A raid on a Tower District shop selling cannabis products without a license last week resulted in the seizure of close to a million dollars in products and cash, authorities said Monday. Agents from the state Bureau of Cannabis Control Enforcement Unit along with Fresno police and code enforcement inspectors...
Fresno Antiviolence Operation Nets 2 Federal Indictments for Gun Offenses
A joint local and federal law enforcement antiviolence effort in Fresno resulted in grand jury indictments Thursday against two local men on gun-related charges, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced in a press release. Lane Kelly Whittenberg, 32, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and...
Give Kids Better Options or ‘Gangs Will Give Them Something To Do,’ Local Leaders Say
The kids spoke and the Fresno City Council reacted, promising to invest nearly $10 million dollars to support youth in the coming year. A Wednesday night summit involved several dozen young people who spoke directly to leaders at the Fresno Fairgrounds. Councilmembers said the meeting helped peel back layers and...
‘Friendship’ at Risk as Council Votes to Repeal Money Back Guarantee
The Fresno City Council voted Thursday to repeal a program designed to make the planning department more efficient. But, councilmembers sparred again over accusations of impropriety and meeting procedure. The vote reverses an ill-fated city program that attempted to address charges that Fresno is unfriendly to businesses. After years of...
Council Policy Might Revoke Some Alcohol Licenses, Give Them To New Grocery Stores
In a concept of taketh and giveth away, members of the Fresno City Council say they may start revoking alcohol licenses from 'bad' retailers and use them to attract grocery stores into areas of town that don't have them. The move comes on the heels of City Council passage of...
Merced Cleans Up Homeless Camp as LA Considers Ban on Camping (Again)
Dumpsters, garbage trucks, and teams of people from the city of Merced were out Wednesday cleaning up a homeless encampment along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Childs Avenue and Highway 99. The city said they needed to take action after numerous public complaints about garbage and unsanitary conditions. The...
City May Bid RIP to Money Back Guarantee on Fees
Fresno's effort to hold its planning department accountable for delays in approving development projects may be eliminated after 18 months. The City Council will consider repealing its Money Back Guarantee program at a special meeting on Thursday. Councilmember Garry Bredefeld authored the plan, arguing that an "anti-business culture" existed within the...
Dyer Reveals Plans To Stop Gang Violence at City Hall Rally
Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer didn't just stop by a peace rally at Fresno City Hall to say a few words. He laid out a series of moves he plans to make within his first 90 days of taking office in January. Dyer says Fresno has experienced 289 more shootings so far...
Video Shows Man Threaten Cyclist at Knifepoint Near River Park. Suspect Faces Felony Charges.
A suspect seen in a viral Facebook video accosting a bicyclist in broad daylight near River Park earlier this month will appear in court Friday morning to answer to felony charges. Video posted to Facebook shows the cyclist handing over his backpack at knifepoint at the corner of Blackstone and...
Rally Leaders Say Funds, Communication Lacking from City Hall in Anti-Violence Effort
Fresno police say they're seeing more shootings in every policing district this year than at the same time last year. Resources are stretched thin, different strategies are being utilized, and some progress is being made, according to deputy chief Mark Salazar. However, what's not working according to some community members?...