An employee of Castillo's Mexican Food in southeast Fresno tested positive for COVID-19 the restaurant announced on Facebook. "It is with a heavy heart that we notify our loyal customers of this temporary closure effective 7/21/20," reads part of the post from the restaurant at 3659 E. Ventura Ave. Two Week...
Radio Ad Slams Arambula Over Run-in with Supervisors
Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula's confrontation last week with members of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors has made him the target of conservative activist and campaign consultant Tal Cloud. Also in Politics 101: Will there be a City-County workshop next week? Groups concerned over access to meeting. Two more candidates running...
GOP Revolts on New COVID Spending as Aid Expiration Nears
WASHINGTON — In a shift, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was preparing Wednesday to roll out a “handful” of COVID-19 aid bills instead of a single package as Republicans revolt and split from the White House over priorities, according to a top lawmaker involved in the negotiations. "I think what the leader...
Could Local Elementary Schools Reopen with Waiver from COVID-19 Closures?
Big Creek Elementary School sits high in the Sierra southwest of Huntington Lake and serves 56 students. Thus far, there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in the tiny community. So Big Creek might seem a likelier candidate than most schools to qualify for a waiver from Gov. Gavin...
Final Testing of Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Starts Monday
A vaccine created by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. is set to begin final-stage testing on Monday. Several sites in California will participate. The final stage testing in this study of 30,000 people will see if it really is safe and effective. Moderna spokesperson Ray Jordan tells GV Wire℠...
World Virus Cases Top 15M; US Labs Buckle Amid Testing Surge
WASHINGTON — Laboratories across the U.S. are buckling under a surge of coronavirus tests, creating long processing delays that experts say are actually undercutting the pandemic response. With the U.S. tally of infections at 3.9 million Wednesday and new cases surging, the bottlenecks are creating problems for workers kept off...
Ampersand Ice Cream Temporarily Closes NW Fresno Shop After COVID-19 Case
Ampersand Ice Cream at Herndon and Marks avenues is temporarily closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The other Fresno shop at 1940 N. Echo Avenue remains open. [covid-19-tracker] A sign on the door at the northwest store states, "Unfortunately, at 7:00 p.m. Monday, July 20th, we were informed...
Nursing Home Denies Workers’ Claims of Dirty Play, Low Pay
A nursing assistant and her union are sounding the alarm of unsafe and unfair practices at one local nursing home. Sylvia Castillo, a certified nursing assistant, says Fresno PostAcute Care is not providing proper personal protective equipment, not providing adequate space for breaks, and reneging on a promise for hazard...
Federal Lawsuit Seeks to Overturn California’s School Closing Mandate
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks to overturn the mandate issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom to keep schools closed in counties like Fresno that are on the state's COVID-19 watchlist. Distance learning failed to educate children of all races, ethnicities, income levels, and education needs when it took effect last...
How Much Did Fresno Pay for 63,000 Masks?
The city of Fresno purchased nearly 63,000 face masks for about $137,000, documents reveal. Last week, the Fresno City Council voted to mandate masks at all businesses, whether indoor or outdoor. The city is also providing masks to its employees. Additionally, in May, Mayor Lee Brand announced the city was...