Straight from the Source with Hayley Watts

The current mayor is running for reelection in November. We talk about efforts to bring in more businesses, and bring locals to shop and eat downtown. Hear his take on the proposed biomass facility, license plate readers and what can be done to ensure Oroville has a hospital in the future.

Chico City Councilmember Tom van Overbeek is an outdoor enthusiast, former backpacker and business owner, and he's running to keep his seat representing district 6. We talk about traffic enforcement, homeless camps, and the rights that public figures do and don't have when it comes to social media privacy

This newcomer to Paradise is already heavily invested in the rebuilding community. She shares her ideas for private power, safer pedestrian routes, and an interest in foraging and supporting the local ecosystem. She's running for one of the two at-large Paradise Town Council seats in the November election.

The Navy veteran and nurse is now running for Chico City Council District 4. We talk about her plan for homelessness, and revitalizing local businesses with tourism and bringing back historic festivals and events. Tracy Vincent says one of her top goals is the get the community more involved with everything happening in Chico.

Long known locally as co-founder of Cauli'flour Foods, Dana Grant opens up about her venture into the world of wellness. We talk about her book, The Truth Within the Lie: How to Align with Universal Principles to Create the Life You Deserve. She also shares insight for up and coming entrepreneurs.

This current city councilmember and former mayor says he wants the big job once again. We talk about public safety, spending, marijuana dispensaries and how he feels about the candidates running against him in the November election.

This busy public works director also manages the Red Bluff Municipal Airport. We talk about the facility's history, and what it currently offers the city when it comes to safety and revenue. Scott Miller lays out the plan to pay for badly-needed road repairs, and shares some insight on the best places to grab a meal in the city.

The current head of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians shares insight into his people's past, and explains how preserving their history is key to expanding economically. We talk about Snoop Dog, robot waiters, regaining a lost language, and what local plants have special meaning.

This local leader says the community was a haven for him during a tough time in his life, and he's helping to lead the effort to help it rise back up, nearly 8 years after the Camp Fire. We talk about the irrigation district, schools, the young families that have moved in recently, and what led up to the building division probe.

This long-time local firefighter just took over the department he's been a part of for two decades. We talk about forever chemicals in firefighting gear, long hours on the clock, iguana rescues... and what he needs to better protect our community.

This influential and savvy businessman has helped shape the landscape and culture of downtown Chico. He brought us the arguably best bagels in town, and owned La Salles in the height of its success. We talk about why he got into the restaurant business, why he's scaled back, and what he thinks the future of downtown looks like.

This local news legend is back at the desk! Former anchor and reporter Debbie Cobb talks about why she still loves journalism, and still acts like an investigative reporter in her day-to-day life. We talk about her favorite stories to cover, changes in the industry since she left, and what she's been up to for the past several years.

This local contractor isn't just the third-generation business owner behind major projects like the Butte County Jail. He's also involved in the Chico Chamber of Commerce, Boys and Girls Club of the North Valley and Valley Contractors Exchange to name just a few! We talk about philanthropy, civic engagement and building a company that people can trust.

The General Manager/Partner at Deer Creek Broadcasting used to be the GM here at Action News Now. We talk about the future of the industry, what viewers and listeners want in their "on-air" hosts, and why he left a career in law enforcement.

This county supervisor is also a Navy veteran, cryptologist, walnut farmer and educator. We talk about groundwater, risk assessment & why a data center could benefit Tehama County.

Caput is a cybersecurity expert and "ethical hacker" who says AI could soon take his job, and likely yours and mine as well! But it's not all gloom & doom. We discuss ways to protect your identity, and how advances in technology could open up new careers paths for human creativity.

This city manager ran things in Biggs, then Orland, before tackling the latest challenge: retired life with his wife, kids and grandchildren. We talk about his accomplishments, working with a revolving door of bosses on city council, and what he wants all up and coming professionals to keep in mind.

This Butte College head coach returned to his local roots after playing college ball. He says the role offers the perfect balance of fierce competition, and a little time to be a family man as well. We talk about Robby Snelling's own football career as a player, and the secret sauce that makes Butte Football so successful.

