(AP) — California's coronavirus death toll has topped 50,000 as Los Angeles County updated its count using backlogged records. The nation's most populous county on Wednesday reported 806 deaths that occurred during a fall and winter virus surge and 136 new deaths. Johns Hopkins University put the state's death figure at 50,890. L.A. County health director Barbara Ferrer calls the figures heartbreaking. The state hit the 40,000 mark on Jan. 30. But its COVID-19 infection and death rates have begun to taper off. The new figures come days after the U.S. recorded a half-million deaths from the pandemic.

The Fire Victim Trust filed a lawsuit in a San Francisco Superior Court against former officers and directors of PG&E Corporation and PG&E for their role in causing the Camp Fire The Trust, represents nearly 80,000 victims, is suing nearly two dozen former executives and board members of PG&E for Dereliction of Duty. It says in 2017 PG&E was six years behind on its vegetation management program, meaning vegetation was not properly trimmed and maintained. In the Camp Fire, the Complaint alleges the defendants failed to detect and replace aging equipment as part of PG&E's transmission inspection program. the suit points out the 100-year-old "C-hook" that was mounted on a transmission tower failed and started the fire. The Trust is seeking enough monetary damages and injunctive or declaratory relief to reform PG&E's corporate governance.

A Cottonwood man is behind bars facing murder charges after police saw him dragging a bound man behind his motorcycle in Red Bluff late Monday night. 37 year-old Ray Cain was seen dragging the man and refused to stop even after officers confronted him. Authorities say eventually the bound body came loose from the motorcycle. Police fired shots trying to get Cain to stop. Red Bluff Police say he eventually crashed and was taken to the hospital after suffereing moderate injuries. He has been booked into the Tehama County jail. Police do not know if the descedent was dead prior to be dragged behind the motorcycle

Butte County Board of Supervisors voted to draft a letter for CalOES and FEMA to request to sell their travel trailers to Camp Fire survivors on Tuesday, according to Butte County Clerk of the Board. Nearly 170 families currently live at the Chico and Gridley FEMA sites but in three months the direct housing comes to an end. The county wants people to have the opportunity to purchase their unit and permanently move to another location. If units are left over, the county says non-profits would have the chance to receive them as donations.

Green Bay Packers quarterback and Chico native Aaron Rodgers is donating a half-a-million dollars to local small businesses through the North Valley Community Foundation. Rodgers and the Foundation are starting the Aaron Rodgers COVID-19 Small Business Fund. He says it is vital to support local businesses as they are getting crushed by the pandemic....Businesses can apply on the NVCF dot-org and will be eligible for grants. Rodgers wants the money to get to businesses quickly so they can get the help they need.

Oroville Dam, is getting an additional three-hundred-eight million dollars in federal funds. The money comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the extra funding will be used for Spillway repairs and reconstruction. Those funds are on top of the two-hundred-sixty million dollars that FEMA has already committed to the lower portion of the Spillway. Massive erosion in the Spillway forced the evacuation of more than 180-thousand Californians four years ago.

A rescue operation as a car goes over the edge of the road on the Skyway near Lookout Point. Cal Fire and CHP crews responded to reports of a car over the edge of the Skyway. Authorities say they rescued the woman who suffered minor to moderate injuries. The CHP told Action News Now that the woman was reaching for her phone when she lost control of her car and went over the edge of the roadway...... Authorities say alcohol does not appear to be a cause of accident

(AP) — Law enforcement officials are investigating escalating threats of death and violence against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, his family and the wineries, shops and other businesses he founded. The Sacramento Bee reports it heard a voicemail and reviewed emails containing graphic abusive language about Newsom, violent sexual threats against his wife and a reference to his children. The newspaper said one communication included a threat to burn down one of the wineries owned by the PlumpJack Group, the hospitality company Newsom founded in the 1990s, with patrons inside. The Bee says Newsom is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the company.

(Chico ER) Chico Fire Chief Steve Standridge has tested positive for COVID-19, Standridge said he is the only new positive case within the Chico Fire Department and his contraction of the virus was not “work related.” Back in November, a cluster of cases occurred in the department and further exacerbated what was already a staffing shortage. More than 20 close contacts were also identified in the spread of the virus. The outbreak was believed to have started when a firefighter who unknowingly contracted the virus and was asymptomatic returned to work his normal in addition to a few overtime shifts. The firefighter was part of a crew that had recently moved with an engine from Fire Station 3 located at the Chico Municipal Airport, back to Fire Station 2 at 182 East Fifth Ave. near The Esplanade. Fire Station 2 was “hit very hard” by the virus, Standridge said.