Newspaper Executive of the Year: Tim Crews

Valley Mirror reports

San Francisco — Sacramento Valley Mirror Publisher Tim Crews seemed a little contemplative as he accepted the 2009 Cal Press Newspaper Executive of the Year Award here Friday evening.

It is the 45^th annual award and the matter of passing years did not seem lost to him.

“None of us gets here alone,” he said, adding, “We stand on the shoulders of those who made it possible, from newspapermen like Benjamin Franklin Bache onward.”

This publisher died after being jailed under the Alien and Sedition Act, an act enacted, as a response to Bache's statements. He was hounded, battered and had his presses and type cases trashed by crowds encouraged and inflamed by ... MORE

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 From the California Newspaper Publishers’ Association

San Francisco — Tim Crews, editor and publisher of the twice weekly Sacramento Valley Mirror, continues, at 66 years old, to edit and publish California's most courageous newspaper.

Whether they know him or not, he is clearly owed a great debt of gratitude by his publishing peers, all of whom benefit greatly in our state from his unremitting insistence on transparency of government activities. He backs up that eternal vigilance with ... MORE

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‘Rape trial - to shut me up, once and for all’
By Tim Crews
Valley Mirror Publisher

In the early 1980s, Randy Hutchins, an escaped convict from Folsom Prison, made a deal with the devil.

In 2003 he was falsely accused of rape and acquitted at a jury trial in a matter of minutes.

The trial proceeded despite the reality of a negative rape test; the examining doctor was so scornful of the allegation that he did not even appear.

Time after time, Mr. Hutchins, then 46, was offered deals that amounted to a death sentence for a man who'd already
undergone serious ... MORE

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Key witness: I lied at that murder trial
By Tim Crews
Valley Mirror Publisher

Randy Hutchins bought his freedom with perjury.

Although the men he helped convict were undoubtedly guilty, Mr. Hutchins says he wants to make a clean breast of the perjury before he checks out. He’s already outlived doctors’ predictions several times but spends half his time in hospital and is able to be up but
four hours ... MORE

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‘Shoe’ may sue
By Tim Crews
Valley Mirror Publisher

Willows — Chief Administrative Officer David Shoemaker, whose employment contract was broken by Glenn County, will sue if the county does not abide by the contract.

According to a demand letter obtained under a California Public Records Act request, Mr. Shoemaker is asking for the year’s severance pay and benefits promised before then-Assistant County Counsel Carroll Ragland opined that the Glenn County Board of ... MORE

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CAL FIRE Firefighters Receive Medal of Valor from Governor

Award is California’s Highest Public Servant Honor

Sacramento – Today Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger awarded the two CAL FIRE employees the Governor's Medal of Valor for demonstrating extraordinary bravery and heroism in saving a life. The firefighters received the Medal of Valor, the highest honor that California bestows upon its public servants, as part of a ... MORE

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$2,500 Offered for Information on Stolen Government Property

Willows, December 9, 2009 - Over the recent Thanksgiving Holiday, between late hours of November 25 and the early morning hours of November 27, several buildings on the Upper Lake Ranger District compound of the Mendocino National Forest, located at 10025 Elk Mountain Road in Upper Lake, California were burglarized and a large amount of ... MORE

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U.S. EPA Issues California Toxic Release Data, Lead and Ammonia Among Most Common

Latest report shows 44 million pounds of toxics released into environment, a decrease of nearly 12 million pounds

(SAN FRANCISCO) –– Toxic releases into the environment from facilities operating in California decreased 21 percent in 2008 when compared to 2007, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The 12 million pound decline reflects reported decreases in air, water, and ... MORE

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Quality” Internealuates Safety of Fish and Shellfish Consumption in California

Sacramento- The California Water Quality Monitoring Council (Monitoring Council) is unveiling the second My Water Quality internet portal to connect decision makers and the public with water quality information. The theme of this new portal is “is it Safe to Eat Fish and Shellfish from Our Waters?”

The portal includes interactive maps and monitoring data that focus on ... MORE

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Calif. gets first openly gay House speaker

SACRAMENTO, (UPI) -- First-term California Assemblyman John Perez was chosen to become the legislative body's next speaker Thursday, the first openly gay person to hold the post.

Perez, who represents a Los Angeles district, was voted for the position by the Assembly Democratic Caucus, which he leads, and is expected to be officially named in January when the full Assembly votes, KXTV, Sacramento, reported. He will succeed ... MORE

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St. Ignatius Church Helps Hungry Families this Christmas 250 Families to be Fed this Holiday Season!

SACRAMENTO, CA—In trying economic time such as these, families struggle to just put food on the table, but the holiday season offers an even greater obstacle. Between furloughs, job cutbacks and layoffs the Christmas Season can seem like the greatest challenge of all. St. Ignatius Loyola Parish understands that need and is offering relief when ... MORE