Denney and LaMalfa on the issues affecting the 1st Congressional District
Joel Moret, Reporter
October 22, 2020
(Quotations for Audrey Denney were sourced from an interview with The Orion; quotations for Doug LaMalfa were sourced from a community forum debate that was hosted by the League of Women Voters. Orion reporters reached out to the LaMalfa campaign to organize an interview and did not receive a respo...
‘Violence Suppression Unit’: Chico Police Department’s response to an increase in violent crime
Joel Moret, Reporter
October 15, 2020
In response to a community increase in crime since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chico Police Department has created a new task force: the Violence Suppression Unit. The new unit began work on Sept 17. “For a variety of reasons, including the COVID-19 Pandemic, there has been an increase in P...
Chico State opens vacant dorms to house North Complex firefighters
Dylan Griffith, Reporter
October 11, 2020
Chico State announced that it will be housing up to 200 firefighters in on-campus housing that was recently closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks. They will be used by firefighters who are currently battling the North Complex fires. “Chico State announced October 6th that they are partnering with the Office of E...
Two Chico State Nursing students launch COVID-19 video campaign
Chloe Curtis, Editor-in-Chief
October 9, 2020
Chico State senior nursing students, Isaac Padilla and Tasha Haase have partnered with Butte County Public Health to gather comprehensive data from Chico State students, faculty and alumni about their individual experiences with COVID-19. Padilla and Haase rolled out a Google Form earlier th...
Butte County taken off most restrictive COVID-19 risk level, more businesses to open
Kimberly Morales, Reporter
September 30, 2020
Butte County has moved to a less restrictive tier in California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy and will now have the ability to open limited indoor dining, gyms, and more, Butte County Public Health announced on Tuesday. The tier system reflects California’s guidelines for expanding and suppressing activity in order to reduce the ...
Over 1,200 homes destroyed in North Complex Fire; fire weather watch in effect this weekend
Chloe Curtis, Editor-in-Chief
September 23, 2020
The North Complex Fire is nearing containment at 78% after over 301,700 acres have burned since the fire erupted earlier this month. News items from the community briefing included: Over 1,200 single-residence structures have been destroyed The grand total of destroyed structures...
What District Are You In? City Council Elections Right Around the Corner
Joel Moret, Reporter
September 22, 2020
The first Chico City Council general municipal election since the introduction of a new district map is set for Nov. 3. The approved map branched Chico into seven districts. District 4, which contains communities closest to Chico State, will not be voting for a representative this November. Ho...
Chico businesses hit with triple-whammy: state restrictions, COVID-19 and fire smoke
Dylan Griffith, Reporter
September 20, 2020
Butte County Public Health held a meeting Thursday, Sept. 17 where some Chico business owners and other community members expressed outrage over state- and county-mandated restrictions. Recent fires, an uptick in COVID-19 deaths and strict reopening guidelines have increased tensions in the politic...
North Complex Fire reaches 40% containment; now one of California’s Top 5 deadliest and largest wildfires
Matthew Wreden and Chloe Curtis
September 18, 2020
The North Complex Fire has burned more than 10,000 acres since Wednesday’s community briefing—although weather conditions have been favorable in its gradual containment. “Between pandemics, other fires, civil unrest, I just want to make sure that people don’t forget this incident,” sai...
1 new death, 2 remain missing in North Complex Fire; favorable weather conditions impeding fire’s spread
Matthew Wreden and Chloe Curtis
September 14, 2020
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea confirmed one new death on Monday, bringing the North Complex Fire death toll to 15. News items from Monday’s community briefing included: Butte County has received 182 welfare calls; 165 people have been located, 2 are unaccounted for and 15 are confirmed dead2 new a...
2 additional deaths confirmed; unhealthy air to linger for weeks
Chloe Curtis and Matthew Wreden
September 13, 2020
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea confirmed two additional deaths Sunday, raising the North Complex Fire death toll to 14. The fire has burned more than 261,000 acres and containment is 26%. The West Zone of the fire in Butte County has burned 74,000 acres and is 18% contained. “A critical period of weath...
3 more deaths from North Complex Fire; task force preparing for harsher weather conditions
Matthew Wreden and Chloe Curtis
September 12, 2020
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea confirmed 3 more deaths Saturday, raising the North Complex Fire death toll to 12. The fire has burned more than 250,000 acres but remains at 21% containment. In the West Zone, 73,000 acres have burned and containment is only 10%. An additional 3,000 acres have b...
