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Press release from Caltrans District 1:

EUREKA – Caltrans has awarded $26.5 million in planning grants for 65 local projects, including five projects in District 1, to strengthen climate resiliency, reduce planet-warming pollution, improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and increase natural disaster preparedness throughout California. Including the grants announced, the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program has awarded more than $292 million to 750 projects since 2015.

Nearly $3 million of these funds comes from one-time state and federal sources made possible by Governor Gavin Newsom’s historic $15 billion clean transportation package — part of the 2022-23 budget to further the state’s ambitious climate goals. Another $12.4 million comes from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. The awards will fund project planning and conceptual design efforts, helping move the projects closer to construction.

“The Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program continues to bring transportation planning funding to our area each year, and these grants often represent a critical first step in the project development process,” said Tatiana Ahlstrand, Caltrans District 1 Regional Planning Coordination Branch Chief. “With more than $1.5 million in planning funds being awarded in District 1 this cycle, the five awarded grants will support multimodal transportation planning, climate adaptation, and tribal transportation needs. We extend our congratulations to our partners and look forward to continued collaboration.”

Projects impacting District 1 include:

• Approximately $191,000 in Sustainable Communities Competitive Grant funding to the Lake County/City Area Planning Council for the Lake County Tribal Transportation Needs and Engineered Feasibility Study. The project aims to identify and prioritize tribal transportation projects in the Lake County region, providing potential projects, estimated costs, and funding sources to support future improvements.
• Approximately $310,000 in Sustainable Communities Competitive Grant funding to the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) for the Loleta Safe Routes to School and Connectivity to Tribal Lands. HCAOG will partner with local organizations and tribes to develop design plans and needs assessments for safe and sustainable transportation in Loleta, addressing pedestrian safety challenges near Loleta Elementary School and enhancing connectivity with the Wiyot Tribe and Bear River Rancheria.
• Approximately $279,000 in Sustainable Communities Competitive and Technical Grant funding to the Mendocino Council of Governments (MCOG) for the Mendocino County Regional Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Program. MCOG seeks to develop a program to help the county comply with SB 743, which requires CEQA lead agencies to evaluate VMT impacts associated with land use development or transportation projects and implement mitigation measures when required. The program is expected to involve the County of Mendocino, incorporated cities (Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Point Arena, Willits), Mendocino County Air Quality Management District, Caltrans, and Native American Tribes.
• Approximately $442,000 in Climate Adaptation Planning Grant funding to the Mendocino County Department of Transportation for the Climate Adaptation Storm Drainage Vulnerability Analysis. The county experiences frequent flooding due to inadequate culvert capacities and climate change. This analysis will prioritize county owned and maintained culverts for replacement to better protect the county’s rural roadways.
• Approximately $286,000 in Sustainable Communities Competitive Grant funding to the City of Ukiah for the East Perkins Street Multimodal Transportation Plan. The project aims to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities on East Perkins Street and its connections with U.S. 101 by studying needs and recommending multimodal improvements. The plan seeks to create a safer, more efficient corridor that promotes active transportation, economic development, and accessible mobility options, while considering community input, and data collection.

View the complete list of this year’s planning grant project awardees Caltrans awards transportation planning grants each year through a competitive process to fund local and regional multimodal transportation and land use planning projects. These grants assist in achieving the Caltrans Mission and Grant Program Objectives. Applications are evaluated based on how projects advance state transportation and climate goals by identifying and addressing statewide, interregional or regional transportation deficiencies on the highway system.

SB 1 provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually that is shared equally between state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of SB 1 funds, including projects that are partially funded by SB 1.

To view the latest news and information on state and federal infrastructure investments, visit build.ca.gov.

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Press release from the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission:

Los Angeles, CA – Humboldt and Del Norte Counties’ Film Commissioner, Cassandra Hesseltine, stood alongside fellow advocates and state leaders at a pivotal press conference in Los Angeles earlier today, celebrating a major milestone for California’s creative economy: the expansion of the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of the 2025–2026 state budget on June 27 marks a significant win for the industry, more than doubling the annual funding for the tax credit program from $330 million to $750 million through 2030.

