LOS BANOS — The parade of plaid-shirted gentlemen sat politely in the octagonal Germino Building at the Merced County Fairground. About 200 farmers participated in a town hall meeting Friday with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and four California congressmen. Perdue answered hot-button ag issues about tariffs and labor with...
Is Historically Low Unemployment Near in Fresno County?
Could Fresno County soon see its lowest monthly unemployment rate in more than a generation? In data released Friday by California's Employment Development Department, Fresno County had an unadjusted unemployment rate of 6.4% in May. In state records that date back to January 1990, the county's jobless rate dipped that...
1 Dead, 9 Hospitalized in Hazmat Spill Near Los Banos
LOS BANOS — One person has died after a hazardous material spill, and nine others were taken to a hospital for treatment. Merced County Sheriff's Deputy Daryl Allen says the spill happened around noon Thursday in a rural area near Los Banos, about 80 miles east of San Jose. He...
More Research Labs Are Retiring Monkeys When Studies Finish
WESTFIELD, Wis. — Izzle, Timon, Batman, River and Mars spent years confined inside a lab, their lives devoted to being tested for the benefit of human health. But these rhesus macaques have paid their dues and are now living in retirement — in larger enclosures that let them venture outside,...
Here’s How to Grab Some Ears of Fresno State Sweet Corn
Get ready, sweet corn fans. It's almost here. Fresno State's annual sale of its insanely popular sweet corn will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, June 7 at Gibson Farm Market, located at 5368 N. Chestnut Ave Yellow corn will be sold at 50 cents per ear through the summer while...
Valley Packs a Punch on Powerful Congressional Ag Committee
The San Joaquin Valley will wield considerable clout on the influential House Committee on Agriculture in the 116th Congress. Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno is joined by two other Valley Democrats on the committee, newly elected TJ Cox of Fresno and Josh Harder of Turlock. Costa is the third-ranking Democrat on...
Did Organizer of Turkish Ag Delegation Deny Armenian Genocide?
Perhaps a trio of Fresno business groups made the right decision to cancel a meeting with a delegation of Turkish agricultural exporters. It appears that the organizer of the trip denies the Armenian genocide of 1915 ever happened. The Fresno Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation and Farm Bureau were...
Intern Killed by Lion had a Passion for Working with Animals
BURLINGTON, N.C. — An intern was cleaning an animal enclosure at a North Carolina wildlife center when a lion escaped from a nearby pen and attacked her, killing the young woman and sending visitors out of the zoo, authorities said. Deputies shot and killed the lion Sunday before retrieving the...
Opinion: Bipartisan Bill Promises Climate Policy Breakthrough
They said it couldn’t be done. They said Republicans and Democrats could never work together in Congress to impact the climate change crisis. But last week, three Republicans and three Democrat members of Congress did just that. On November 27, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Rep. Frances Rooney (R-FL), Rep. Charlie...
AMOR and its Partners Deliver Holiday Help to Mendota Families
A team of volunteers brought smiles to the faces of five "adopted" Mendota families in the midst of a challenging holiday season. Fresno-based AMOR joined with partners United Way of Fresno and Madera Counties, Cargill, FedEx, and Industry Standard Inc., to deliver toys, household products, clothes, and Christmas trees to five...