11-13-2025

Zephyr's maiden voyage! This week you'll hear about the latest Chico City Council meeting, California district 1 congressional candidate Audrey Denney, and local news sources The Chico State Orion, Chico Enterprise-Record, and ChicoSol. 

Contributors this week are: Julie Kennedy and Jim "Uncle Jim" Williams

Production: David Fuhs, Trevor Parks, and Lorenz Weissel

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:03

This is the first episode of Zephyr News, a weekly production of FM 90.1, KZFR Chico. Zephyr News is broadcast each Thursday evening from 7 to 7.30 p.m. This week's show features contributions from Chico's Soul, the Chico Enterprise Record, and Chico State's student newspaper, The Orion, a report on Chico City Council plus two interviews conducted by members of the KZFR community.

Speaker 6 0:37

Up next, KZFR's Uncle Jim interviews congressional candidate Audrey Denny.

Speaker 5 0:42

Audrey Denny's official campaign launch party took place at the Westport Ballroom on Saturday, November 1st. Zephyr News had a chance to speak with her about her upcoming campaign and some of the challenges she faces. Thank you for joining us, Audrey. What motivated you to wage another campaign for Congress?

Speaker 9 1:01

Yeah, that's it's so so good to be with you here today, Jim. So I've been working since 2020, since the last election cycle. I've been working with food banks across the country primarily, and as an educator at Chico State. And in my work with food banks and in the classroom, I've seen real people struggling and how our neighbors are struggling, and healthcare premiums are rising, food prices are climbing, housing and childcare costs are spiral through the roof. Um, and Washington is failing us. Not only are they not doing anything about it, they're actively making it worse by tariffs. The government shut down, they're actually not showing up to do their jobs, and status quo and career politicians, their time is over. Like we need actual fighters who will work for us in Washington, DC. And that's why I'm in it again, is I I think I think the the time, the time is now.

Speaker 5 1:54

All right. Well, this is uh you've run for this seat before. How will this campaign differ from your last?

Speaker 9 2:00

Yeah. This campaign will be building on the momentum that we built in 2018 and 2020. And so in those first two campaigns, we were able to inspire and motivate, you know, a grassroots group of people in Northern California that believed that they just deserved real representation and they deserve somebody who would show up for them and their communities. And so we'll get to build on that energy and momentum. Um, the new district lines make the new district, the new California's first district, a lot more viable for a Democrat to win. And so that's the other really, really different part is it is very likely in 2026 that Californians in in the first district will have a Democrat representing them.

Speaker 5 2:44

Okay, speaking of the district, what do you see as the most pressing issue or issues currently facing voters in our district?

Speaker 9 2:52

Yeah, the number one issue that we really see across the whole district and really across the whole country is this affordability crisis. Like the American dream is out of reach for most people. Um, the the dream of homeownership with a generation of students saddled in student loan debt, right, is just is out of reach. I talked to one woman whose health insurance premium is increasing from $600 a month for her family to $3,000 a month for her family. And her her future is completely uncertain because of that. And so really fighting to keep health insurance premiums down, stabilize the market, um, get the government back open so people can be getting their food assistance, like these are the things that our members of Congress should be working on right now that will make our lives actually tangibly better. Um those are the kind of issues that I'll be really focused on when I head to Congress.

Speaker 5 3:43

So you've run in this district before unsuccessfully. Um, what do you have to say to the people who have reservations about voting for a Democrat this time around?

Speaker 9 3:54

The thing to know about me is I am gonna show up and I'm gonna work for everyone and I'm gonna listen to everyone's perspective. And my my North Star of decision making is going to be will this policy or plan make life harder or life easier for working families in Northern California? And if a policy will make life easier, then I'm gonna fight like hell and work to pass that legislation. And if it's gonna make life harder, I won't. I'm continuously disappointed by the increasing partisanship in our country. Um, I think when we're retracting to our two different corners and pointing out the things that are different with each other, then we're often, we're often um not recognizing our shared common values. And so I really hope to be part of a new generation of leaders that can move kind of into a post-partisanship era where we can focus on issues that that really matter to working class families and real people and try to start making life better for folks.

Speaker 5 4:57

Well, you referenced polarization. What do you see as the biggest obstacle to success in your upcoming campaign?

