Kern County dairy community celebrates new milk bottling plant

When you think of Kern County, you may think about oil rigs by the thousands, as the county feeds the nation. Now, move over, because Kern County’s dairy industry is taking off with Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This is going to take us to a place of leadership,” said Brad Anderson, with California Dairies. “Leadership in California. Leadership in the U.S., and leadership globally as we look to ship out, and feed the world with the world’s most nutritious product.”

California’s dairy community came together to celebrate the opening of the Valley Natural Beverages milk processing plant, which was funded by dairy farmers. The 200,000 square foot plant is located at 8801 Gosford Road in southwest Bakersfield. California Dairies Inc. said the Valley Natural Beverages dairy plant is the most technologically advanced processing facility in the world, and state government wants to keep it that way.

California Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, said, “We, certainly in the office of the Lieutenant Governor, but across the administration, will do everything we can to promote your products so that you have the widest reach for markets everywhere.” The plant makes (ESL) milk, or extended shelf life milk, extending the shelf life up to six months, but you still have to refrigerate it after opening.

California Dairies Chairman, Cory Vanderham, said, “It allows us to send it over to the international market. Be able to send it overseas. Also, (UHT) ultra high temperature milk…where we’re able to pasteurize it at a really hot temperature with some steam, where it doesn’t change the components of the milk, and be able to bottle that as well.”

It took 18 months, from the shovel going into dirt at the groundbreaking, to the first truck transporting milk. The milk bottling facility has been operating since December.

But, the plant full of innovation and collaboration, wouldn’t let 17 News in with a camera to bring you video.

Plus, the milk is still missing a brand. California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross, said, “Do we have a name for the milk? Something really special, right? Well, there’s a branding opportunity to make sure that everyone who bought that knows that farmer’s, and families stand behind us. I’m just sayin’.”

The first of three phases was completed after 100 people were employed at the plant. Phase two includes installing more production lines.Phase three involves expanding the milk bottling plant another 150,000 square feet, according to California Dairies Inc.

https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/kern-county-dairy-community-celebrates-new-milk-bottling-plant/

Dignity Village opens in Modesto with 42 tiny homes. A place to stop the downhill slide

A 42-unit complex providing interim housing for people battling homelessness and other challenges has opened in Modesto.

Ceremonies were held Thursday for Dignity Village, at the corner of Ninth and E streets, and the first residents will start moving in this weekend.

Officials said the 42 tiny houses will provide a safe and comfortable home for adults while they recover from substance use and mental health disorders. The housing program will include services and support to help them with their individual challenges.

Stanislaus County and the city of Modesto were partners in the project, which also engaged community groups in preparing the units for the first tenants. Volunteers and local groups adopted cabins and, on March 22, decorated the small units without knowing who would occupy them.

A team of case managers and social workers from the Stanislaus County Public Defender’s Office adopted a cabin and brought in toiletries, pictures, curtains, pillows and a welcome mat.

The unit was fresh off construction, so the team first wiped away the dust on the ceiling and the floor.

“If you have been on the streets for a long time, it’s a rough transition at first,” said Shelli Margarite, a client support manager who posed for a picture with co-workers at the cabin. “We really wanted to make it a home.” Mayor Sue Zwahlen expressed hope that Dignity Village can make a difference as the city grapples with the homeless crisis. “Having a roof over their heads gives them a real chance for recovery and hope for a better tomorrow,” Zwahlen said.

The county and Modesto collaborated with Dignity Moves to develop the complex on city-owned property after Stanislaus County was awarded more than $3 million in state Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program funds in June 2023.

The fenced complex has toilets, showers, dining areas, offices, laundry, social areas and a dog run. Residents will stay in the interim housing for three to six months until ready for the next step to permanent housing.

