Suspect Arrested as Gann Fire Grows

Cal Fire has arrested Herbert Wayne Smith, a 65-year-old Valley Springs man, on suspicion of recklessly causing the Gann Fire now burning through the Calaveras County foothills.

Investigators say Smith was operating spark-producing equipment in dry brush without the clearance and firefighting tools state law requires when the fire ignited Monday afternoon southeast of New Hogan Lake. He bonded out Tuesday, and the case is now with the Calaveras County District Attorney.

By Thursday afternoon, the fire covered more than 10,000 acres with 26% containment, and firefighters were setting backfires to strip fuel ahead of the flames. Evacuation orders remained in effect for zones around New Hogan Lake, west of San Andreas and south toward Angels Camp.

Smoke closed Calaveras Unified campuses for a day before they reopened Thursday, with students moved indoors when air quality dips. Track the fire and air quality with these live updates.

Jalapeño Recall Hits San Diego Distributor

Chipotle and Qdoba have pulled jalapeños from some restaurants after health officials linked peppers from San Diego-based Coast Citrus Distributors to a Salmonella outbreak.

The peppers were grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and turned up in menu staples like salsa and guacamole before both chains swapped in product from other growers. Federal officials opened a traceback investigation on July 22 and are still working to learn whether the jalapeños reached grocery store shelves.

The salmonella javiana strain has sickened 345 people across 27 states, with Colorado and Minnesota reporting 110 cases each and 36 hospitalized as of Wednesday. No deaths have been reported, and California is among the states with confirmed cases.

News of the outbreak knocked Chipotle shares down nearly 10% Tuesday, though Minnesota officials said the chain cooperated fully and that they have no current concerns about it after it removed the affected product. Anyone with recalled jalapeños from Coast Citrus Distributors should toss them, the FDA said.

Heat Slashes Kern County Pistachio Crop

Kern County is declaring an agricultural disaster after extreme spring heat reduced production by roughly 56%, a loss county officials peg at more than $350 million.

The county’s agriculture commissioner filed a disaster report with the California Office of Emergency Services, seeking resources for growers after Assistant Agriculture Commissioner Cerise Montanio described the production loss as “pretty devastating.”

Pistachios rank among Kern’s top-five crops, worth more than $1 billion in some years, so the shortfall ripples well beyond the orchards. Industry officials say record March heat disrupted pollination during the spring bloom, sharply reducing yields across California’s pistachio-growing regions.

Wonderful Pistachios, the world’s largest grower, expects a crop even lighter than a normal “off year” and warned shoppers to brace for higher prices. Even so, carryover from last year’s record harvest will keep pistachios on shelves, the company said.

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➤ Morgan Hill: The FBI has joined the hunt for whoever opened fire at a pop-up birthday party near Morgan Hill on July 25, killing one person and wounding six, and is offering up to $20,000 for tips. Hundreds attended the rural Hale Avenue party. (See Details)

➤ Oakland: Two children under 10 took a parent’s car Thursday morning, collided with another vehicle, then lost control and struck a woman walking her dog in a crosswalk, police said. The woman was hospitalized in critical condition, while both children were hospitalized in stable condition. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Five men were arrested in a three-day undercover sting targeting online child predators, run by the sheriff and district attorney with 10 partner agencies. Four face felony charges of meeting a minor for lewd purposes, including the founder of a boutique investment firm. (More)

➤ Lake Tahoe: Someone has been poisoning pine trees at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village, part of a four-year pattern that investigators still haven’t solved. Deputies captured a brief light on a trail camera around 2 a.m. during the latest incident but have no suspect. (See Details)

➤ Pittsburg: The city lost $913,839.81 in February to a phishing scam that routed a payment to a fraudster posing as a known vendor. Police have clawed back $696,241 and the city is pursuing insurance for the rest, while the FBI continues investigating the case. (More)

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➤ Salinas: Washington Middle School was placed on lockdown after a man outside the campus yelled obscenities and confronted parents on the first day of school. The precaution came hours after a bomb threat prompted a lockdown at nearby Salinas High School, where police later cleared the campus. (More)

➤ Fresno became the first California city to lower its school-zone speed limit to 20 mph, five years ahead of the state’s Jan. 1, 2031, deadline. Crews have been installing 800 new signs since June as part of a $400,000 project led by City Council President Nelson Esparza. (More)

➤ Reedley: A Fresno County judge ordered farmer Cesar Mora to tear out his white nectarine trees in a contract fight with Giumarra Brothers Fruit Company, which says he sold the fruit to another supplier. Mora, who gave away 180,000 pounds of the nectarines, is appealing. (More)

➤ Lompoc: A federal correctional officer and his wife pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle contraband, including a medication used to treat opioid addiction, to an inmate at a federal prison in exchange for $6,650. The couple faces up to five years in prison at sentencing, scheduled for January. (See Details)

➤ Diablo Canyon: More than 50 California elected officials urged state leaders to extend the power plant’s operations beyond its planned 2030 closure, citing a study estimating up to $1.3 billion in annual savings. Opponents said the nuclear plant should close as scheduled. (More)

