Dozens of Valley politicians and transportation leaders showed up to a face-to-face meeting with state commissioners, asking them to keep funding for local highway improvements intact. The California Transportation Commission met Friday in Fresno to discuss the recent funding controversy over projects on Highway 99 and 46. Representatives from Madera...
Valley City in Turmoil as 3 Top Officials Put on Leave, Another Fired
Four top officials in the city of Manteca have been fired or put on leave, raising concerns among residents who say officials haven’t explained why. The city's police chief, Jodie Estarziau, was placed on paid administrative leave on Wednesday. Hers was the latest in a string of abrupt personnel moves...
At Least 6 Hurt in Southern California High School Shooting
SANTA CLARITA — Authorities say at least six people have been injured during a shooting at a Southern California high school. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says Thursday on Twitter that deputies are responding to Saugus High School in the city of Santa Clarita. The sheriff’s office says a...
Walters: Our Laws Protect Criminal Cops
When the state of California licenses professionals, it is telling Californians that they can depend on licensees to perform their services competently, that miscreants will be disciplined and that in serious cases, their licenses will be lifted. For instance, the state bar, which oversees attorneys, publishes all of its disciplinary...
California Sued Again for Requiring Women on Company Boards
SACRAMENTO — California's first-in-the-nation law requiring publicly held companies to put women on their boards of directors is facing a second legal challenge. The law requires publicly traded companies to have at least one woman on their boards by the end of this year. By 2021, boards with five members...
State Regulators Launch Investigation into Power Outages
SAN FRANCISCO — California regulators opened a formal investigation Wednesday into preemptive power outages that blacked out large parts of the state in October, drawing strong rebukes from public officials and residents who said the shut-offs were too broad and poorly executed. The unanimous vote by the California Public Utilities...
Regulators to Open Inquiry Into PG&E Outages
SAN FRANCISCO — California regulators will vote Wednesday on whether to open an investigation into pre-emptive power outages that blacked out large parts of the state for much of October as strong winds sparked fears of wildfires. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. initiated multiple rounds of shut-offs and plunged nearly...
Vice President Mike Pence Coming to California for 2 Days
COSTA MESA — Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to arrive in California today for a two-day visit to support President Donald Trump and tour a NASA facility. The Office of the Vice President said Pence would arrive at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport in the late morning and head...
Walters: Local Governments Are in Distress
California’s economy has been booming for most of this decade and has generated a cornucopia of tax revenues for state and local governments. The state has benefited most, because it collects income taxes. Californians’ taxable incomes have been soaring, especially for those atop the economic ladder, whose tax rates also...
Drugs Hidden in Spray Foam Land Modesto Man in Nebraska Jail
State troopers weren't fooled when they came upon a box filled with spray foam after stopping a California driver on Sunday for speeding on Interstate 80 in central Nebraska. After detecting "indicators of criminal activity," troopers searched the car and discovered a pound and a half of marijuana hidden in...