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The words of Thomas Valles proved to be effective when speaking with Pleasanton Junior High students a few years ago. Enough so that one of those students, Jayden Castillo, wanted to bring him back to the area, this time as a Charlotte High School student.

“I know some people that have been going through the stuff that Mr. Valles went through,” said Castillo. “I believed his story could relate to others here at Charlotte and I just wanted him to come out and see if we can help kids here.”

Valles was a part of the 1987 McFarland (CA) High School Cross Country team that went on to win state amidst many obstacles. Many are familiar with the Disney movie “McFarland, USA” that highlights and portrays the 1987 season.

Earlier this year, Castillo reached out to Valles through Facebook and asked him to come speak with students at Charlotte. Soon after seeing he was coming to Texas in March, Valles got in contact with Charlotte High School Principal Cristela Duran to go forward with the plan.

“It’s really important to have a student that is a leader,” Duran said. “We have a lot of leaders, but a lot of the time they are quiet leaders and [Jayden] was courageous enough to say ‘Hey, I know some of us can relate to him, I think it’d be great to have him come out here.’ Mr. Valles had a couple of different platforms, but we decided facing adversity as a teenager would be one of the greatest talks for our students.”

While talking with Charlotte students, Valles addressed a variety of topics including rough parts of his childhood. Prior to winning a state championship, he hovered over a bridge and was thinking about his life. Valles overcame his issues with depression and moved forward with his love for running.

Valles’s approach to overcoming life’s obstacles can be used as an example for Castillo and his peers to handle what life throws their way.

“I just really want to change things here at Charlotte,” said Castillo. “I’m trying to do it a little at a time and I just want everybody to be happy with themselves. Each person here has something unique about them and they should be proud of that.”

With the impact Valles had on Charlotte students, the district hopes to potentially bring more speakers in the future as a way to keep their students engaged.

“That’s something that we want to do more to motivate our students,” said Duran. “More importantly to get them to see that it doesn’t matter where you come from. We hope that they’re able to look at their future and not settle, or move forward, because of the adversities that they face.”

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MCFARLAND, Calif. (KERO) — The Kern County Fire Department announced an evacuation warning for McFarland. According to KCFD water flow from the Poso Creek has become a threat to the area.

The warning includes residents near Poso Creek from Elmo Highway south to Famoso Road. An evacuation center will be open at Horizon Elementary School.

Heavy rain and flooding Friday caused the Kern County Sheriff's Office to issue evacuation orders for the low-lying parts of Kernville and the Riverkern areas north of Lake Isabella. According to Kern County Fire these evacuation orders are still in place.

If you are impacted, Kern Valley High School has been designated as the evacuation center for this community.

Though the recommended way to get to the evacuation center was to take Sierra Avenue to Hwy 178 into Lake Isabella it appears that roadway is now flooded.

KCSO says the Kern River Bridge is still open and that route can be taken to get to the center.

Local Congressman and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted out a video addressing those affected by the flooding in Kern County. He encourages state residents to stay up to date with emergency warnings.

Many parts of California are under a state of emergency due to the severe winter storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides. To stay informed or if you or someone you know needs help, visit https://t.co/Xl8I1TXQkg pic.twitter.com/U5l7zF6Nv1

— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) March 10, 2023

"As you are well aware, many parts of California, including Kernville, are under a state of emergency due to the storms happening across the state with flooding. Please stay safe and pay attention to local orders in your area by visiting caloes.ca.gov."

He also tweeted out resources for Kern, Tulare, Fresno, and Kings counties as communities work to recover from the storm.

CALIFORNIA CITY — The California City softball team appeared as though it was going to complete a second late-inning rally against McFarland in a playoff game on Tuesday.

The Ravens were rallying from a second late-inning deficit, but left the tying run stranded on third base in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 13-12 loss in a CIF-Central Section Division 5 first-round playoff game at California City High School.

California City finishes the season with a 16-9 record, after finishing fourth in the High Desert League with an 8-6 record.

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McFarland (7-13) will play at Boron in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Boron (19-2) defeated North 2-1 in the first round on Tuesday.

“I feel like it definitely could have been a different outcome,” said California City senior Natalia Hernandez, a third-year varsity player. “It wasn’t our best game, but I know some girls still tried their best. It was a good fight at the end.

“Just always have positive thoughts. Anything can go any certain way. The mood can change, the atmosphere. Just one set of positive energy can set off a whole rally and go on forever.”

California City never led in the game, but rallied to tie it twice, 1-1 in the bottom of the first, and 10-10 with five runs in the bottom of the sixth, after trailing 9-1 in the top of the fourth.

The Ravens had five hits in the bottom of the sixth, including a three-run home run over the left-field fence by Hernandez to tie the game at 10-10.

Cal City freshman Zoe Melendez led off the inning with an infield single, leadoff batter Lorina Rodarte followed with a single and sophomore Makayla Haggins drove in both runners with an infield single that glanced off the McFarland’s pitchers glove.

Cal City freshman Cheyenne Roth then drew a walk, with Hernandez coming to the plate.