Speaker 9 5:04

We've got to get the word out. We've got to get the message out. Um the new district represents, there's three counties in the new district that um I haven't run in before. So there's six counties that I've run twice in um Butte, Tehama, Glen, Lassen, Plumas, and Sierra. But there's a whole new part of the district where I haven't met folks yet. And so I think the biggest challenge is really going to be getting out there, meeting people, and sharing our vision for an economy that works for everyone. Um, rural healthcare access and wildfire prevention and resilience are really the other key key issues on this campaign.

Speaker 5 5:44

What do you feel makes you unique from other candidates who will be running for this congressional seat?

Speaker 9 5:50

Yeah. I am a lifelong advocate for rural communities. Um people often will say, Audrey, like you've never held elected office before. Like, what are you doing just thinking that you can do this? And, you know, I think that the House of Representatives should be made up of real people who have had careers and worked their whole life to gain the skills to get there. And I've worked my whole life with farmers and ranchers, with students, with food banks and nonprofits working to make life better for real people. Um and I'm excited to bring those transferable skills to a policy making table in Washington to help make policies to make people's lives better. And so I think that's what makes me different is that I haven't held political office before. And I won't take a dime of corporate PAC money. I believe that until we get money out of politics, representatives will be continued to be bought and paid for by billionaires and special interests and corporations. And I only take money. Um yeah, I don't take corporate pack money. So I'm I'm only supported by individuals. And I think those are the two biggest things that would separate me from other folks who might jump into this race.

Speaker 5 7:01

Audrey, where can people go to find out more about your candidacy and your campaign?

Speaker 9 7:05

Yeah, the best way place to go is audreyforcongress.com. I've got a lot of issues text on there, so you can read more about my nuanced policy stances. Um, and you can also check out all of the the various social media sites as well.

Speaker 5 7:18

Audrey Denny, thank you for joining us. And uh this is Uncle Jim for Zephyr News. Thank you.

Speaker 8 7:23

Thank you. You're listening to the Enterprise Record Report, produced and brought to you by KZFR. I'm Molly Myers, a reporter with the Enterprise Record, helping you tune into our coverage from the previous week, along with insights into our reporting. Last week, California passed Prop 50, the redistricting act that will be in place until 2030. My colleague Michael Weber reported on the passing, writing that the first results posted late Tuesday evening show a majority of voters in Butte County disapproving of Prop 50, with 54.2% voting no and 57.7% voting yes. In actual votes, that comes to 30,900 no votes and 26,148 yes votes. Statewide results as of 4.20 a.m. last Wednesday report a 63.8% approval of Prop 50. In other news, the Chico State Comparative Religion and Humanities Department kicked off its first lecture in its new Interreligious Reflections in Northern California series on Tuesday. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed and Jewish leader Lisa Raffaport spoke before a room of 50 people at the university discussing similarities and differences in their ancient face. Both speakers discussed how each of their religions holds a deep connection to a place, India for Hindus and Israel for Jews. One notable contrast Lightly touched on during the talk was population size. There are about 1.1 billion Hindus worldwide compared to roughly 15 million Jews worldwide. Department chair Daniel Weidelinger, who is an expert in Hinduism, and religion professor Jed Weirich, who is an expert in Judaism, both spoke alongside the two speakers, providing context and guiding the conversation. The next interfaith event is set for March 12th with a discussion on Sikhism and Islam. That is all for this week of the Enterprise Record Report. More information on these stories with key details and photos can be found at ChicoER.com or by picking up a print copy of the paper at our new office located at 3881 Benatar Way Suite G in Chico. Or at the various establishments that carry it, some of which include 7E1 on Nord, Walgreens on Nord, and Barnes and Noble. Thank you so much for tuning into this week of the Enterprise Record Report. As always, I'm Molly Myers, and remember, local journalism matters.

Speaker 1 10:09

Chico City Council last met on Tuesday, November 4th, 2025. Four matters were discussed in closed session. Existing litigation, Warren versus Chico, labor negotiations, existing litigation, believe in Chico versus Chico, and public employment involving the city attorney. In all four matters, the council is briefed, and all but the litigation of believe in Chico versus Chico direction was provided. No formal action was taken in any of the matters. In its main session, City Council proclaimed November as Homeless Youth Awareness Month. During its consent agenda, the Council voted 7-0 to adopt routine changes to municipal code ordinances involving vehicles and traffic, streets and sidewalks, and buildings and construction. There were five public comments. The first addressed a disregard for public safety by allowing methyl bromide spraying in orchards. The second speaker thanked the council for giving older women homes, insisted that the council address ice overreach in the area, suggested that the $465 fine for red light violations is way too high. Another speaker asked the council for help in addressing bedbug-infested apartments. The following speaker commended and agreed with the previous speakers. He said that recent road work on Mulberry Street that was done after fibric optic installations was inadequate and needs repairs. The final speaker comments were read by email. He wasn't present. He complained about the city not complying with his public record requests and requested full disclosure. City Council voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance to the City of Chico Municipal Code to regulate massage therapy establishments. Council also voted unanimously to add the El Monte Annexation Territory to City Council District 7. That change will take effect in the 2026 election. Council discussed how to address the City of Chico's CalPur's unfunded actuarial liability, which currently totals $181 million. The discussion centered around what work the city can outsource and how doing so would affect quality jobs with benefits. Council voted 4-3 to ask staff to determine if non-public safety departments could outsource jobs without affecting their quality of work. This is David Foos for Zephyr News reporting on Chico City Council.

Speaker 13:01

You're listening to the Orion News Weekly Report. Brought to you by California State University Chico, KZFR, KCSC, and Now Maker Radio. Chico State Cross Country has dominated the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships once again. The Chico State Men's Cross Country team took home a 23rd consecutive conference title, while the women's team won its third straight title. The race returned to Chico after 12 years as the conference's top programs converged at Hooker Oak Park on Friday, the 24th. Chico native runners Iresh Molina and Mario Gennini both crossed the finish line first on their home course. For the 23rd straight year, the men's cross-country team secured the CCH Championship, the most in conference history, with five runners in the top 14. Looking to win their ninth straight regional titles, the Wildcats will continue their season at the West Regionals in Oregon on November the 8th. Executive Director of the Associated Students, Jamie Clyde, has stepped down from her role. Her last day will be January the 1st. Clyde sent an email to staff in associated students attributing her departure to a desire to focus on her roles as a university employee and mother. Clyde will remain in her role as the vice president for business and finance at the university. Clyde concluded the email with, quote, thank you for letting me be part of this family for the laughter, the growth, the challenges, and the memories I'll carry forever. It has truly been an honor to serve you, end quote. Chico State University has launched an internal search for an interim associate dean of the library. This person will have operational control of the library until the conclusion of a nationwide search for a permanent dean. Provost Leslie Cornick assumed operational and leadership control of the library on September the 12th, replacing former interim dean Patrick Newell. Cornick said that faculty librarians will continue to report to her once a new permanent dean is hired. Cornick and the new dean will reassess the associate dean role. The last permanent dean of the library was Zhang John Wang, who left his position to work at University of Texas at Arlington in 2023. Wang served in his role for just one year. Since then, there have been several interim deans and at least one attempt at a search for permanent dean in 2024. The interim associate dean position pays between 140,000 and 149,000 annually. The Orion News has won first place in the prestigious Associated Collegiate Press National Award competition. Two stories from the Orion News have received awards from the ACP, which is considered, quote, the nation's top awards in collegiate media. The Story of the Year Award goes to an article titled, Entitled and Demanding. The editorial came as a result of Chico State's public relations director Andrew Staples using those words, Entitled and Demanding, to describe Orion reporters. The piece challenges the university to address an overarching restriction of information, which eventually led to tense moments. An honorable mention went to another Orion story titled Cuts for Education, Cash for Administration. The piece by reporter Maya De Hoyos looks at the salaries of high-level administrators amidst Chico State's reimagining initiative. That initiative was an attempt to restructure the seven college and academic affairs models of the university in hopes of saving money in a budget crisis. Concerns from campus community members around transparency were a recurring trend throughout the process. Reimagining Chico State is now on pause for the foreseeable future. The story also points out the fact that Chico State President Steve Perez takes home nearly half a million dollars a year in salary and benefits. Both stories shine light on Chico State's administration. These articles can be read at the Orion.com. Today's authors include Anthony Vastec, Maya DeJoyos, Chris Hutton, and Sean Shanks. These stories and much more can be found at theOrion.com or on Instagram at the Orion. My name's Kepler. Signing off.

Speaker 6 16:59

Up next, KZFR contributor Julie Kennedy interviews Aaron Kennedy, a case manager at the Boys and Girls Club of the North Valley.

Speaker 10 17:07

So the Boys and Girls Club, I I've read 300,000. I've read 500,000. I don't know what you guys have, what's been withheld from you.

Speaker 2 17:15

I would need to actually ask our finance director what it what the actual numbers are. Um I know that for a while, like funding for our teen centers was frozen, then it was unfrozen, then it was it's being held up. I mean, ultimately it comes down to boys and girls clubs always rely on the generosity of donors, community partners, businesses, and fundraisers to raise our money. And we write a fair amount of grants. Um, some of our sites are contracted with the school systems. So when the schools say, like, oh, we lost funding for that after-school care program, then we are out. Um, but we have always been at the boys and girls clubs of the North Valley, big believers in doing whatever it takes so that kids don't suffer. And so um, it's actually on the side of our vans, it's you'll see it. It's one of our favorite slogans. We what's the slogan? Whatever it takes.

Speaker 10 18:15

Okay, I like it.

Speaker 2 18:16

So that you know, it's just we'll do whatever it takes. During COVID, we closed down and we closed our doors, and our staff said, but our families depend on our meals, and we turned into full-time meal service when we delivered, we handed out 10,000 meals at all of our club sites during the three months that we were shut for COVID COVID. So it's just, I think we're unique in the sense that like we'll face a barrier and we kind of get a little like stressed. Like, how are we gonna overcome this? And then we go, okay, we're gonna rally and we're gonna figure out ways, and we get really creative. And we have really amazing people in our in our within our reach that go, yeah, we're gonna help you make that happen. You know.

Speaker 10 19:02

So it sounds like your supporters and some of maybe your major donors have stepped up more than what they were doing before.

Speaker 2 19:11

Yeah. Again, that would be a more of a finance question or a question with Rochelle, who's our director or CEO.

Speaker 10 19:17

Okay. It's kind of the same attitude at the station. What do we have to do to keep going? Right. Yeah. So we don't know.

Speaker 2 19:24

I mean, I think the beautiful thing about like what what I've seen through um through everything that is happening in our in our country. I've seen the beautiful way that humans show up for one another. I mean, the marches were all peaceful. The um, you know, here we're talking about food insecurity this week because the snap benefits weren't gonna go through. And we got all these farmers and local distributors to rally and say, like, we're gonna release some of our food to you guys if you can get it into the hands of individuals who could use it. I mean, it's just like amazing, miraculous beautiful things happen when when humans hear that other people are suffering, they go, I want to help, you know. And it's just, I feel like though the way that things have played out in our country has not been pretty in any way, shape, or form. It's been beautiful to see the response to it and it doesn't make the news ordinarily.

Speaker 10 20:32

You know, maybe if you know where to look. Yeah, but it's unfortunate that we're you know, we're just not getting all of that because you and I both know, lots of people know there's incredible stuff happening, and there's probably a lot more incredibly wonderful stuff happening that just doesn't make the news because it doesn't sell whatever absolutely sounded like from what I've read online about your funding, is that it was a federal source that got pulled back. And and then I read that uh 20 states, including California, were suing the administration over this withholding of funding. You don't know what department that funding is that they're referring to.

Speaker 2 21:13

Again, would be Rochelle, because she's our CEO. So my job, I'm the case manager, my job is I support all of our families who need assistance. So I meet basic needs, I do coats and shoes and clothing and um gas cards for families who have a medical thing in Sacramento, and that's more my forte.

Speaker 4 21:35

Yeah.

Speaker 2 21:36

When it comes to like our funding and our contracts and you know, all of that, that would be Rochelle and Joe and Jamison. Um Jameson's our finance director, Joe Hale's our COO. I was wondering how you pronounce his last name. It's Hale. Yeah, they revolve around like federal contracts.

Speaker 10 21:54

So in the way it sounds to me like you have not that you can tell anyway. You haven't lost staff, you haven't lost, you haven't stopped any programs. It's like whatever it takes.

Speaker 2 22:07

Yes. I mean, the question mark, you know, like you wouldn't. I mean, I I think ultimately when we had a an idea that funding may be cut, um, we really started to kind of evaluate, like, okay, let's typically if somebody like leaves, we hire immediately to fill their position because we have ratios um for safety reasons of like you know, staff to children um ratios. And so we do have to still honor that, whether we're you know, federally funded or not. And so I think what we started to do is that if people were stepping away to go to school or whatever that it may be, we started to really evaluate like how many staff do we exactly need at that site.

Speaker 10 22:56

And do those need to be paid staff or could they be people volunteering for those positions?

