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Now City Leaders Want Fresno State to Join Pac-12

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An LA Bowl victory, led by QB Jake Haener, is inspiring the Fresno City Council to urge a move to the Pac-12. (GV Wire/David Taub)
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Fresh off a Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl victory, talk of Fresno State moving to the Pacific-12 Conference is somewhere between fan fiction and what-if fantasy.

David Taub

Politics 101

Now, it could become a political passion.

Fresno City Councilman Tyler Maxwell said he will bring a motion to the City Council in support of the Bulldogs moving to a higher profile conference.

I’ve seen enough, Fresno State deserves a spot in the @pac12. Me & @MayorJerryDyer will bring forward a resolution at the Jan. 5 Council mtg, urging Pac-12 to invite Fresno State and make some history. The City of Fresno is ready to do our part to make this happen. Go ‘Dogs!” Maxwell wrote on Twitter.

It should be noted that Maxwell is a Cal alum, a Pac-12 school. Also, there are whispers that perhaps the Big 12 might be a better option for the Bulldogs.


Also in Politics 101 …

  • SD 16 Recount continues.
  • Adventure Church sues again over Tower Theatre.
  • Warming Centers to expand operations.

Recount Continues

The Senate District 16 recount continues, now on three fronts. David Shepard, R-Porterville, lost to incumbent state Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield, by 22 votes.

Currently, Fresno County had to hand-separate nearly 221,000 ballots to find the 4,900 votes cast for the district race. They will be run through a machine again. Earlier this week, the Shepard campaign challenged 12 ballots envelopes with invalid signatures. Only one was granted.

In Kern County, the Shepard team is examining undervotes, when a voter apparently chose neither candidate.

Action is also continuing in Tulare County. Activity in Kings County starts next Tuesday.

Fresno election workers continue to separate ballots for the state Senate District 16 recount. (GV Wire/David Taub)

Church Sues City Again, and Now Terance Frazier

If at first you don’t succeed, sue, sue again.

When a sale of the Tower Theatre to Adventure Church fell apart in 2021, the religious institution sued the city, claiming damages.

The church eventually dropped its lawsuit, but refiled the legal action last week. Most of the claims are the same — mainly the city illegally interfered with its deal.

The city bought the historic property from its longtime owners for $6.5 million, completing the deal in July 2022.

This time, the church has added developer Terance Frazier, also the fiancé of now-former Councilmember Esmeralda Soria, as a lawsuit defendant. The lawsuit claims the city reached out to Frazier “to be part of an investment group to purchase the Tower Theatre.” Frazier allegedly gave advice to Soria and others on how to block the church from purchasing the theater.

Frazier allegedly also reached out to the church, the lawsuit said, offering to “fix all this for you.”

A case management conference will be held April 19, 2023 in front of Judge Stephanie Negin.

Fresno Warming Centers Expand Hours

Fresno warming centers will be open through Jan. 31, regardless of the temperature.

The city manager made the call yesterday. The Fresno City Council held a special meeting Thursday to confirm the decision with a 6-0 vote (Councilman Garry Bredefeld did not attend).

The centers, which will be open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., are:

  • Maxie Parks Community Center, 1802 E. California Avenue
  • Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler Avenue
  • Pinedale Community Center, 7170 N. San Pablo Avenue
  • Ted Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo Avenue

The city will also provide free bus service to and from the warming centers.

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

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