Yosemite employees HOROSCOPE evicted amid pandemic · 93° 55° 86° 52° 81° 55° Lake McClure...
1
VOLUME 132, No. 59 STAY CONNECTED MERCEDSUNSTAR.COM FACEBOOK.COM/MERCEDSUNSTAR TWITTER.COM/MERCEDSUNSTAR NEWS ALL DAY. YOUR WAY. TUESDAY JUNE 9 2020 75¢ STATE State workers facing uncertainty on pay cuts and furloughs next month 3A Classified 2B Comics 4B Horoscope 2B Local 2A Obituaries 3A Puzzles 4B Sports 1B TV 2B CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe or report delivery issues, 800-540-4200 or mercedsunstar.com/customer-service Lots of sunshine 93°/57° See 4A Sports XTRA BUSY WEEK FOR BASEBALL Negotiations to begin the delayed season are ongoing, and a new-look draft begins Wednesday. Subscribers will find this bonus content at mercedsunstar.com/ eedition ROSS D. FRANKLIN AP his truck was gone. At 1:30 a.m., Mendoza was pounding on the front door of their trailer. He told her: “I just shot a cop. I don’t know if I killed him.” The events were described in testimony by Turlock police Detective Frank Navarro on the third day of the preliminary Around noon on Christmas Day in 2018, Paulo Virgen Men- doza began drinking with his neighbor at a trailer park near Newman. He was later joined by his wife, who then left around 8 p.m. “because he became very drunk and started showing off his gun.” By midnight, she had noticed hearing for Mendoza, who is accused of killing Newman police Cpl. Ronil Singh. Navarro was testifying about what was said during interviews he conducted with Mendoza’s wife, Ana Leydi Cervantes. Prosecutors say Mendoza shot Singh to death just before 1 a.m. on Dec. 26, shortly after the corporal pulled him over on suspicion of driving under the influence near the intersection of Merced Street and Eucalyp- tus Avenue in Newman. The preliminary hearing in Stanislaus Superior Court is held to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to a jury trial. Several detectives, as well as two of Mendoza’s brothers, also testified Wednesday and Thurs- day. Shortly after he told Cer- vantes he “shot a cop,” Mendo- za left. He returned at about 5 a.m. She told Navarro she didn’t know where he went during that time. Cervantes said she again saw Mendoza with his gun and he tried to give her four or five bullets, but she refused. At about 6:30 a.m., Mendo- za’s brother Conrado Virgen Mendoza arrived at their home in a Honda CR-V with their co-worker Erik Razo Quiroz. Cervantes said she told Con- rado Virgen Mendoza that his brother had shot a police offi- cer. “She said Conrado just seemed sad,” Navarro testified. CLOTHES PACKED IN A WALMART BAG Then Paulo Virgen Mendoza left in the Honda with his broth- er and co-worker, taking a Wal- mart bag that Cervantes had packed for him with three Actions of suspect in cop’s shooting detailed in court BY ERIN TRACY [email protected] Paulo V. Mendoza SEE TESTIMONY, 2A Officials said then that the number of vehicles initially allowed in Yosemite would be capped at about 3,600 a day – 1,700 day use, and 1,900 over- Yosemite National Park will reopen to the general public Thursday, and reservations are now required for day-use vis- itors to get in, park officials confirmed Monday morning. The park’s expansive backcountry reopened Friday, but only for those with existing wilderness or Half Dome per- mits. Yosemite closed in late March because of the coro- navirus pandemic. Yosemite officials said more details about the reopening would be shared later Monday. Park officials presented a detailed proposed reopening plan to community members last month. It included reopen- ing with required day-use reser- vations, to be made through recreation.gov, and about half the number of visitors. night vehicle spots. Those with camping or lodging reservations would not need to get a day-use reservation to get into the park, along with those just driving through the park to the Eastern Sierra. Some local tourism leaders expressed concerns about the park’s plan. Yosemite lodging and tour reservations were previously canceled through Wednesday, according to Yosemite’s conces- sionaire, Yosemite Hospitality, a subsidiary of Aramark. Yosemite had been waiting for more input from the state before reopening. Community leaders in Mariposa, Madera, Mono and Tuolumne counties sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a second letter last week, requesting that their hotels and campgrounds be allowed to reopen in tandem with Yose- mite’s reopening. Newsom on Friday announced that campgrounds and hotels, among other businesses, could reopen as soon as Friday, June 12 for California counties that have secured approval to reopen faster than the rest of the state. A number of other national parks, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to the south, have already re- opened. Carmen George: 