Highlights and lowlights from the week’s news

HIT » It’s been a rocky (and often raucous) past couple of years for the Chico City Council, but it was sure nice to see the changing of the guard handled so well by all involved Tuesday night.

Outgoing councilors Karl Ory, Randall Stone and Ann Schwab said their goodbyes in often- emotional speeches. In each case, it was a reminder that behind every “councilor” title is a human being with feelings and emotions, just doing the best they can to represent those that elected them.

Especially touching was councilor Sean Morgan’s tribute to Schwab, conjuring images of Annie Bidwell and the way both left their mark on the town.

From there — well, the new council didn’t waste any time following up on their pledges to the voters. With a new conservative majority, the council quickly approved measures that will make it easier to clamp down on camping in the parks. They also let it be known that other items they campaigned on — including banning needle distribution programs — were next.

Of special importance — the council is left a huge mess on the homeless front, period. With so many competing homeless advocacy groups and the whole nature of the evergrowing problem, there are no easy answers, and there’s not even a viable shelter option for most of these people at the moment.

Let’s hope the various groups are able to find some sort of solution for a permanent shelter (and camp site for those displaced from the parks) soon.

MISS » If this was Montana and the temperatures were way below zero, it could be understood why a vehicle was left unattended but running to warm it up.

That was too tempting a situation for a passersby who jumped in the truck and allegedly stole it.

While the individual was on parole and had led officers on a high speed chase through Paradise in 2012, there was also an issue with leaving a vehicle engine on.

Lucky for him, the owner spotted his truck at Walmart and called police, who arrested the suspect.

How many times have we written this “person steals running truck” story — and still some drivers pay no attention to common sense.

HIT » What a difference a year makes, and that comparison stands out in Paradise.

In its regular update about the Camp Fire recovery process, the city noted a milestone that should certainly be celebrated.

As of mid-December 2019, only 18 homes had been rebuilt in Paradise. Earlier this week, that number stood at 509 homes. That’s a lot of progress.

Obviously starting off was a bit bumpy as the city and its citizens had to find what had to be done, what could be done and how to go about rebuilding.

Obviously the clean-up process delayed rebuilding, but still to see more than 500 new homes peppering the ridge community is impressive. It says a lot about the residents’ love of Paradise.

MISS » Sad to hear former Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager has died. He was known for his brilliance as a fighter pilot and for breaking the sound barrier in 1947, but his Oroville connection endears him to this area.

He was stationed for a while at what is now the Oroville Airport, and fell in love with a young Oroville girl, Glennis Dickhouse.

According to one biography, he would fly his jet up here from Southern California to visit her and go hunting. They married in 1945, and planes usually bore her name, “Glamorous Glennis.” The couple had four children, and she died in 1990.

A street at the Oroville Airport was named in his honor, and he actually retired to Cedar Ridge near Grass Valley, but it seems trips to Oroville were always welcome. Over the years of retirement, Yeager has been spotted at gun shops and other places around Oroville.