SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - In CNBC’s annual “Top States for Business” ranking, California’s ranking reflects the reality of our economy, which is led by our tech industry and venture capital dollars but bogged down by our ongoing cost of living crisis, high taxes, and unfriendly business policies.
“California’s competitiveness, our ability to attract and retain businesses, as well as to provide employees with an affordable qualify of life, continue to show clear warning signs thanks to our ongoing cost-of-living crisis,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable. “This ranking is an annual reminder of the state’s precarious future and economic solvency. Just like the state budget, our business climate relies almost exclusively on the highly volatile Bay Area’s tech region to grow or attract business.”
According to the survey, California received an “F” in cost of living and business friendliness which directly reflect the impact of the policies that are being passed by state and local government. In addition, the state economy received a “D+” and our cost of doing business scored a “D.” The only categories in which California excelled were access to capital and technology and innovation, where we scored an “A+” for each.
“Our overall rankings should come as no surprise to the governor and Legislature, who continue to push higher taxes, fees, and expensive regulations onto businesses,” Lapsley continued.
In just the past 30 days, the governor and Legislature have ensured businesses will pay one of the highest tax increases in state history by refusing to provide state funding to pay off the state-created Unemployment Insurance Fund debt (learn more here) and increased labor and litigation costs by proposing to refund the Industrial Welfare Commission in the state budget (learn more here).
“The governor and Legislature’s policies continue to give clear signals that California is not a friendly place to expand or grow jobs. Technology and innovation, combined with access to capital, have disguised many of the major impacts that our policies are having on all other sectors in our economy. This report clearly reflects the harm these policies are having on businesses and working families,” Lapsley concluded.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - SMUD is announcing that the application period for its Shine Awards is now open to nonprofit organizations. Shine is a community development program designed to improve and revitalize neighborhoods in the Sacramento region.
Proposals should focus on projects that support zero carbon workforce development, environmental justice and equity, inclusive economic development and STEM education. Shine projects align with SMUD’s Clean Energy Vision, which will eliminate all carbon emissions from its power supply by 2030.
Shine awards will range from $5,000 to $100,000 and are very competitive. Any incorporated nonprofit organization within SMUD’s service area is eligible to apply. Shine awards are available at three funding levels: Spark (up to $10,000), Amplifier (up to $50,000) and Transformer (up to $100,000). Applications will be accepted through July 31.
While SMUD will consider a broad variety of potential projects, it is primarily interested in proposals that:
Align with SMUD’s 2030 Clean Energy Vision and are powered by clean energy solutions; Promote energy efficiency, energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction, particularly in diverse and under-resourced communities (environmental justice & equity); Involve clean energy education related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, or related STEM fields; Advance inclusive zero carbon workforce development, and; Support community revitalization and placemaking.
SMUD will host multiple informational webinar sessions about Shine and the application process. A registration link and application can be found on smud.org/Shine.
This year, SMUD awarded over $500,000 in Shine sponsorships to 22 local nonprofits. SMUD received a wide range of applications; the selected projects were able to successfully demonstrate collaboration and the potential for broad neighborhood impact.
Each year SMUD contributes approximately $3 million in financial support and in-kind services to community-based organizations. SMUD will continue to support healthy, vibrant and economically sustainable neighborhoods for all customers, with a special eye toward improving equity in our region through SMUD’s Sustainable Communities program.
For more information about the SMUD Shine program, including a list of previous winners, visit smud.org/Shine.
County Transportation Funding Experiences Boost
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - So far 2023 has been an excellent year for Sacramento County transportation efforts as many area projects have found needed funding to keep moving forward. This year, nearly $100 million is earmarked to improve roads, provide neighborhoods access for those who walk and bike, and build electric vehicle charging stations at Sacramento International Airport.
The 2023 funding from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) will help pay for parts of ten different projects within the County. The awards were given to a mixture of individual projects and joint efforts between agencies.
