The Legislature's budget analyst, Gabe Petek, is marking the 20th anniversary of University of California's Merced campus with an overview of how it has fared. In polite language, Petek fundamentally says the campus has fallen well short of its enrollment targets, requires much more state aid than other UC branches...
Friant Agrees to Hold Water Board Retreats in Valley, Not Distant Swanky Resorts
The Friant Water Authority and three irrigation districts in southern Tulare County hammered out an agreement last week that will force Friant to hold future board retreats in its service area — the San Joaquin Valley — instead of the rolling hills of Paso Robles wine country. The development is...
Former Clovis Superintendent Says She’s Running for County Schools Chief
Eimear O'Brien, who retired 18 months ago as Clovis Unified's superintendent, says she will seek election as the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools in 2026. O'Brien said Wednesday she had planned to formally announce her candidacy next month. However, word of her decision was already starting to leak out in...
California Banned Bilingual Education for Nearly 20 Years. It Hasn’t Recovered
In 1953, Bárbara Flores entered kindergarten at Washington Elementary School in Madera, a small city surrounded by farm fields. Her mother and grandmother had talked it up: You're going to learn a lot. You're going to like it. She believed them. A little girl who would one day become a...
City of Fresno’s White-Collar Employees Say They’re Ready to Strike
After more than a year of trying to negotiate a new contract, the city of Fresno's Professional Employees Association warned City Hall its members are preparing to strike. The union of city engineers, architects, paralegals, and department supervisors says the city has stopped negotiating. They want a 3% raise, changes...
Growers to Decide Almond Board’s Future While Banking on ‘Coach Prime’
As they've done for decades, almond growers are voting on whether to continue to fund the Almond Board of California. The vote comes after years of collapsing prices caused by oversupply — from excessive plantings and backlogs caused by shipping chokeholds following the pandemic. Experts now see prices stabilizing as...
RFK Jr Asks Fresno Raw Milk Dairyman to Apply for FDA Advisory Role
The owner of Raw Farms in Fresno says Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants him to apply for a role in the Food & Drug Administration to create standards for getting raw milk safely on the shelves. Kennedy and his vice presidential running mate in the November election, Nicole Shanahan, are...
Bus Drivers Accuse Fresno Unified Special Needs Contractor of Sexual Harassment, Wage Theft
A union representing bus drivers are accusing Fresno Unified's transportation contractor with wage theft and sexual harassment. First Student Inc. operates buses for special needs students on behalf of the school district. At a Monday news conference, union members who work for First Student said the company is stealing their...
City of Fresno’s Union Construction Pact Fails to Deliver Promised Local Jobs
When the Fresno City Council approved an agreement with local labor unions in 2021, the goal was significantly more local hires. A new report shows that the Project Labor Agreement is falling short of its goals. Approved by the city council in 2021 and taking effect a year later, the...
Top Democrats Vow to Make California Affordable Again
The leaders of the state Legislature have a message for voters: We know you’re frustrated with how expensive California is — and we’re going to fix it. After a painful election that sparked recriminations and soul-searching among Democrats across the country, state Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly...