A $38 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to UC Merced has become the university's single largest gift in its history. The money will go toward education access for students with financial needs, faculty research programs, and expanding capital projects, according to a news release from the university. "This remarkable...
Fresno County Moves To Crack Down on Sex Offender Housing Violations
If the state can’t enforce how many sex offenders may live in a single home, Fresno County says it will. Supervisors Garry Bredefeld and Brian Pacheco are introducing an ordinance Tuesday that would limit any single-family home housing sex offenders to six beds. Sex offenders are allowed to live in...
Madera County Officials Respond to Broken Gas Line Near Riverstone Boulevard
Law enforcement, fire crews and PG&E responded Tuesday to a broken gas line near Riverstone Boulevard and Milestone Road, authorities said. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office said there is no threat to the public, but officials are asking people to avoid the area until further notice. — Connect with Anthony W....
Central High’s Champion Water Polo Team Has No Pool. It’s a District Failure Requiring a Fix
There is a deeply embarrassing and unacceptable failure in Central Unified School District — one that now demands immediate public accountability. Central High School’s boys water polo team just completed an undefeated season, won their league championship, and features two nationally ranked players: the league MVP (Top 50 in the...
Kushner Role in Bid for Warner Bros Raises Ethical Questions, Experts Say
Jared Kushner's financing role in Paramount's $108 billion bid for Warner Bros Discovery injects Trump-family interests into one of the biggest media battles in years, raising concerns over whether the president's influence could tip the scales. Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery in a...
Saint Agnes Names New Vice President of Operations
Saint Agnes Medical Center named a new vice president of operations, bringing the executive down from Sacramento. Most recently, Luis Avila served as director of operations for ancillary and support services at Sutter Health Valley Hospitals in Sacramento, according to a news release from Saint Agnes. There, he developed strategies...
Fresno Police Officer Shot at by Wanted Felon, Suspect Wounded in Return Fire
A Fresno police officer was shot at by a convicted felon during a struggle in an alley Sunday evening, leading to an officer-involved shooting that left the suspect hospitalized, authorities said. Around 6:45 p.m., an officer contacted a suspicious man near Clinton and West avenues, the Fresno Police Department said....
100 Nigerian Students Rescued, More Still With Kidnappers
Nigeria's government on Monday rescued 100 schoolchildren abducted last month from a Catholic school in Niger state, in one of the country's biggest mass kidnappings in recent years. The students arrived at the government house in Niger's capital Minna and were handed over to the state governor. President Bola Tinubu...
Alina Habba, a Trump Loyalist, Resigns as New Jersey’s Top Prosecutor
Alina Habba resigned as U.S. attorney in New Jersey on Monday after a panel of federal judges ruled last week that she was serving in the position unlawfully. Habba will become a senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi and is expected to have a role overseeing U.S. attorneys across...
Fresno Man Sentenced in $30 Million Fraud Scheme
A Fresno man was sentenced on Monday to seven years and six months in prison for defrauding lenders and financial institutions out of more than $30 million, federal authorities said. Matthew Dane Billingsley, 40, former manager of Fresno's Dog House Grill, was convicted of wire fraud for a scheme that...