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At 11:41 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, a Kings County Sheriff's deputy was on a traffic stop near Jackson and 14th avenues in rural Kings County when he reportedly heard numerous gun shots in the area of Jersey and 16th avenues.

The Deputy broadcast the information over the radio and a nearby deputy checked the area.

The responding deputy reportedly located a silver KIA Optima traveling north on 16th Avenue at nearly 100 miles per hour. The deputy attempted to stop on the KIA, but the driver refused, and a pursuit ensued, according to authorities.

The driver of the KIA was later reportedly determined to be Andrew Diaz. Diaz had a female passenger identified as Madison Martinez, according to authorities.

Diaz drove the KIA north on 16th Avenue, reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour while failing to stop for numerous stop signs, KCSO said in a release. Diaz turned east onto Highway 198 and continued to evade law enforcement, exiting Highway 198 at 13th Avenue and drove east on Hanford Armona Road toward Hanford, according to officials.

Due to Diaz’s reckless driving, the pursing deputy decided to terminate the pursuit in the interest of public safety, according to reports. The deputy continued to travel in the same direction as the KIA and reportedly saw Diaz swerving all over the road, running several cars off the road and striking a subject riding a motorcycle.

The motorcycle rider sustained moderate injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital, according to reports.

Traffic had lightened up and the deputy was able to re-initiate the pursuit, according to reports. Diaz proceeded north on Irwin Street and shortly after struck the center divider where his car became undrivable, according to officials.

Diaz and Martinez allegedly ran from the car but were quickly captured by authorities.

During a search of the KIA, deputies located an AR-15 style rifle, three 30-round magazines and ammunition, according to reports, which also added that the rifle did not contain serial numbers which made it untraceable.

Diaz reportedly admitted to firing the rifle near 16th and Jersey avenues. Deputies searched that area and reportedly located 65 spent .223 shell casings.

Diaz was booked into Kings County Jail and charged with evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, hit and run resulting in death or injuries, illegally possessing an assault weapon, possession of a high-capacity magazine, possession of an undetectable firearm and resisting arrest. His bail was set at $125,000.

Martinez was booked into Kings County Jail for resisting arrest and was later released.

College of the Sequoias' women's basketball team — arguably off to the best start of any program in the state this season — is set to make its home debut.

Against a who's who of the state's elite teams, the Giants have raced out to a 6-0 record heading into the COS Crossover on Nov. 18-19 at Porter Field House.

Sequoias, the North Region's preseason No. 3-ranked team by the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association, is scheduled to play South Region No. 25 Riverside at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18, and South No. 9 Pasadena City at 2 p.m. Nov. 19.

The Giants' 6-0 start features wins over North No. 16 Redwoods (103-57), North No. 7 Laney (70-62), South No. 3 Moorpark (twice, 79-76 in OT and 58-51), South No. 5 East Los Angeles (71-59) and South No. 11 L.A. Trade Tech (83-54).

North No. 6 Butte is the only other team in the state that has started 6-0, with conquests of four ranked teams, including South No. 2 Mt. San Antonio and North No. 2 Sierra.

"To start off (6-0) is excellent," Giants coach Ray Alvarado said. "Especially when you play high caliber teams."

Sequoias has been led by 5-11 sophomore forward Alana Roberts (Sierra Pacific High-Hanford). Roberts, who missed all but five games last season because of an ankle injury, is averaging a team-leading 16.2 points on 58% shooting and 10.8 rebounds, along with 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks a game.

Roberts is one of five players back from a Giants team that went 24-6 overall last season, won the Central Valley Conference title at 11-1 and reached the state semifinals before its season came to an end with a 69-53 loss to eventual state champion Sierra.

"It's great to have her back," Alvarado said. "We're hoping she has a really good year for us. We're excited to see what she can do."

Other returning sophomores include 5-7 guard Tiana Holland (Washington Union-Easton), 5-8 guard Taylor Roth (Sanger), 5-8 forward Hannah Kearnan (Redwood) and 5-8 forward Noura Aboutaleb (Charlotte, N.C.).

Holland (7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals) and Roth (3.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists) have been starters so far for the Giants.

"Tiana works extremely hard. She's going to be asked to do a lot for us," Alvarado said. "Taylor has improved steadily and will have to contribute quite a bit as well."

Kearnan (3.3 points, 1.2 rebounds) and Aboutaleb (3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds) have been key reserves.

"Hannah's a hard-working kid doing an exceptional job," Alvarado said. "Noura didn't play much last year, but she's really developed her shooting and ball handling in the offseason. We're going to need positive minutes from her."

Sequoias' nine-woman roster is bolstered by a pair of sophomore transfers with international experience in 5-7 guard Camila Barreno (Ambato, Ecuador) and 5-9 guard Maria Dias (Lisbon, Portugal).

Barreno and Dias played at Miami Dade Community College last season and have made an instant impact with the Giants.

Barreno is averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game, while Dias contributes averages of 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals.

"They can both shoot the (3-pointer) and get to the basket," Alvarado said. "And they are both learning better defensive fundamentals. They are good players and are going to make an impact. Both should be scholarship players by the end of the year here."

The Giants roster is rounded out by freshman recruits Geizzle Jones, a 6-1 guard from Bullard-Fresno, and Maci Chavez, a 5-6 guard from Kingsburg.

Jones, who has worked her way into the starting lineup the past three games, is averaging 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Chavez averages 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds off the bench.

"Geizzle is another scholarship player when it's all said and done," Alvarado said. "She's definitely a special player.

"Maci is expanding her knowledge of what we do. She's an excellent role player and she keeps increasing her minutes."

Sequoias has two other potential players -- returning sophomore Celeste Lewis (Sierra Pacific) and freshman recruit Aliyah Johnson (North-Bakersfield) -- Alvarado hopes will join the team at some point this season. Both have yet to play because of personal reasons.

Lewis, a 5-10 guard, was a key contributor last season, averaging 15.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while earning first-team All-CVC honors.

Johnson, a 5-11 forward, averaged 21 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 4.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game as a high school sophomore in 2017-2018. She hasn't played since.

Lewis and Johnson would add even more firepower to a team that is averaging a state fourth-best 77.3 points per game.

"I've been telling people from the very beginning that this could be our best offensive team," Alvarado said. "They can score. Now we just need to get them to learn to play defense as a unit."

The COS Crossover also features Pasadena vs. Porterville at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 18 and Riverside vs. Porterville at noon Nov. 19.

Admission to Porter Field House is $8 general and $5 for seniors and students.

"We've got some good, respectable kids who work hard and want to win," Alvarado said. "I think getting off to this good start shows them they can compete at a high level. I look forward to watching them play and perform throughout the season."

The Hanford Mall has partnered with the Hanford Multicultural Theater Company once more to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. The free-to-attend celebration will take place from 4-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at the Hanford Mall, located at 1675 W Lacey Blvd.

Local dancers will perform Mexican folk dances and share stories about the holiday.

Offrendas and alter displays will be set up for event-goers to learn about the traditions of the Day of the Dead and to celebrate the lives of those lost. Vendors will sell Mexican crafts and supplies so that visitors can create their own offrenda displays. A wall of remembrance will be set up to honor lost loved ones in the community, as is the tradition of Dia de los Meurtos.

This is the second year that the Hanford Multicultural Theater Company has partnered with the Hanford Mall for the event.

Live music will be performed by mariachi bands and there will also be face painting and traditional Mexican food available for purchase.

Ismelda Arias is the leader of one of the dance groups that will perform.

"We're just made of of moms and kids really. We have been performing for the last five or six years," said Arias.

According to Arias, the group performs traditional Mexican folk dances to highlight the diversity within Mexican culture.

"We would like for our people, the Hispanic people who were born in the United States, to learn about our culture and where they come from," she said, adding, "We also want to teach people who aren't Hispanic about the beauty of Mexico and our traditions."

The song that Arias enjoys performing to most is titled 'El Son de la Negra,' "a very old mariachi song."

"We don't dance to contemporary music, just the classic and traditional songs. The heart of Mexican music," she said.

According to Arias, the group is free to join, however those who wish to join need to provide their own costumes and accessories.

"We are mainly self-taught through Youtube. It's just us moms and our kids learning and sharing our culture," Arias stated.

For more information on this event you can go to https://hanforddiadelosmuertos.com or visit the Hanford Multicultural Theater company website at https://www.hanfordmtc.com.

As much as the community of Hanford loves Thanksgiving, it could be said that it is even fonder of what comes next.

As is tradition, the day after Thanksgiving marks the return of the annual Hanford Chamber Christmas Parade.

“Things are pretty steady,” said Hanford Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amory Marple. “We’re meeting the level of participation of last year, so we have about 70 floats so far.”

The parade begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25.

The parade committee decided on this year’s theme of “Christmas in Candyland,” which Marple thinks will be a crowd favorite — especially among younger parade-goers.

“We wanted to be more playful and hopefully the floats will accommodate that theme and make things visually exciting for the kids this year,” she said.

Between the parade and Hanford’s newest attraction, Winter Wonderland, downtown will be extra festive that night. Marple said that in its first year in 2021, Winter Wonderland and the parade were a great match, allowing parade-goers a bit of entertainment to enjoy during the day while waiting for the parade to begin.

“They play off each other really well,” she said.

In addition to the Hanford tradition of staking a claim to good seats along the parade route as early as possible, there’s a new way to enjoy the parade this year. The Chamber offers premium seating for the first time.

Families and individuals can purchase tickets for seats near the judges table. The tickets not only include seats overlooking all the action, but T-shirts and hot cocoa. The family packages, which have already sold out, also include treats, blankets and a canopy.

Marple said the new addition was implemented as a source of revenue to keep the parade afloat. Since the City Council made the decision to discontinue funding the Chamber of Commerce, Marple and her team have been tasked with finding alternate means of raising funds.

While the parade is free for the community, it’s not free to organize, Marple said. Each year, the parade costs about $5,000 to put on.

In addition to the new seating and commemorative T-shirts that will be on sale throughout the event, Marple said that local sponsors like Top Hook Realty have also helped keep the Christmas tradition alive. The Chamber has received assistance from the Public Works Department, in terms of organization, as well Marple said.

Above all, the parade continues because the community supports it overwhelmingly, Marple said.

“The success of the parade really depends on the participants,” she said. “We coordinate it, but it’s really the community involvement that makes the parade successful. It’s really the local businesses and schools that put in the time and effort that make it a success.”

This year, fan favorite voting will return, allowing parade-goers to choose their favorite float via the Hanford Chamber’s mobile app.

More than 1,000 people attended the event last year and Marple expects at least that many this year. She asks that people leave downtown Hanford as beautiful as they found it and be aware of the space they’re in as they enjoy the parade and to be “clean and safe” during the show, as a lot of work goes into the clean-up deep into the morning hours.

For at least a decade, off and on, state water managers and local water agencies have pursued the holy grail of a master agreement to improve the environmental health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by increasing its water flows.

At any given moment, California’s water supply is a zero sum game. Therefore, increasing flows through the Delta to improve habitat for salmon and other species would require local water agencies, particularly those serving farmers, to take less from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries.

That’s not only a hard sell, but also could interfere with water rights, some of which stretch back to the 19th century. State officials have hoped that so-called “voluntary agreements” would forestall direct action that could touch off a legal donnybrook over those rights.

However, many environmental groups have pushed for direct and mandatory restrictions on water diversions, saying they don’t trust agreements that lack the force of law and believe that water rights need to be reconfigured to match 21st century conditions, including the likelihood of semi-perpetual drought.

The pressure for agreements ramped up in 2018 when the state Water Resources Control Board published its draft of new regulations to protect the Delta, indicating that roughly 40% of natural river flows should make it to the Delta, and most into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Reaching that figure would require steep reductions in water diversions from rivers for farms and municipal users.

A few months later, newly inaugurated Gov. Gavin Newsom stressed the urgency of the situation in his first State of the State address, saying, “Our first task is to cross the finish line on real agreements to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. We must get this done — for the resilience of our mighty rivers, the stability of our agriculture sector, and the millions who depend on this water every day.”

Later that year, he vetoed a bill that would have adopted, wholesale, all of the environmental laws that existed in the federal government prior to Donald Trump’s election as president because the Trump administration had loosened up on water diversions. Had the bill become law, Newsom was warned, it would have short-circuited the drive for voluntary water agreements.

In 2020, Newsom’s Resources Agency released a framework for such agreements and earlier this year announced initial agreements with some major water interests that would forestall a legal clash.

However, there were holdouts, particularly agencies that draw water from the Tuolumne River, including the City and County of San Francisco, which owns Hetch Hetchy Dam on the Tuolumne and transports its water to the city via pipelines. Tuolumne water diverters filed a lawsuit challenging the water board’s right to impose diversion restriction and their offers for voluntary cutbacks were rejected as insufficient.

Last week, there was a breakthrough. San Francisco and two agricultural water agencies, the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts, forged an agreement with the state to increase Tuolumne flows and enhance habitat.

“This collaborative approach holds the promise to do that (work) more quickly and holistically, while improving water reliability to communities, farms and businesses,” the state resources secretary, Wade Crowfoot, said in a statement.

Does that mean that the Delta water war is over? Not necessarily.

Environmentalists still don’t like the voluntary agreement approach and there still is another unresolved Delta issue: A Newsom-backed tunnel beneath the Delta to carry Sacramento River water to the head of the California Aqueduct near Tracy.

Tunnel opponents believe the flow-enhancing agreements are being sought merely to make the project, which would divert water from the Delta, more environmentally acceptable.

CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers.