Saying that sex offenders exiting prison often turn to Fresno and unregulated group homes are all too glad to house them, city councilmember Mike Karbassi wants a licensing process to control where the homes are located. Karbassi said Tuesday at a new conference that he would propose a study developing...
Valadao and Villegas Couldn’t Be Further Apart. The Stakes for CA-22 Are Huge.
Here in California's heartland, where Democrats often lean conservative and proudly call themselves "Valleycrats," the biennial congressional races often are decided more by incumbency, party voter registration, and personality than by where candidates stand on the issues. But thanks to progressive Randy Villegas' primary victory over conservative Democrat Jasmeet Bains,...
Planning Commission Nixes Controversial Cemex Proposal. What Happens Next?
A reduced mining agreement wasn't enough to get the necessary votes from Fresno County Planning Commissioners to approve a controversial plan to blast a deeper hole in an aggregate quarry along the San Joaquin River. Now, it will be up to the company, Cemex, to decide whether to appeal the...
Fresno Police Square Off With ICE Over Arrested Agent
Fresno police refused to release an arrested Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent to other ICE agents early Friday morning at Community Regional Medical Center. A law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the situation described the confrontation as an intense showdown. However, Fresno officers held firm, the source said, and...
Fresno Unified School Closure Talks Coming. Which Ones Are Targets?
Discussions about school closures are coming as Fresno Unified has a working list of facilities with fewer than 400 students. This list covers downtown and north Fresno elementaries most affected by low enrollment. With community members raising concerns to the district, Superintendent Misty Her said any discussions about closing schools...
Tutelian Lawsuit Against Fresno Over Downtown Parking Set for Jury Trial
A decade-long dispute over parking in downtown Fresno that boiled over into a lawsuit could go before a jury on Oct. 12. Real estate developer Cliff Tutelian alleges in his lawsuit against the city and Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias that the city reneged on a deal to give him...
Newsom Vetoes High-Speed Rail Oversight Bill Despite Scathing Audit
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that aimed to boost oversight of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority. Assembly Bill 1608 by Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Lori Wilson, a Suisun City Democrat, would have allowed the Office of Inspector General that oversees the high-speed rail project to hire more skilled workers and...
State Foster Care System May Again Be on the Brink As Fresno, Tulare Systems Only Now Stabilizing
In 2024, the nation's largest nonprofit insurer announced it would not renew policies for many California foster family agencies after a change in state law made them share liability in sexual abuse cases along with governments and school districts. Over the next two years, the change sent the system connecting...
Why Does a Big Mac Cost $5.69 at One Fresno Location, $6.89 at Another?
NEW YORK —McDonald’s is increasingly using artificial intelligence to guide menu prices across the U.S. and some global markets, a plan that aims to boost headquarters’ profit but risks alienating customers and attracting antitrust scrutiny. One pricing factor supercharged by AI: an estimate of how much each store's patrons are...
State Upgrades Water Warnings for Shaver Springs. What Are the Fixes?
When Jennifer and Darrell Taber moved to Shaver Springs in 2017, they knew the water in the area was "not great." For decades, the state and the county have dealt with water issues ranging from high uranium levels to high gross alpha particles in the water. More recently, iron and...