Speaker 2 23:00

Yeah, we absolutely have volunteers who work here, but we the majority of our staff are paid. We have a hundred staff on the on the payroll.

Speaker 10 23:09

Do you know how many kids like per year are you average?

Speaker 2 23:12

We serve over 1,600 students a year. Um pre-COVID that was about 2100, but we you know had to social distance and do all the things, so that number went way down and now we're kind of ramping back up. Um that is 2024 to be four's number. So 2025 will be a different number. It'll probably be more.

Speaker 7 23:34

This is sunny for Chico Soul with Zephyr News. Chico Soul commemorated seven years since the campfire with a story about Kevin McKay, the Paradise Man who inspired the Hollywood film The Lost Bus, starring Matthew McConaughey. Here's McKay speaking to Chico Soul.

Speaker 3 23:51

I had a revelation that one of the things this movie does exceptionally well is the experience that paradise people had that day of driving out of the fire, right? Like everybody's experience was unique and terrifying. But the moment that the bus punches through the smoke, right? The moment when um they realize that they're out, everyone that I know who drove out of paradise that day, that moment is exactly what they connect with. They're like it's not just a movie about Kevin and Mary, it's not just a movie about the campfire. That's about me. Like I experienced that. And it's kind of brought a lot of us together.

Speaker 7 24:46

With Hollywood Eyes on Paradise, the North Valley Community Foundation reported the McConaughey and Jamie Luke Curtis, who was the film's producer, her husband, and Apple TV donated $310,000 to fund the building of Hope Plaza, which will commemorate all that was lost in the campfire. In other news, Proposition 50 passed with a landslide victory during last week's election, approving redistricting for the U.S. House of Representatives for California elections until 2030. Prop 50 was Gavin Newsom's response to redrawn maps in the state of Texas that could add five Republican seats to Congress. California could now gain five Democratic seats in 2026. The measure passed statewide, but local voters in the northern Sacramento Valley opposed it at much higher rates than the rest of California. District 1 will stretch from Santa Rosa in the West through Chico in Paradise to the Nevada border and exclude some northern counties bordering Oregon. The Northern Sacramento Valley has long been a Republican stronghold, but redistricting could create a Democratic voter majority and put Congressman Doug L'AMAFA's seat at risk. L'AMAF has carried six elections over the past 12 years. In a Facebook post, L'Amalfa didn't hold back in his response to the redistricting, calling the ballot measure and its results, quote, blatantly corrupt and unconstitutional, adding that the quote, imbalance in California between the rural and urban voices will get much worse, essentially silencing our portion of the state. But the chair of the Butte County Democratic Party, Rich Ober, said on KZFR, quote, if L'Amalfa truly wants to be the representative of the people, he's going to have to work for it. Adding that since 2013, quote, he has not really had to work. Meanwhile, Democrats have been celebrating in other news, Dave Waddell updated his reporting on the Chico Police Department, which has recently focused on Michael Williams, the former sergeant who was fired in January 2025, accused of on-duty sex with five women in 2023. Records released by the Chico Police Department have revealed that Williams' colleague, Michael Vincent, received oral sex multiple times in his patrol vehicle in a church parking lot in Chico starting in 2022. Captain Jeremy Strutlers had recommended a four-week suspension without pay, but police chief Billy Aldridge halved that at the time. Vincent was suspended for two weeks without pay in 2024 and remains employed by the Chico Police Department to this day. This month at Chico Soul, we launched our second annual newsmatch fundraising campaign. And we also celebrated our California local news fellow, Yu Chang Tang, who won first place at the American Community Media Awards for his reporting that showed connections between Day of the Dead and Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day. The piece asked, How can a day that's about death feel like a huge party? And compared his memories of bereavement as a child to his experience of Dia de los Muertos' celebrations as an adult. In his acceptance speech, Tang talked about his gratitude for the opportunity to bring Asian culture and heritage to the northern Sacramento Valley. Thank you to Zephyr News for this first ever Chico Soul segment. This has been Sunny for Chico Soul on Zephyr News.

Speaker 1 28:27

Follow the latest at ChicoSol.org.1 KZFR Chico. Zephyr News aims to get the best stories in Butte County and the surrounding area to you. Special thanks to production gurus Lorenz Weissel and Trevor Parks, without whom this show would not be possible. Zephyr News wants to hear from all candidates for public office in our listening area. Contact us at news at kzfr.org. Listeners may send tips for breaking news stories to news at kzfr.org. Thank you again for listening.