The Fresno City Council rejected a proposed market-rate apartment complex in northwest Fresno on Thursday night after scores of neighbors vehemently opposed it, saying it would disrupt traffic and possibly bring unwanted people to the area. Despite city staff saying that the developer went above and beyond design requirements, councilmember...
Fresno Political Community Mourns Death of Sean Burdine
A Fresno political activist known for speaking at public meetings has died. Sean Burdine was 34. Although the exact cause of death is unknown, his parents said he died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, July 20. Burdine, who was known for wearing vests and impeccably styling his hair, often...
Who Is First in Line to Get $115 Million Restitution From Former Bitwise CEOs?
As part of their guilty plea agreement to wire fraud, the former CEOs of Bitwise Industries agreed to pay up to $115 million restitution to the investors and lenders they ripped off. But one expert GV Wire spoke to and the federal government downplays the chances that victims will be...
City Wants Hard Reset on ArtHop. Don’t Expect Food Trucks or Vendors in August.
A fight between what ArtHop was and what it has become led to a sudden declaration by the city of Fresno to cancel all outdoor food and vendors at the August ArtHop. While city officials and the president of the Downtown Fresno Partnership said it gives the city a chance...
Community Reacts to Social Media Apology From Guilty Bitwise CEOs
The criminally guilty former CEOs of Bitwise Industries have admitted to former employees they may never receive money owed to them. And they said that an apology now "is too little, too late." That was one of several revelations that Irma Olguin Jr. and Jake Soberal made in a two-page...
I Am a Former Bitwiser and This Is My Story
It felt like Disneyland had moved to Fresno, but something was always a little off. At Bitwise Industries, we were pampered. Free drinks at the coffee shop in the buildings, snacks, occasional meals, yoga sessions, massages, and more. We even had animals walking around, including my favorite — a little...
Is the Food Safe at Fresno County Restaurants? Grand Jury Says Diners Face Significant Risks
A faulty software program and an understaffed, underpaid inspection team creates significant health threats for Fresno County diners, a civil grand jury report concludes. The Fresno County Grand Jury report released this week paints a bleak picture of available resources for the county's Department of Health inspectors. Jurors found the...
Former Bitwise CEOs Answer ‘Guilty’ to Fraud Charges in Federal Court
The former CEOs of Bitwise Industries, accused of wire fraud and conspiracy in a $115 million scam that toppled the company, entered guilty pleas on Wednesday morning. Federal prosecutors said Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. altered financial documents, lied, and cheated investors to keep the company afloat. They told...
Local Dems Outshine GOP in Latest Congressional Fundraising
Three Democrats in Fresno-area congressional races outraised their opponents for the second quarter. In fact, Democrats Rudy Salas and Adam Gray more than doubled their Republican incumbent opponents. And, House District 21 Rep. Jim Costa continues his fundraising lead over his challenger. Source: FEC; Note: Fong and Boudreaux figures from...
Bitwise Plea Deals Are In. Will Soberal, Olguin Serve Jail Time?
Two former CEOs could serve five years in prison for a scheme that sank Bitwise Industries — a once-promising Fresno technology and real estate company. In a 15-page plea deal posted late Friday — signed by prosecutor Joe Barton — defendants Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. and the federal...