Granville Homes' 15th annual Home of Hope distributed $274,400 in early proceeds Friday to this year's nonprofit beneficiaries so they can provide immediate support to those affected by COVID-19. The 10 beneficiaries are Angels of Grace, Art of Life Cancer Foundation, Breaking the Chains, CASA of Fresno and Madera Counties,...
Valley Will Warm to 90 Degrees by Saturday
Get ready for spring's first 90-degree temperatures in the Valley, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. A building high-pressure ridge will produce "very warm temperatures and dry conditions for central California into early next week," the weather service says in its Wednesday forecast. Temperatures are expected to climb...
Merced, Fresno Airports Reap Nearly $30M in COVID Grants
Federal CARES Act funding totaling more than $30 million is headed to eight Valley airports to help ease COVID-19 business impacts and prevent job losses. The office of Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) announced the grants Friday. Merced Regional Airport and Fresno Yosemite International Airport will receive a combined $29.82 million....
Rain Today With a Warm-up to Follow in the Valley
Rain will come to Fresno and other areas of the Valley on Monday before dry weather and warmer temperatures move in, the National Weather Service in Hanford says. Monday's storm could include strong thunderstorms in the Southern Sierra Nevada this afternoon and evening, and rain could linger in the mountains...
RIP, Sara, the Nurturing Orangutan Beloved by Fresno Zoo Visitors
Sara, a Sumatran orangutan loved by many thousands of Fresno Chaffee Zoo visitors, died four months short of her 50th birthday. Zoo officials announced Friday that Sara was euthanized following the discovery of metastatic cancer in her liver, intestines, and lymph nodes. She lived an extraordinary life, given that the...
Election Fraud Sends Madera County Woman to Jail for a Year
Election fraud does not pay, as 30-year-old April Atilano learned last week in Madera County Superior Court. Judge Michael Jerkovich sentenced Atilano to 364 days in the county jail and three years' probation April 9. She previously pleaded guilty to six counts of election fraud. According to the Madera County...
10 COVID-19 Deaths at Visalia Nursing Home. Will It Be Evacuated?
Ten COVID-19 deaths have now been reported at a Valley nursing home and officials say an evacuation is possible. Redwood Springs Healthcare Center confirmed two additional deaths at the Visalia facility on Thursday. It's the largest publicly reported nursing home outbreak in California Evacuation a 'Worst Case Scenario' Spokesman Dave Oates told...
Fresno Community Leaders Share Tips on Defeating COVID
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand, fire chief Kerri Donis, Assemblyman Dr. Joaquin Arambula, and other leaders provide tips on staying safe during the COVID-19 outbreak in a new community service announcement. All of the participants were sheltering in place and utilized teleconferencing to shoot the video. Pastor DJ Criner and Fresno...
Patterson Blasts EDD for Slow Handling of Unemployment Claims
Since mid-March, 2.7 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits — more than all of the claims California processed in 2019 combined. The state's Employment Development Department has been overwhelmed, causing delays for many people seeking assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The people in Sacramento are making promises, and the...
Kern County Jail Aide Arrested for Conspiring With Inmates
The Kern County Sheriff's Office arrested one of its own in connection with an alleged criminal conspiracy at the Lerdo pre-trial jail. The office announced the April 9 arrest of sheriff’s aide Erik Belmontes, 26, on Tuesday. Bail Set at $110,000 Belmontes faces multiple charges. They include bringing illegal drugs and...