A popular local grocery chain that largely caters to Latino customers has stopped selling tobacco products at its stores in Fresno and other Valley cities. The decision by Vallarta Supermarkets makes it the first and largest grocer in California to go tobacco-free. Anti-tobacco advocate Rosendo Iniguez, a spokesperson for the...
Two Years into the Pandemic, Fresno Renters and Landlords Await Promised Aid
Despite the $2.7 billion in COVID-19 relief funding distributed to keep California tenants from being evicted, both renters and landlords restlessly await state assistance. For example, Fresno mom-and-pop landlord Mark Abbott applied for COVID relief funding in 2021 but says he has yet to receive a single check and...
Can Fresno City Council Rescue Trails End Mobile Home Park?
Waiting on pins and needles for a judge's decision on the future of Trails End Mobile Home Park, residents are hoping that the Fresno City Council will come to their rescue. City Council President Nelson Esparza announced Tuesday evening that the council will hold a special closed session meeting...
Who is the Company Seeking to Buy Troubled Fresno Mobile Home Park?
With only one day left, residents of Trails End will soon find out whether their mobile park will get a new owner – a transaction many of them vigorously oppose. Harmony Communities, a Stockton-based firm that buys mobile home parks and manufactures tiny homes and trailers, wants to buy...
Fresno Lands $5 Million to Rebuild, Beautify ‘Left Behind’ Neighborhoods
In little more than a month, the city of Fresno landed a $5 million state grant that will bring street cleanups, greenery, and art murals to Fresno neighborhoods needing a facelift. In a news conference Tuesday morning at Romain Park, city leaders announced the speedy funding from the state's...
Can City Hall Make Housing More Affordable and Ease Homelessness?
The Fresno City Council will be briefed on 15 housing policies that could go to the city council this month, with the goal of making Fresno housing more affordable, and easing homelessness. Among these 15 policies, rent control, fair chance housing, and establishing a community land trust have been...
Councilmembers Listen as Fresno Homeless Share Their Stories
Three Fresno city councilmembers sought to give a voice to homeless people at a unique town hall meeting with members of the unhoused community. The event, organized by Miguel Arias, Luis Chavez and Esmeralda Soria, was aimed at hearing directly from those living on the streets about their needs and...
Where Does Mayor Dyer Stand on Fresno Rent Control?
Fifteen policies aimed at making Fresno housing more affordable will soon advance to the city council next month, and Mayor Jerry Dyer approves of more than half of them. A strict rent control ordinance, however, is not one that the mayor fully supports. “Displacing people for any reason is...
Fresno Leaders Predict HART Will End Homelessness Crisis
In an effort to stem Fresno's homelessness crisis, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer unveiled a new initiative Tuesday afternoon that, if successful, should please frustrated citizens and business owners while helping those on the streets get help. The announcement comes as the city deals with increasing numbers of homeless people amid...
FBI Probe of Possible Fresno City Hall Corruption Underway
The FBI is investigating possible corruption and influence-peddling at Fresno City Hall, and a federal grand jury is hearing testimony from witnesses, GV Wire has learned. Four sources who asked to remain anonymous told GV Wire about the investigation. The sources became aware of the probe in different ways: being...