Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent decision to lift the regional stay-at-home order that kept many Californians home and businesses shuttered was a welcome relief. However, more needs to be done for small businesses, many of which are hanging on by a thread. It can’t be said enough that COVID-19 is a...
Will COVID Kill the Region’s Last Surviving Sears Store?
The Sears department store at Sierra Vista Mall could soon fade into history, according to a report Friday in the Los Angeles Times. The Clovis mall is home to the once-dominant retailer's last surviving "full line" store in a Valley region stretching from Bakersfield to Manteca. And, it's among 10...
Need a Haircut? Barbershops and Hair Salons Get OK to Reopen in Fresno, Other Counties
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that barbershops and hair salons can reopen immediately in counties, including Fresno, that have been cleared to move faster on lifting coronavirus restrictions. The governor’s announcement is part of an ongoing relaxation of orders intended to help prevent spread of COVID-19. Face Masks Required for...
Kings, Madera, and Merced Counties OK’d for Restaurant Openings & More
More Valley communities are lifting COVID-19 restrictions as the state approves their plans for containing the deadly coronavirus. Madera, Kings, Merced and Kern counties were all given a green light from the state Wednesday to immediately reopen dine-in restaurants, retail stores and other local businesses shuttered by the pandemic. Two...
Big Screen Movies are Back in the Valley. Here’s Where to See Them.
Movies will return to the big screen on Friday in Madera with the reopening of the only remaining local drive-in theater. Madera 2 Drive-In announced on Facebook it will open its gates once again this weekend with new rules in place to ensure social distancing to address COVID-19 concerns. Double...
Borgeas: Reopening Needs a Path Forward. Here Are 5 Precise Steps.
The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating, and California must continue to act decisively to help mitigate the damage. As a California state senator representing the 8th Senate District, I have learned heartbreaking stories from employees and business owners who are seeing their dreams and investments dismantled....
Walters: Crisis Reveals Big Financial Shortcomings
The rapidly expanding COVID-19 pandemic threatens the lives and livelihoods of Californians, but it also lays bare some multi-billion-dollar shortcomings in state government finances that have been ignored for decades, despite many warnings. The most obvious is the state budget’s unhealthy reliance on taxing the incomes of a relative handful...
Welcome to the Bay Area, Fresno and Merced!
Welcome to the Bay Area, Merced! Welcome as well to Modesto, Sacramento, and Yuba City. Looking south, you’re invited, too, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Salinas. And while you’re almost in another state, don’t worry, Tahoe City! Bay waters are warm. This expanded notion of the Bay Area’s reach isn’t a...