California Transportation Commission Awards - $70,038,000
Local Partnership Program – US 50 Gold Line Corridor Enhancement Project - $25M – SacDOT joint grant with SacRT. Project Summary - SacDOT will receive $15 million to go toward making improvements at the Hazel Avenue and Aerojet Road interchanges with Highway 50. Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) will receive $10 million for improvements along the Light Rail’s Gold Line;
Trade Corridor Enhancement Program – Sacramento County Watt EV Innovative Freight Terminal Project - $33.6M – Airport. Project Summary – The largest award in the area will allow the Sacramento County WattEV Innovative Freight Terminal (SWIFT) to build a publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging facility on a 118-acre parcel of land in south of Interstate 5 and immediately south of Sacramento International Airport;
Trade Corridor Enhancement Program – Grant Line Road Safety and Freight Mobility Project - $3M - Capital SouthEast Connector JPA. Project Summary - The Grant Line Road Safety and Freight Mobility Project (Project) is a rural freight improvement project in eastern Sacramento County. The funds will go toward the ultimate transformation of 2.6-miles of Grant Line Road from a narrow, two-lane rural road into to a divided four-lane roadway with a separated multi-use path from Douglas Road to White Rock Road. The Project modifies the existing signals at the Grant Line Road intersections with White Rock Road and Douglas Road and adds a new signalized intersection at Raymer Way;
Active Transportation Program – Stockton Boulevard Bicycle and Pedestrian Project -$363,000 – SacDOT. Project Summary - The County requested funding for Project Approval and Environmental Document to evaluate the feasibility of a Class IV separated bikeway, sidewalk infill, and signalization of one intersection along Stockton Boulevard between Florin Road and Mack Road/Elsie Avenue in South Sacramento County;
Active Transportation Program – Elkhorn Boulevard Complete Streets – $8.075M – SacDOT. Project Summary - Construct a Class IV separated bikeway on Elkhorn Boulevard from Watt Avenue to Don Julio Boulevard, sidewalk infill, ADA improvements, and implement Safe Routes to Schools and community education and encouragement programs in the North Highlands neighborhood.
SACOG Awards -_$24,876,000
Revolving Match – US 50 Gold Line Corridor Enhancement Project - $4M contingent on receiving CTC award above – SacDOT joint grant with SacRT;
Community Design – Arden Way Phase 1 and 2 - $1M plus a $458,000 SGIP match – SacDOT. Project Summary -In Sacramento County, on Alta Arden Expressway from Howe Avenue to Fulton Avenue. The project will include sidewalk gap closures, buffered bike lanes, and pavement resurfacing;
Maintenance and Modernization – Alta Arden Expressway Phase 1 - $4M – SacDOT. Project Summary - In Sacramento County, on Alta Arden Expressway from Howe Avenue to Fulton Avenue. The project will include sidewalk gap closures, buffered bike lanes, and pavement resurfacing;
Transformative – Jackson and Bradshaw Safe and Rural Connections - $3M – SacDOT – Project Summary - The Project is intended to provide operational and safety improvements at the intersection of Jackson Road and Bradshaw Road in Sacramento County. The project would add a travel lane and turn lanes at the intersection;
Transformative – Stockton Boulevard Multimodal Partnership and BRT Corridor - $5.2M – Joint grant with City of Sacramento, SacDOT, and SacRT. Project Summary - In Sacramento (City and County), on Stockton Boulevard, from Florin Road to Alhambra Boulevard: Multi-modal and safety improvements, including bus lanes and/or other transit enhancements, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian upgrades. The project will also include an alternatives analysis phase for the bus rapid transit (BRT) and BRT-lite treatments along the longer Sacramento Regional Transit District's Route 51 alignment between South Sacramento and the Sacramento Valley Station, which includes Stockton Boulevard (between Florin Road and Broadway), Broadway (between Stockton Boulevard and 8th Street), and segments of 7th, 8th and 9th Streets;
Regional Active Transportation Program – Bell Street Safe Routes to School - $8.676M – SacDOT. Project Summary - Construction of approximately 12,500 linear feet of sidewalk infill along various segments of Bell Street between Edison Avenue and Hurley Way in the West Arden community, including a segment on 2419 Wyda Way. Construction and reconstruction of new curb ramps and extensions, traffic signal modifications, a new pedestrian signal, a new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, striping and re-striping bicycle lanes, and new bicycle detectors will also be implemented at four intersections along Bell Street where they do not currently exist. The non-infrastructure element includes education and outreach to students and parents of the nearby schools on pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist safety.
