This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. When Gov. Gavin Newsom two months ago proposed a $322 billion state budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, he projected what was depicted as a "modest surplus" of $363 million. Anyone who knows anything about state budgeting knows...
Trump Ends Program Tracking Ukrainian Child Abductions
President Donald Trump's administration has ended a U.S.-funded initiative documenting alleged Russian war crimes, including a database detailing the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, The Washington Post reported. The move has raised concerns among observers who fear it may compromise evidence of war crimes and hinder efforts to...
Fresno County Deputies Rescue Dogs Trapped in Friant Kern Canal
Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies and an animal services officer rescued two dogs trapped in the Friant Kern Canal on March 5 after they swam away from an attempted rescue. A citizen called authorities to report the stranded dogs near McKinley and Viau avenues, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office....
Madera Community Hospital Reopens. How Does It Fit Into Valley Medical Care?
When Madera Community Hospital abruptly closed its doors in early 2023, its ripple effects spread much farther than the immediate city and county that relied on its services. The 103-bed hospital, which faced significant financial pressures for several years, will reopen today (March 18) under the management of Modesto-based American...
Visalia Police Nets 26 DUI Arrests in Two Weekend Operations
The Visalia Police Department made 26 DUI arrests in two separate operations over the weekend, the department said in a statement. A joint DUI enforcement operation led by the Visalia Police Department and the California Highway Patrol resulted in 22 arrests for driving under the influence and two arrests for...
Madera Mother Killed in Solo Vehicle Crash, Infant Taken to Hospital
A 29-year-old woman from Madera was killed Monday in a solo vehicle crash on Road 28½, near Avenue 17, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash occurred at about 12:24 p.m. when the woman, driving a blue 2024 Acura Integra with her 10-month-old son in the back seat, veered...
CA’s Medi-Cal Shortfall Hits $6.2 Billion With ‘Unprecedented’ Cost Increases
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The hole in California's Medi-Cal budget appears bigger than what state officials reported just last week. California health care officials told the Legislature on Monday that the state will need another $2.8 billion to be able to pay...
Fresno Police Will Hold DUI Checkpoint on Saturday
The Fresno Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Saturday from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sunday at an undisclosed location, the department announced. The checkpoint locations are determined based on data identifying areas with a higher incidence of impaired driving-related crashes. Police said the operation aims to promote...
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Anthony David King
March 18, 2025 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: Anthony David King Suspects Date of Birth: November 10, 1978 Physical Description: White Male, 6’ 1, 170 lbs., Brown Hair, Brown Eyes. Charges: Second degree burglary Warrant Number: F21900477 Synopsis of the Case: Anthony David King is wanted on...
Residents Pick Up the Pieces After Devastating Storms Scour the US South and Midwest
PLANTERSVILLE, Ala. — Kim Atchison was hunkered down in her grandmother's storm shelter with her 5-year-old grandson Saturday night in their tiny Alabama hometown of Plantersville when her husband and son raced in. "Get down; get all the way down to the bottom of the cellar," they told her, saying...