What were Modesto’s top stories of 2025? Bee reporters share their picks
It’s now 2026, but there’s still time to look back at 2025.
It was a busy news year in Modesto and its surrounding communities.
Some of The Bee’s reporters wrote about their most noteworthy stories of 2025:
John Holland: A June 25 gathering celebrated the conversion of the old Clarion Inn on Sisk Road into 143 low-cost studio apartments. This was Modesto’s largest such project to date, with income-based rents from $517 to $1,380 a month. We need much more construction, mostly market-rate, to solve our housing shortage, but this was a welcome step. Another nice touch: The Clarion site has a public food truck staffed by Turlock Gospel Mission clients trained by a chef.
Julietta Bisharyan: In September, I reported on the Promotoras program, which connects Spanish-speaking residents to services in Stanislaus County. The program could end next year due to the passage of Proposition 1 in 2024. After speaking with a Promotora in Newman who leads a wellness class focused on mental health, it became clear how essential the program is for building trust and community, particularly amid increased immigration enforcement, when people are less likely to seek services.
Kathleen Quinn: In June, I reported about residents along the Tuolumne River who were paying for water they said they couldn’t drink. Residents relied on bottled water deliveries to their homes and had to protect infants and children from accidentally ingesting nitrate and uranium that contaminated the water provided by their mobile home park wells. This was an opportunity for me to highlight a larger issue about water quality challenges and the health risks they pose in Stanislaus County
Dominique Williams: From feedback I’ve received throughout my two years of writing Stanislaus County health inspection reports, I know how important it is for area consumers to know that where they’re eating is safe. Truthfully, these articles often highlight the negative – cockroaches, unsafe food temperatures, etc. What I also know from my two years of reporting this subject, however, is that a large number of restaurants in the county are generally well-kept. To prove this, I conducted a months-long investigation revealing the data: what the most common violations are, how often restaurants are cited with vermin issues and how often restaurants have zero violations.
Pat Clark: In May I wrote about a place dear to my heart, and one that seems like a hidden treasure in Modesto – the Great Valley Museum. It’s dear because it was one of the final outings my son and I went on before he left home for college, and it was our first visit there. On the Modesto Junior College West Campus, the museum marked its 10 anniversary the month the story ran. When it moved to the west campus, it joined the William R. Luebke Planetarium in opening to the public. The museum has an array of displays and live animals, all highlighting the land and wildlife of the Central Valley.
Maria Luisa Figueroa: 2025 felt like a year of resilience in many ways. I was inspired by a beta fish that survived being abandoned in perilously shallow pickle jar and left in a darkened storage unit, a seemingly extinct rodent that appeared on camera after years of no sightings and a formerly troubled man who regained his passion for barbering and a calling to groom those less fortunate. There are amazing people and stories in our community, and it was hard to choose favorites. I look forward to another year of discovering everything interesting and more.
Trevor Morgan: Press freedoms and government transparency were national themes in 2025 and in Modesto, it was no different. For months, I spoke with First Amendment experts about, and investigated, concerns with transparency at city hall. Eventually, the reporting produced an examination of its media policy. Modesto has made positive strides this year. But it’s difficult to objectively report on anything, positive or negative, when lips are sealed.
Here’s a list of some of the most noteworthy stories of 2025:
January
- Historic Stanislaus County building being turned into restaurant. ‘Wanted to preserve it’
- A game-changing law against secret meetings started here in Modesto over 70 years ago
- ‘Tactical’ playing pays off. National champ at 80, Sonora man takes gold with a paddle
- A cup of joe, a measure of hope, new program brews opportunity at Modesto Gospel Mission
February
March
- How these councils help concerned residents of unincorporated Stanislaus towns
- Modesto continues to draw stars of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ Here’s who’s next, and where
April
- Word is out on this Modesto gem. It has animals, insects and a planetarium
- Rep. Tom McClintock’s Modesto office remains closed. Some constituents ask why
- Hope from a haircut: Meet the Modesto barber making a difference
- Two-minute twister tears a nearly mile-long path just outside of Modesto
May
- She found shocking truth on McHenry family. Modesto museum aims to honor historian
- With more residents seeking citizenship, how El Concilio in Modesto is responding
- ‘American Graffiti’ actress’ new book offers a peek at ’70s Hollywood’
June
- Modesto man finds homes for 29 dogs after his neighbors die in crash
- Uranium, nitrate pollute drinking water in homes near Tuolumne River. From what?
- Rare rodent returns to Stanislaus, ‘like a unicorn sitting right in front of us’
- Why we’re Modestans and not Ralstonians. The history behind local place names
July
- Turlock woman’s death ends key charge against James Hooker. Family wants justice.
- Grayson’s community park is 20 years old. Here’s what residents say it needs
- Central Valley comedy shows in secret locations? Funny you should ask
August
- Officials, residents fight plan to release violent sexual predator in Turlock
- Patterson’s water is more than just ‘hard,’ it’s contaminated
- How a Turlock fish abandoned in a pickle jar in the dark got his happy ending
- Modesto band Whirr returns home to play Centre Plaza as only California show
September
- Modesto actress stars as Dolly Parton in musical touring world
- A ‘hurricane of fire’ leaves Chinese Camp in ash but not defeat
- A Modesto man saw ICE at a neighbor’s house. Here’s why he started filming
- Gamers connect over ‘world under glass.’ Pinball passion rings bells in Valley
October
- Modesto TK-2 teachers report increased violence, disruption from students
- As CalFresh halts, Stanislaus County residents and food pantries brace for impact
- Who was John Thurman? Modesto’s baseball stadium likely getting name change
- Friends, not foes. Central Valley bats can reveal much about our region
November
- Rats and roaches make headlines, but are Modesto-area restaurants mostly safe?
- CA drought conditions ease after storms. Which areas are still ‘abnormally dry’?
- New CA law will make CSUs more accessible for Modesto-area students. Here’s how
- Abandoned dogs were living in ‘unimaginable’ conditions in a Modesto home
- Modesto has 9,000-plus rock wells. What they are, how they contribute to flooding
- New spider discovered, and it’s named after a Stanislaus State dean
December
- Popular Modesto taco truck must change name or be sued. It’s taking suggestions
- Buildings sit empty in Modesto. What is the city doing to fill vacancies?
- Homelessness among K-12 students up 73% in Stanislaus County since pandemic
This story was originally published January 8, 2026 at 10:50 AM.
