Gov. Gavin Newsom agreed to release $1 billion in state homelessness funding he testily put on pause earlier this month, but only if local governments agree to step up the aggressiveness of their plans going forward to reduce the number of unhoused people in the state. The Governor said his afternoon meeting Friday with about 100 mayors and local officials was productive, with leaders getting on the same page about what needs to be done and willing to step up on their goals.

An attorney for the driver who crashed into Los Angeles County law enforcement recruits on a training run last week says he fell asleep at the wheel on his way to work. The Nov. 16 crash injured 25 members of a sheriff's academy class, several critically. The 22-year-old Nicholas Gutierrez has told NBC4LA that he didn't crash the SUV intentionally and feels bad. Gutierrez had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer, but was abruptly released. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said further investigation was needed.

Triple-A estimates nearly nine-hundred-thousand people will travel by air in California during Thanksgiving. It also predicts six-million drivers in the state will hit the road. Triple-A officials added that the worst time to be on the road Wednesday is between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. and between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Experts recommend to hit the road before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. Wednesday or before 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving. The CHP says they will be beefing up enforcement on the highways later this week, to crack down on speeding and drunk drivers.

New Data Shows that Enrollment at California's community colleges has dropped to its lowest level in 30 years. Since pre-pandemic 2019, the 115 campuses have collectively lost an alarming 18% drop that portends significant enrollment-based funding cuts if not reversed. Locally, Butte College is faring better than many other community colleges in the state, showing just a small decline in enrollment.

According to the Chico Enterprise Record Democrat Congressman Mike Thompson, along with Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa, introduced into Congress a bill that would exempt thousands of fire victims from paying federal income tax on their settlement money, in addition to paying taxes on attorney fees included in the settlements but as yet to be heard in committee. The Second bill introduced in the Senate by Dianne Feinstein has yet to be hear by the Senate Finance Committee. Governor Newsome signed a bill that exempts fire victims form any State Tax payments on settlement funds received..

The man accused in last month's attack on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting a federal official's family member. David DePape was assigned a public defender who entered the plea on his behalf during a brief court appearance Tuesday. Depape was indicted last week on the federal charges arising from the Oct. 28 break-in at the Pelosis' San Francisco home days . He also faces separate state charges.

Chico Municipal Airport will be renamed the Chico Regional Airport after City Council voted 6-1 in favor of the name change. The name change comes after Mayor Andrew Coolidge suggested the airport needed rebranding to attract more business to the area. The city estimates the renaming will cost $5,000 to $8,000 for new signage and literature.

Teham County Shierrifs Office says the suspects in a shooting in Los Molinos Friday morning remain at large. Deputies responded to the Los Molinos Fire Station off Sherwood Avenue Friday at about 6 a.m. When they arrived, they found a victim 53-year-old Bridget Walker with a gun shot wound. Walker was taken to the hospital where she is currently stable and in the ICU. Officials are asking for any information related to the shooting..

California is playing a major role in the balance of power in Congress. At least 11 of the 52 House races are still too close to call this morning. The most competitive are said to be in the Los Angeles area and Central Valley. Candidates may be waiting several more days to find out if they won as millions of votes are still being processed and counted. Ballots can arrive to election headquarters all over the state up to a week after Election Day.

The suspect who attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Husband has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of assault and attempted kidnapping. The charges stemming from the Oct. 28 break-in at the Pelosis' San Francisco home are the same as but supersede those in an earlier federal complaint.

The Tehama County Sheriff's office says Daytime patrol services will be suspended beginning Nov. 20, 2022, in the designated areas of Tehama county, stating it is necessary to manage a catastrophic staffing shortage within the agency. The Sheriff's Office said there had been difficulty recruiting and retaining employees over the past several years, an issue that they say has been directly linked to pay disparities.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her decision on whether or not to remain in Congress if Democrats lose control in the midterm elections has been impacted by the assault on her husband. The Democratic leader did not disclose her plans during an interview Monday on CNN. Many expect Pelosi and other Democrats would step down from leadership if the party suffers losses. Pelosi said her "decision will be affected about what happened."

Chico police are looking for a gunman who shot a man Monday night near a business in East Chico. The shooting occured just after 8:30 p.m. in teh 1300 block of Longfellow Avenue, near the intersection with East 1st Avenue. Police said the victim was shot in the arm. The suspect drove off before officers arrived. The victim was taken to Enloe Medical Center for treatment of a non life-threatening wound.

The Fire Victim Trust (FVT) sold 35 million shares in PG&E stock Friday as part of the ongoing effort to provide compensation for victims of the Camp Fire and other fires. PG&E stock closed at $15.25 per share on Friday. The sale follows the sale of the same number of shares in early October when the price was $13.65. As of Friday, the Trust said it had issued determination notices to 86% of all claimants. and paid claimants more than $5.36 billion.

More people across California are able to see a doctor. About 286-thousand undocumented immigrants over the age of 50 now have Medi-Cal. The update comes just months after the program expanded. Governor Gavin Newsom says it brings the state one step closer to his promise of universal access to health care coverage. The next step will target about 700-thousand people ages 26 through 49, regardless of immigration status.

A California woman has been charged with using the names of convicted killers, including Scott Peterson, to collect more than $145,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits. Brandy Iglesias made her initial court appearance Wednesday on charges including grand theft, forgery and identity theft. She didn't enter a plea and was ordered held on $20,000 bail. Prosecutors say Iglesias collected benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic in the names of Peterson, who was convicted of killing his pregnant wife and unborn child, and Cary Stayner, who confessed to killing three women sightseeing in Yosemite National Park in 1999. Prosecutors say Iglesiasworkedfor a company that had a contract with San Quentin State Prison, where both inmates are housed.

Two Chico residents were charged Wednesday following the shooting at Teichert Ponds in Chico earlier this week. Also The daughter of one of the these suspects was arrested in court today for being the anticipated get-away driver involved in this incident Kenya Osorio, 38, and Demetrious Brown Jr., 25, were arraigned Wednesday and charged with an assault with a semi-automatic firearm, for shooting and seriously injuring a homeless man who was encamped at the ponds.

A new law in California means the Sheriff and District Attorney will now serve six year terms  but there could be a different set of voters moving forward. The Governor has signed Assembly Bill 759, which moves law enforcement elections in California, including Sheriff and District Attorney, to Presidential elections, instead of the midterms. Supporters saying it puts the important votes in front of more people during higher turnout elections, but opponents say it makes it easier for anti-law enforcement candidates to get elected. In the meantime, while the transition happens, the candidates in San Diego this year will serve 6 years in office, before the next election in 2028.

United Way of Northern California has teamed Tri Counties Bank to launch the NorCal Wildfire Fund to help wildfire survivors in Northern California counties. The funds will help victims and recovery efforts like the RV assistance program, Stable Housing Opportunities Program, mental health services and more. The goal is to raise $3 million to help communities in Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasa, Siskiyou, Trinity and Tehama counties.

California regulators are expected to approve a 140-million-dollar desalination plant today. The plant at Doheny State Beach in Orange County would produce five-million gallons of drinking water each day from the Pacific Ocean. It would be the 12th desalination plant approved by the California Coastal Commission. The Golden State is experiencing its worst drought in around 12-hundred years

The Biden administration has proposed a new rule that could re-classify millions of gig workers as employees, a move that could deal a significant blow to small businesses across the country. The Labor Department on Tuesday unveiled a new proposal that would make it more difficult for companies to classify their workers as independent contractors — a change that could have major consequences for ride-hailing, delivery and other industries that depend heavily on gig workers. Companies are required to provide certain benefits and legal protections to employees but not contractors, making employment of those types of workers more expensive. That includes minimum wage, overtime, Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation insurance.

Charges against a 17-year-old teenager for shooting and killing a man, and wounding another, at Chico's Teichert Ponds in September of last year were dismissed in Butte County Juvenile Court on Tuesday, according to the Butte County District Attorney's Office. District Attorney Mike Ramsey said, at the end of the prosecution case, the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to overcome a claim of self-defense in the incident and dismissed the case before the presentation of any defense evidence.

- Chico State President Gayle Hutchinson announced on Tuesday that she plans to retire at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. Hutchinson said that she has enjoyed her time at Chico state but its time to spend more quality time with her partner.. Hutchinson became Chico State's 12th president in 2016, and the first female president in Chico State history and the first openly gay president in the California State University system.

The trial for the man suspected of murdering two Alabama men was hung last month, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey says Ricardo Banuelos-Villarreal's jury trial was hung in early September and a retrial date has been set for March 27. Banuelos-Villarreal is suspected of murdering 20-year-old John Dubose Jr. and 25-year-old Ladexter Pelt, both of Alabama. Ramsey said the men flew out to California and met Banuelos-Villarreal and his 36-year-old brother Alfredo Banuelos-Villarreal in a pot deal gone bad . The bodies have not been found and Alfredo is a suspect and remains at large.

California is unveiling new guidelines to protect against wildfires. They limit how housing and other developments can be built in high risk areas. Local governments must now address key issues before giving approval, such as not allowing construction on steep slopes. Attorney General Rob Bonta pointed out eight of the ten largest wildfires in the state have happened in the past ten years. His recommendations are aimed to help leaders avoid a legal challenge from the state.