The city of Fresno closed off parking lots at city parks effective Wednesday morning. One park in northwest Fresno was eerily quiet as a city worker locked a chain link gate across the driveway. At Logan Park at Barstow and Valentine, the parking lots were closed but pedestrian gates remained...
Senate Approves $2 Trillion Economic Rescue Package on Unanimous Vote
WASHINGTON — The Senate late Wednesday passed an unparalleled $2.2 trillion economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic. It now moves to the House of Representatives, which is expected to pass it Friday. The unanimous vote came despite misgivings on...
Health Dept. Monitoring 350 in Fresno County for COVID-19 Exposure
About 350 people who may have been exposed to the new coronavirus are being monitored in Fresno County, health officials said Wednesday. David Pomaville, the county's health director, revealed the number during a media conference call on Wednesday afternoon. In addition, officials said one additional case of COVID-19 has been...
Central Unified Trustees Consider School Closures Through May 1
Central Unified School District trustees will consider extending the closure of schools through May 1 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The board will hold a special meeting Thursday by teleconference, with the open session starting at 7 p.m. Board members will appear in a Zoom video teleconference broadcast on the district's...
Fresno Offers 0% Loans for Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19
The Fresno City Council voted to provide COVID-19 financial relief for small businesses at an emergency meeting Wednesday. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees will be eligible for 0% loans. If the business remains open for one year, the loan will be forgiven. In a separate vote, the council allocated...
This Tulare County School Is Last One Open in California
Tony Thurmond, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, has urged the last open school district in California to close its doors to prevent the coronavirus spread. The superintendent of the Tulare County Office of Education, Tim Hire, also has recommended that the district shut down during the pandemic. But Outside...
Sen. Caballero Backs Newsom's COVID-19 Efforts, Seeks Legal Status for Farmworkers
Like most of her legislative colleagues, state Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) is working at home instead of the State Capitol in Sacramento. Bills may have stalled, but dealing with the state's response to the COVID-19 outbreak hasn't. Her 12th Senate District covers parts of Fresno, Madera, Stanislaus, and Monterey counties,...
NW Fresno Target Marks the Floor to Help Keep 'Social Distance'
Target is among the retail chains trying to keep customers and employees safe during the COVID-19 epidemic. For example, the Target store in northwest Fresno at Shaw and Marks avenues now has floor markers leading up to checkouts. The markers are intended to help customers maintain "social distance" with each...
Facebook Group Is Fresno Resource for All You Need During COVID-19
Want to know which Fresno or Clovis stores have toilet paper or Clorox wipes right now, and which restaurants have curbside service? There's a Facebook group for that. Created on March 19 by Tammy Suntrapak and her sister-in-law, Mykel Newton Suntrapak, the Fresno COVID-19 Resource group was originally designed to...
Britain's Prince Charles Tests Positive for Coronavirus
LONDON — Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, royal officials confirmed Wednesday — touching off criticism over whether his wealth and status gave him priority in receiving a test. The 71-year-old is showing mild symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by...