A Fresno man with a prior DUI conviction was sentenced Thursday to 15 years to life in state prison for causing a 2022 crash that killed a 17-year-old girl. Michael Anthony Mendoza, 28, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in connection with the...
Jewish Student Who Took on Harvard in Court Ends Lawsuit
(Reuters) - A Jewish student who sued Harvard University for allegedly ignoring antisemitism on campus ended his lawsuit against the Ivy League school on Thursday. Alexander Kestenbaum, who is known as Shabbos, and Harvard filed a joint stipulation of dismissal in Boston federal court. It was unclear whether they settled....
Oakhurst Man Charged for Fresno Stalking, Child Exploitation
A federal grand jury has indicted a 21-year-old Oakhurst man on charges of stalking a Fresno woman and distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Preston Nelson-Kestner is accused of using social media platforms including OnlyFans, Instagram and TikTok to threaten and harass an adult victim...
Trump Announces $14.5 Billion Etihad Commitment With Boeing, GE
(Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday announced deals totaling over $200 billion between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, including a $14.5 billion commitment between Boeing, GE Aerospace and Etihad Airways, the White House said. The White House said Boeing and GE had received a commitment from...
Denver Air Traffic Briefly Lost Communications on Monday, FAA Says
(Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday that Denver air traffic control lost communications for about two minutes on Monday but was able to maintain contact through an emergency frequency. FAA communications failures have gained attention due to a series of telecom outages at the facility overseeing Newark...
Fresno Shut Out Of $200M for Downtown Projects by State Budget
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer knew the city likely would not receive $200 million for downtown revitalization from the state budget — funding unfulfilled from a 2023 pledge of $250 million. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his May revise on Wednesday. The updated budget included nothing...
Feds Charge Two Men in Email Scam Pulled on Fresno County
A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment Thursday against Jafaar September Nyangoro, 52, of Franklin, Tennessee, and Peter Bah Acha, 45, of Berlin, Germany, in connection with a $1.5 million fraud engineered against Fresno County. The grand jury charged Nyangoro and Acha with conspiracy and wire fraud, Acting U.S....
Fresno Officials Urge Parole Board to Deny Release of Convicted ‘Tower Rapist’
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Mayor Jerry Dyer, survivor Mirna Garcia, and other officials will join local and state leaders in a news conference on Friday to oppose parole for convicted serial rapist Rudolph Martin Acosta, officials announced. Acosta, now 59, was sentenced to 78 years in state prison...
Clovis Mayor’s Breakfast Hot Topics: Elections, Measure C, ‘Way of Life’
Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua is urging the public to participate in the city's new-style council elections and shaping its growth. "You must hold us accountable to make sure that who you elect always places the city of Clovis above any of our own individual districts," Mouanoutoua said at the Clovis...
Ben & Jerry’s Founder Arrested at Senate Hearing After Protesting War in Gaza
One of the founders of Ben & Jerry’s, Ben Cohen, was arrested Wednesday in Washington, D.C., after he interrupted a Senate committee hearing to protest Congress’ funding for Israel’s military as it wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Cohen, 74, was among a group of protesters that disrupted...