Pet Tales Owning your own chickens, goats and bees can be a great way to get farm-fresh food on your fork without relying on the food industry. But urban ranching (or beekeeping) isn’t a walk in the park. Pet expert Gina Spadafori joins us for this month’s Pet Tales to explain the joys and pitfalls of urban livestock. 

• Guidance on owning goats
• Popular urban chicken website

Debbie Cunningham / DL Cunningham Photography

Covered California Deadline The Affordable Care Act enrollment deadline for people without health insurance is fast approaching. If you hope to avoid paying a penalty in your taxes this year, you must enroll with Covered California by Monday, March 31. There are a number of enrollment fairs planned in the area this week. We’ll hear from a Covered California representative and talk with a licensed broker about the biggest mistakes people are making when enrolling.

Midnight In Mexico The Mexico Bureau Chief for the Dallas Morning News who has spent decades reporting on immigration, drug violence and foreign policy between the U.S. and Mexico is speaking at Sierra College in Rocklin this Thursday as part of the this year’s César Chávez Higher Education Speaker Series. Alfredo Corchado recently released a book focused on the city of Juarez, Mexico called “Midnight in Mexico: A Reporter’s Journey Through a Country’s Descent into Darkness." His topic of conversation Thursday is “The Women of Juarez: How many more must die before it’s too many?” We’ll talk with him about his work.

• Book signing event

Al Jarreau Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau will headline this year’s Brubeck Festival in Stockton. Produced by the Brubeck Institute, the annual festival brings some of the top jazz performers from Coast to Coast to the Central Valley to celebrate the life and music of Dave Brubeck. Rick Kushman talked with Jarreau about his all-star career.