Ruben Imperial, director of county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, said those participating in Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court will have priority for some housing units as clients comply with treatment plans for mental disorders.For participants in CARE Court, the state program known for court-supervised treatment of adults with schizophrenic disorders, access to housing is considered essential. But Dignity Village also will house adults getting substance use therapy through Senate Bill 43 and other behavioral health programs.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dignity-village-opens-modesto-42-201148720.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jaGF0Z3B0LmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGEoMKQD4h0ZeuRcxvTURNdyW5vt6z6tHIPppFtbhnpCE_YF0uBThuR3NQFmvb5dvyqM6pRZvuijWQmS721MampW8DFUyvaNSZup19rzWBGyKRuCMOCHHyuKsfL7KbQkTLCy494QKqENb09CkCmC1K9xe9h_HiwHteSkd63tQMYC&guccounter=2

$7 million donation to help expand healthcare access in Corcoran

A historic and generous multi-million dollar gift will bring more resources to a small Kings County town. The Adventist Health Corcoran Medical Office received a $7 million donation to expand healthcare access in the area and surrounding communities.

Officials say the money will go to fund home dialysis units, a PET CT scanner and a 3D Mobile Mammography Unit to bring life-saving diagnostic and treatment services directly to the community. The donations were a community effort.

“The Corcoran Hospital District and Corcoran Community Foundation, supported by the Boswell family funds, those are the organizations that partnered with Adventist Health to help make this dream become a reality,” says Tim Haydock with Adventist Health. “Those are the organizations that have gone above and beyond to outline a path for a brighter future for the members of this community.”

The $7 million donation marks the largest gift in the history of Adventist Health.

Wednesday’s event consisted of remarks from Adventist Health leadership, community donors and medical experts.

A patient speaker also shared how these new services will change lives.

Community leaders say this is an exciting milestone for Adventist Health and the Corcoran community as it ensures greater access to critical healthcare services.

https://abc30.com/post/7-million-donation-help-expand-healthcare-access-corcoran/16152882/

Merced developer envisions thriving shopping plaza off of Highway 99

A local developer envisions Campus Parkway in the southeast side of Merced becoming the best exit off Highway 99 in the Central Valley. The goal is to create a new standard for Merced, attracting out-of-town revenue and enhancing the local economy by developing a shopping plaza eventually anchored by an entertainment venue, a hotel and surrounding retail shops, restaurants and offices…..

https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/article304451956.html

 

Visalia builds toward more industrial space

The city of Visalia plans to open up more land for industrial development following a recent report. At its Feb. 3 meeting, the Visalia City Council heard a presentation by 4- Creeks consultants suggesting expansion of industrial park zoning south of Highway 198 adjacent to the airport as well as west of Highway 99 around the city wastewater treatment plant. Currently the industrial park is east of Highway 99 concentrated in the northwest corner of the city. The council voted 5-0 to take the next step to move the project forward that will require a full environmental impact report. Mayor Brett Taylor said he was generally in favor of expansion of industrial lands but not so much west of Highway 99 where the city has the sewer farm surrounded by farmland. The report suggested the city allow for a 248-acre solar farm to provide more renewable power to the community. The site would be near the wastewater treatment plant where the consultant also suggested the city consider new industrial zoning. City-owned land west of the 99 adds up to 1,475 acres that can be potentially developed, the study said. Again, that idea may not move forward.

There does seem to be support for setting up a so-called “reserve” industrial area adjacent to the airport and south of Caldwell stretching down to Highway 99. The report points to the major overhaul of the Caldwell interchange underway over the next 3-4 years.

The reserve area could be around 405 acres. Staff will have to suggest a trigger for opening this land. It will be years before new zoning is in place. The study makes the case that the city needs more available industrial land to meet demand, suggesting there is a low inventory of available space and empty land. The report calculates Visalia has 389 parcels totaling 3,543 acres of industrial space with just 945 acres remaining vacant in its sphere of infuence.

“Visalia could see a demand for up to 6.4 million square feet of industrial space by 2033,” 4-Creeks stated in its report. But the study does not seem to acknowledge that there are active industrial projects lined up to build at least that much right now. That includes the vacant CapRock building, a 1.2 million square foot spec “building 3” on Plaza Drive that has sat empty since completion last July. There is also a new 3.7 million square feet industrial park project north of Riggin and west of Shirk going through a final EIR now.

At the same time industrial building activity in the past year has slowed to a crawl in Visalia and across California. Now the city may lose the 635,000 square foot JoAnn fabrics distribution center, according to a recent letter the company sent to Mayor Taylor.

