This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Some of California's most acclaimed schools right now aren't in elite suburbs or wealthy urban enclaves. They're in a small city in the San Joaquin Valley, an outpost on Highway 99 surrounded by almond trees and orange groves....
FresYes Fest: The Big Downtown Party Expects 25,000 People Saturday
FresYes Fest organizers expect 25,000 people — maybe more — in downtown Fresno enjoying food, crafts, and musical acts Saturday. Now in its 11th year, organizer Mike "Oz" Osegueda says FresYes Fest — which started as a celebration of Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co.'s anniversary — is Fresno's preeminent party destination. "Over...
Lobbyists Are a Growth Industry in Politically Complex California
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. In the late 1990s, the late Jay Michael and I coauthored a book, published by the University of California, that explored why and how interest groups employ lobbyists to represent them in Sacramento. Michael was a retired lobbyist...
Will Vang Win Fresno Council Seat Outright? It Could Go Down to the Wire
Brandon Vang has a majority of votes cast from Tuesday's special election for a vacant Fresno City Council seat. But, with only 18 votes above the 50% plus one vote mark, clinching the election outright likely won't be known for another week. If Vang's margin holds, a runoff election isn't...
New CA Fire Maps Will Change How Some Valley Homes Are Built
When fires ravaged Chico and Paradise in 2018, most of the homes built there came before modern state mitigation standards, said Frank Bigelow, deputy director of community wildfire preparedness and mitigation with CalFire. Now, the statewide agency has new threat designations for areas much closer to urban areas than before....
Protests Planned All Over California to Oppose Medicaid, SNAP Funding Cuts
A grassroots movement, We Are California, is leading a statewide week of action to protest proposed federal budget cuts that threaten essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP, which millions of families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities rely on, the group said in a news release. The week-long campaign, which...
‘They Didn’t Lift a Damn Finger’: California Crime Victim Fund Ordered to Change Practices
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Ruby Marichalar didn't have the money to pay for her son's funeral after he was stabbed to death in September 2012. Like thousands of Californians every year, she turned for help to a state agency that was created...
Madera Community Hospital Reopens. How Does It Fit Into Valley Medical Care?
When Madera Community Hospital abruptly closed its doors in early 2023, its ripple effects spread much farther than the immediate city and county that relied on its services. The 103-bed hospital, which faced significant financial pressures for several years, will reopen today (March 18) under the management of Modesto-based American...
Experts Say Fresno Dark Money Group Should Disclose Funding Sources Now
The mysterious political group behind a controversial election mailer should disclose its funding sources now, election experts tell GV Wire. Earlier this month, some voters in District 5 — southeast Fresno — received a mailer accusing Fresno City Council candidate Brandon Vang of statutory rape more than 30 years ago....
Fresno Council President Says It’s Not Worth Investigating ‘Rumors’ of Chavez Wrongdoing
Update: Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi said he would be willing to investigate the allegations if Juan Arambula and Luisa Medina were willing to reimburse the city for the cost of the investigation if no wrong-doing was found. Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi says he doesn't want an...