■Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, D-Encinitas, proposes a bill that would limit e-bike usage for children. ■The bill would require either a driver's license or testing and a state ID card. ■Children under 12 would not be allowed to ride an e-bike. A new bill proposed by a southern California legislator would...
Mega-Warehouse Builder Embraces Visalia, Says Fresno ‘Not as Welcoming’
■CapRock Partners' 1.2 million-square-foot building is set for late July or August opening. ■ Visalia's unemployment rate is 10.2% compared to Fresno's 8.2%. ■Builder says it doesn't look at Fresno for new construction. Five months after announcing a new mega-warehouse for the city of Visalia, the Southern California developers anticipate...
The Game, Ads, Music, Puppies: Why Millions Are Excited for Super Bowl Sunday
■40% of U.S. adults are excited for Super Bowl festivities. ■22% of adults are looking forward to Super Bowl commercials. ■14% of adults are excited for the 20th annual Puppy Bowl. Even if it’s not the game itself, millions of Americans will find something to be excited about when it...
Teachers Union Exec Reportedly Vying for Fresno Unified Superintendent Job
Multiple sources tell GV Wire that Louis Jamerson, executive director of the Fresno Teachers Association, and other teachers union leaders have been lobbying district officials and community members to support his candidacy for superintendent of Fresno Unified School District. Jamerson did not respond immediately to a voicemail Wednesday evening seeking...
Ex-Bitwise Employees Can Access 401(k)s, Says Former Company Exec
The retirement money former Bitwise employees had been stashing during their tenure with the now-defunct tech company appears to be available again. Since the company's demise, many employees feared that the company's leadership had illegally squandered their retirement investments. "The day that so many of us have waited for has...
How CA Lawmakers Keep Public in the Dark With One Legislative Trick
Over the last four decades, as California’s state budget became more complicated, governors and legislators have used “trailer bills” to sometimes pass major legislation with little or no public input. California’s state budget process was relatively straightforward, albeit often opaque, prior to 1978. Governors and legislators would estimate how much...
Fresno’s Literacy Instruction ‘Anemic;’ Changing That Would Boost Fresno, State and Nation
Fresno Unified School District needs to move past its longtime "anemic" reading instruction so students can be successful in education, School Board President Susan Wittrup said Monday night at Fresno High. Wittrup was speaking to a small audience of administrators, teachers, and community members who had gathered at the high...
Bitwise Judgment Comes Down: SEC Ruling Bans Soberal from Work with Securities
A federal judge has issued a judgment in the Security and Exchange Commission's case against Bitwise's co-CEO Jake Soberal, banning him from leading a company that issues securities. In the Feb.1 settlement, Soberal — among other orders — waives the right to any defense, said Fresno attorney Roger Bonakdar. Bonakdar...
RIP, James Hallowell: He Loved His Community as Much as He Loved Selling Chevys
James Hallowell — whose passion for selling Chevrolets was equaled by his love for Fresno State, the San Joaquin River Parkway, and the arts — died peacefully surrounded by his family at home on Jan. 31 at the age of 90. Mr. Hallowell took many of the fruits of his...
Is Yet Another Hike Coming to Your PG&E Bill This Spring?
Customers of Pacific Gas & Electric could be facing yet another bill increase — possibly as early as this spring. On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a proposed decision that would allow PG&E to start collecting $516 million in revenues for what the utility spent on wildfire safety...