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Director’s Pumping Records, “Ain’t possible,” says Old-timer
07/10/2025

Director’s Pumping Records, “Ain’t possible,” says Old-timer

Director’s Pumping Records, “Ain’t possible,” says Old-timer October 7, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 Modesto Irrigation District Board Member Larry Byrd has refused to show his pumping records ever since last July 8, when he said he ran his deep well pumps “almost daily and sometimes daily” to i...

MID Director Pumps River Water Across Property and Parcel Lines
03/10/2025

MID Director Pumps River Water Across Property and Parcel Lines

MID Director Pumps River Water Across Property and Parcel Lines October 3, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 On November 16, 2020, Chuck Birdsong installed a starter coupler that helped join one pipe to another so that water from the Tuolumne River could be pumped from the Rodoni property to the Rairden property...

Should Ratepayers Foot the Bill for Director’s Failure to Provide Pumping Records?
22/09/2025

Should Ratepayers Foot the Bill for Director’s Failure to Provide Pumping Records?

Should Ratepayers Foot the Bill for Director’s Failure to Provide Pumping Records? September 22, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 There’s a growing public consensus that Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board Member Larry Byrd has waited far too long to address Linda Santos’ and Todd Sill’s claims abou...

Pumping or not Pumping? The Public has the Right to Know
15/09/2025

Pumping or not Pumping? The Public has the Right to Know

Pumping or not Pumping? The Public has the Right to Know September 15, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board Member Larry Byrd likes to boast he “didn’t put any money in” to his partnership with Ty Angle on the AB La Grange Ranch in the hills of southeastern Stanislaus C...

Beleaguered MID Director Faces Groundwater Dilemma
08/09/2025

Beleaguered MID Director Faces Groundwater Dilemma

Beleaguered MID Director Faces Groundwater Dilemma September 8, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 Former ranch manager Todd Sill hasn’t changed his story about Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board Member Larry Byrd. Sill claims Byrd “seldom pumped” groundwater from the two deep wells on the ranch he lea...

Irrigation System Tells a Story says Tall Cowboy
25/08/2025

Irrigation System Tells a Story says Tall Cowboy

Irrigation System Tells a Story says Tall Cowboy August 25, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 Last Saturday, I went up to Louie’s Place in La Grange to meet Todd Sill. Sill had been trying to explain irrigation on the AB La Grange Ranch when a tall cowboy showed up. Sill, himself a top hand, said the cowboy kn...

MID Director’s Claims about Pumping don’t Hold Water
19/08/2025

MID Director’s Claims about Pumping don’t Hold Water

MID Director’s Claims about Pumping don’t Hold Water August 19, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 As far back as 2015, Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Director Larry Byrd was a strong advocate for disclosing groundwater-pumping records saying, “…for the good of the community, we ought to say how much w...

Yellow-footed Sea Bird is First Valley Record
16/08/2025

Yellow-footed Sea Bird is First Valley Record

Yellow-footed Sea Bird is First Valley Record August 16, 2025 By Jim Gain 0 Jim Gain is one of the Valley’s most accomplished birders. He’s an even better bird photographer. Last year, Gain found Black Skimmers in Stanislaus County, the first-ever documented record of this species for the county...

Former Ranch Manager Claims MID Director "seldom pumped" Groundwater
12/08/2025

Former Ranch Manager Claims MID Director "seldom pumped" Groundwater

Former Ranch Manager Claims MID Director “seldom pumped” Groundwater August 12, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 July 8, when Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Director Larry Byrd claimed he pumps “almost daily…and sometimes daily” from deep wells on the AB La Grange Ranch he farms with Tyler Angle, m...

Modesto Focus: Good News is on the Way
31/07/2025

Modesto Focus: Good News is on the Way

Modesto Focus: Good News is on the Way July 31, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 Last Thursday, a small but lively crowd gathered in downtown Modesto to celebrate the coming launch of The Modesto Focus, an online newspaper that will offer a new model for local news coverage of Stanislaus County and nearby. Long...

Is Someone Tapping your Water Bank?
21/07/2025

Is Someone Tapping your Water Bank?

Is Someone Tapping your Water Bank? July 21, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 The late Vance Kennedy was appalled when he learned thousands of acres of groundwater-dependent almond orchards were being planted on the rolling hills of Stanislaus County’s east side. Dr. Kennedy was an award-winning geologist who...

“I run my deep well pumps almost daily,” says MID Director
12/07/2025

“I run my deep well pumps almost daily,” says MID Director

“I run my deep well pumps almost daily,” says MID Director July 12, 2025 By Eric Caine 0 The July 8 meeting of the Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board of Directors took an off road detour at the end of public commentary by former Oakdale Irrigation District Board Member Linda Santos when she...

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