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Rich Ibarra
Contributing Central Valley/Foothills Reporter
Rich Ibarra calls Sacramento and Stockton both his hometown. Akin to a Tale of Two Cities, Rich was born in Stockton but raised in Sacramento.
He attended All Hallows Elementary School in Sacramento, St. Pius X Seminary, and Hiram Johnson High School,.
After graduating from Hiram Johnson, Rich joined the U.S. Navy for four years as a Communications Technician and served in Vietnam in 1968-69.
Rich then attended Sacramento Community College and CSU Sacramento where he majored in History. At the same time, Rich started working for KXTV 10 as a studio camera operator and later started working on weekends as a general assignment reporter, the first Hispanic reporter on the air for KXTV.
In 1977, Rich began reporting from Stockton for KXTV as the bureau chief, and in 1978 went to KOVR 13 as a reporter.
Rich joined KCRA 3 in 1980 and stayed with the station for 31 years until he retired in December 2011.
During his lengthy career, Rich reported on countless major stories including the Laci Peterson murder case, the Jaycee Dugard story, the Sandra Cantu murder case, the Loma Prieta Earthquake, major floods, forest fires, and other disasters.
Rich has the nickname of Mr. Mayor, the unofficial mayor of Stockton, by his colleagues because he is so well known in the area.
Rich is married to Deedee, and has a daughter and two grandchildren.
From Farmworker To Astronaut: Story Of Stockton’s Jose Hernandez To Be Told In Netflix Movie
November 28, 2020
Netflix has plans to shoot a movie based partly on books by NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez, who grew up in Stockton and worked the fields with his parents.
Stockton Mayor Micheal Tubbs Faces Political Newcomer Kevin Lincoln In Runoff
October 26, 2020
Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs faced seven candidates in the primary election and garnered 40% of the vote. Now comes the runoff between Tubbs and political newcomer Kevin Lincoln on Election Day.
Census Takers Are Contacting The 56 Million Households That Haven't Yet Responded
August 12, 2020
California’s response to the Census is almost 65%. Local officials estimate each person not counted could mean thousands of dollars in lost federal funding.
U.S. Agriculture Officials Warn Residents Not To Open Mystery Seeds From China
July 30, 2020
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the concern is that the seeds, which have arrived in small packages with Chinese writing on the outside, could contain viruses or bacteria or they could be an invasive species.
HBO Documentary Shines Spotlight On Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs
July 24, 2020
The hour and a half special “Stockton on My Mind” tells the personal and political story of Tubbs, who at 26 became America’s youngest mayor of a major city and the first African American mayor of Stockton.
Stockton Delta Faces Resurfacing Of Algal Bloom
July 22, 2020
The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a warning after testing samples around Stockton waterways.
New State Report Says a CSU Campus In Stockton Isn’t Feasible
July 20, 2020
The report looked at five possible sites and studied criteria including minority representation, land availability, median income, and workforce needs.
Stockton Creates Community-Police Review Board For Police Practices, Including Use Of Force
July 16, 2020
The board will have 25 members, including a “diverse cross section” of community members and leaders, city officials and members of the police department.
Pets In Need Delivers Medical Aid To Stockton Animals
July 9, 2020
Pets in Need operates out of a 38-foot RV and offers free veterinary care mostly aimed at homeless people.
Predicted July Heat Could Damage Central Valley Crops
June 26, 2020
Harvest is approaching for many crops including plums, peaches and cucumbers, and some, such as leafy vegetables, have already been affected by recent high temperatures. Forecasters predict July will be even hotter.