$1
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Fire District hosts second Prop 218 town hall Thursday News, Page 2
Students explore American history Features, Page 1
Volume 142, Number 21 — Locally-owned since 1884
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, June 25, 2025
The hometown paper of Kerry McKallip
City announces July 3 fireworks show details Express staff The city of Winters will host its annual fireworks show on Thursday, July 3, at Dr. Sellers Football Field. The fireworks will be displayed over the Winters High School baseball fields. Three entrance gates are available to the public, which open at 5 p.m. Gate 1 is on Grant Avenue. Gate 2 (near the stadium bleachers) and Gate 3 (closer to the baseball field) are along Hemenway Street. Gate 2 is the designated ADA dropoff location. Access to
the field is not available through the WHS campus. Music, food trucks and vendor tents will be available to the community at the event. Food trucks will be located on Hemenway Street. Vendor pop-up booths will be set up behind the football stadium home bleachers. The fireworks show is anticipated to begin at 9:15 p.m. and can be viewed from multiple points across the city. The public may also set up and picnic on the football field. Guests will not
See SHOW, Page 6
Courtesy graphic
A map of the Winters July 3 Fireworks Show gates, designated Safe Zone areas, event parking and event rules and guidelines is available on the city of Winters’ Community Events page or visit https://bit.ly/3zqV6q4.
Council OKs fee waiver for senior Trustees hear 2025-26 Winters JUSD LCAP goals programs, talks goats for weeds By Logan Chrisp Express staff writer
EXPRESS
At its June 12 meeting, the Winters Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees reviewed the draft Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) for the 2025–26 school year, outlining key goals and strategies to improve student achievement, school climate, and engagement — especially for English learners. Assistant superintendent Phoebe Girimonte presented the updated plan, which reflects months of collaboration between a joint LCAP Task Force and Parent Advisory Committee, site-level groups, and the Yolo County Office of Education. The LCAP is a three-year plan that explains the goals, actions, services and expenditures to support student
outcomes. The LCAP allows the school district to explain how and why programs and services are selected to meet local needs. This year’s LCAP combined the efforts of two committees in order to foster more diverse feedback. “This year, the Winters JUSD LCAP Task Force and Parent Advisory Committee joined into a joint committee, and that was with the approval of both groups, which felt that having more diverse perspectives really enhanced the conversation and ability to provide input,” Girimonte said. The group met four times, in November, January, March and May, to provide input and monitor the LCAP as it developed. In addition, the school district elicited engagement from the District English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) and site-level groups. Winters JUSD also used results from the Youth Truth Survey and Family Engagement Night, the latter
of which did not provide the participation the district had hoped to receive. “(We) continue to look at ways that we can either revise that event or create other opportunities for families to partner with us and then various site events and surveys throughout the school year,” Girimonte said. The proposed Winters JUSD LCAP outlines three goals: • Goal 1: School environments and climates are safe, welcoming, and inclusive places that support all students’ success and wellness. “So goal one, again, is about safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces where students and staff and any members of our school community feel safe and welcome and they are able to achieve success,” Girimonte said. “This includes basic priorities related to basic services or conditions of learning, parent involvement and school
See LCAP, Page 5
Index Features ........................ B-1
We at he r Date
Rain
High
Low
June 18
.00
95˚
59˚
June 19
.00
99˚
58˚
June 20
.00
87˚
60˚
June 21
.00
84˚
53˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-5
June 22
.00
83˚
51˚
June 23
.00
84˚
58˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
June 24
.00
92˚
53˚
Real Estate ................... B-2
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: 19.27 in. Last sn. to date: 23.29 in.
Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-2
Sports ........................... B-6
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/24. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
By Sonora Slater
Express staff writer At its June 17 meeting, the Winters City Council took up several community-focused issues, including unanimous approval of a fee waiver for the Winters Senior Foundation’s use of the Community Center, updates on weed abatement enforcement and an invitation to this year’s Winters Elder Day celebration. Council members additionally heard about youth-driven advocacy on smoke-free public spaces and briefly postponed discussion of food vendor regulations to allow for further input from local
stakeholders. Discussion of the Winters senior community continued as the council moved into consideration of a fee waiver for Winters Senior Foundation’s use of the community center. The group regularly uses this space to host events like their Meals on Wheels program and other socials, and given the indefinitely delayed construction of a Winters Senior Center, the council had previously discussed allowing them to use the Community Center free of charge in the meantime. City manager Jeremy Craig gave an introduction to the logistics of the fee waiv-
er, noting that it will cut community center revenue, but that there are some simple ways to minimize that cost. He suggested asking WSF to prioritize Monday through Thursday events in order to leave the space open for weekend reservations, and training WSF volunteers to do some basic tasks around the center, like closing it at the end of an event, to reduce the cost of staff time. The ordinance passed unanimously.
Weed abatement, other discussions
A previous discussion about weed abatement in Winters
See CITY, Page 6
First West Nile case of season confirmed in Yolo County By Logan Chrisp Express staff writer The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District announced on June 18 that West Nile virus has been detected for the first time this year in Yolo County, after a mosquito sample collected in Davis tested positive for the virus. This confirmation comes just one week after a similar detection in Sacramento County. No virus activity has been found in Winters to date, but officials are urging residents across the region to take precautions. “As the weather gets warmer, WNV activity will steadily increase,” said Gary Goodman, district manager. “This is a
cause for concern, especially as summer is around the corner and we are approaching the hottest months of the year when activity typically intensifies. We urge residents to continue taking proper precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes.” This announcement coincides with National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, observed June 23–29, and promoted by the American Mosquito Control Association. The annual campaign aims to raise awareness about mosquito-borne diseases and encourage community efforts to eliminate breeding grounds. According to Luz Robles, public information officer for the district, while it’s
been a slow start to the season, with the warmest months of the year approaching, residents should remain cautious. “I presume as the weather continues to warm, we will continue to see an increase in West Nile Virus activity,” Robles said. “Every year could be a little bit different — there are obviously different factors that affect how intense or not a season can be.” City of Winters residents are urged to be cautious of another mosquito, the invasive Aedes Aegypti, which is capable of transmitting dengue fever. Aedes Aegypti was first discovered in the city of Winters in a small area near Main
See WNV, Page 6
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