enterprise THE DAVIS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2022
Allegations against Partida roil council race
The Resnick Center, right, will be a “state-of-the-art hub,” including classrooms, research and lab spaces, and student career and advising support.
At left, UC Davis Chancellor Gary May sits in the front row Thursday at the announcement of a $50 million pledge to support research on agricultural innovation and environmental sustainability.
By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Enterprise staff writer While the proposed Davis Innovation and Sustainability Campus — rejected by voters in June — has been the primary issue in the campaign for City Council District 4 (incumbent Councilwoman Gloria Partida supported the project while challenger Adam Morrill opposed it), the race took an ugly turn over another matter altogether in recent days. Some residents, including several Morrill supporters, have taken to social media and local blogs contending Partida was convicted of a felony more than 20 years ago and failed to disclose it when filing for office. But the Yolo County and Sacramento County district attorney’s offices disagree with that assessment. The crime Partida was charged with in 1999 — fraud to obtain aid — was a wobbler, meaning it could be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, and after Partida pleaded no contest, paid restitution and followed all other requirements of the court, the offense was reduced to a misdemeanor and dismissed in 2005, according to the Yolo County DA’s Office.
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Philanthropists pledge $50M for UCD By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer Philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick, who co-own The Wonderful Company, have pledged $50 million to support research on agricultural innovation and environmental sustainability at UC Davis, the university announced Thursday at a press conference on campus. It is the largest gift ever made to UC Davis by individual donors. Much of the philanthropic
donation will go towards establishing the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation, while $10 million will fund annual research grants through the Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund. “Protecting and preserving our planet for the future means we must take bold steps and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” Stewart Resnick, who is also a member of Chancellor May’s Board of Advisors, told the UC Davis news service. “UC
Davis is at the forefront of tackling climate change, developing groundbreaking technologies and solutions to reduce our collective carbon footprint, and creating a more sustainable agriculture system.” The Resnicks planned to attend Thursday’s press conference at UC Davis but were prevented from doing so by flight delays, campus officials said. Work on the design for the Resnick Center is expected to begin this year, with construction of the 40,000-square-foot
center slated for completion by 2026, according to a campus press release. The center, described in the release as a “state-of-the-art hub,” will include classrooms, research and lab spaces, and student career and advising support. It will be built near the current plant sciences building off Hutchison Drive. “This gift aims to help our greatest scientific minds rise to the great challenge of our time
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Yolo County undersheriff retires University AI monitors By Lauren Keene Enterprise staff writer The Yolo County Sheriff ’s Office announced changes to its command-staff ranks earlier this week. Dale Johnson, undersheriff to Sheriff-Coroner Tom Lopez since 2019, retired Oct. 1 after more than 30 years with the agency. During that time he worked in all divisions of the office, serving in every sworn rank. Lopez said he selected Johnson as his undersheriff due to his superior leadership skills, along with the respect he’d earned both within the Sheriff ’s Office and countywide. “Dale helped usher in the
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Yolo County Undersheriff Dale Johnson retired Oct. 1. changes that my administration has madBe within the Sheriff ’s Office over the last three years and kept our agency safe from
WEATHER Saturday: Sunny and pleasant. High 85. Low 53.
COVID-19,” Lopez said. “Dale will be missed, but has earned his retirement and I wish him a long and healthy future.” Johnson joined the Sheriff ’s Office in 1992 following six years of service in the Army. His assignments as a deputy included the detention and field operations divisions, field training officer, agent with the Yolo Narcotic Enforcement Team and SWAT team. Promoted to sergeant in 2000, Johnson worked the marine patrol and investigations divisions, the Yolo County Gang Task Force, and led SWAT team operations.
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students’ social media By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer
For the past several years, UC Davis has contracted an artificial intelligence company to monitor its students’ social media accounts. The company, Detect, formerly called Social Sentinel, markets its AI service as a way for colleges to identify warnings or cries for help posted to social media by students at risk of harming themselves or others. According to Detect co-founder Gary Margolis, hundreds of universities and K-12 schools across the country
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have contracted the company to screen social media posts related to their campuses. Many of these schools may have adopted the service — modeled to be a “digital beat cop” — as an additional security measure amid a rash of highprofile school shootings. However, activists and First Amendment experts have warned there is little accountability around how campus police departments use the technology. Last month, the Dallas Morning News published
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