The funding windfall will not only boost local transportation projects but help pave the way for future housing and building projects, which rely on roads being built before that construction can begin. The Building Industry Association and construction community are expected to benefit from these projects with more job opportunities in the future.
Construction of these projects will start to come to life over the next few years. Each grant will not pay for the entire project, as many funding sources are sought to offset the construction, but these dollars are expected to push the projects forward to allow a much-needed boost to improving the County’s transportation infrastructure.
109 Birthday Blessings for “Mother”
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Barbara Holman Robinson’s July 14 birthday did not just make her the oldest resident at Carmichael’s Atria El Camino Gardens. At 109, she is among the most senior citizens of California.
Celebrations included a party at the senior residence and – the following day – a massive get-together for friends, family and fellow churchgoers at City Hall in Rancho Cordova. Even though she has only a son surviving, Barbara was called “mother” by almost everyone at the gathering.
Married for 63 years to California State manager Robert Holman, she worked as a mom, a food manager for AT&T and later followed her husband into church life when Holman became Pastor for Christ Temple Apostolic Church, Sacramento. “She worked hard,” says her son Robert Holman, Jr (81). “Mom’s always been dedicated to family and her church. She gave me and my sister everything.”
The twice widowed centenarian impacted hundreds of lives though her church work. A former drug addict whom Barbara adopted described “mother” as the “most amazing woman I have known.”
“When she took me in, the drugs ended,” said Pauline Kirkendoll. “She taught me how to talk, how to dress. I had been living on the streets. Before her, no one ever treated me like they cared. I’ve been clean for 32 years, and I owe mother my life. She’s my prayer partner now. I take her to church, and we pray together every day.”
Granddaughter and caregiver Angelique Reynolds (63) traveled from Florida for the celebration. Looking after Barbara, she said “is the greatest honor of my life.”
The birthday girl took all compliments in stride. “There’s not a person in this world I don’t love,” said Barbara. “We’re different people; we can disagree. But under our skins, we’re all the same. My advice to people is to stand side by side with your neighbor and love everyone. I thank God for whatever reason he’s left me here for so long, so I can do his work.”
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Building upon the momentum in Q1 2023, the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) seized more than $109 million in illegal cannabis in Q2 2023. This total represents a 104 percent increase from the $52 million in unlicensed cannabis and cannabis products in Q1 2023.
Additional highlights from the period April 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023, include a 130 percent gain in the number of plants eradicated and a 375 percent increase in the number of firearms seized. The complete details of UCETF’s Q2 2023 results are listed below.
“This well-orchestrated taskforce continues to reach new heights on shutting down a variety of illicit operations that range from dispensaries to indoor grow houses to outdoor cultivations sites among other facets in the illegal supply chain,” said David Bess, Chief of Enforcement for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). “These enforcement numbers speak volumes on the dedication, perseverance, and organization of this multiagency taskforce. I could not be prouder of what we are accomplishing as a team.”
“Our enforcement efforts are becoming increasingly diversified along the illegal cannabis supply chain as we served warrants on several unlicensed dispensaries in this quarter in addition to unlicensed cultivation operations,” stated Bill Jones, Chief of the Law Enforcement Division for DCC. “As the taskforce continues to evolve and the combined resources of our partners plays an even greater role in our operations, we will be disrupting the illegal market at several different points along their supply chain.”
“The Department of Toxic Substances Control brings its mission to safeguard public health and the environment to the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce, playing a crucial role alongside dedicated partners in promoting responsible growth of the cannabis industry,” said DTSC Chief Investigator, Hansen Pang. “Through our expertise in addressing environmental concerns, including contamination, hazardous waste, and banned pesticides, we collaborate to eliminate the adverse impact of the illegal cannabis market.”
UCETF is supporting the legal cannabis market by investigating and disrupting illegal grow sites as well as shutting down illegal manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations. By working closely with state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies, UCETF’s enforcement actions protect consumer and public safety, safeguard the environment, and deprive illegal cannabis operators and transnational criminal organizations of illicit revenue that undercuts the regulated cannabis market in California.
In 2023 UCETF has seized $161,921,709.44 in unlicensed cannabis through the serving of 113 search warrants. The taskforce has also eradicated 173,499 plants and seized 23 firearms.