559-441-6386, @CarmenGeorge JAMIE RICHARDS AP In this May 27 photo by the National Park Service, Yosemite Valley School, lower right, stands in Yosemite National Park, Calif. In the background is Upper Yosemite Falls. The park will reopen to the general public Thursday and reservations are now required for day-use visitors to get in. Yosemite set to reopen to public, but check first BY CARMEN GEORGE [email protected] CRAIG KOHLRUSS [email protected] A few park visitors stop to see the El Capitan, left, and Half Dome from Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park after snow dusted the area in early December 2019. WASHINGTON Cotton farmers were paid 33 times as much in federal subsidies in 2019 as the in- come they actually lost to trade disruptions, one study showed. Farmers in Georgia, the home state of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, were paid more in federal aid per acre than anywhere else in the nation, another found. Some farms collected mil- lions of dollars in payments despite a limit of $250,000 per farmer. The Trump administration’s $28 billion effort in 2018 and 2019 to compensate farmers for losses from its trade wars has been criticized as exces- sive, devised on the fly and tilted toward states politically important to Republicans. Now the administration is starting to send farmers tens of billions more to offset loss- es from the coronavirus pan- demic, raising questions about how the money will be allocat- ed and whether there is suffi- cient oversight to guard against partisan abuse of the program. Months before an election in which some farm states are major battlegrounds, Democrats and other critics of the administration’s agri- culture policies are express- ing concern that the new subsidies, provided by Con- gress with bipartisan back- ing, could be doled out to ensure President Donald Trump continues to win the backing of one of his key voting blocs. Given the track record with the trade relief program, “I think Congress should be concerned in terms of letting USDA just write checks with no oversight,” said Joseph W. Glauber, a top economist with the department for 22 years who is now with the Democrats say no oversight to billions in virus aid to farmers BY SHARON LAFRANIERE New York Times SEE FARMERS AID, 2A
Transcript of Yosemite employees HOROSCOPE evicted amid pandemic · 93° 55° 86° 52° 81° 55° Lake McClure...
VOLUME 132, No. 59STAY CONNECTED MERCEDSUNSTAR.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/MERCEDSUNSTARTWITTER.COM/MERCEDSUNSTAR
NEWS ALL DAY.YOUR WAY. TUESDAY JUNE 9 2020 75¢
STATEState workers facinguncertainty on paycuts and furloughsnext month 3A
Classified 2BComics 4BHoroscope 2B
Local 2AObituaries 3APuzzles 4B
Sports 1BTV 2B
CUSTOMER SERVICETo subscribe or report delivery issues,
800-540-4200 or mercedsunstar.com/customer-service
Lots of sunshine93°/57° See 4A
SportsXTRA
BUSY WEEK FORBASEBALLNegotiations to beginthe delayed seasonare ongoing, and anew-look draftbegins Wednesday.
Subscribers will findthis bonus content at
mercedsunstar.com/eedition ROSS D. FRANKLIN AP
his truck wasgone.At 1:30 a.m.,
Mendoza waspounding on thefront door oftheir trailer. Hetold her: “I justshot a cop. I don’tknow if I killed
him.”The events were described in
testimony by Turlock policeDetective Frank Navarro on thethird day of the preliminary
Around noon on ChristmasDay in 2018, Paulo Virgen Men-doza began drinking with hisneighbor at a trailer park nearNewman.He was later joined by his
wife, who then left around 8p.m. “because he became verydrunk and started showing offhis gun.”By midnight, she had noticed
hearing for Mendoza, who isaccused of killing Newmanpolice Cpl. Ronil Singh.Navarro was testifying about
what was said during interviewshe conducted with Mendoza’swife, Ana Leydi Cervantes.Prosecutors say Mendoza shot
Singh to death just before 1 a.m.on Dec. 26, shortly after thecorporal pulled him over onsuspicion of driving under theinfluence near the intersectionof Merced Street and Eucalyp-tus Avenue in Newman.
The preliminary hearing inStanislaus Superior Court isheld to determine if there isenough evidence to proceed to ajury trial.Several detectives, as well as
two of Mendoza’s brothers, alsotestified Wednesday and Thurs-day.Shortly after he told Cer-
vantes he “shot a cop,” Mendo-za left. He returned at about 5a.m.She told Navarro she didn’t
know where he went during that
time.Cervantes said she again saw
Mendoza with his gun and hetried to give her four or fivebullets, but she refused.At about 6:30 a.m., Mendo-
za’s brother Conrado VirgenMendoza arrived at their homein a Honda CR-V with theirco-worker Erik Razo Quiroz.Cervantes said she told Con-
rado Virgen Mendoza that hisbrother had shot a police offi-cer. “She said Conrado justseemed sad,” Navarro testified.
