After the second round of appeals hearings for Fresno marijuana retail licenses, only one remains open. On Wednesday, the Fresno City Council approved two licenses, while rejecting one. Authentic 559 in west Fresno and Beyond Rooted 559 in the Tower District made the cut. High Speed Healing in downtown...
Fresno Is Investing $12 Million to Create More Affordable Housing
Financing affordable housing projects can be complex, to put it mildly. "Affordable housing is not the area where you will get a high return," said Sal Gonzales, president of Fresno developer Lance Kashian & Company. "It is more of a passion." Most affordable housing projects take a commitment of...
Assembly Bill Aims to End ‘Squaw Valley’ Name Debate
While the battle over the name of the foothill community Squaw Valley continues in Fresno County, a new Assembly bill proposes to decide the debate. Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-Highland), the first California Native American elected to the state Legislature, and Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), chair of the California...
Fresno Lawmaker Wants to Take Redistricting Away from Supervisors. How One Reacted.
After criticism of the process to redraw Fresno County electoral districts last year, one state legislator now wants to change the process. Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, proposed AB 2030 which would create an independent commission to draw lines for the county's five supervisor seats. “Fresno County must have an independent...
Metal Detector Scans Now Required for Fresno School Board Meetings
Those planning to attend Wednesday's Fresno Unified School Board meeting might want to leave home a little earlier than usual to have time for newly required metal detector scanning. The board's amended agenda includes a notice that everyone entering the Board of Education room in the district's downtown headquarters...
Does Fresno’s New Law Make It Harder to Help Homeless People?
A new coalition of homeless advocates plans to take legal action against the city of Fresno and a new ordinance members say places unnecessary restrictions on advocates working to help the homeless living in encampments. The new ordinance, which was approved on Jan. 27 and authored by Fresno City Councilmembers...
Esmeralda Soria, Assembly Candidate, Has Mounting Ethical Issues. Is She Fit to Serve?
As an elected official serving the public, it’s essential that everything you do is done with integrity and transparency, that your decisions and votes protect the taxpayer, and that any taxpayer money spent is done so appropriately. I’ve now served with Councilmember Esmeralda Soria for five years and her...
Court Says Boswell’s Heavy Equipment Can Block Pipeline Project for Now
The water fight between Kings County’s two largest growers will continue with heavy equipment intended to block a pipeline project allowed to remain in place on the Tulare Lake Canal banks. The Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by J.G. Boswell Company, moved the equipment onto the canal banks in...
Will It Be Rams by 30 Points or Bengals by 1 in Super Bowl?
With seemingly half the world flocking to Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI, I am often asked which team will win come Sunday afternoon. Whether it's on the NFL Network, in this column, or interviews with other media, I strive to deliver an unvarnished assessment based on many hours...
Will Tower Theatre Sell to the City of Fresno?
The Fresno City Council will discuss buying the Tower Theatre in a closed session on Thursday. The item is vaguely listed as "under negotiation: terms and conditions of property acquisition" for the property at 809 E. Olive Avenue. It is the second straight meeting that councilmembers will discuss the...