A Fresno city councilmember will be allowed to defend herself from a defamation lawsuit brought by one of her elected colleagues, a judge ruled Wednesday. Councilman Mike Karbassi sought a default judgment against Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria — hoping for an automatic victory because Soria did not respond to his lawsuit...
Inflation Busting Your Back-to-School Budget? Here Are Some Great Fresno Deals
With back-to-school right around the corner, families are looking for deals — especially as rising prices impact school spending this year. Several Fresno shops are stepping up to the plate with steep discounts on back-to-school items. Amy Ratliff, co-owner of Fairy Godmother's Closet, says she's had more families come...
Ringleader in Bizarre Fresno Child Sex Abuse Case Will Be Off the Streets for 18 Years
When Fresno resident Brent Cox, his wife, and their live-in girlfriend were arrested on charges of sexual abuse last year, a neighbor told GV Wire that if the allegations were true, "you got to take these people off the street." The shocking accusation that the trio of Cox, his...
Keep Ordering the Gang and Gun Sweeps, Chief Balderrama
Fresno is damn lucky to have Paco Balderrama as police chief. And not someone making nice with progressives who portray gang members and other violent criminals as victims of failed social systems. The Fresno Police Department is entrusted with keeping all of our community as safe as possible. The...
Fresno Chaffee Zoo Defends Care of Elephants, Calls Lawsuit ‘Frivolous’
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has moved to defend itself against a lawsuit after a nonprofit group, the Nonhuman Rights Project, filed a civil action against the popular venue. The group claims the zoo's three African elephants — Amahle, Nolwazi, and Vusmusi — have been unlawfully imprisoned and restrained of...
US Drone Operation Killed Al-Qaida Leader Al-Zawahri. Local Islamic Response
Story has been updated with reaction from Imam Seyed Ali Ghazvini of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno. WASHINGTON — A CIA drone strike has killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, according to five people familiar with the matter. Current and former officials began hearing Sunday afternoon that al-Zawahri...
Boswell-Vidovich Water War Could Bring State Control of Region’s Groundwater
The latest blow in an ongoing water war between two Kings County agricultural titans may put control of the entire region’s groundwater into state hands. The J.G. Boswell Farming Company and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, have been scuffling over water in court, on ditch banks, and even in the...
Fresno Council President ‘a Little Pissant Millennial,’ Ex-City Attorney Reportedly Fumed
Concerned that he may have been a victim of extortion by the president of the Fresno City Council, then-city attorney Douglas Sloan told Mayor Jerry Dyer and other key city staff of the allegations. The information comes from documents filed in the criminal case against Nelson Esparza, accused of...
Fresno County Detectives ‘Desperately’ Need Tips in Four 2022 Teen Homicides
Nothing frustrates detectives more than when leads are in short supply or dry up completely. That's the situation Fresno County homicide investigators face in the shooting deaths of four teenagers this year — two in Orange Cove and two in Parlier. "No arrests have been made in these cases,...
BBQ Throwdown Comes to Fresno Fairgrounds. Pitmaster Secrets Revealed
Jesse Marquez wanted to create a barbeque competition for guys like him — everyday grillers who love to feed family and friends. "I'm just a barbecue guy. I just like cooking in my backyard, my front yard, you know? I mean, I started off with the kettle grill, just like...