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➤ Littlerock: A San Bernardino County sheriff’s detective was shot and wounded, and a suspect was killed in an exchange of gunfire during an investigation near Palmdale on Wednesday. The detective was airlifted to a Lancaster hospital in stable condition and is expected to recover. (See Details)

➤ Perris: Two people walked away unharmed after their Cessna 177 made an emergency landing in a field on Wednesday morning. Cal Fire crews found the plane down off Lake Mathews Drive. The Federal Aviation Administration and Riverside County sheriff’s investigators are looking into the cause. (More)

➤ Universal City: Los Angeles County health officials warned that a measles-infected visitor spent about 11 hours at Universal Studios Hollywood on Sunday, July 26, potentially exposing other guests. Anyone there that day should watch for symptoms and contact a health care provider if they become ill. (More)

➤ Big Bear Lake: Jackie and Shadow’s bald eagle eaglets, Sandy and Luna, appear to have left their Big Bear nest, marking a major milestone as Jackie continues recovering at the Ojai Raptor Center. Friends of Big Bear Valley said the eaglets were last seen July 23 and are believed to have begun life on their own. (More)

➤ Catalina Island: Applications are open for Catalina Island’s final deer-hunting season under a state-approved plan to eliminate about 2,000 nonnative mule deer. The hunt runs from Oct. 24 through Dec. 18 before conservation crews continue the eradication effort. (See Details)

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➤ Stanford announced its 2026 Athletics Hall of Fame class this week, a 10-member group that includes football players Kevin Hogan and Owen Marecic, as well as three-time NCAA diving champion Kristian Ipsen. (More)

➤ Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has a partial tear of the UCL in his throwing elbow and will be shut down from throwing for up to six weeks. He could still serve as a left-handed pinch-hitter down the stretch. (More)

➤ Sporting News named USC’s Reggie Bush to its college football All-America team of the 2000s at the all-purpose position. Bush won the Heisman Trophy in 2005, relinquished it amid an NCAA investigation, and had it reinstated in 2024. (More)

➤ The 49ers and Rams are taking opposite approaches to their Week 1 game in Melbourne, Australia. San Francisco plans to arrive about a week early, while the Rams intend to fly in the day before kickoff. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Golf | Tennis | Soccer | WNBA | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ Disney inked a first-of-its-kind deal with TikTok, letting opted-in creators build short videos from Disney movies and shows that will appear on both TikTok and Disney+. A U.S. pilot starts in the coming months. (More)

➤ Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians shut its preview casino in Vallejo just a week after opening when the U.S. Interior Department ruled the tribe lacked the historical connection needed to operate a casino there. The decision halted the tribe’s $700 million resort project, and the tribe plans to fight it in federal court. (More)

➤ The Port of Long Beach bought a 13-story tower at 100 Oceangate for $36 million, aiming to turn it into a hub for shipping and logistics firms and help revive a downtown still saddled with pandemic-era office vacancies. (More)

➤ Der Biergarten raises a glass on the Old Sacramento Waterfront today, opening a second location in the historic Steamers building. The mayor’s set to tap the ceremonial first keg, with free pretzels for the first 100 guests. (More)

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➤ Fire-fighting goats are back for a second summer at the Universal Studios Lot, where a 500-goat herd has grazed 77 acres of dry brush to help reduce wildfire risk on the property’s hillsides. Two guard dogs, Noni and Joy, keep coyotes away. (More)

➤ Kings Canyon is home to the world’s second-largest tree by volume, the General Grant Tree, a roughly 1,600-year-old giant sequoia at the end of a paved half-mile loop. Calvin Coolidge designated it the Nation’s Christmas Tree, and only Sequoia’s General Sherman is larger. (See More)

➤ The 29th Annual Lemon Festival returns to Chula Vista on Saturday, Aug. 15, with two stages of live music, lemon-everything eats, vendors, and a kids’ area along Third Avenue as the city celebrates its history as the former “Lemon Capital of the World.” (More)

➤ Avila Beach’s Mersea’s, the casual seafood shack on Harford Pier, ranked No. 4 on Time Out‘s list of America’s best waterfront restaurants. Think fish and chips, clam chowder in sourdough, and laid-back pier views. (See More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ New research suggests avoiding three midlife health risks could mean nearly 13 more years of life without dementia. (Hear Details)

➤ You already know your phone drains focus and sleep, but doctors warn the hidden toll runs deeper. (Hear Episode)

➤ The FAA quietly rerouted noisy flights during Bohemian Grove’s elite retreat, fueling accusations of preferential treatment from frustrated locals. (Listen Now)

California grows almost all of the nation’s pistachios. Where do you stand on the little green nut?

1. Can’t get enough of them
2. Fine in moderation
3. I’m team almond
4. Not a nut person

Yesterday’s Results:

California’s State Fair is leaving summer behind, shifting to a cooler September–October run starting in 2027. What’s your verdict?

1. Smart call: 34%
2. I don’t attend the fair: 27%
3. Bummer: 20%
4. Either way, I’ll still go: 19%

Besides being the Nation’s Christmas Tree, the General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon got a second official title from President Eisenhower in 1956—one no other living thing has ever held. What is it?

Show me the answer