As Vice President of FLICS (Film Liaisons in California Statewide), Hesseltine has been a key voice in the statewide effort to preserve and grow California’s film production landscape. “This is not just a victory for filmmakers…it’s a victory for everyday Californians,” said Hesseltine. “We’ve been fighting to keep jobs, resources, and creative talent in our home state. This expansion ensures that communities like ours in Humboldt and Del Norte will continue to benefit from film production activity that supports our local businesses and economy.”

While speaking with Governor Newsom, Hesseltine expressed her gratitude on behalf of the Redwood Coast. “I thanked the Governor personally because this incentive isn’t just about Hollywood. It’s a lifeline for rural California. It means opportunity, visibility, and real investment in the Redwood Coast.”

She also credits Pro Tempore Senator Mike McGuire for his critical leadership in making the incentive expansion a reality. “Senator McGuire has been a champion for rural regions like ours throughout this process. His deep understanding of both the creative industry and the economic needs of Northern California helped push this across the finish line. We are incredibly grateful for his advocacy.”

Why This Matters to California Communities:

• More Local Jobs: Since 2022, over 17,000 film industry jobs have been lost. The tax credit expansion is designed to reverse that trend.

• Increased Incentives: Productions can now qualify for up to 40% in tax credits when filming in California, especially outside Los Angeles—putting regions like Humboldt and Del Norte front and center.

• Return on Investment: This is a performance-based program: productions must spend in California first. For every $1 invested, $4–$8 returns to the state’s economy.For instance the Paul Thomas Anderson movie last January brought in $2.1 million direct dollars and the impact to our economy was more like $6+ million.

• Statewide Economic Boost: From hotels and restaurants to permit fees and location rentals, the ripple effect of filming benefits small businesses, local governments, and everyday Californians.

While some raise concerns about public spending, the results are clear. This program helps keep productions from leaving for states like Georgia or New York, while ensuring California’s taxpayers see real, measurable returns. “This is about more than movies. It’s about keeping California a cultural and economic leader,” Hesseltine added. “We’re not just filming in California. We’re building futures, creating jobs, and preserving the soul of the state’s creative identity.”

As a long-time advocate for sustainable, locally rooted filmmaking and a proud representative of Northern California’s cinematic treasures, Hesseltine’s presence at the event underscores the importance of ensuring all regions of California benefit from the state’s booming creative economy.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal is proud to appoint Deputy William Kerr and Deputy Shirley Yanez as resident deputies at the Willow Creek Resident Station.

The two deputies will begin their residency on July 20, continuing the HCSO’s commitment to providing consistent, community-based law enforcement in the Willow Creek / Hoopa area.

The Sheriff’s Office has supported this resident post due to Willow Creek being a remote part of the county, and the calls for service dictate the need to have a dedicated station and resident deputies in this area. This will ensure a timely response to calls for service and dedicated patrols 7 days a week.  

“Resident Deputies provide consistent law enforcement presence, build strong community relationships, and proactively address public safety concerns in alignment with the Sheriff’s Office mission to protect and serve with compassion and accountability,” said Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal.

About Deputy William Kerr

Deputy William Kerr brings over 13 years of law enforcement experience to his new role. Originally from Coos County, Oregon, Kerr served in the U.S. Army as a Combat Engineer and later as an academy instructor for the Afghanistan Metro Police. He transitioned to civilian law enforcement with agencies including the Myrtle Point Police Department, North Bend Police Department, and Yurok Tribal Police.

Deputy Kerr is passionate about community policing. “Ultimately, I think that I can serve the community better as Will than as Deputy Kerr,” he said. “You have to be a human being. You can’t make it all about a badge and a uniform, otherwise it’s hard to be effective.”

With ties to the local Native American community and a strong focus on addressing issues like substance use and missing persons, Deputy Kerr says he is committed to working alongside the residents of Willow Creek to build trust and make a difference. “I would like people to know that I am approachable. If anybody has any issues, they can approach me and talk about them.”

About Deputy Shirley Yanez

Deputy Shirley Yanez, a lifelong Hoopa resident and Hoopa Valley Tribal Member, is deeply rooted in the region she now serves. She began her law enforcement career with the Hoopa Tribal Police in 2023 and joined the Sheriff’s Office in late 2024.

With a passion for service shaped by a family background in firefighting and public safety, Deputy Yanez is committed to keeping the community safe. “Don’t hesitate to call,” she said. “I’m happy to continue to serve this area and build on the strong local relationships I already have.”

