$1
including tax
Wine pairings for summer grilling Wine & Food, Page 6
Becoming a California naturalist Features, Page 1
Volume 143, Number 19 — Locally-owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Jon Tice
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, June 10, 2026
City Council discusses three-year downtown plan By Sonora Slater Express staff writer
CAL FIRE photo
A CAL FIRE aerial image shows flames burning in the hills during the Putah Fire west of Winters, which prompted a large multiagency response involving air and ground resources.
Putah Fire reaches 35% containment, crews prep for Red Flag conditions
The Downtown Action Plan presented to the Winters City Council during its first meeting in June is the next step in a series of efforts to reimagine and strengthen the downtown core, with a focus on improving downtown basics, increasing midweek visitation and defining Downtown Winters’ marketable identity. The action plan was chosen in place of a typical study, which would gather and analyze data on downtown benchmarks. Instead, consultants with Chabin Concepts Inc. reviewed previously gathered data — including the 2006 Downtown Master Plan, the 2023 Downtown Visioning and Policy Recommendations report and the 2025 Winters Visitation Report — as well as conducting interviews with downtown stakeholders. They then presented an actionable threeyear plan with itemized steps to move toward the identified
goals. “You have a wonderful downtown and a lot of cities would envy your downtown,” said Sean Quinn, one of the consultants present at the meeting. “We’re here to talk about taking the next step.” Core themes identified during the research included helping Winters be “discovered” by visitors through improved freeway signage, gateway features and wayfinding to the downtown area. Other themes included increasing weekday activities to support local businesses, placing more focus on Putah Creek and outdoor recreation, and improving trash management, lighting and landscaping. These goals were divided across a three-year period. Year 1 goals include improved signage and event and infrastructure basics, as well as better coordination between the city, the chamber and non-chamber downtown businesses.
See PLAN, Page 2
Express staff
EXPRESS
The Putah Fire west of Winters began Monday during vegetation management operations and escaped containment when shifting winds increased fire activity, according to the official CAL FIRE incident report. CAL FIRE said crews were conducting a prescribed burn when conditions changed and the fire breached containment lines, forcing firefighters to transition immediately from planned burning operations to active wildland fire suppression. The fire, which burned along Highway 128 west of Winters in Yolo County, ultimately grew to more than 800 acres and prompted a largescale response involving helicopters, air
WHS celebrates 107 graduates
Stephen Wilce/Courtesy photo
A view from the ridge along Positas Road shows an air tanker dropping fire retardant on the Putah Fire as crews work to slow the fire’s spread in steep terrain. tankers and hundreds of firefighters working in steep and rugged terrain. Fire officials previously reported the blaze reached a peak of 869 acres before containment increased to 35 percent as of Wednesday afternoon. No significant new fire growth has been reported in recent updates, according to CAL FIRE. As of Wednesday, firefighters continued strengthening containment lines, conducting mop-up oper-
ations and patrolling the perimeter ahead of Red Flag Warning conditions forecast for the region. Additional surge staffing remains assigned to the incident to monitor fire behavior and respond to any changes in conditions. All evacuation advisories have been lifted, and Highway 128 has reopened in both directions. The cause remains classified by CAL FIRE as an escaped prescribed burn.
Index
We at he r
Features ........................ B-1
Date
Rain
High
Jun. 03
.00
96˚
57˚
Jun. 04
.00
96˚
59˚
Jun. 05
.00
97˚
60˚
Jun. 06
.00
98˚
62˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-4
Jun. 07
.00
88˚
54˚
Jun. 08
.00
90˚
56˚
Opinion ......................... B-4
Jun. 09 TRACE
86˚
60˚
Real Estate ................... B-2
Rain for week: TRACE Season’s total: 20.24 in. Last sn. to date: 19.27 in.
Classifieds .............. B-4/B-5 Community .................. A-2
Sports ........................... B-6
Low
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/25. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Winters High School’s 130th commencement ceremony took place June 4 at Dr. Sellers Field, where 107 members of the Class of 2026 graduated in a celebration of resilience, community and future promise. Full coverage appears in this week’s Winters Express graduation special section.
Yolo County Supervisors approve 26 layoffs to address $35M deficit By Rebecca Wasik McNaughton Media On Tuesday, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors held a special budget hearing, unanimously greenlighting the fiscal year 2026-27 recommended budget and the reduction of 26 filled positions. The majority of the 26 layoffs will be in the Health and Human Services Agency. These layoffs are in conjunction with a reduction of 124 vacant positions for a workforce reduction of 8.38 percent. The reduction of filled and vacant positions is expected to save the county a little over $17 million.
The county is facing a deficit of $35,426,088. “Our staff are doing everything they can to keep this county’s essential services afloat,”said behavioral health clinician Margarita Bettencourt during public comment. “Yet, they are being asked to carry workloads that are simply unsustainable. Everyday they show up for our community, often at the expense of their own wellbeing, because they believe in the mission of this agency.” Many employees and union members held signs in the board chambers during the hearing that read, “Cutting workers cuts
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our community.” “Eliminating these positions will weaken our child protection system, reduce our ability to assess risks and properly intervene and will put children’s lives and wellbeing at risk,” stated social worker Nellie Evans. “Those consequences will not be felt in management offices or on budget spreadsheets. They will be borne by the children who depend on us.” Other cost-saving measures proposed include deferring maintenance, increasing revenues and cutting programs,
Contact David DeLeon at david@wintersexpress.com 105 E Dorset Drive, Dixon 9253 Johnson Road, Winters, CA 530.212.5161 • monticelloveterinary.com