“I feel good about it. We came back at the end,” said Rodarte, a second-year varsity player. “Our coaches and keeping our energy up, making sure, because we know we’re a good team. We knew we could get them back. Just wanting it really helped.”

Unfortunately, McFarland was able to quickly retake the lead in the top of the seventh inning.

The first two McFarland batters reached base and senior Leilani Angulo hit a three-run home run to left.

“Obviously, I wish the result was different,” California City four-year coach Caity Whittey said. “But I’m proud of them. We’re very young, so at all times we had four brand new girls on the field, so compared to McFarland we’re a JV team and they got to bring their JV and varsity.”

California City started a rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Rodarte hit a solo home run to left to lead off the inning.

Haggins followed with a single off the pitcher’s glove, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Roth, who advanced to second on the late throw home.

Roth advanced to third on a ground out, representing the tying run with one out.

McFarland junior starting pitcher Gianna Freitas then struck out her 10th batter of the game for the second out and fielded a comebacker and threw out the runner at first for the final out.

“Our bats came alive today a little bit more than they’ve been, by far,” McFarland coach Jim Price said. “We had a home run, so did they. We had four, five hits out into the left field. We battled and that’s what we have to do if we want to win. We have to battle. This is the first time we’ve really battled hard and stayed within a winning range that we could pull the win out.

“That ball goes under the pitcher, we’re probably still playing, so great stop. She’s never pitched a full game before, but we just had to stay with her and go with her. We were just lucky we got the winning run in the top of the seventh.”

Rodarte led off the bottom of the first with a walk and scored on a fielder’s choice to tie the game at 1-1.

The Ravens began chipping away at a 9-1 deficit with two runs in the fourth inning, as Rodarte drew a bases-loaded walk and Haggins hit an infield single with the bases loaded and two outs, but a second runner tried to score on the hit and was thrown out to end the inning.

California City added another two runs in the fifth, with Roth leading off the inning with a walk and scoring on a double by Hernandez, who scored on a ground ball by junior Annalise Raymond.

Haggins finished 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs, Rodarte was 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs and Hernandez was 2-for-5 with two runs and five RBIs.

Roth threw a complete game for the Ravens and struck out six in seven innings, giving up 16 hits and four walks.

“We have a lot of new girls, like a lot, but they learned pretty quick and got the hang of it pretty quick,” Hernandez said. “We would have been better if we had our old girls, like girls that didn’t return, but I’m really proud of them, really proud of them. They came and supported. They did what they had to. They learned pretty quick. They did pretty good.”

California City was trying to advance to the second round for the second consecutive season, but did not have all of its eligible players return from last season, the most successful season in program history when the Ravens finished 17-7.

“Overall, I’m proud of them, because I feel like every year we’re going through some kind of adversity,” Whittey said. “Losing girls. Just the nonsense of the season and the school year. It’s a long year. Most of these girls play three sports, so by the time that it’s spring, they’re all so tired. It’s just the motivation. They like being here, but they’re tired.”

Whittey said the more experienced players needed to guide the newer players.

“I think it was just the energy and the team support,” Whittey said. “Good leadership. It’s our lack of experience. It’s our young girls, so our veteran girls who were here last year, were like, ‘You’re good. You’ve got to dig deep. You’ve got to figure it out now.’ The positivity and the energy in the dugout is helpful.”

Rodarte said she was proud of how much the newer players improved during the season.

“Overall, I think we played really good,” she said. “There’s definitely errors along the way, but these girls came a long way from where we were at the beginning of the season.”

Six McFarland batters finished with at least two hits, including three with three hits.

Price is in his second stint of coaching the team, after retiring in 2016, coaching the team to CIF titles in 2011 and 2014.

“It’s a great win, but now we’ve got to go to Boron,” Price said. “I guess it’s a compliment to the team, but we’ll go do it. We’ll give them what we have.”

California regulators levied $104,510 in fines against the private prison operator GEO Group last month after detained immigrant workers at the Golden State Annex in central California complained about unsafe conditions, including a lack of protective equipment and proper training, while cleaning the facility for $1 per day.

The investigation by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as CAL/OSHA, found six violations of state code by the company, which has appealed. The agency’s recognition of the detainees as workers could pave the way for future labor rights fights at other detention centers in the state.

GEO Group spokesman Christopher Ferreira declined to comment on the allegations, citing the pending appeal.

“GEO is proud of its extraordinary record in taking unprecedented measures to protect detainees and staff during the pandemic,” Ferreira wrote in a statement.

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The complaint was filed by Immigrant Defense Advocates and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice on behalf of several detainees whose names were kept confidential. They alleged safety violations including failures by the facility administrators to provide personal protective equipment, maintain sanitary work spaces, prevent the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard against workplace-related illnesses and injuries.

Detainees alleged that they routinely wiped black mold off shower walls at the facility, saw black dust spew from the air vents and used cleaning solutions that lacked instructions, leaving them wondering whether they were being exposed to high concentrations of chemicals. Complaints were ignored, according to the complaint, and the hazards went unaddressed.

