RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications.
Rural hospitals in California are in danger of mass closures – The Sacramento Bee
In California, over half of hospitals are at risk of shutting down due in large part to low Medi-Cal and Medicare reimbursement rates and the expenses incurred in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. This commentary to the Sacramento Bee, by Madera County Supervisor and RCRC Delegate, Robert Poythress, describes the financial difficulties faced by small rural hospitals in California as they struggle to remain open and serve rural residents.
California must save Colusa County from devastating drought – The Sacramento Bee
Despite recent atmospheric river storms, California is projected to experience more frequent and severe drought periods, reducing the reliability of the Sierra Nevada snowpack. This Sacramento Bee commentary, by Colusa County Supervisor and RCRC Delegate, Daurice Kalfsbeek Smith, explores drought's environmental and economic impacts on farming communities, like those in RCRC-member Colusa County, and how sensible water storage and management options may help in adapting to an ever-changing climate.
After the deluge: Floods may taint more drinking water in California – Capital Public Radio
Nitrate contamination of well water has been a decades-long problem in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys. Following California’s historic storms, experts are concerned about the potential for more fertilizer and manure to be flushed into aquifers.