether the snow will melt or not. Some forecasters are keeping an eye on the potential for warmer storms that could hit the state, soaking the massive snowpack and raising the potential for flooding. 

Dan Walters: High-speed rail still lacks money to complete Valley segment

In a commentary in CalMatters, Dan Walters writes that the California High-Speed Rail project, a proposed statewide system of very fast trains, is still lacking enough money to complete its initial segment in the San Joaquin Valley. 

The High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) recently announced the “historic milestone” of creating over 10,000 construction jobs since the start of construction on the initial stage, but this number is open to debate. 

The San Joaquin segment is currently projected to cost $22 billion, roughly one-fifth of what the entire north-south system would need. While construction unions have ramped up pressure to continue work, the project still lacks the necessary funding to complete the San Joaquin segment and make it a statewide system. 

The solution may depend on what happens in national politics, with Democrats supporting high-speed rail as a tool to battle climate change and Republicans opposing it as a boondoggle. Source: CalMatters

NASA says 10 percent of Valley water comes from underground mountain sources

NASA scientists say that up to 10 percent of the groundwater in the Central Valley flows underground from the Sierra Nevada mountain range. 

“We now know how much groundwater is going into and coming out of the aquifers during each season of the year, and during periods of drought and episodes of heavy precipitation,” Donald Argus of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California said. 

The volume of the inflow was surprising, according to Argus, because researchers believed they already had a good understanding of the amount of water entering and leaving the Central Valley. 

Source: Tulare Voice

This new understanding could be used, for example, to modify existing restrictions on watering during dry years versus wet years to better match usage with the available groundwater resources.

In a recent study, scientists found that a previously unmeasured source – water percolating through soil and fractured rock below California’s Sierra Nevada mountains – delivers an average of 4 million acre feet (5 cubic kilometers) of water to the state’s Central Valley each year. This underground source accounts for about 10% of all the water that enters this highly productive farmland each year from every source (including river inflows and precipitation).