A final vote is coming today on a new speech policy for University of California employees. The Board of Regents is expected to approve restricting personal and political statements. They would no longer be allowed on campus homepages but could be posted on secondary pages with a disclaimer saying they don’t represent UC’s official stance. Teachers can still share views on their own faculty web pages and on social media.
The state is boosting apprenticeships to help young people kick start their career. Fifty-one projects are being funded across California to give those between 16 and 24-years-old more opportunity. This includes young parents, former foster kids and students in communities with high poverty. Employers will be supported and encouraged to hire young workers in industries such as healthcare, education, public sector and transportation.
California is the first state to officially launch a Hydrogen Hub. ARCHES signed an agreement with the Department of Energy and secured the first round of funding. The hub will create a network of clean, renewable hydrogen production sites to cut fossil fuel use throughout the state. Governor Newsom says this will power ports and public transportation, getting people and goods where they need to go, just without the local air pollution.
The state is throwing Smokey Bear a birthday party and everyone’s invited. A celebration is planned for Saturday at the California State Fair in Sacramento. Six education centers will be open for visitors to earn a free birthday bandana. Smokey has been the symbol of wildfire prevention since 1944. He officially turns 80 next month.
A national litigation firm is filing a lawsuit challenging California’s new transgender parental notification ban in schools. Emily Rae, the senior counsel for the Liberty Justice Center, says the lawsuit names Governor Gavin Newsom, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Chino Valley Unified School District v. Newsom was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California on Tuesday. Newsom signed AB1955 into law on Monday, and it has already seen a wave of backlash, including from billionaire Elon Musk, who says he will be moving his companies SpaceX and X to Texas because of it. The law, which bans school districts from requiring parents to be notified if their kids identify as transgender, goes into effect on January first of next year.
Expanded opioid prevention education is coming to Sonoma County’s schools this fall. In following a state mandate passed last year, the Sonoma County Office of Education will be updating its guidelines about fentanyl awareness, overdose and prevention for middle schools and high schools. The Sonoma County Department of Health Services is also expanding its own fentanyl prevention and opioid education in schools. The health department is collaborating with Panaptic, which it has worked with for the past five years.
Officials are monitoring the spread of the Hill Fire in nearby Humboldt County. The fire started on Tuesday just before noon and has since burned 4,600 acres just south of Willow Creek in the Mosquito Creek Drainage. CalFire says the fire is burning in steep, inaccessible terrain, with heavy timber and dry vegetation. Multiple tankers and copters are working the fire, it is currently 0% contained.
A homicide victim has been identified in Mendocino County. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Kevin Taeuffer was found shot on July 11th in Point Arena. Officials said Pan Brady called 911 to report the shooting and was later arrested on homicide charges. He was booked into the Mendocino County jail on a million-dollar bond. The next day he was released from jail on a half million dollar bail bond. Formal charges against Brady have not yet been filed. The case is still being investigated, anyone with information is asked to call the MCSO.
The sexual assault case involving a former Ukiah Police Chief is moving forward. According to reports, Noble Waidelich is accused of assaulting a local woman while he was on duty as the Ukiah Police Chief in 2022. The judge in the case is allowing it to proceed in federal court after deciding that top police officials knew of past abuse allegations and promoted Waidelich anyway. He was fired shortly after the allegations were made public.
