As crews battle 367 wildfires in heatwave-baked California, the satellite view from above shows a state enveloped in smoke. On the ground, firefighters are doing their best to contain the blazes — many of them ignited by nearly 11,000 lightning strikes during a 72-hour period. Strong winds are spreading some...
Newsom Says New Rules Coming for Reopening Counties
With many areas of California seeing a significant slowdown in the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday his administration is working with local health officials on rules for businesses to reopen in counties that come off the state's watch list. San Diego, Placer and Santa Cruz counties...
Distance Learning Comes with a Learning Curve for Students, Parents, Teachers
Nearly all of Fresno County's 208,000 students have been outfitted with internet access and laptops or tablets for their distance learning, Superintendent of Schools Jim Yovino said Wednesday. But there are rural pockets where students haven't been able to get online, which Yovino said "is a bigger concern to me."...
Kerman Farmer Lost Entire Crew To Skaggs Bridge Park COVID-19 Outbreak
A Kerman farmer says that so many of his employees were affected by a COVID-19 outbreak at Skaggs Bridge Park he was nearly shut down. Fresno County Supervisor Brian Pacheco says more than 1,000 people crowded into Skaggs Bridge Park on the San Joaquin River during the weekend of August...
California Farming Country Buckles Under COVID-19. Will Pandemic Make or Break the Valley?
By Dale Kalser, Manuela Tobias, and Tony Bizjak She was afraid of catching the coronavirus – so fearful, in fact, that she switched jobs to pack tomatoes for an employer who seemed to be taking the right precautions. But Maria Claudia Garcia got sick anyway. A farmworker from Venezuela living in the San...
Heatwave, Rabid Bats, COVID, Smoky Air, Flex Alert. What’s Next for Fresno?
Today defines what it means to be Fresno Strong. The heatwave continues, electricity conservation is a must, the air is smoky, and there's a rabid bat warning amid the coronavirus pandemic. Wednesday's high temperature is expected to be 107 degrees, and an Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect. Though the...
‘I Have to Fight’: Fresno Salon Owner Opens Doors in Defiance of State
After weeks of waiting, stress, and lots of anxiety, Tanya Alvarado opened her Tower District salon Tuesday. Nestled into a small space near Olive Avenue and North Van Ness Ave., 'Salon Posh' had its lights on, and people walking by were taking notice. Alvarado's first client arrived around 10 a.m....
Second Private Christian School Opens to Students, Sparking Fresno County Probe
Clovis Christian Schools, a private K-12 school on Locan Avenue, apparently is holding in-person classes and has drawn the attention of Fresno County Public Health officials. Dr. Rais Vohra, the county's interim health officer, said Tuesday that the department is having "conversations" with Clovis Christian and also Immanuel Schools of...
PG&E Customers Can Find Out If Rolling Blackouts Will Affect Their House
Congratulations, Fresno and Clovis. Pacific Gas & Electric officials rolled out a mission Monday — conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts — and residents throughout the utility's service area carried it out. Now, the question is: Will residents save enough juice to avoid rotating power outages Tuesday evening? As of...
Dine Out Discount: UK Pays 50% of Tab to Lure Customers Back
Everyone, it seems, loves a discount especially when it's on the government's credit card. Early indications suggest that hungry, and often nervous, customers are being enticed back to restaurants in the U.K. as a result of a British government program that provides discounts from Monday to Wednesday this month. The...