Remote Surveillance Trailer in Chico, CA

CHICO, Calif. (Aug. 3, 2026) – The first Chick-fil-A^® restaurant in Chico will begin serving Guests on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 6:30 a.m. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Matt Hock to serve as the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A South Chico.

Located at 2018 Forest Ave, Chick-fil-A South Chico will serve Guests Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., offering dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out and delivery. The Chico restaurant brings approximately 140 jobs to the community.

To celebrate the opening, Guests are welcome to join the fun by dressing in cow print on opening day to receive a free entrée.

Locally Owned and Operated“Bringing Chick-fil-A to Chico is incredibly meaningful because this community has played such an important role in my family’s life,” said Hock. “I’m excited to welcome Guests with genuine hospitality, create meaningful opportunities for Team Members and build lasting relationships throughout the community.”

More About Hock

Opening Day Moove-In Party at Chick-fil-A South ChicoTo celebrate the restaurant moo-ving into town, Hock and his team are inviting the community to show off their cow spots on opening day for a free entrée.

Caring for the Chico CommunityHock is committed to giving back to the Chico community by:

To learn more about careers at Chick-fil-A South Chico, click here. For more on Chick-fil-A‘s high-quality menu options, click here.

*Guests who dress in cow attire on opening day can redeem the offer of one free entrée inside the restaurant or in the drive-thru. Breakfast offer options are a Chick-fil-A^® Chicken Biscuit, Egg White Grill or 4-ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis^®. Lunch/dinner offer options are Chick-fil-A^® Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, 8-ct Original Nugget, 8-ct Grilled Nugget or 5-ct Nugget Kid’s Meal. The offer is limited to one per person in cow attire, per day, while supplies last. No purchase is necessary. See the restaurant for more details.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc. Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, known for its freshly-prepared food, signature hospitality and unique franchise model. More than 200,000 Team Members are employed by local Owner-Operators in more than 3,000 restaurants across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the UK and Singapore.

Chick-fil-A local Owner-Operators live and work in the communities their restaurants serve, each supporting local efforts and making a positive impact. Chick-fil-A gives back through programs including Shared Table, True Inspiration Awards and Scholarships. The family-owned and privately held company got its start in 1946, founded by S. Truett Cathy. More information on Chick-fil-A is available at www.chick-fil-a.com and Chick-fil-A Press Room.

CHICO, Calif. - More than 1,900 students moved into Chico State housing for the fall semester, bringing families from across California to campus.

Action News Now was on campus Thurday as incoming college students and their families made the move into campus housing for the upcoming school year. Students came from cities including Ventura, Sacramento, Orange County and San Carlos.

The move took place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students were assigned to one of the 7 dorms or University Village.

"So far really stressful, parking was pretty hard. My mom went here so she really wanted me to go. I applied to a few other schools but Chico was mostly my number one," Isabella DiPinto said.

Faculty and current students who have gone through the process themselves helped with move-in day. Sofia Tiritilli, a phlebotomist at the Chico State Health Center, moved in about 4 years ago.

"It actually seems a lot busier than it did my year," Tiritilli said.

In fall 2025, more than 14,800 students enrolled at Chico State. That was up 1.65% from the year before.

What hasn't changed is students needing help from loved ones to move in. Simona Cosby said her entire family came to help.

"I kind of always wanted to go to Chico. I had other options but I ended up here and I'm very happy about it," Cosby said.

Classes start Monday, but welcome back events are already getting underway. Chico State President Steve Perez gave his fall welcome address at Laxson Auditorium on Thursday.

Perez touched on everything from the university's budget and enrollment to updates on programs and classes. Several faculty members also spoke at the event.

Perez highlighted the CSU system's role in California's workforce, noting that 1 in 20 workers are CSU graduates. He also laid out some of the system's biggest goals: keeping college affordable and sustainable while making the biggest impact possible across the state.

"This is what we think is coming. It's tremendous work done by you. Tremendous work done by our crews, by our faculty and staff that have retained our students. All work has paid off. We are getting a lot of students in here to be able to enjoy what we are doing," Perez said.

Perez also highlighted a record-breaking orientation this year, with more students participating than ever before.

For the first time, transfer students outnumbered first-time college students.

A Chico man has been convicted for starting the Park Fire that burned more than 400,000 acres in Butte County.

