Election 2020
Battle for future of Paradise
Sitting in an empty hall at the Paradise Performing Arts Center, Steve Culleton, a former mayor of the town, offered his pitch to regain a seat on the Town Council. “I had been corrupted by […]
Articles by Andre Byik
Camp Fire
In hot water
Butte County Water Commissioner Matt Tennis has been a vocal advocate for studying the feasibility of a water pipeline connecting Paradise to Chico. That advocacy landed him in the hot seat at the Board of […]
Camp Fire
Message from Paradise
The film starts 50 years after Nov. 8, 2018, the day the town of Paradise was leveled by the Camp Fire. The narrator harkens back to the time before blaze, when residents lived in isolation […]
Camp Fire
Returning in style
Frank Nunes evacuated Paradise the morning of Nov. 8, 2018. It was raining fire outside his barbershop and Nunes—aka Frank the Barber—told his wife, Nilene, it was time to close up and get out. The […]
Camp Fire
Looming deadline
Photo by Andre Byik Jim Boyd began felling Camp Fire-scorched trees on his Paradise property ahead of a broad government-sponsored effort to remove private trees that threaten public roads. Jim Boyd didn’t think it’d come […]
Camp Fire
All hands on deck
Photo by Andre Byik Chico City Council candidate Rich Ober rallies a crowd during a climate strike in September at Chico City Plaza. In a year marked by the aftermath of the Camp Fire—one of […]
Camp Fire
Clearing the air
Photo by Andre Byik The Butte County Board of Supervisors explored governance challenges and priorities for the next two years Tuesday (Dec. 10) at the Chico Elks Lodge. Grievances between members of the Board of […]
Camp Fire
The in-between
Photo by Ashiah Scharaga Staff writer Andre Byik has hopped from disaster to disaster, wondering what comes next. I woke up on Nov. 8, 2018, knowing I had a big story to cover. Steven Crittenden, […]
Camp Fire
Local heroes
Photo by Andre Byik Robert Catalano, president of the Honey Run Covered Bridge Association, says foundation work on the bridge rebuild could begin next spring. As is tradition during Thanksgiving week each year, the Chico […]
Camp Fire
Power costs
Without power, David Dewey has trouble sleeping. The 66-year-old uses a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to help him breathe through the night. The machine plugs into a wall, but during PG&E’s last intentional […]
Camp Fire
County sinks pipeline study
Photo by Ashiah Scharaga Paul Gosselin, director of the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation, will instruct work to stop on a pipeline from Paradise to Chico. Chairman Steve Lambert interrupted his colleagues […]
Camp Fire
Weighing charges
Photo by Andre Byik PG&E was the target of a group of environmental activists that honored victims of the Camp Fire last Friday (Nov. 1) at Children’s Playground in Chico. More than a dozen environmental […]
Camp Fire
Burying the lines
Photo by Andre Byik PG&E has begun trenching up the Skyway—part of the company’s long-term plan to underground 199 miles of local infrastructure. Since PG&E announced in May it would bury its electric distribution power […]
Camp Fire
Ground zero
Photo by Andre Byik Kevin and Sandy Lindstrom of Magalia Community Church jumped into fire-relief efforts as soon as they returned to the Ridge. The dragon chased Willie Snow out of Magalia. That’s the way […]
Camp Fire
Memorial moves
Photo by Meredith J. Cooper The Camp Fire memorial crosses, erected last December, were taken down last week. At sunset last Tuesday (Oct. 15), volunteers began removing and preserving the Camp Fire memorial crosses along […]