All children get stomachaches, Melanie Whelchel thought when her 3-year-old son Jessen suffered yet another one in 2013. At the time, she blamed a virus, although Jessen had been vomiting. Even an X-ray of a lump on Jessen’s abdomen indicated harmless constipation. But during one feverish middle-of-the-night attack, with Jessen curled up in agony, a frantic Whelchel rushed him to an emergency room in Chico, where they live.

Coachella Valley Agua4All program evaluation shows increased water consumption: More than one million Californians lack access to safe drinking water—a little known fact in a state bountiful in agriculture and renowned for its technological industry. For these Californians, the only alternatives to unsafe water are expensive bottled water or sugary beverages, and at a time when one in three Latinos and nearly half of California adults are pre-diabetic.

Three Rivers, Calif. – The 2,600 residents who call Three Rivers home take pride in the peaceful landscape near Sequoia National Park. … Despite its beautiful surroundings, it became clear two years ago that a small Three Rivers community’s water supply was in danger, so residents called on Rural Community Assistance Corporation for help.

Friends of Merced County Fair (FMCF) is a nonprofit group dedicated to making its fairgrounds a better place to work and play, to ensure a great future for its community and youth groups.