This Oroville City Councilmember is a return podcast guest, back to talk about a book he just published: The Watchman's Call. While the book is written from Thomson's perspective as a Christian pastor, he says it applies to anyone who feels helpless about the future of their community. We talk about the best ways for the average person to truly affect change at the local level.

This Orland Volunteer firefighter is on a mission to step things up when it comes to public safety. He talks about his efforts to improve wellness for volunteers, and improve communication with the public. Plus, Dave Kelly shares his back story in law enforcement and safety work for PG&E.

Willows City Manager Marti Brown talks about small-town charm, how the city could pay to bring back its own police department, plus what's planned for the massive homeless camp in "the bamboo".

Billy Aldridge went from military service to the Butte County Sheriff's Office and eventually was appointed as Chief of the Chico Police Department. We talk about the impact of technology and culture changes throughout his career. Plus, how his team has navigated the local homeless crisis and soft on crime legislation.

This retired county worker says she knows how local government works from a career working behind the scenes, and that's why she's running for Supervisor District 3. We talk about her goals for better transparency and community involvement with issues before the board of supervisors. Public safety is a big focus for, which is no surprise since she's married to current Sheriff Dave Kain.

Gallagher says he'll fight for lower gas prices and affordability, and will tackle waste and fraud. The Northern California lawmaker talks about what motivated him to run for a seat as a federal representative after the death of Rep. Doug Lamalfa earlier this year.

The Shasta College president has local roots, and a background in English. We talk about what the community college has to offer, above and beyond what many might expect! Plus, the role of AI in higher education, expected state funding and why he loves long-distance running.

Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye is fighting colon cancer, and fighting to keep his seat for district 1. He addresses some of the claims against him by the two people also running for that seat in the June Primary. We talk about his plans for mental health, infrastructure, a medical school and a school he's starting for local teens.

This former Cal Fire EMT and law enforcement officer is running for Shasta County Supervisor District 1. He's calling for the county to push back against state mandates, and to do a better job of spending taxpayer dollars.

This Redding City Councilmember says she'll fight for mental health options and better public safety if elected to Shasta County District 1. Erin Resner breaks down what motivated her to run for office, as well as her plan for spending less money.

The appointed clerk & ROV says he believes changing the elections process through Measure B could set the stage for a nationwide change. He talks about increasing access for election observers and relying less on computers and more on real people to count ballots.

This contractor and Anderson City Councilmember now wants to represent district 5 in Shasta County. He discusses streamlining planning processes to help our region grow and thrive. Plus, how he plans to tackle the county's domestic violence problem.

Meet Matt & Lauren Thiede as well as Matt Johnston, the people behind Stoble Workplace. They're now taking their concept of "people-powered projects" across downtown and into the foothills. From bike trails, historical preservation to fancy donuts, this trio of friends is putting an inheritance to work in our community.

This Chico State sociology professor is focused on getting ahead of disasters like wildfires and flooding with better planning. We also talk with Marianne Paiva about her post-Camp Fire research, and why she thinks being a mom will make her a better public servant.

Butte County's clerk-recorder is in Primary Election-prep mode. We talk about everything that goes into getting the ballots out to the right people, including eligible inmates! Keaton Denlay walks us through how his team makes sure each ballot counted is valid, and shares his stance on the push for stricter voter ID processes.

This former Assistant Shasta County Clerk & Registrar of Voters is running for the elected office this June. We talk about her experiences over the past nearly 2 decades when it comes to election security, fraud concerns, the need for more poll volunteers, ink over-spray issues and being unexpectedly fired.

From campaign spending to checking dinner receipts, the FPPC works to make sure you know what your elected officials are spending money on, and Adam Silver is at the helm. We talk about new rules in the works, managing challenges brought on by cryptocurrency and AI, and what happens to bad actors who get caught.

This Shasta County native first pushed for the State of Jefferson and now as a supervisor, he's focused on keeping water running in the ACID canal, plus streamlining planning and permitting to benefit the local economy. We also cover wolf management, bear hunting and election security.

