Many of my meetings around the district this month have had a consistent theme — how healthcare leaders in the North State are working to support the needs of their rural patients around the region‚ and how the state could be a better partner in this essential life‑saving work.
Last week I met with leaders at Mercy Medical Center Redding and Mercy Foundation North and took a tour of the new Sierra Pacific Regional Cancer Center. The clinic is a major new investment in modern care and treatment for cancer patients in Shasta and surrounding counties. It also spotlights the need to continue recruiting doctors and other providers to the region — for family medicine and specialties like oncology alike. The cancer center is a sign of Mercy’s and the community’s deep commitment to that work.
Then I joined Northern California EMS‚ Inc. for a briefing on rural ambulance services. The standards and costs for this service are the same in a major city or in our frontier communities up north. And the life‑saving urgency is likewise similar.
But longer road miles and lower patient volumes make it much harder to sustain ambulance services‚ a strain that is reaching a breaking point in many rural areas. To cut to the point‚ when the financial viability of ambulance networks is at risk‚ so are patients’ lives.
Solutions are not simple‚ but I am committed to doing all I can in the Legislature to support these vital initiatives for North State patients.
Community Beyond Violence Dedicates New Home
It was an honor last week to recognize Community Beyond Violence at the ribbon cutting for its new office in Nevada City. This new space marks an exciting chapter for an organization that has made such a lasting difference in our community.
For nearly five decades‚ Community Beyond Violence has stood alongside survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault‚ providing advocacy‚ resources‚ education and support to individuals and families throughout Western Nevada County.
A special thank you to Allison Bischofberger‚ executive director‚ and board President Kirsten Dees‚ for your leadership and dedication to this important work. And thank you to the entire team‚ advocates‚ volunteers and community partners for the compassion and support you provide every day.
Congratulations on your new home and for all you do for Nevada County residents!
New Dog Bar Bridge Enhances Safety and Access
Team Dahle was on hand to present a certificate of recognition to Nevada County Supervisor Robb Tucker at the ribbon‑cutting this week for the new Dog Bar Bridge‚ near Colfax.
The old crossing over the Bear River served the community for more than 90 years. It was a one‑lane bridge on a two‑lane road that would see trucks stuck on tight turns‚ and it was a choke point if there ever was an emergency evacuation. The new Dog Bar Bridge sports two lanes and has a pedestrian walkway for a safer and more reliable link between Nevada and Placer counties for school‚ work‚ and emergency access.
Special note: The Sacramento Chapter of the American Public Works Association named the project the 2026 Project of the Year in the transportation category. Congratulations!
Nonprofit Registry Goes Digital
Are you on the board or a leader of a nonprofit organization? If so‚ you should know about big changes coming to the way the California Department of Justice manages annual filings.
The state requires yearly fillings with the department’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers‚ as one tool to ensure integrity of nonprofits. That filing has long been paper‑based and the processing slow‚ but as of late last month‚ the system has gone digital. Registered nonprofits in the state should have received letters with a registration code specific to their organization. Much more information is available directly from the department in its Frequently Asked Questions section here.
To help charities with the transition‚ the California Association of Nonprofits and the Department of Justice are sponsoring a free training session on Wednesday‚ Sept. 30. More details and a link to register are available here.
From soccer leagues to theater troupes‚ scholarship funds to professional clubs‚ nonprofits play an important role in all of our communities. This is a big change in how they work with the state‚ and I encourage their leaders to learn more.