CLOTHES PACKED IN AWALMART BAGThen Paulo Virgen Mendoza
left in the Honda with his broth-er and co-worker, taking a Wal-mart bag that Cervantes hadpacked for him with three
Actions of suspect in cop’sshooting detailed in courtBY ERIN [email protected]
Paulo V.Mendoza
SEE TESTIMONY, 2A
Officials said then that thenumber of vehicles initiallyallowed in Yosemite would becapped at about 3,600 a day –1,700 day use, and 1,900 over-
Yosemite National Park willreopen to the general publicThursday, and reservations arenow required for day-use vis-itors to get in, park officialsconfirmed Monday morning.The park’s expansive
backcountry reopened Friday,but only for those with existingwilderness or Half Dome per-mits. Yosemite closed in lateMarch because of the coro-navirus pandemic.Yosemite officials said more
details about the reopeningwould be shared later Monday.Park officials presented a
detailed proposed reopeningplan to community memberslast month. It included reopen-ing with required day-use reser-vations, to be made throughrecreation.gov, and about halfthe number of visitors.
night vehicle spots. Those withcamping or lodging reservationswould not need to get a day-usereservation to get into the park,along with those just driving
through the park to the EasternSierra.Some local tourism leaders
expressed concerns about thepark’s plan.Yosemite lodging and tour
reservations were previouslycanceled through Wednesday,according to Yosemite’s conces-sionaire, Yosemite Hospitality, asubsidiary of Aramark.Yosemite had been waiting
for more input from the statebefore reopening. Communityleaders in Mariposa, Madera,Mono and Tuolumne countiessent Gov. Gavin Newsom asecond letter last week,requesting that their hotels andcampgrounds be allowed toreopen in tandem with Yose-mite’s reopening.Newsom on Friday announced
that campgrounds and hotels,among other businesses, couldreopen as soon as Friday, June 12for California counties that havesecured approval to reopen fasterthan the rest of the state.A number of other national
parks, including Sequoia andKings Canyon National Parks tothe south, have already re-opened.
Carmen George: 559-441-6386,@CarmenGeorge
JAMIE RICHARDS AP
In this May 27 photo by the National Park Service, Yosemite Valley School, lower right, stands in Yosemite National Park, Calif. In the background isUpper Yosemite Falls. The park will reopen to the general public Thursday and reservations are now required for day-use visitors to get in.
Yosemite set to reopento public, but check firstBY CARMEN [email protected]
CRAIG KOHLRUSS [email protected]
A few park visitors stop to see the El Capitan, left, and Half Domefrom Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park after snow dusted thearea in early December 2019.
WASHINGTONCotton farmers were paid
33 times as much in federalsubsidies in 2019 as the in-come they actually lost totrade disruptions, one studyshowed.Farmers in Georgia, the
home state of AgricultureSecretary Sonny Perdue,were paid more in federal aidper acre than anywhere elsein the nation, another found.Some farms collected mil-
lions of dollars in paymentsdespite a limit of $250,000per farmer.The Trump administration’s
$28 billion effort in 2018 and2019 to compensate farmersfor losses from its trade warshas been criticized as exces-sive, devised on the fly andtilted toward states politicallyimportant to Republicans.Now the administration isstarting to send farmers tensof billions more to offset loss-es from the coronavirus pan-demic, raising questions abouthow the money will be allocat-ed and whether there is suffi-cient oversight to guardagainst partisan abuse of theprogram.Months before an election
in which some farm statesare major battlegrounds,Democrats and other criticsof the administration’s agri-culture policies are express-ing concern that the newsubsidies, provided by Con-gress with bipartisan back-ing, could be doled out toensure President DonaldTrump continues to win thebacking of one of his keyvoting blocs.Given the track record
with the trade relief program,“I think Congress should beconcerned in terms of lettingUSDA just write checks withno oversight,” said Joseph W.Glauber, a top economistwith the department for 22years who is now with the
Democratssay nooversightto billionsin virus aidto farmersBY SHARON LAFRANIERENew York Times
SEE FARMERS AID, 2A
![[XLS] Web view1 99 2 99 3 99 4 99 5 99 6 98 7 98 8 98 9 98 10 98 11 98 12 98 13 98 14 98 15 98 16 98 17 98 18 98 19 98 20 98 21 98 22 98 23 97 24 97 25 97 26 97 27 97 28 97 29 97 30](https://static.fdocuments.net/doc/165x107/5b1e84727f8b9a116d8ba522/xls-web-view1-99-2-99-3-99-4-99-5-99-6-98-7-98-8-98-9-98-10-98-11-98-12-98-13.jpg)
