Local Politics · Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Donna Linder reported Monday that early voting is running at 28% to 30%, combining in-person voting centers and mail-in ballots received by her office. By the Friday before Election Day, 74,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been received compared to 58,000 at the same point in 2022, with additional ballots arriving over the weekend. Linder noted she cannot determine whether the increase reflects voters switching from in-person to mail-in or entirely new participants, though she has observed "quite a few people registering conditionally." Conditional registration allows eligible Californians who missed the Oct. 19 deadline to register and vote within 14 days of an election at the county elections office, polling place, or vote center. Vote center locations, hours, and additional information are available at www.stanvote.gov.
Community News · Modesto, CA
Sacramento-based Sutter Health announced Monday that $189 million was approved for the first phase of an expansion at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. The project will activate the sixth and seventh floors of the North Tower—shelled since its 2008 construction—to add 56 medical and telemetry beds, a 20-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and 36 maternity beds. Construction is expected to begin in 2028 with completion targeted for spring 2030. The expansion follows a separate $380 million cancer treatment center already under construction adjacent to the hospital at Briggsmore Avenue and Coffee Road.
Education · Modesto, CA
Fred C. Beyer High School in Modesto, California, has canceled all remaining varsity, junior varsity, and freshman football games following allegations of misconduct involving members of the varsity team. The suspension follows a police investigation into cellphone videos, which resulted in one juvenile being cited for misdemeanor battery. Head coach Mike Young was placed on administrative leave while the district conducts an internal investigation and provides counseling services to student-athletes. This decision cancels scheduled games against Pacheco High School and Lathrop High School.
Crime · Modesto, CA
Titus Donnie Simpson, 23, was found guilty Oct. 20 at Stanislaus County Superior Court of five felonies stemming from an April 3 daylight shooting on Miller Avenue in Modesto that left one out-of-town visitor wounded while two children were inside the residence. Prosecutors linked the attack to a rivalry between the Valley Boyz Crips and FOE Bloods street gangs, with surveillance footage showing four masked gunmen exiting a Dodge Charger near the home. Simpson faces an estimated 60 years to life in prison, with sentencing set for Jan. 15, 2027. A second suspect, Andreuss Brown, remains pending prosecution while two others are unidentified.
Local Politics · Modesto, CA
Modesto is developing its first environmental justice element for the city's general plan, which will guide growth from 2027 to 2050. At a public meeting Thursday, the city unveiled a map identifying underserved areas including west Modesto, Bret Harte, Shackelford, the airport neighborhood, central Modesto south of Briggsmore Avenue, La Loma, Empire, and the undeveloped northeast corner. Climate projections show a 4- to 5-degree temperature increase in the San Joaquin Valley by 2050, with temperatures above 105 degrees expected more than 20 days some years. Community members at the meeting said proposed policies were insufficient, and Valley Improvement Projects asked the city to extend the policy-setting process beyond Nov. 30.