Created in 2022, the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce has been charged by the Governor to better align state efforts and increase cannabis enforcement coordination between state, local and federal partners. The Taskforce is co-chaired by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and coordinated by the Homeland Security Division of Cal OES. The taskforce includes more than two dozen local, state, and federal partners working together to disrupt the illegal cannabis market.
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - On June 20, 2023, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Wood Products and Bioenergy Team announced that it will offer $16 million in new grants. These projects will fund expansion in workforce and businesses involved in creating healthy, resilient forests across the State as outlined in California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
The 14 grant offers will go to an array of non-profits, small businesses and manufacturing facilities across California.
Two grants will subsidize transporting low-value forest biomass. Dinuba Energy in Tulare County will restart operations at their bioenergy facility with new capacity to utilize sub-merchantable and cull logs from forest-fuel reduction activities. Lignum Support LLC will utilize subsidies to recover biomass from forest health and roadside hazard reduction projects that would otherwise be left in the woods.
Three workforce development grants will provide new job training opportunities and forestry outreach. Future Fire Academy in Placer County will train veterans and justice-involved persons for careers in forestry and firefighting. The CA Association of Resource Conservation Districts will fund 140 individuals from across the State to pursue over 300 forestry-related certificates that will prepare them for higher quality work. Lastly, the California Forestry Association will partner with communications experts to market forestry and provide equitable forestry education opportunities.
A total of four grants will be offered to small forest operations and milling businesses. Cascade Custom Cutting in Shasta County will receive assistance in purchasing additional in-woods equipment. Forestree Collective in Sonoma County will expand their capacity to mill lumber as will Rath Industries and Tubit Enterprises in Shasta County.
In Tuolumne County, American Wood Fibers will receive assistance in purchasing new technology to process burned and diseased logs into animal bedding products. Kodama Systems will fund development of new software and hardware for high-speed site connectivity and telemetry at remote forest thinning sites.
Mote, Inc. will be offered a grant to further research and develop a biomass gasification facility in El Dorado County that will produce hydrogen and sequester carbon dioxide from regional wood waste. Similarly, Arbor Energy and Resources Corp will be offered a grant to support engineering design for novel gasification technology in Placer County.
Since January 2022, the Wood Products and Bioenergy Team has awarded $67 million to business and workforce projects that align with the State’s climate mitigation and economic development goals.
“CAL FIRE’s Business and Workforce Development Grants Program offers the most project support of any grant program we researched,” said Eric Martin of the Northstar Community Services District. “The funding is invaluable in stimulating development of projects that support the State’s ambitious goal of treating one million forest acres annually”.
CAL FIRE’s Business and Workforce Development grant awards are funded with State of California General Funds. The solicitation remains open to new grant applications. Please visit CAL FIRE’s Wood Products and Bioenergy webpage for details.
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – The results of the California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) recent Independence Day Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) are a sobering reminder of the consequences resulting from unsafe driving behaviors.
Sixty-eight people were killed in crashes throughout the state during the Independence Day MEP, which began at 6:01 p.m. on Friday, June 30, and concluded at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4. Tragically, nearly half of the total number of vehicle occupants who died within CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seat belt.
With unsafe speed being the number one contributor to crashes in California, the CHP placed a special emphasis on its enforcement during the recent MEP. CHP officers issued more than 9,700 speed citations throughout the long Independence Day weekend.
Additionally, impaired drivers were removed from California’s roadways at an alarming rate during the holiday enforcement effort. CHP officers made 1,224 arrests for driving under the influence, which is an average of one DUI arrest every five minutes.
“The results of this MEP are concerning and reinforce the need for responsible behavior behind the wheel,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “All of these deaths were preventable, and the loved ones they leave behind will be forever impacted. Traffic safety is everyone’s responsibility, and these statistics show us how much work there is still to be done. The CHP is committed to making California’s roadways safer for all who use them.”
To help protect those who are traveling on California’s roadways during the holidays, the CHP implements six MEPs per year. The next MEP is scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Throughout the holiday weekend, all available uniformed members of the Department will be on patrol to enhance public safety, deter unsafe driving behavior, and, when necessary, take appropriate enforcement action.
Keep yourself and others who are on the road safe by buckling up, driving at a speed safe for conditions, avoid distractions behind the wheel, and always designating a sober driver.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.