A feature film about the 2018 Camp Fire is in production in New Mexico. It stars Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrara and relates the story of a school bus driver’s desperate struggle to navigate the fire. Also, a historic fire tower in Plumas County has been the site of an annual artists residency program for nearly eight years. Plumas Arts and the Plumas National Forest are now looking for a 2024 resident, and Highway 70 has finally reopened to one-way traffic controls after months of ongoing rockslides and weather damage left it closed.

Faced with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May budget proposal includes hundreds of millions of dollars in additional cuts to housing and homelessness programs.

The Shasta County Grand Jury investigated a board of supervisors member following allegations of a conflict of interest. Its findings say there was no misconduct. Also, Paradise councilors will vote tomorrow to potentially halt permitting new residential buildings downtown, and a popular road for bicycling in southeast Chico that was previously filled with potholes and cracks has reopened to the public.

To balance the budget, Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing eliminating an annual $300 million payment to public health, instituted after COVID. Advocates warn it could leave us more susceptible to another disease threat.

Gavin Newsom proposes a mix of spending cuts and using reserves to balance the state budget. He says that core services will be largely untouched, but some existing programs would be affected.

As fire weather nears now is the time to begin preparing. Cal Fire recommends a few simple actions. Also, Butte County’s next community meeting about updating its emergency evacuation maps will be held at Butte College this evening, and North State residents will have a chance to ask questions of PG&E representatives at an upcoming virtual town hall this week.