Chico's District 7 councilmember is a planner by profession, and she is fighting to keep Public Works needs front and center. She believes better roads and bike lanes are a key part of public safety. Plus, as a lifelong musician, Bryce Goldstein says she'll work to keep downtown venues thriving amid recent closures.

This Modoc County rancher went from emergency services to the state legislature, and hit the ground running. Hadwick says it's better to show than tell when it comes to getting her Democratic counterparts to understand the needs of her Assembly District 1, the largest by territory in the state. We talk about wolves and other predators, wildfire management, Second Amendment protections and the need for better healthcare.

The Red Bluff native rose to fame but never forgot his hometown roots. We talk about his growing family, working with AI in the music industry, his side gig shoeing horses, and why singing the national anthem still makes him sweat!

The Chico Housing Action Team Executive Director shares how she went from trying to build her own wealth in real estate, to helping others do the same. Young explains why “housing first” isn’t about handouts, and why local support for non-profits like CHAT can benefit the whole community.

Your favorite morning weatherman returns to the Action News Now studio to dish about what's keeping him busy these days: a new career with the CA Department of Fish & Wildlife. And now that he's no longer an employee here, he gets honest about past co-workers, working the early morning and late evening shifts, and all the other not-so-glamorous aspects of TV news.

Meet the new Northern Buttes District Superintendent for CA State Parks. Matthew Allen has always loved our great outdoors, and talks about the balance between preserving nature, and making sure people can live near it and safely interact with it. That means strategizing for wildfires, wolves, bears and lions, invasive plants and yes, even arsonists.

Many of you may feel like you know Tom Arnold after watching him for years on "Roseanne", or you saw him in the movie "True Lies". But the comedian might surprise you. He shares a few stories about stealing cake from Madonna & snubbing Hugh Grant, plus tells us what he really thinks about Californians. You can catch him live at Feather Falls Casino in Oroville on January 24th. 

Audrey Denney comes from a grape farming family and since then she's done it all! Bartending, consulting, teaching agriculture... she even spent a year volunteering in El Salvador. Hear why she believes as a Democrat she can meet the needs and values of rural Northern Californians in the U.S. House of Representatives District 1.

This local non-profit founder started Veterans Flags & Flowers when he was just 10 years old. A decade later, and he says there's more work to be done. He's both humble and humorous as he talks about meeting President Trump and the First Lady, and shares stories about traveling across the U.S. and overseas to honor those who served our country.

This week on Straight from the Source we hear from Colleen Cecil, Executive Director of the Butte County Farm Bureau about pesticides, wolf management and the impact of tariffs. This local dairy farmer advocates for seeking truth and checking our sources when it comes to where we get our information about the food we eat.

This local developer started with a t-shirt company and expanded into developing cities within the city. We talk about his vision and progress at Meriam Park, including water intrusion issues involving more than one contractor. We also discuss medical care expansion there, and what's in store at Barber Yard.

Tod Kimmelshue is from a family of farmers, but taking on the post-retirement job as Butte County Supervisor has taught him a lot about public health, public safety and everything else that matters to his community. We talk about getting through the pandemic, why groundwater management matters for all of us, and what could come next for the Oroville Hospital after the bankruptcy filing. Plus, why he and his fellow supervisors have so much respect for one another.

This bay area native comes from a family of farmers, and argues that the Democratic Party can represent the needs of rural District 1. He's looking to replace Rep. Doug Lamalfa in the next election cycle. We talk about why he believes he can bring better jobs, health care and education to Northern California. Plus, you'll learn a little bit about his family, background and pop culture preferences.

Chico's long-time Director of Public Works-Operations & Maintenance just promoted to a new role: Assistant City Manager. It's a job that Erik Gustafson's former role prepared him for well, as he oversaw homeless camp clearouts and management under the Warren Settlement, efforts to bring commercial flights to the Chico Regional Airport, constant road repair projects and of course the ever-important management of Chico's trees, which cover 36% of the city.