Fresno in 2019 was filled with highs and lows. Here are some of the memorable news images from throughout the year and the stories behind them. January: Remembering David McDonald Fresno area businessman and philanthropist David McDonald died in January at the age of 69. McDonald built Pelco, which made security...
How to Honor David McDonald? Clovis Wants to Rename a Park.
Children and pets could soon be playing at David McDonald Park. McDonald, the businessman, and philanthropist, died last month at age 69. His family said he passed away from natural causes. The former CEO of security camera-maker Pelco operated one of the city’s largest companies. At its peak, Pelco employed...
Celebration of McDonald's Life Is Thursday at Saroyan Theatre
A celebration of the life of former Pelco leader and community philanthropist David McDonald will be held Thursday, Jan. 24, at 3:30 p.m. at the Saroyan Theatre in downtown Fresno. Here is McDonald's obituary provided by his family to GV Wire: David Lupton McDonald April 30, 1949 – Jan. 2,...
RIP, David McDonald: A Giant in Local Business and Philanthropy
David McDonald, who had a giant impact on the Fresno area as a businessman and philanthropist, died Wednesday morning at his Prather home. Fresno County deputies responded to a call for medical assistance at about 9 a.m. McDonald, 69, later passed away, apparently of natural causes, according to the sheriff's office....
Is Measure P’s Defeat The End or New Beginning?
To the surprise of many, Fresno's ambitious Measure P ballot initiative not only failed to attain the two-thirds vote it needed to pass, it didn’t even receive a simple majority of votes in favor. With 100% precincts reporting, 51% of Fresnans voted "no" on P. The measure would have raised the...
Measure P Spending Passes $2M. McDonald Loans 'Yes' $450K.
Total spending on the Measure P parks sales tax vote is now over $2 million, according to the latest campaign spending reports. Heading into the Nov. 6 vote, supporters have significantly outraised and outspent their opponents. Yes on P raised $1.5 million compared to $343,000 by opponents through Oct 20....
It's Swearengin vs. Brand, Parks vs. Public Safety, and Much More
Measure P is the heavyweight local issue on the ballot for Fresno city voters. It's a proposal to raise the sales tax by 3/8 of a cent for 30 years to build, fix and maintain parks and trails, and fund cultural arts. But it's also a scrap to decide Fresno's...
The KMJ Measure P Debate: Both Sides Square Off
Leading figures on both sides of the Fresno parks sales tax proposal debated their positions this week on KMJ580 in a conversation moderated by talk-show host Ray Appleton. No on P advocate and housing developer Darius Assemi squared off with David McDonald, former CEO of Pelco and a Measure P...
Parks Sales Tax Backers Say Plan Will Pay for 42 Cops
Advocates for a sales tax on the November ballot benefiting Fresno parks said Friday that the plan would allow for the funding of police officers. “If we allocate $5 million for the safety and security of our parks, that could hire 42 additional uniformed Fresno police officers working for Jerry...
Message of Clovis 9/11 Remembrance: 'Never Forget'
Before Bryan Burton’s daughter goes off to college Thursday, he wanted to make sure she knew about 9/11 and the impact it has on America today. “She was about 1 when the event occurred in 2001, and so I thought it was important for her to come and attend,” Burton...