Consider that Visalia added 1.1 million square feet of industrial space in 2019, 2.4 million in 2020, 1.5 million in 2021, 1.6 million in 2022 and 1.9 mil in 2023 but just 330,000 square feet of industrial space was added in 2024. Things have slowed down. Nevertheless, councilmember Brian Poochigian said the city needs to plan ahead and adding more space in the future could attract new business to town – smaller entrepreneurial industrial projects that could find the area near the airport attractive.

Massive Visalia Industrial Park project ahead of schedule, no deal with Amazon

CapRock Partners, a Los Angeles based industrial real estate investor, announced this month that their Central Point III complex in Visalia at 1.27 million square-feet is ahead of schedule for construction.

Building 1, the first phase of a 2.7-million-square-foot, four-building industrial complex, has completed the tilting of the building’s concrete panel walls. Moving ahead of its original development timeline, Building 1 is now slated for completion in summer 2024, probably July. The building sits on 75 acres within CapRock Central Point III, part of CapRock’s larger 5-million-square-foot Central Point master plan in Visalia.

Bob O’Neill, senior vice president at CapRock Partners says the building is “designed to serve Fortune 100 corporations seeking a state-of-the-art industrial complex accessible to a large percentage of the West Coast’s population, CapRock Central Point III is drawing interest from leaders in logistics as well as food processing and manufacturing.”

Despite  rumors to the contrary, O’Neill says there is no lease in place with Amazon – the company that leased CapRocks other two large buildings constructed in the industrial park in the past few years.But O’Neill is optimistic the building will be spoken for soon with California’s strong economy, busy ports and the trend to re-shore companies manufacturing back to the US.

Visalia’s increasingly essential role in California’s industrial warehouse market and the broader U.S. logistics supply chain is drawing prominent corporations looking to benefit from the city’s unmatched connectivity, abundant land at relatively lower real estate costs, and robust supply of educated workers. UPS, Amazon, Ace Hardware, Smuckers, VF Corporation, FedEx, and International Paper, and others, have already established locations within Visalia’s industrial area.

“Visalia is grateful for the investment that CapRock has made in our community,” said Visalia Mayor Brian Poochigian. “CapRock has done big projects and Building 1 at Central Point III is another success in the making. Our city’s location gives us a logistical advantage when it comes to connectivity. That, coupled with our business-friendly environment and growing industrial park, makes Visalia ideal for projects like this.”

Building 1, located at 4001 N. Plaza Drive, is easily accessible to major Central Valley transportation including air, rail and highways, including State Route 99, which runs through the Central Valley and connects to major interstates I-5 and I-80. CapRock Central Point III’s position will allow its future tenants to reach over 50 million customers with one-day ground shipping, making it one of the only locations in the U.S. capable of reaching as large of a population base within the short timeframe.

At completion, Building 1 will feature 40-foot clear height, 274 dock-high doors and two ground-level doors. The cross-dock building will include approximately 6,600 square feet of office space, ample power, ESFR sprinklers and 890 auto parking stalls.

With a fully secured fenced yard, the property will provide drive-around access, a truck court depth of 185 feet, dedicated truck circulation and 542 excess trailer parking stalls.

“CapRock Partners is an experienced developer and builder of large-scale industrial warehouse facilities,” said Mike Fowler, executive managing director at JLL.

“The firm’s talented team is bringing its capabilities and expertise to deliver a world-class complex that will improve the overall efficiency of the U.S. supply chain, serve leading corporations and provide local employment and economic opportunities for Visalia and the Central Valley.”

https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2024/01/24/visalia-industrial-park-project-ahead-of-schedule-no-deal-with-amazon/72323793007/

Merced Mall is literally on the way up

MERCED, Calif.  – The Merced Mall is on the rise, not only in terms of new businesses but literally after the city announced over the weekend that investors are discussing proposed building elevations.

Citivest, the party responsible for financing the Sears Renovation Project, says the 86,000-square-foot Sears box building is being renovated and re-positioned. Site plans published Saturday also show proposed building elevations to increase the height of the current buildings.

Management says leases for the space have been signed with Burlington, Five Below, Ulta, Petco, Rack Room Shoes, Bath & Body Works and Mattress Firm. Aspen Dental will also be located on one of the planned free-standing pad buildings.

The company says they expect the new stores to open in the fourth quarter of this year.

The new stores announced in January will be joining Boot Barn and Mocha Boba, which have also been announced as moving into the Merced Mall.

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/merced-mall-new-businesses/

County opens new juvenile center

Kings County announced the grand opening of the Behavioral Rehabilitation Academy New Chance Hub, or BRANCH. This state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to young people, empowering them to overcome challenges and build brighter futures.

“I am thrilled to witness the grand opening of The BRANCH,” said Leonard A. Bakker II, Chief Probation Officer, Kings County Probation Department. “This cutting-edge facility represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing young people with the tools and support they need to succeed. By offering comprehensive rehabilitation services, we are empowering these individuals to overcome adversity and build brighter futures. The BRANCH is a beacon of hope for our community.”

The BRANCH offers a holistic approach to rehabilitation, combining educational, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services, the County stated. The goal is to help participants develop coping skills, improve mental health, and successfully reintegrate into their communities.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/county-opens-new-juvenile-center/article_d04f0efe-bcc5-11ef-b990-133930ebf22f.html

Breaking New Ground in Madera!

Breaking New Ground in Madera!
We are excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of Stock Five Development, Inc.’s latest project, a future 7-Eleven in Madera, CA! This development represents a new opportunity for the community, bringing convenience, jobs, and growth to the area.
We were honored to have key individuals join us for this milestone, including those who played a vital role in the first phase and those who continue to drive this project forward. A special thank you to Cecilia Gallegos, Mayor of Madera, for her support, and Sterling Graham, President of Head Waters Building Group, for sharing a few words during the ceremony. Your contributions are truly appreciated!
This project is more than just construction, it’s about enhancing the community and creating a positive impact for years to come. We are grateful to the City of Madera and all of our partners for their dedication and collaboration. We look forward to seeing this vision take shape!

https://www.instagram.com/elite_team_offices/p/DF81hteSMT4/?img_index=1

New military lab at Edwards boosts national security, E. Kern economy

Eastern Kern is expected to benefit economically from a new, state-of-the-art engineering lab expected to improve the area’s workforce training capabilities along with U.S. military readiness at Edwards Air Force Base. The U.S. Air Force announced Thursday its new Flight Test Engineering Lab opened late last year after a series of delays and contract modifications that pushed back its debut by eight months and raised its price tag 13.6% to reach $41.35 million.

The Air Force said in a news release the lab was designed to improve the testing and integration of critical systems, specifically in electro optics/infrared sensors and long-range cyber-warfare data link capabilities. The installation will also help the Air Force develop what it described as digital twin tools accelerating creation of future combat capabilities, it said.

“As military technology continues to evolve, the FTEL stands as a critical hub for the next generation of weapons and systems, paving the way for the development of more effective, adaptable tools to safeguard national security,” it said in the release.

A senior official at the base, Paul Waters, director of the 412th Test Engineering Group, emphasized the lab’s importance in helping meet the evolving needs of the U.S. military. He said its development and testing capabilities will help the base enhance the accuracy of sensors, improve data communication and integrate flight test data with advanced modeling and simulation.

“These tools will not only accelerate our development processes but also help us stay ahead of rapidly advancing global threats,” he stated in the release.

“By refining advanced sensors, data links and validated models, we are preparing our forces for an increasingly complex global security environment,” he added.

The Air Force plans to leverage the FTEL’s capabilities to “accelerate the training and development of our workforce,” Waters stated.

“Three state-of-the-art training rooms allow us to accelerate the development (of) our young engineers,” Waters added.

Eastern Kern has scored several economic successes in recent years. The most recent is a $2 million partnership paid for by Congress to establish an aerospace innovation hub intended to smooth the flow of technology developed at Edwards and China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station to local industry.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/new-military-lab-at-edwards-boosts-national-security-e-kern-economy/article_c5b26266-ecbd-11ef-84df-e73ad871d1ea.html?utm_source=bakersfield.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fbusiness-headlines%2F%3Femail-scrape%26-dc%3D1739894423&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline