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enterprise THE DAVIS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2023
Parched family farms struggle to survive
‘I’m guilty’
Carlos Reales Dominguez, who is charged with fatally stabbing two men in Davis and wounding a third victim, appeared in Yolo Superior Court in Woodland on Tuesday, June 20, with courtappointed public defender Dan Hutchinson. A court-appointed doctor has determined that Reales Dominguez is not mentally competent to stand trial after a psychiatric assessment.
By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer
When they returned to the courtroom Tuesday, prosecuting attorney Matthew De Moura disputed the doctor’s findings and requested a jury trial on the competency issue, a
Local family farms are in a fight for survival against droughts and largescale growing operations that have rooted themselves throughout Yolo County the past many years — more specifically, the unchecked drilling of new wells for irrigation. Regardless of an abundance of rainfall this past year, these small – local – farmers are fighting tooth and nail to help establish sustainable underground water use policies and practices so all in the area can continue to farm and thrive together for years to come. Essentially, if one purchases land, they have the right to do with it as they please. In this case, large-scale growers such as Australian-owned Cobram Estate Olives and Investment Ag entities such as Davis 190, LLC, have legally purchased plots of land throughout Yolo County and have planted an abundance of orchard crops that necessitate an abundance of water. The issue, however, lies beneath the surface as
See SUSPECT, Page A4
See FARMS, Back page
Hector Amezcua/ Sacramento Bee pool photo
Doctor rules stabbing suspect mentally incompetent By Lauren Keene
Enterprise staff writer WOODLAND — “I want to apologize, and I want to say I’m guilty, and forgive me.” Accused Davis killer Carlos Reales Dominguez spoke those words Tuesday in Yolo Superior Court, seconds after a judge
revealed that a court-appointed doctor found Dominguez mentally incompetent to stand trial on murder and attemptedmurder charges.
stands accused of fatally stabbing two people and seriously injuring a third during a weeklong crime spree in Davis earlier this spring.
Dominguez’s public defender, Dan Hutchinson, asked for a brief recess to speak with the former UC Davis student, who
Hutchinson announced at a May 22 hearing it was his “firm opinion that my client is not mentally competent,” which
suspended Dominguez’s criminal proceedings until he could undergo a psychiatric assessment.
UCD student wins National Geographic Wayfinder Award By Monica Stark Enterprise staff writer Botswana-born Goabaone Jaqueline Ramatlapeng, a current UC Davis Ph.D. candidate, was recently named a National Geographic Society Wayfinder Award recipient. As a Motswana who grew up near the Okavango Delta — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s largest wetlands — she has always had a passion for fresh water. That led her to UC Davis, where she’s pursuing a Ph.D. and focusing on spatial changes in the Delta’s water chemistry. Last year, she put that research into practice, joining a team of scientists from Botswana
VOL. 125 NO. 75
INDEX
Business Focus A5 Forum �����������������B3 Obituary �������������A5 Classifieds ���������A4 Green Page �������B6 Sports ���������������B1 Comics ���������������B5 Living �����������������B4 The Wary I ���������A2
and the region to study the Okavango Delta’s water quality and flow as part of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project’s annual Delta crossing. And as California faces drought, she brings an interesting perspective — what could Sacramento Valley communities learn from Botswana, a nation with a history of outstanding stewardship of its natural resources? Growing up in a small village called Kopong, about a 10-hour drive from the Okavango Delta, Ramatlapeng’s passion for freshwater was ignited by her childhood experiences of the water shortage in her village.
See WAYFINDER, Page A4
WEATHER Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 78. Low 54.
Courtesy photo
UC Davis Ph.D. candidate Goabaone Ramatlapeng visits the Okavango Delta in her native Botswana.
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