On Friday, a Butte County judge found Ronnie Stout guilty on malicious arson charges in connection with the state's fourth-largest wildfire. The conviction also includes enhancements for causing multiple structures to burn, and for having two previous convictions for serious and violent felonies under California's Three Strikes Law.

He had a child molestation conviction from Butte County in 2001 and a theft conviction from Kern County in 2002.

The Park Fire started on July 24, 2024, off Upper Park Road in Bidwell Park, Chico and impacted parts of Butte and Tehama counties. It burned 429,603 acres and destroyed 713 structures, according to Cal Fire.

On the first day of the trial, prosecutors called several witnesses to testify. One woman said Stout approached her and her friends while drunk in Upper Bidwell Park in Chico shortly before the fire began.

Another witness testified that Stout hit a berm on the side of the road and got stuck, saying he was spinning the car's wheels when black smoke and flames ignited. The witness said they then called 911.

Stout had claimed that his car was stuck in grass, and after it caught fire he was scared and left the area, the DA's office previously said. He was seen leaving the scene and eventually arrested at his mobile home.

Stout’s attorney argued at the start of the trial that the prosecution couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Stout started the fire maliciously.

Since this is Stout's third strike under a California law that stiffens penalties for repeat serious and violent felonies, he will face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. The sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9.

The beer selection has craft and domestic beer. (Corrie Schaffeld | CBC)

CHICO, Calif. — Seeking to boost economic activity, the Chico City Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that would establish two entertainment zones in downtown Chico and Meriam Park.

The ordinance, authorized under California Senate Bill 969, would allow adults 21 and older to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating licensed businesses and consume them on designated public sidewalks, streets and rights-of-way within the entertainment zones. If adopted, the zones would operate daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

In a report accompanying the proposed ordinance, Chico city staff said the entertainment zones are not intended to be a standalone solution to the challenges facing downtown and brick-and-mortar businesses, but rather one part of a broader effort to stimulate the local economy.

Jen Rothenwander, marketing manager for Meriam Park, told KRCR after Tuesday night's meeting that she is optimistic about the proposed initiative.

"When people stick around, they shop more, they eat more, they spend more. That would really just help the growth of local businesses here in Chico. We're super excited about what an entertainment business zone could bring to the area and to the community," Rothenwander said.

The ordinance includes several measures intended to address public safety and litter concerns. Alcoholic beverages must be served in city-approved, recyclable single-use cups, as glass and metal containers are prohibited. Patrons also must wear an age-verification wristband or other marker issued by the participating business where the drink was purchased.

Bringing outside alcohol into the entertainment zones or taking alcoholic beverages outside their designated boundaries would remain prohibited. Patrons also would not be allowed to carry an open alcoholic beverage from one bar or restaurant into another.

The downtown Chico entertainment zone would encompass much of the city's commercial core, bounded by First Street to the north, Ninth Street to the south, Flume Street to the east and Normal Avenue to the west. The Meriam Park zone would include the development's main commercial district, bounded by Springfield Drive, East 20th Street, Alcott Avenue and Notre Dame Boulevard. The boundaries would be marked with signage along the interior sidewalks of the perimeter streets.

Rothenwander says if passed, Meriam Park is prepared to implement safety measures for patrons.

"Something that we're looking forward to doing is adding places for people to sit in public spaces with drinks so they're not crowding sidewalks. We are increasing our private security presence beyond what's already here just to make sure that everybody is aware that there's a zero tolerance policy in terms of acting out or misbehaving or violating any of the ordinance issues. We're also putting up signage so that everybody is well informed about what the boundaries are and guidelines, and obviously committed to continuing to educate the public on what this ordinance does for the town and how to, how to go about respecting it," Rothenwander explained.

Council members approved the first reading with an amendment to change the city's evaluation of the zones to an annual review. The council agreed that an annual check-in would allow them to closely monitor and modify the zones.

The ordinance will return to the Chico City Council for a second reading and formal adoption on August 18, 2026. If approved at that meeting, the ordinance will officially take effect 30 days later, on September 18, 2026.

"This ordinance really goes beyond alcohol. It is really more about creating and improving those spaces for people to gather with their friends and their family and be able to travel from place to place without worrying so much about what drink is inside their cup. It allows for more connection and more community. We're very excited to see what it does to the businesses," Rothenwander concluded.