Fire crews from the Hanford Fire Department and Visalia Fire Department were at the scene of an unknown chemical release involving a city of Hanford trash truck on Wednesday, authorities said. The fire department urged the public to avoid the area of Lacey Boulevard and 9 1/2 Avenue while crews...
Melania Trump Says Talks With Putin Team Continue to Free Ukrainian Kids
U.S. first lady Melania Trump said on Wednesday she remains in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin's team in an effort to secure the return of more Ukrainian children from Russia. "I'm working on it, and we are in the process," she told reporters at the White House. "I hope...
Canada Ready to Ice out American Foes in Latest Chapter of Rivalry
Defending Olympic champions Canada will look to quiet the praise heaped on their U.S. rivals when the women's ice hockey tournament kicks off on Thursday in Milano Cortina, after a string of infuriating defeats. The United States sent a message when they closed out 2025 with a four-game sweep over...
Could Seismic Rule Change Save Kaweah Health Millions? CEO Talks Workforce, Future of Health Care
Hospitals have long said they face a crisis because of a looming California law. By 2030, the state wants all hospital facilities prepared to meet stringent building codes designed to withstand major earthquakes — or shut down. Getting facilities upgraded could cost hospitals more than $100 billion, said David Simon,...
Fresno Police Arrest 2 in Homicide of 19-Year-Old
Fresno police have arrested two men in connection with the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Joe Rodriguez. Officers responded around 9:12 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, to a business complex near Dakota and Hughes avenues, where they found Rodriguez suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to Community Regional Medical...
Visalia Police Detain Suspect After Lovers Lane Hit-and-Run, Assault
Visalia police have taken a suspect into custody following a hit-and-run collision and related assault along Lovers Lane Wednesday. Officers responded at approximately 11:33 a.m. to the 3200 block of North Lovers Lane for a reported hit-and-run, the department said in a statement. While en route, police received information about...
Mexican Consulate Is Helping Residents Get Vital Documents in Valley Towns
People began lining up outside Cultiva Central Valley’s Merced office before sunrise Monday, hoping to secure documents they had gone years without through a program offered by the Mexican Consulate. Some were elderly, while others needed identification for the first time. All were looking for a sense of safety in a moment...
Iran, US Talks to Take Place in Oman on Friday, US Official Confirms
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday, officials for both sides said, even as they remained at odds over Washington's insistence that negotiations include Tehran's missile arsenal and Iran's vow to discuss only its nuclear program. The delicate diplomatic effort comes amid heightened tensions...
Two Commercial Trucks Crash in Merced County Amid Dense Fog
Merced-area California Highway Patrol officers responded Wednesday morning to a collision between two commercial vehicles in dense fog that reduced visibility to less than 200 feet, officials said. CHP officers warned that fog can drastically limit reaction time, flatten depth perception, and obscure stopped traffic until it’s too late to...
Republican Senator Opposes Planned ICE Detention Center in Mississippi
Republican U.S. Senator Roger Wicker on Wednesday told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem he opposed plans to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Mississippi. The Trump administration is in the final stages of acquiring a warehouse facility in Byhalia, Mississippi, that it intends to convert into...