Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Trump Says Many Are Starving in Gaza, Vows to Set up Food Centers

19 hours ago

California Governor Candidate Stirs Outrage With Auschwitz ‘Unemployment Plan’ Post

20 hours ago

Gold Price to Stay Above $3,000/Oz as Flight to Safety Endures

22 hours ago

S&P, Nasdaq at Record Highs as US-EU Trade Deal Sparks Optimism in Pivotal Week

22 hours ago

Trump Warns Iran That Its Nuclear Sites Could Be Bombed Again

22 hours ago

Israel Announces Daily Pauses in Gaza Fighting as Aid Airdrops Begin

2 days ago

California School Board Resigns After Audit Reveals $180M in Improper Funding

3 days ago

A First Look at Fresno State’s Quarterback Battle

4 days ago
United Fresno Council Opposes Release of 'Tower Rapist'
David Taub Website photo 2024
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 6 years ago on
July 1, 2019

Share

All six Fresno city council members signed a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, expressing concern about the potential early release of Rudolph Acosta.
As reported by others in the Fresno media, Acosta was known as the “Tower District Rapist” and sentenced to 78 years in prison. He was initially charged with 29 sex and robbery crimes. He began serving his time in 1992.

Photo of GV Wire's David Taub
David Taub
Politics 101
The council members noted that if released, Acosta plans to return to Fresno where many of victims still reside.
“We urge you to take a stand against his early release,” the letter states.
The parole board will hold a hearing for Acosta on July 30 at Avenal State Prison. According to the Board of Parole Hearings website, a two or three member panel will conduct the hearing, withe the board normally making its recommendation the same day.
[tnc-pdf-viewer-iframe file=”https://gvwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/City-letter-to-governor.pdf” width=”800″ height=”700″ download=”true” print=”true” fullscreen=”true” share=”true” zoom=”true” open=”true” pagenav=”true” logo=”true” find=”true” current_view=”true” rotate=”true” handtool=”true” doc_prop=”true” toggle_menu=”true” language=”en-US” page=”” default_zoom=”auto” pagemode=””]

Arias Lets Circle K Have It

At last week’s Fresno council meeting, developers for convenience store chain Circle K gave a presentation outlining their plans for additional locations.
Councilman Paul Caprioglio praised the company for a Circle K in his east-central district.
Not everyone was equally enthused. Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria said the Circle K at Olive & Palm had generated 500 calls to police. Company representatives said they would work with the neighborhood to make any fixes.
Councilman Miguel Arias also took exception to concerns expressed by Circle K’s representatives about pending regulations restricting new liquor sale licenses in the city.

“(It) is frustrating to sit here and to spend time valuable time on the council hearing a corporate presentation on an item we fully vetted publicly months ago,” Miguel Arias said at the start of his four-minute attack.
Arias blasted them for Circle K’s complaints. He refuted their contention that buying an additional liquor license to operate a store is a financial hardship.
“Your current establishment is a blight and a nuisance to the Tower District. It has been for years,” Arias said of the Olive & Palm location. “If the small businesses in Fresno, that are family owned, can afford to maintain their properties, you shouldn’t have any trouble with it.”
Arias’ critique continued.
“You’re not and you haven’t been a good corporate citizen to the city of Fresno,” Arias said.
I can’t imagine Fresno’s business community being happy with those statements.
Nelson Esparza followed, with a more gentle criticism of Circle K.
“I don’t think any of here are begging Circle K to come into our district as the grand prize development,” Esparza said. He then joked that Caprioglio should be their commercial pitchman.
Maybe Arias and Esparza prefer shopping at AM/PM. The two recently joined their council colleagues in rejecting a liquor license for a proposed 7-Eleven near Roosevelt High.

Will Soria Run?


Fresno councilwoman Esmeralda Soria says she has made no plans regarding her political future. That hasn’t stopped the rumor mill spinning that she wants to run for Congress against fellow Democrat Jim Costa in 2020.
The latest turn came from one-time council colleague Steve Brandau, now a county supervisor. He floated the idea (heard previously by Politics 101 and just about anyone in this town who follows politics) on Twitter.
Soria says she did not meet with Emily’s List, a group that helps Democratic women run for office, when she recently visited Washington, D.C. The Sun’s Alex Tavlian has reported that she did.
For the record, Soria has not opened any federal fundraising committee.
Costa already has a pair of challengers, Republican and former educator Kevin Cookingham and Merced Democrat and educator Kim Williams.
The latest numbers (through the first quarter of 2019), show Costa with $121,000 cash on hand; Williams with none; and Cookingham yet to formally file financial reports.
Soria’s most recent financials from her 2018 city council reelection campaign show $113,000 cash on hand (through the end of 2018).

Trustee Saved By the Bell?

The Fresno Unified school board held a special meeting last Thursday (June 27) to ratify its labor contract with the teachers’ union.
According to video posted on the district website, the scheduled 8 a.m. meeting lasted only seven minutes. Five members showed up on time (Trustee Terry Slatic sat down just as the video started).
Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas showed up a minute later. Veva Islas was not there when the board approved the teachers’ contract, 6-0.
Islas then showed up at the literal last minute of the meeting, just in time to cast her vote to change wages and health benefits for management and other employees.  It passed 7-0.
Islas’ timing didn’t go unnoticed by former trustee Brooke Ashjian on Twitter.


Islas on Twitter replied that “No one gave me 40K. The contract didn’t need my vote to pass because we had already reached an agreement,” and “The real question is why you voted against the contract when you were in office.”
She is partly correct. In her 2018 campaign, the PAC for the Fresno Teachers Association contributed $37,345.02.
I wonder if the trustees had tardy slips.
[Note: the above story has been corrected to reflect Islas missed one vote, but cast a vote on the second item at the meeting.]

Clovis Development Fees Increasing

The city of Clovis hasn’t raised the fee it charges new development for police services in 20 years. That’s about to change.
The council will vote Monday (July 1) to increase police fees from $100 to $726, or 647%. That is just one fee that will increase.
Charges for everything from water, sewer, and even bridges will go up for those who want to build new homes, apartments and commercial buildings. Parks fees will increase by 33% (which will be implemented over three years), and fire fees will rise by 28%.
The city estimates the average fee overall will increase up to 11% for residential projects. The actual increase depends on the acreage size.

Raises for Clovis Employees

Checks will be getting a little fatter for many Clovis municipal employees.
The city council on Monday (July 1) will vote for 2% yearly raises over the next three years for most management and other employees. The raises cover units representing engineers, public safety and many other positions.
The price tag to the budget — $3.6 million in raises over the next three years.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Two Arrested in Dollar General Burglary in Fowler, Third Suspect at Large

DON'T MISS

New York City Mayor Says ‘Active Shooter’ Incident Taking Place in Manhattan

DON'T MISS

Shooting Outside Casino in Reno, Nevada, Leaves 3 Victims Dead, 2 Critically Wounded

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Repeat DUI Offender Sentenced to 15 Years to Life for Deadly Crash

DON'T MISS

Venezuelan Little League Team Denied Entry to US Over Travel Ban

DON'T MISS

Fresno Seals Deal with Police Union. No Deal Yet With Firefighters.

DON'T MISS

North Korea Says Trump Must Accept New Nuclear Reality

DON'T MISS

What Does Trump Crackdown on Homelessness Mean for California?

DON'T MISS

Naindeep Singh Joins Fresno City Council Race as Campaign Fundraising Totals Roll In

DON'T MISS

Fresno Home Suffers Major Damage in Saturday Night Fire, Family Cat Rescued

UP NEXT

Naindeep Singh Joins Fresno City Council Race as Campaign Fundraising Totals Roll In

UP NEXT

California Governor Candidate Stirs Outrage With Auschwitz ‘Unemployment Plan’ Post

UP NEXT

California May Soon Ban Selling New Glocks Like Kamala Harris Owns

UP NEXT

Trump Asks for Swift Deposition of Murdoch in Epstein Defamation Case

UP NEXT

California School Board Resigns After Audit Reveals $180M in Improper Funding

UP NEXT

NASA Says 20% of Workforce to Depart Space Agency

UP NEXT

Jack McAuliffe, Who Started a Craft Beer Revolution, Dies at 80

UP NEXT

Key Player in California’s Water Wars Embraces Controversial Newsom Plan

UP NEXT

Tesla to Roll out Bay Area Robotaxis With Safety Drivers, Report Says

UP NEXT

California Political Lobbying Firm Agrees to Settle Federal Fraud Allegations

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Fresno County Repeat DUI Offender Sentenced to 15 Years to Life for Deadly Crash

14 hours ago

Venezuelan Little League Team Denied Entry to US Over Travel Ban

14 hours ago

Fresno Seals Deal with Police Union. No Deal Yet With Firefighters.

14 hours ago

North Korea Says Trump Must Accept New Nuclear Reality

14 hours ago

What Does Trump Crackdown on Homelessness Mean for California?

15 hours ago

Naindeep Singh Joins Fresno City Council Race as Campaign Fundraising Totals Roll In

16 hours ago

Fresno Home Suffers Major Damage in Saturday Night Fire, Family Cat Rescued

16 hours ago

Senator to Unveil Aviation Safety Bill on Eve of Fatal Crash Hearing

17 hours ago

Fox Business News Host Throws Shade at Merced Over High-Speed Rail

17 hours ago

Trump Says He Turned Down Invitation to Epstein’s Island

17 hours ago

Two Arrested in Dollar General Burglary in Fowler, Third Suspect at Large

Two suspects are behind bars after a commercial burglary at a Dollar General in Fowler, the Fowler Police Department said on Monday. Officer...

13 hours ago

Two repeat theft offenders were arrested and a third suspect remains at large after a burglary at a Dollar General in Fowler, police said. (Fowler PD)
13 hours ago

Two Arrested in Dollar General Burglary in Fowler, Third Suspect at Large

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall in Manhattan in New York City, U.S., June 3, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 hours ago

New York City Mayor Says ‘Active Shooter’ Incident Taking Place in Manhattan

The Grand Sierra Resort casino is seen after a fatal shooting in Reno, Nevada, U.S., July 28, 2025 in this still image taken from a video. ABC Affiliate KOLO via REUTERS
13 hours ago

Shooting Outside Casino in Reno, Nevada, Leaves 3 Victims Dead, 2 Critically Wounded

14 hours ago

Fresno County Repeat DUI Offender Sentenced to 15 Years to Life for Deadly Crash

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a nuclear cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony with Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani (not pictured), at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. (Reuters/Umit Bektas)
14 hours ago

Venezuelan Little League Team Denied Entry to US Over Travel Ban

Fresno City Hall Fresno Police Officers Association
14 hours ago

Fresno Seals Deal with Police Union. No Deal Yet With Firefighters.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attends wreath laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam March 2, 2019. (Reuters File)
14 hours ago

North Korea Says Trump Must Accept New Nuclear Reality

San Diego Homeless Encampment
15 hours ago

What Does Trump Crackdown on Homelessness Mean for California?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend