California
California gets moisture, needs warmth – Brownfield Ag News
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California gets moisture, needs warmth
An atmospheric scientist says the state that leads the country in fruit and vegetable production has recovered from drought but has a different threat to this year’s crops.
Eric Snodgrass with Nutrien Ag Solutions tells Brownfield California needs warm weather and the accompanying heading degree units so the crops will grow. “Just to think this through, the severe weather event that’s going on right now in the central U.S., that started out this weekend in the west and they had snow all the way down to the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.”
Snodgrass says the north-south jet stream that is bringing severe storms to the Midwest is also responsible for the chilly air in California. He says the rest of the country is also looking at some cool nights between the 11th and 14th of May, which will also slow down growth there. “We get down there right below that 40 degree line early in the morning, and then sunshine comes out and we kind of break away towards warm. You’re not accumulating a whole lot of GDDs (Growing Degree Days) fast, in other words, as you plant the crop, it’s not like it’s going to emerge in a week. We’re going to have to get that cooler air out.”
Snodgrass says even with the chilly air in the forecast, he’s not expecting a major late frost event that would cause widespread damage to crops. As for moisture, Snodgrass says California had plenty of precipitation in December and January, and again in March and early April.
California
Wolf activity recorded in Truckee area, California tracking data shows
Public officials in Truckee are warning residents and visitors that wolf activity has been recorded in the area.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wolf tracking map recently updated to show some activity both above and below the Interstate 80 corridor through the Truckee area.
Truckee authorities released a statement over the weekend prompted by the map, encouraging residents to be alert.
In particular, authorities say pet and livestock owners in the area should be paying closer attention to their animals – especially around the early morning and evening hours.
Truckee police noted that there have been no confirmed wolf encounters within city limits.
Wolf activity has been increasing in California as the wild animals make a comeback in the state. Most of the recorded wolf activity has been in the counties further north, closer to the Oregon border.
With the increasing activity has also come increasing clashes between wolves and livestock. Ranchers have voiced their frustration over mounting kills attributed to wolves, with livestock owners having little recourse due to the wolf being a protected animal.
California Fish and Wildlife debuted a wolf-tracking map in 2025 to help ranchers monitor activity.
Exact numbers in California vary, but wildlife officials have said the state’s population has surged to between 50 to 70 wolves in a decade.
California
FBI raid in Las Vegas possibly linked to California biolab
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Property records show that the Northeast Las Vegas home raided by the FBI and Las Vegas police is owned by an LLC linked to a similar biolab operation in California.
In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of Jia Bei Zhu, a 62-year-old Chinese citizen also known as Jesse Zhu, Qiang He, and David He.
Zhu, who previously lived in Clovis, was arrested on charges of manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as well as making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration.
David He, also known as Jia Bei Zhu, and his romantic and business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, are listed in property records as owners of the Sugar Springs residence, where hazardous materials teams began their investigation Saturday morning.
According to court documents, between December 2020 and March 2023, Zhu and Wang allegedly manufactured, imported, sold, and distributed hundreds of thousands of test kits—including COVID-19, HIV, pregnancy, clinical urinalysis, and other diagnostic tests—in the United States and China.
The activity was carried out through Universal Meditech Incorporated and Prestige Biotech Incorporated, companies based in Fresno and Reedley, California.
On December 18, 2022, Reedley Code Enforcement received a complaint about non-permitted plumbing visible from outside Prestige Biotech’s warehouse. The following day, officials were granted access to the facility, where they observed various in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test kits, manufacturing equipment, and shipping supplies. Several employees were seen packaging test kits for shipment.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators allege Zhu made multiple false statements to FDA officials during the investigation. Among other claims, Zhu said his name was Qiang “David” He; that he was hired by Universal Meditech as a COVID-19 consultant in 2021; and that he had been recently hired by Prestige Biotech to communicate with government agencies and dispose of warehouse property at their request. He also claimed he had no knowledge of either company’s manufacturing or distribution activities and denied awareness of an Amazon listing for PBI-branded pregnancy test kits or a shipment of 47,500 pregnancy test kits imported from China to UMI at a Las Vegas address.
In a report by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party examining the Reedley biolab, investigators said they observed blood, tissue, and other bodily fluid samples, along with serums. The report also noted the presence of thousands of vials containing unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material.
Investigators further discovered approximately 1,000 mice kept in inhumane, overcrowded conditions. A worker who appeared to be in charge claimed the animals were transgenic—genetically engineered to simulate the human immune system and capable of catching and carrying the COVID-19 virus.
In Las Vegas, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the suspect’s name would not be released but emphasized there is no threat to the public and that the incident is isolated.
California
59-vehicle pile up in foggy conditions closed major California highway for hours
A 59-vehicle pile-up shut down a main California highway Saturday morning as fog severely limited visibility.
The crash happened on Highway 99, nearly 40 miles north of Bakersfield, in Tulare County. The area, located in California’s Central Valley, is known as a top producer of agriculture.
CHP officers said there was an initial crash on each side of the highway, which was followed by a series of other crashes, with 59 vehicles involved in total.
Fog limited visibility in the area to about 150-200 feet, the CHP said.
The highway was closed in both directions until about 2:30 p.m. as crews worked to clear the scene. It’s a major highway that stretches the entire length of the Central Valley.
Officials said multiple people suffered minor to moderate injuries.
The CHP said drivers should slow down, increase their following distance and remain alert, especially in low-visibility or congested areas.
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