In a Friday afternoon interview with GV Wire, Mayor Jerry Dyer said, "I would not be surprised if a criminal investigation was initiated based on the seriousness of the claims" leveled by Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld against Council President Nelson Esparza earlier in the day. Speaking at a...
City Attorney Says Esparza Told Him to ‘Work Only for the Majority’
Fresno City Attorney Douglas Sloan sent an email Friday night confirming the account given earlier in the day that his job security was threatened by the city council president, and Sloan was to only provide services to the council majority. In a morning news conference at City Hall, city...
Dyer’s State of the City Theme: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Mayor Jerry Dyer told an audience at Chukchansi Park that Fresno can become a vibrant, prosperous city for all "but only if we work together as One Fresno can we make that happen." In his State of the City address on Thursday evening, the mayor highlighted his accomplishments after...
Valley Mom Mounts Desperate Search for Baby Formula
A Hanford mom says she desperately searched for baby formula for her 8-month-old daughter before finally getting some amid the nationwide shortage. "We had been looking for a couple of weeks cause I knew we were running out of the formula that my daughter likes," said Hannah Miedema. Her...
Judge Drops Arias From Developer’s ‘Pay to Play’ Lawsuit for Lack of Evidence
A judge has dismissed Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias from a lawsuit alleging that Arias tried to shake down a developer. In a final ruling Thursday, Fresno County Superior Court Judge D. Tyler Tharpe said that Cliff Tutelian's lawsuit lacked sufficient evidence to proceed with Arias as a defendant....
Trails End Tenants’ Attorney Shines Light on Criminal Past of Harmony Communities CEO
A day after Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan approved the sale of Fresno's troubled Trails End Mobile Home Park to Harmony Communities for $1.7 million, the attorney representing residents there questioned the sale in light of the criminal history of the company's top executive. California Rural Legal...
Labor Pains: City Bus Drivers, County Jailers Threaten Strikes
Two local public labor unions are threatening strikes. In the city of Fresno, the bus driver union — ATU — objects to what its leaders say is the city wanting to change the labor contract regarding two key issues. In Fresno County, the union representing correctional officers has called...
Fresno Council Candidates Divided on Tower Purchase, Housing Plans
The four candidates running for Fresno City Council District 1 have differing views on how government should operate, especially when it comes to purchasing the Tower Theatre. Annalisa Perea, Cary Catalano, Mike Briggs and Jeremy Pries are running for the seat being vacated by termed-out councilwoman Esmeralda Soria. Ballots...
Efforts to End Fresno Housing Crisis Underway While Council Sorts Out Plan
As the Fresno City Council shapes a three-year plan to ease the housing crisis, Mayor Jerry Dyer's administration is putting its shoulder into efforts now. For example, the planning and development department is hiring more staff and cutting red tape on housing projects. The goal, deputy mayor Matthew Grundy...
The People’s Court? City Caught in Middle of Volleyball-Pickleball Conflict
On a warm spring night, about 20 Hmong men — most in their 20s — gather at an Einstein Park tennis court to play volleyball. They bring their own net, set it up, chalk in additional lines and play a friendly if not competitive game. It is part of...