From the Camp Fire anniversary to election updates, here are this week’s –- Nov. 2 to 7 –- news stories:
Man rushed to hospital after being thrown to ground outside Crazy Horse Saloon
A man suffered serious head injuries after being thrown to the ground during an argument outside of Crazy Horse Saloon on Oct. 31. The argument began when a group of women had a disagreement that became physical according to the Chico Police Department. The injured man was taken to Enloe Medical Center.
This article was written by reporter Bea Williams.
Veteran support in California changing due to Proposition 1
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of eight bills from the State Senate and Assembly on Sept. 29 that aims to improve state support of veterans, many of which change funding definitions and disbursement. Newsom issued a signing message with only one of the bills, Senate Bill 1025. Prior to the signing of SB 1025, veterans could potentially enter diversion programs rather than face prison time if they met the court qualifications and were facing misdemeanor charges. The signing of SB 1025 allows diversion programs to also accept veterans who are facing felony charges.
This article was written by news editor Jessica Miller.
Governor Gavin Newsom signs new legislation to support individuals with disabilities
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of 10 bills, five from the State Senate and five from the State Assembly, on Sept. 28 to improve accessibility and inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. One of the most notable bills was Assembly Bill 438 which will require schools to begin planning post-high school goals for those in the Individual Education Program at the age of 16. This is two years earlier than schools are currently asked to start planning future goals for IEP participants.
This article was written by reporter Bea Williams.
Meet the new California state slug, seashell and crustacean
Last month, Newsom signed three bills to establish new state symbols including the banana slug as state slug, the black abalone as state seashell and the Dungeness crab as state crustacean. Fun fact: Banana slugs are one of the slowest creatures on earth moving at a maximum speed of six and a half inches per minute.
This article was written by news editor Jessica Miller.
Butte County Elections Division is not permitted to make election results official until Dec. 3
Ballot counting is well underway but the Butte County Elections Division will not be able to certify election results until Dec. 3. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3184 into law on Sept. 22 which requires all counties to wait 28 days to certify election results. The Butte County Clerk-Recorder, Keaton Delay, put out a press release to make the community aware of his disappointment with the bill.
This article was written by reporter Bea Williams.
Governor Newsom issues executive order to lower electricity bills
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Oct. 30 to reduce the cost of electric bills and move closer to achieving 100% clean electricity by 2045. He ordered that the California Energy Commission negate any undue costs by searching for programs that are inflating prices. This order came alongside similar orders for the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Air Resources Board and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety.
This article was written by reporter Lexi Lynn.
National First-Generation Week preview
Chico State celebrated National First-Generation Week from Nov. 4 to 8 by holding a graduate student council, art therapy, a first-gen social and a healing circle. El Centro collaborated with the First Generation Faculty and Staff Association to host the events.
This article was written by Rebecca Gonzalez.
Students, staff and Chico residents flood Bell Memorial Union to cast their ballots
The Bell Memorial Union on the Chico State campus was open as a voting location until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Students, faculty and Chico community members lined up to register to vote and submit their ballots. Some of them said they waited hours to vote. Issues that voters felt impacted their decision regarding the presidency included economic health, border security, immigration laws, climate change, LGBTQ support, women’s rights and abortion. Votes won’t be certified in Butte County until Dec. 13, but counting began as soon as the polls closed.
This article was written by news editor Jessica Miller and reporter Bea Williams.
President Steve Perez addresses election aftermath
Chico State President Steve Perez sent an email to the campus community Wednesday morning addressing the heightened emotions around campus post-election. He said that Chico State should remain a place where all students feel welcome and safe. The email stated due to angst or anxiety students may be experiencing, the campus will offer mental health support services to help students through this time.
This article was written by news editor Jessica Miller.
Donald Trump announced as president-elect
Former President Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th President of the United States, a race call from the Associated Press said. Trump secured the vote in five key swing states bringing him to 295 electoral votes as well as an over 4 million vote lead in the popular vote. The last time a republican won the popular vote was George Bush in 2004.
This article was written by reporter Anthony Vasek.
Post-Election Day: Campus community reacts
As Election Day passed and the new president-elect was announced, The Orion staff took to the paths of Chico State to ask the campus community about how they feel now the fated day is over. The results were a mixed bag with some students feeling very satisfied and others feeling afraid for the future of the country.
This article was written by The Orion staff.
Steve Perez sends message remembering the Camp Fire
Chico State President Steve Perez sent a message on Nov. 7 to remind students of the mental health resources on campus and to honor the Camp Fire anniversary. The WellCat Counseling Center is open to students while The Employee Assistance Program has resources for staff and faculty.
This article was written by reporter Anthony Vasek.
Recovering from the Camp Fire
CAL FIRE Jarbo Gap station firefighters left their posts at 6:30 a.m. on Nov 8, 2018 to investigate a suspected fire in Feather River Canyon not knowing that they would be the first on the scene of California’s deadliest fire: the Camp Fire. To date, the Camp Fire is also the most destructive fire in California history having burned 18,804 structures leaving only ashes in the place the town of Paradise once stood. However, Paradise didn’t stay in ashes. Community meetings with Paradise residents were frequently held to plan future improvements to Paradise after the fire. Paradise is still deep in rebuilding efforts with many uncompleted projects including the Paradise sewer project and the undergrounding of utilities, led by PG&E and is expected to be completed in 2025.
This article was written by news editor Jessica Miller and reporter Bea Williams.
Rebuilding efforts are still ongoing six years after the Camp Fire
The Camp Fire changed the Paradise and Butte County communities and countless people’s lives. Business owners are still rebuilding their businesses and their sense of community. The community of Paradise is still alive and pushing through the damage from 2018.
This article was written by news editor Jessica Miller and multimedia editor Jenna McMahon.
Jessica Miller can be reached at [email protected].