Deputy Yanez is especially focused on building trust and community awareness, particularly around issues like theft and outside criminal activity. She hopes to educate residents to be proactive and feel comfortable reaching out to law enforcement. 

The HCSO looks forward to the positive impact Deputies Kerr and Yanez will make as they serve and support the Willow Creek community.

If you are interested in joining our team, the Sheriff’s office is looking for locally service-oriented people like Deputy Kerr and Deputy Yanez. Please visit our website to learn more about a career at the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at: HumboldtSheirff.org/Join

As Humboldt prepares for this weekend when we’ll celebrate the freedoms we’re clinging onto, LoCO has learned of this other little perk to feel some semblance of civic pride over.

To celebrate 50 years of people haulin’, for the entire month of July, Humboldt Transit Authority is offering free rides to everyone. You read that right. All stops. All times of day. FREE.

After we saw HTA’s little promotional graphic online, we even called HTA up to confirm that we weren’t misunderstanding since the offer seems so generous. We’re not used to news this good! 

Anyway, there you go. Get on the bus, Humboldt. Let freedom ring!

(Oh, offer not good on the actual Fourth of July. They’re closed that day.)

California sent incarcerated firefighters to battle blazes in Los Angeles this year. It’s moving toward paying them minimum wage for their work in emergencies.

In a historic policy change, California is moving to pay incarcerated firefighters the federal minimum wage during active fires.

The wage increase, funded through the new state budget, follows years of advocacy to improve pay and working conditions for incarcerated labor. That effort took on a new urgency after hundreds of incarcerated firefighters were deployed to battle deadly wildfires that hit Los Angeles in January.

Incarcerated firefighters currently earn between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. During active emergencies, Cal Fire compensates them an additional $1 per hour.

That appears to be changing. Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed a new state budget with $10 million to pay incarcerated firefighters $7.25 an hour when they’re on a fire. It will take effect Jan. 1 as long as the Legislature passes a bill that would mandate the policy.

“It’s the right thing to do and it’s long overdue,” said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat from Culver City who authored the bill that would raise incarcerated firefighter pay. “It feels really beautiful and life changing for folks who have sacrificed to save others during their time being held accountable for whatever harms they may have caused in their past.”

Bryan initially set out to raise wages for incarcerated firefighters to $19 per hour, but settled on the federal minimum wage after budget negotiations. The bill, which received bipartisan support from nearly two dozen lawmakers, was opposed by the California State Sheriffs’ Association over concerns of its potential fiscal impact on counties.

“To have a bipartisan moment where we’re dignifying incarcerated labor with a federal minimum wage – I think that is the best of who we are,” said Bryan. “My colleagues on both sides of the aisle, on this particular effort, are demonstrating what it really means to be Californian.”

Bryan introduced the bill after voters last year rejected a ballot measure that would have ended forced labor in prisons and jails. California’s incarcerated firefighters have long provided critical support to state, local and federal government agencies in responding to various emergencies, including wildfires and floods.

Over 1,800 incarcerated firefighters live year-round in minimum-security conservation camps, also known as “fire camps,” located across 25 counties in California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Those numbers have dwindled in recent years due to a declining prison population.

The wage increase is an acknowledgment to the people fighting the fires, said Katie Dixon, policy and campaign coordinator for the organization California Coalition for Women Prisoners, which supported Bryan’s bill.

“I feel like this is a statement of value – in saying: we value you, we honor you, we see you,” said Dixon.

Dixon dreamed of becoming a firefighter after spending two years on a hand crew while she was incarcerated. But despite her experience fighting hundreds of fires, she found that the career path was not available to her when she was released from prison in 2012 due to her criminal record.

“It felt like a dream deferred. A dream that’s been cut off due to systemic policies designed to keep people like me — Black people — out of certain professions,” said Dixon. “Deep down inside, I’m supposed to be a battalion chief.”

Both state and federal legislation have been introduced this year to try and shore up the pipeline for incarcerated people to land in firefighting careers once they’ve been released.

U.S. Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Judy Chu, both from California, introduced a bill that would establish national protections for incarcerated firefighters, including a uniform framework to clear their records that would ease the barriers to employment.

“As we are seeing departments contract, as we are seeing that it is harder to recruit and retain firefighters, why would you miss an opportunity like this to connect a pipeline that is trained right into municipalities that need more firefighters?” said Kamlager-Dove. “At the end of the day, it’s jobs and economic stability that help all of us.”

