The beetle is found from southern Shasta County south to Kern County. It's been listed as "threatened" since 1980.
In 2006 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service completed a mandatory five-year review and found the beetle should be taken off the endangered species list. But it was never done.
The Fresno County Farm Bureau is one of the petitioners seeking to have the beetle removed from the list.
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Cotton growers and employees can get a refresher course on safety as the harvest season approaches.
The Fresno County Farm Bureau and State Compensation Insurance Fund will host their annual cotton harvest safety program on Tuesday, September 28 at the Westside Field Station. That's at Lassen and Oakland Avenues near Five Points.
The free program will be conducted in both English and Spanish. Registration is at 7:30 in the morning and ends with lunch at noon.
Reservations can be made by calling the Fresno County Farm Bureau at 559-237-0263 by Tuesday, September 21st.
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Some growers fear a new breed of apple could put them out of business.
The "Sweetango" is marketed by 45 growers in five states plus Quebec and Nova Scotia under an exclusive licensing deal with the University of Minnesota. The apple boasts a juicy crunch and intense sweet-tart flavor with a note of spice.
Several orchards are suing saying the licensing deal is an unfair restraint on trade.
The school says universities everywhere award exclusive rights to all kinds of intellectual property. It says the royalties replace shrinking public funding. It also says the deal protects the quality of the "Sweetango" apple it spent more than a decade developing.
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The Fresno Chamber of Commerce is having its State of the County Breakfast Thursday morning at seven at Valdez Hall.
The breakfast is a forum for the Board of Supervisors to highlight the county's accomplishments and plans for the future
Tickets are $40. Call the chamber at 495-4800 for more information.