Florida-based GEO Group, one of the country’s largest for-profit prison companies, manages 15 detention facilities on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE declined to comment on the fines levied by CAL/OSHA.

One of the complainants, who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said he worked a cleaning job at the facility for about two months before the detainees in seven of the eight dormitories collectively decided to stop working early last year.

Eight workers in each dorm had staffed eight-hour shifts, he said. They would clean the entire dorm — restrooms, day room and living quarters — every morning and evening, with additional spot cleaning as needed.

The complainant had been transferred to the Golden State Annex from a state prison, where he said he worked for 39 cents an hour — three times what GEO Group paid him per shift, according to the complaint. Tablet video calls to loved ones add up quickly at 5 cents per minute, he noted.

“They made it seem like they were doing us a favor by giving us a job,” he said in a phone interview from the facility.

The complainant said workers shared a single pair of rubber boots and one bottle of floor cleaner, glass cleaner and disinfectant. When those bottles were in use by others, he was told to clean with shampoo. He said cleaning the showers without proper footwear gave him a fungal infection.

He said detained workers asked the facility officials to raise their pay, but were told that GEO Group policy doesn’t allow them to pay more than $1 a day. Detainees in one dorm have continued in the voluntary work program, he said, and GEO Group hired four people to clean the seven other dorms.

In 2021, a federal jury in Tacoma, Wash., found that GEO Group’s $1-a-day pay violated the state’s minimum wage law and ordered the company to provide former detainees $17.3 million in back pay. GEO Group argued to an appeals court that the recent decision striking down California’s ban on private immigrant detention centers also prevents Washington from requiring the company to pay detained workers minimum wage because it would constitute state interference in federal operations, Reuters reported.

Sept. 26, 2022

Also in 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency found that GEO Group violated federal law by misusing a chemical disinfectant that caused detainees to experience nosebleeds, burning eyes and nausea.

In response to the complaint, CAL/OSHA investigators interviewed detainees and inspected the Golden State Annex last year. On Dec. 15, the agency cited GEO Group for failing to provide unobstructed access to emergency eyewash equipment, and for failing to provide workers with effective information and training on hazardous materials.

The biggest fine levied against GEO Group was for failure to establish and maintain “effective written procedures to reduce employee risk of exposure to aerosol transmissible disease,” including COVID-19 — violations CAL/OSHA labeled “Willful-Serious.” GEO Group was also cited for repeatedly failing to provide records to investigators in a timely manner.

Lisa Knox, legal director of the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, said detainees recently complained to her about retaliation after guards removed extra items, including pillows, clothing and bedding, from the dorms. She sees the CAL/OSHA citations as a major victory for detainees.

“I do hope this empowers workers who are detained to be able to speak up and report health and safety violations,” she said.

READ MORE

The latest on the wildfires burning in California. Get updates on the Caldor Fire, Dixie Fire and others, including size, containment, evacuation orders and more.

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Six firefighters suffered burn injuries Friday while battling the McFarland Fire, which has continued to burn along three Northern California county lines.

A hand crew was working on the south side of the blaze when a spot fire jumped ahead of them, Forest Service officials said in a social media post. The firefighters suffered first- and minor-second-degree burns.

Officials said they were examined by medics, then sent to Redding for further evaluation. A physician saw four of the firefighters’ injuries, and all six were released Saturday morning. According to the release, they’ll all have a few days off before being released to return to work.

The McFarland Fire is burning south of Wildwood on the border of Shasta, Trinity and Tehama county lines. As of Sunday morning, it has charred 31,185 acres with 21% containment.

The lightning-caused fire continued to spread during the weekend, burning more than 7,000 acres since Thursday. A historic drought coupled with high temperatures and steep and difficult terrain have made conditions challenging.

In a Sunday morning update, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest said the blaze is continuing to spread to the east and southeast through dry fuels with a moderate rate of spread along with short to moderate spotting. The fire is well established in the middle fork of Beegum Creek, Pole Corral Creek and south of Dubakella Mountain.

On Saturday, the Forest Service said in a news release that national forest roads and trails close to the McFarland and Monument fires are closed to the public. The closure will expire Oct. 31.

“We do not make closure decisions lightly,” Forest Supervisor Rachel Birkey said in the release. “The erratic and extreme fire behavior we are witnessing on both fires requires that we employ an abundance of caution in our commitment to the safety of the public and our firefighters.”

An evacuation order is in place for the town of Wildwood. Those areas are Highway 36 at Wildwood Road and north on Wildwood Road for 10 miles. An evacuation center for residents is set up at First Baptist Church in Weaverville.

Evacuation warnings are also in these areas:

Due to the blaze, Highway 36 is closed from White Rock to the Highway 3 junction, and Wildwood Road is closed from Highway 36 to Highway 3, officials said.

Amanda Munsey, a spokesperson on the McFarland Fire, said a total of eight firefighters have been injured and two structures damaged. A total of 695 personnel are assigned to the blaze, according to the Forest Service.

This story was originally published August 8, 2021, 12:08 PM.