SACRAMENTO — California's utility regulators would have the option of letting power companies charge their customers for some of the costs of lawsuits stemming from disastrous 2017 wildfires under legislation that will go before the Assembly and Senate this week. After weeks of meetings, a legislative conference committee advanced its...
Washington Post Fact Checks John Cox's Claim About His Childhood
Glenn Kessler — who writes researches and writes The Fact Checker for The Washington Post — decided to investigate this oft-repeated statement by California gubernatorial candidate John Cox: "I'm not part of the political class. I was raised by a single mom, public school teacher on the South Side of Chicago."...
Arax's Memories of Saroyan at Home on West Griffith Way
Mark Arax was the Fresno kid who wanted to become a writer. William Saroyan was our city's most famous native son, an accomplished and revered man of letters — a world traveler who owned adjacent houses at 2729 and 2739 W. Griffith Way near Marks and Dakota avenues the last 17...
California Bill Would Allow Medical Pot on School Campuses
SACRAMENTO — Some California parents would be allowed to give their children medical marijuana on school campuses under a bill passed Monday by the state Assembly and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown. State law has allowed minors to access medical marijuana since the 1990s but prohibits it on school campuses....
Gov. Brown Signs Bill Ending Bail Before Trial
SACRAMENTO — California will become the first state to eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill will replace bail with a risk-assessment system, although it's still unclear how the system will work. It will take effect in October 2019. Brown's...
In a Small Space, Saroyan Is Reborn Thanks to Technology
It was well above 100 degrees the afternoon I visited the William Saroyan House Museum a couple blocks from where I grew up. Sweat poured from electricians and carpenters racing against a tight deadline to transform the 1,228 square-foot home built by Oscar Spano in 1964 into a suitable tribute to...
Read This to Learn Why CA's Public Schools Are Failing
Don’t squeeze your kids too hard as you send them off to another school year, because the state of California is already squeezing your kids hard enough to hurt their future. Call it The Great California School Squeeze. The state is stuck in a nasty school funding paradox: Even though...
Gary Serrato Is Retiring From Fresno Irrigation District
Gary Serrato's nearly 33 years with Fresno Irrigation District — the last 19 as general manager — will end early next year, the district has announced. He will be succeeded by Bill Stretch, who takes the helm Jan. 15, 2019. Stretch, who joined the district in 1998, was unanimously selected...
Good News for Groundwater Recharge: Irrigation Deliveries Extended
While many local growers have begun harvesting their crops, the Fresno Irrigation District will continue surface water deliveries past the scheduled Aug. 31 shutdown. Deliveries throughout the district now will end Sept. 15 with one exception: East side deliveries will end Sept. 30. Groundwater Sustainability Why is the district delivering...
How to Watch State Superintendent Candidates Debate Public Ed
The November election pits Assemblyman Tony Thurmond against school reformer Marshall Tuck to become California's public schools superintendent. On Friday, they will participate in a "conversation" about the future of public education hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in downtown Sacramento. The 90-minute...