Repair work on the Friant-Kern Canal is getting $11 million in new federal funding, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday. The funds are coming from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. They are in addition to $2.35 million that Congress designated to fix the canal's sinking and leaking sections. "Restoring...
Newsom Pledges $11.5 Million to Fresno for Homeless Needs
Continuing a statewide tour, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a mental health crisis center in Fresno on Wednesday, announcing that $11.5 million in help is coming to the area. Listen to this article: The funding will be in the form of emergency grants for the city and Fresno County. "Enough is...
Councilmen Want to End Dirt Paths to Fresno Schools
Waiting for developers to build sidewalks in Fresno has put generations of schoolkids in jeopardy, and three Fresno City Council members say it's time to end the wait. Councilmembers Mike Karbassi, Luis Chavez, and Paul Capriogio are introducing the "Safer Sidewalks to Schools Program" at next Thursday's council meeting. If...
Councilmen Want to End Dirt Paths to Fresno Schools
Waiting for developers to build sidewalks in Fresno has put generations of schoolkids in jeopardy, and three Fresno City Council members say it's time to end the wait. Councilmembers Mike Karbassi, Luis Chavez, and Paul Capriogio are introducing the "Safer Sidewalks to Schools Program" at next Thursday's council meeting. If...
Route 66 Advocates Disappointed Over Lack of Preservation Funds
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Congress has recessed for the holidays, and it has gone another year without passing legislation that would boost funding for Route 66. The lack of movement on reauthorizing the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program means there will be no cost-share grants aimed at reviving old tourist spots in struggling...
Cox's Latest Bill Would Repair Sinking Friant-Kern Canal
Congressman TJ Cox (D-Fresno) has introduced a bill that would help fix the failing Friant-Kern Canal. Dubbed the Move Water Now Act, H.R. 5316 would provide $200 million in funds to repair a 33-mile middle section of the 152-mile canal. That amount is expected to cover half of the repair...
As California Spends Billions on High-Needs Students, Calls Grow for More Oversight
Seven years after California started pumping billions of dollars into schools with the neediest students — an attempt to narrow a chronic academic achievement gap — a new state audit has found that the state’s landmark school funding law isn’t adequately ensuring that targeted money is actually going to the disadvantaged students...
Newsom Signs Clean Water Bill, Raises Funds in Valley Stop
Visiting a dot on the map in Fresno County called Tombstone, Gov. Gavin Newsom hoped to put an end to unsafe drinking water. The governor on Wednesday came to a home south of Sanger and signed the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund (SB 200), which will provide up $130...
PG&E Offers $105M ‘Wildfire Assistance’ Plan
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric says it will set up a $105 million fund to help survivors of recent California wildfires started by the utility's equipment. In a court filing Wednesday, PG&E says the wildfire assistance program will provide relief for people who lost property during huge blazes...
Big Special Ed Dollars Coming. Can FUSD Deliver Better Results?
As soon as he became superintendent in 2017, Bob Nelson publicly acknowledged serious, heart-breaking problems in Fresno Unified's often-criticized special education program. The criticism hasn't relented even as Nelson has become the social media face of the district's move to "inclusion" — that is, teaching special ed students, whenever possible,...