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Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow. This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

California school districts are short hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grant money they had already budgeted for this year. While Congress approved the funds as part of its 2025 budget, the Trump Administration today refused to release them, sending districts across the country scrambling.

The grant money pays for teacher professional development, after school and other enrichment programs, services for students learning English and migrant education. Across all five programs the money funds, California schools are due almost $811 million, according to an analysis by the Learning Policy Institute. Nationwide, the grants total $6.2 billion for K-12 schools.

After Congress approves the total funding amounts, the U.S. Department of Education has historically discussed state-level allocations between March and May, releasing the money on July 1. On Monday, states received an email saying the department was still reviewing 2025 funding for the five affected programs. In many California districts, that money was built into school budgets this spring and administrators expected to start spending it this month and next.

Without the money, some school districts will have to cancel teacher professional development events this summer and summer learning activities as soon as this week.

“The harm of this decision is immediate. The costs are real and the impact is long lasting,” said Tatia Davenport, director of the California Association of School Business Officials. “By withdrawing those funds, our district leaders will be forced to reduce staff, delay programs and cancel services. That means disrupting the learning for the students who need us the most.”

The state is considering several options, including suing the Trump administration, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. The state has sued Trump over school funding several times already, after Trump threatened to withhold funding over diversity and other initiatives.

Meanwhile, Thurmond encouraged school districts to find resources to keep summer programs running, in hopes of a resolution soon. Schools start re-opening in late July with the majority opening in August.

Student services at risk

Among the programs that didn’t receive funding is the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, which provide about $146.6 million to California schools and community organizations for after-school programs. The state provides the bulk of after-school funding, but 21st Century grants are the primary source of money for middle and high schools. The money pays for tutoring, snacks, field trips, enrichment activities and other investments intended to help students stay on track academically while gaining social skills and having fun.

Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, called after school and summer learning programs an American success story, providing a lifeline for working parents. She said every hour of delay on the federal funds could lead to closures and cancellations that will ripple into the start of the 2025-26 school year.

“It’s going to mean more children and youth are unsupervised, and at risk, more academic failures, more hungry kids, more chronic absenteeism, higher dropout rates, more parents forced out of their jobs and a less STEM-ready and successful workforce as our child care crisis worsens dramatically,” she said.

In the Oxnard School District, in Ventura County, Superintendent Anabolena DeGenna said the programs this federal money supports “are not luxuries in our schools; they’re lifelines,” supporting student services, teacher training and critical family engagement programs that help caregivers support their children. All of this as the district continues to recover from challenges brought on by the COVID pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Education has released some money Congress approved for K-12 schools this year as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and its various programs. All of the withheld funding was destined for programs the administration has proposed defunding in 2026.

Amaya Garcia, director of PreK-12 research and practice at the left-leaning D.C. think tank New America, said this is not a coincidence.

“By [withholding] these funds, the Trump administration is finding a way to enact their budget priorities without the approval of Congress,” Garcia said.

In the department’s Monday email to states, it said it “remained committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities.”

Education leaders and advocates roundly condemned the funding delays and the administration’s claims that it had anything to review.

“There’s nothing to review from the department because Congress has already approved this funding back in March,” said Amalia Chamorro, director of education policy for UnidosUS, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the country. “This action is illegal and it is an overreach of the executive branch,” she continued. “We are calling on the administration to stop playing politics and immediately release these funds without further delay. Our students deserve better.”

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

In the latest state enrollment data released, California had 230,443 homeless students — a 9.3% increase from the previous year.

In Kern County, the first rule in counting homeless students is not saying “homeless.”

Instead, school staff use phrases like “struggling with stable housing” or “families in transition.” The approach seems to have worked: More families are sharing their housing status with their children’s schools, which means more students are getting services.

“There’s a lot of stigma attached to the word ‘homeless,’” said Curt Williams, director of homeless and foster youth services for the Kern County Office of Education. “When you remove that word, it all changes.”

Largely as a result of better identification methods, Kern County saw its homeless student population jump 10% last year, to 7,200. Those students received transportation to and from school, free school supplies, tutoring and other services intended to help them stay in school. For the purposes of this data, the definition of homelessness is broader than the state’s point in time count.

