The knee-high grasses growing between the rows at Blossom Bluff Orchards in Reedley might be reminiscent of a bad neighbor letting their yard become an eyesore. But the grasses and vegetation are all part of farmer Bryce Loewen's approach to organic farming. He says letting nature take its course has...
Fresno Approves Tax on New Homes and Shopping. Even Experts Don’t Know How it Works
The Fresno City Council on Thursday approved a hotly disputed tax on new homes and apartments even as city staff worked out the complex rules on the dais. While the first city council meeting about the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax surrounded how home prices would be affected, the meeting...
His Students Suddenly Started Getting A’s. Did a Google AI Tool Go Too Far?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A few months ago, a high school English teacher in Los Angeles Unified noticed something different about his students’ tests. Students who had struggled all semester were suddenly getting A’s. He suspected some were cheating, but he couldn’t...
Fresno Families, Veterans, and Federal Workers Turn to First Fruits Market for Help
Friday morning at Fresno Mission's City Center, First Fruits Market reached capacity almost immediately. Families, veterans, furloughed government workers, and others in need shuffled through the doors, looking for something basic — eggs, bread, fresh produce, frozen meats — but leaving with something more: a moment of dignity in a...
Gov. Newsom Pardons Detained Immigrant Fresno Restaurant Manager
Federally incarcerated Fresno restaurant manager Psalm "Sam" Behpoor's case for being released from a Kern County immigrant detention facility received a big boost Friday. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a "full and unconditional pardon" for a residential burglary Behpoor committed when more than two decades ago when he was 18 years...
Sanger Teachers Say They’re Underpaid. District Says It’s Hamstrung by Archaic CA Law
Sanger Unified teachers say they were blindsided when district officials reversed course and applied for an exemption to a state law that requires unified school districts to devote 55% of their budgets to classroom teacher salaries. However, the district says that an outdated California law doesn't reflect the services and...
Clovis Lawmaker Sues Over CA’s New Congressional Maps After Prop. 50 Passes
The morning after California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a state Assemblymember from Clovis filed a federal lawsuit, alleging constitutional violations. California voters approved the measure amending the state constitution to allow redrawing congressional maps six years ahead of schedule. As of Wednesday morning, Prop. 50 was passing with 64%...
Weeds Grow Free on Reedley Farm That Redefines Organic
The knee-high grasses growing between the rows at Blossom Bluff Orchards in Reedley might be reminiscent of a bad neighbor letting their yard become an eyesore. But the grasses and vegetation are all part of farmer Bryce Loewen's approach to organic farming. He says letting nature take its course has...
California Promised Insurance Relief But Delivered Loopholes
LOS ANGELES — Even before the devastating wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles this year, companies that insure the ever-growing number of homes perched in California’s fire-prone foothills were threatening to abandon the state, declaring that the risks were becoming unsupportable. The prospect of uninsurable homes was an existential threat for...
Fresno Is Nation’s Top Ag County at $9 Billion. But What Does Future Hold?
Fresno County reclaimed the title of top ag-producing county in the nation with reported 2024 values exceeding $9 billion for the first time. The record amount comes as Kern County, which held the top spot in 2023, fell to $7.96 billion while Tulare County recovered last year, climbing to $8.3...