Good morning, Chico.

Chico State will drop pumpkins from a cherry picker at Trinity Commons at noon Friday, Oct.

30; the 30 to 45-minute, public event will feature battlebots, a puking-pumpkin chemistry demo, costumed student narrators, and composting of the pumpkins (about two dozen from the University Farm).

A wave of scam texts claiming problems with Apple Pay is hitting Northstate residents now; do not click links or call numbers in those messages, and contact your bank directly if you shared info (consider freezing your credit).

Chico's Community Gingerbread Contest will accept entries in November, with houses displayed at monca in December for public voting and judged awards, culminating in a celebration and prize winners on Dec.

19.

Butte County will begin its annual walnut buying period on Nov.

1, allowing non-processing buyers to purchase walnuts under the Nut Theft Ordinance after the Chandler harvest ends; the ordinance requires transportation and identification checks, and walnuts were valued at about $178 million in the 2025 crop report.

CAL FIRE will stop requiring burn permits in unincorporated Butte County at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov.

1; residents must still confirm a permissive burn day and the Town of Paradise and the cities of Oroville, Gridley, and Biggs will keep their own rules (check BCAQMD).

The City of Chico will clear illegal homeless camps at Teichert Ponds (55 people, 33 abandoned camps), Bidwell Park (5 people, 1 abandoned camp), and the Chico Municipal Center (2 people, 1 abandoned camp); seven-day notices will be handed out Monday, Nov.

2 and campers must move within seven days under the Warren Settlement Agreement.

Cohasset Nuts owner John Skinner is selling boiled peanuts at the Wednesday Chico Farmers' Market at North Valley Plaza after testing the pop-up at Thursday Night Market; he traveled to Tennessee and Georgia to perfect the recipe and plans to offer the snack year round.

Junior guard Cortevious (Red) Taylor says he's lost weight, raised his GPA above 3.0, and is focusing on leadership as the Wildcats open their season Friday, Oct.

30 at Central Washington; their first home game is Friday, Nov. 13 against Western Washington.