Saying they feared children would stay away from school following immigration raids in Kern County last week, a group of Fresno-area education advocates and two trustees are emphasizing that schools are safe places for students, regardless of immigration status. Central Unified Trustee Nabil Kherfan, Fresno County Board of Education Trustee...
Fresno County Crash Claims Life of 74-Year-Old Driver
A two-vehicle crash at the intersection of South and Cedar avenues in Fresno County left one man dead and another injured Thursday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol. A 74-year-old man driving a Mazda pickup westbound on South Avenue failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with...
Fresno Man Sentenced to Life for 2020 Murder Over 49ers Flag
A Fresno man was sentenced Thursday to 75 years to life in prison for the 2020 murder of Frank Rojas in a dispute sparked by a football rivalry, the Fresno County District Attorney's Office reported in a news release. Daniel Epimenio Gonzalez, 39, received the sentence after being found guilty...
US Recovers $31 Million in Federal Payments to Dead People
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government clawed back more than $31 million in federal payments that improperly went to dead people, a recovery that one official said Wednesday was "just the tip of the iceberg." The money was reclaimed as part of a five-month pilot program after Congress gave the Department...
Planning Commission Says Fresno Smoke Shop Plan Hurts ‘Good’ Biz Owners. Arias Says PC Is ‘Out of Touch.’
Saying the plan from city councilmembers to reduce and regulate smoke shops throughout Fresno punished good business owners, city of Fresno Planning Commissioners opposed the plan already more than a year in the making. The city of Fresno's smoke shop ordinance would have forced the 82 smoke shops throughout the...
American Accused of Assaulting Pennsylvania Student Extradited From France to US
PHILADELPHIA — An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said "So I raped you" was extradited Thursday from France to the United States. Ian Cleary, 31, of Saratoga, California, arrived in the U.S. and was being flown...
Looking for His Father, a Worried Son Went to Fire Evacuation Zone but Found Death and Devastation
LOS ANGELES — Shaw Zhao was worried even before he arrived in Los Angeles last week: His father's neighborhood was in an evacuation zone as deadly wildfires raged in the metropolitan area, and Zhao hadn't heard from the 84-year-old the previous night. As he made his way from the airport...
Netanyahu Postpones Cabinet Vote on Gaza Strip Ceasefire Deal
Israel delayed a Cabinet vote Thursday on the long-awaited ceasefire deal that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a last-minute dispute with Hamas for holding up...
Fresno Police Seek Help in Locating Missing At-Risk Teen
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating Taya Britton, 15, who was last seen early Tuesday morning, the Fresno Police Department said in a statement. Britton was reported missing after being spotted around 3 a.m. on Tuesday near Shields and Temperance avenues. Police consider Britton to be at-risk....
Palestinians in Gaza Eager to Return Home in Ceasefire, but Many Will Find Nothing Left
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are eager to leave miserable tent camps and return to their homes if a long-awaited ceasefire agreement halts the Israel-Hamas war, but many will find there is nothing left and no way to rebuild. Israeli bombardment and ground operations have transformed entire neighborhoods in several...