City Hall is keeping its mouth shut on hiring Fresno's next police chief. Mayor Jerry Dyer and his administration have ignored several requests from GV Wire for an update. Dyer last spoke on the matter on Jan. 9, saying he had an upcoming meeting with the recruiting firm, Public Sector...
Former Fresno EOC Manager Sues Agency Claiming Harassment, Retaliation as Whistleblower
The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission's former manager of equity and inclusions alleges in a civil lawsuit that she was harassed, retaliated against, and wrongfully terminated because she was a whistleblower who then-Chief Executive Officer Emilia Reyes targeted. The suit by Stacy Williams, filed on Nov. 22 in Fresno County Superior...
Magsig Says ‘Range of Light’ Prospects Are as Dark as Night
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig wrote on Facebook Friday that with President Donald Trump's election, a plan to designate 1.4 million acres of the Sierra National Forest as a national monument "has been prevented." Similarly, two U.S. Congressmembers introduced a bill to make it so only lawmakers can set large...
When Did Fresno EOC Finances Start Their Downhill Plunge?
One Fresno state lawmaker has put a spotlight on the financial morass of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission by calling for a forensic audit. Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula’s letter to his fellow commissioners in November, one month after he replaced his mother on the commission, charged that the agency’s financial footing...
Trump Orders Putting ‘People Over Fish.’ Will He Succeed?
President Donald Trump lost no time Monday in advancing his agenda for California’s water supply with a “presidential action” intended to send more Delta water south to millions of Southern Californians and San Joaquin Valley farms. The memo calls on the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior...
Convicted Jan. 6 Rioter Benjamin Martin Still Going to Prison
A Madera County man convicted of Jan. 6 Capitol riot crimes and gun-related offenses in a second trial, is headed to prison. Benjamin Martin, 46, is scheduled to self-surrender in Fresno on Wednesday to federal prison officials, the Department of Justice tells GV Wire. The federal Bureau of Prisons will...
Is Lawsuit on Planned Reedley Job Center a ‘Shakedown’?
A nonprofit with a history of environmental lawsuits in the Central Valley sued the city of Reedley and the landowner for a plan to develop ag land into industrial use. Just outside Reedley city limits, farmer Keven Lai wants to develop 42.5 acres of land, said Rodney Horton, community development...
From Mount Vernon to the Rotunda, Central Valley Watches Trump Inauguration
With the change in venue of President Donald Trump's inauguration, not everybody who went to our nation's capital city from the Central Valley could attend. Anticipated frigid weather moved the activities indoors. The traditional parade was scrapped for an event at Capital One Arena — home of the NBA's Wizards...
Trump Returns to Power After Unprecedented Comeback, Emboldened to Reshape US
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president Monday, promising a "revolution of common sense" and taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country's institutions. Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win...
When New Selma Council Is Seated, What Happens to City Manager?
The disputed membership of the Selma City Council could be resolved next week. However, a feud between the mayor and city manager continues. City officials are at odds with the council about the governing board of the town of approximately 25,000 residents, 15 miles south of Fresno along Highway 99....