In Madera County, one-fifth of residents live in poverty and many don’t have health insurance. The last thing this largely rural, Latino-majority part of the San Joaquin Valley needed was for its only general hospital to close its doors. But years of financial struggles forced 106-bed Madera Community Hospital and...
Valley Drug Trafficking Goes ‘From Bad to Worse.’ Leaders Vow Crackdown on Fentanyl Crisis.
With more than 150 people dying daily in America from overdoses related to synthetic opioids, Central Valley leaders are stepping up efforts to put fentanyl traffickers behind bars. At a news conference Thursday afternoon at the federal courthouse in Fresno, U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert said that over the last 20...
Clovis Unified Superintendent Is Leaving District. Here’s Why.
Clovis Unified School District Superintendent Eimear O'Brien, who has led the district since 2017, announced Thursday morning that she will be retiring. O'Brien's contract was not set to expire until June 2024. Her retirement is effective June 30. She told reporters at a hastily called news conference that she was...
Storms Drop Nearly 33 Trillion Gallons of Water on CA Over 3 Weeks
It's hard for many people to comprehend water measurements such as acre-feet and cubic feet per second. But there's one measurement everyone can understand regarding the precipitation that fell in California between Dec. 26 and this past Tuesday. That measurement is the simple gallon. According to NOAA, the parade of...
GOP’s Shepard Concedes State Senate Race to Hurtado
The recount is finally over, and state Sen. Melissa Hurtado will remain in office. After calls to concede earlier in the day from the Hurtado campaign, David Shepard announced he is through with the recount. "This race has been historically close and as the recount draws towards the end, I...
GOP’s Shepard Concedes State Senate Race to Hurtado
The recount is finally over, and state Sen. Melissa Hurtado will remain in office. After calls to concede earlier in the day from the Hurtado campaign, David Shepard announced he is through with the recount. "This race has been historically close and as the recount draws towards the end, I...
Sierra Snowpack Might Be Biggest on the Planet Right Now
The gold standard for figuring out how much water will be delivered to California communities, businesses, and farms is the annual April 1 snowpack measurement. Finally, after three years of drought, things are looking up. Thanks to a long parade of storms, the statewide snowpack has already surpassed the April...
A Big Idea: Turn Two Local Crises Into a Regional Homelessness Solution
Over the last couple of weeks, two stories — about something other than the weather — have dominated local headlines. The first concerns the closure of the Madera Community Hospital, an important community resource and sparkling facility. It sits nearly empty, seemingly destined to follow the same path as other...
President Biden Will Visit California’s Devastated Central Coast Thursday
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will travel to California's central coast Thursday to visit areas devastated by extreme weather. The White House said in a statement Monday that the president would visit with first responders and state and local officials, survey recovery efforts, and assess what additional federal support is...
Fog and Frost Ahead as Waterlogged Valley Starts to Dry Out
After three weeks of flooding, uprooted trees, and rockslides, clear skies are finally ahead for the Central Valley. Along with patchy fog, cooler temperatures, and frost. City crews are currently working to clear a fallen tree on Blackstone Avenue between Olive and McKenzie. Expect delays in the area. pic.twitter.com/3VkkBqHITf —...