The trend is reflected statewide. In the latest state enrollment data released last month, California had 230,443 homeless students — a 9.3% increase from the previous year. Some of the increase is due to the state’s ongoing housing shortage, but most of the increase is because of better identification, advocates and school officials said.

Homeless students face numerous obstacles in school. They have higher rates of discipline and absenteeism, and fare worse academically. Last year, only 16% of homeless students met the state’s math standard, some of the lowest scores of any student group.

“Schools can’t solve homelessness, but they can ensure the students are safe in the classroom and getting the education they need to get out of homelessness,” said Barbara Duffield, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a national homeless youth advocacy group. “That starts with identifying the child who’s homeless.”

Challenges of counting homeless students

Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, schools are required to count their homeless students throughout the school year and ensure they receive services. Homeless students also have the right to stay enrolled in their original school even if they move.

For many years, schools struggled to identify homeless students. Under state law, schools must distribute forms at the beginning of the school year asking families where they live — in their own homes, in motels, doubled-up with other families, in shelters, cars or outdoors.

Some schools were less-than-diligent about collecting the form, or reassuring families understood the importance. Often, homeless families were reluctant to submit the form because they were afraid the school might contact a child welfare agency. Immigrant families sometimes feared the school might notify immigration authorities. And some families didn’t realize that sharing quarters with another family — by far the most common living situation among homeless families – is technically defined as homeless, at least under McKinney-Vento.

A 2021 bill by former Assemblymember Luz Rivas, a Democrat from Arleta in the San Fernando Valley, sought to fix that problem. The bill requires schools to train everyone who works with students — from bus drivers to cafeteria workers to teachers — on how to recognize potential signs of homelessness. That could include families who move frequently or don’t reply to school correspondence.

The bill seems to have helped. Last year, the state identified 21,000 more homeless students than it had the previous year, even as overall enrollment dropped.

Still, that’s probably an undercount, researchers said. The actual homeless student population is probably between 5% and10% of those students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, according to the National Center for Homeless Education. In California, that would be a shortfall of up to 138,713 students.

Influx of funding

Another boost for identifying homeless students came from the American Rescue Plan, the federal COVID-19 relief package. The plan included $800 million for schools to hire counselors or train existing staff to help homeless students. Nearly all schools in California received some money.

About 120 districts in California won grant money through the McKinney-Vento Act, which last year dispersed about $15.9 million in California to pay for things like rides to school, backpacks, staff and other services. Districts are chosen on a competitive basis; not all districts that apply receive funds.

But those funding sources are drying up. Most of the pandemic relief money has already been spent, and President Donald Trump’s recently approved budget does not include McKinney-Vento funding for 2026-27.

The cuts come at a time when advocates expect steep increases in the number of homeless families over the next few years, due in part to national policy changes. Republican budget proposals include cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and other programs aimed at helping low-income families, while the immigration crackdown has left thousands of families afraid to seek assistance. For families living on tight budgets, those cuts could lead to a loss of housing.

And in California, the shortage of affordable housing continues to be a hurdle for low-income families. Even Kern County, which has traditionally been a less pricey option for families, has seen a spike in housing costs as more residents move there from Los Angeles.

Joseph Bishop, an education professor at UCLA and co-author of a recent report on homeless students nationwide, said the loss of government funding will be devastating for homeless students.

“California is the epicenter of the homeless student crisis, and we need targeted, dedicated support,” Bishop said. “Folks should be extremely alarmed right now. Will these kids be getting the education they need and deserve?”

Better food, cleaner bathrooms

In Kern County, identification has only been one part of the effort to help homeless students thrive in school. Schools also try to pair them with tutors and mentors, give them school supplies and laundry tokens, and invite them to join a program called Student Voice Ambassadors. There, students can tour local colleges, learn leadership skills and explore career options.

As part of the program, staff ask students what would make school more enticing — and then make sure the suggestions happen. At one school, students said they’d go to class if the bathrooms were cleaner. So staff improved the bathrooms. At another school, students wanted better food. They got it.

Williams credits the program with reducing absenteeism among homeless students. Two years ago, 45% of Kern County’s homeless students were chronically absent. Last year, the number dropped to 39% – still too high, he said, but a significant improvement.

“Without McKinney-Vento funds, the Student Voice Ambassador program would go away,” Williams said. “How will we keep it going? I don’t know.”