Nearly a year after the launch of Bus Rapid Transit, what conclusions can be drawn about the $56.2 million upgrade to Fresno's mass transit system? For starters, frequent riders praise it. So does Mayor Lee Brand. "It's a great compliment to our overall transit strategy, especially because it provides a...
Wrong-Way Driver Kills Fresno Police Officer Phia Vang
Fresno police have identified veteran officer Phia Vang, 48, as one of the victims in a double fatal traffic collision that occurred early Monday evening at Freeway 180 and McCall Avenue. Vang was driving home from work at about 5 p.m. when a wrong-way driver struck Vang's vehicle head-on. The...
Money Back Guarantee Gets 7-0 Vote, But Fine-Tuning Ahead
A proposal to guarantee that Fresno delivers planning department services on time received a 7-0 vote from the city council Thursday. But council members also made it clear that important issues must be ironed out before the "money back guarantee" plan is adopted. The bill, introduced by Garry Bredefled (District...
Robots Will Wipe Out Fresno Jobs. Here's What We Can Do.
The robots are here. And many more are coming, as artificial intelligence enables the automation of repetitive tasks in the manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and hospitality industries. What will the impact be on Fresno? According to a report published Thursday by the Brookings Institution, about 1 in 4 Fresno jobs is at "high...
Chavez Says Fresno Growth Plan Is a Dud. Wants Fixes in 2019.
Luis Chavez has seen enough of the 4-year-old Fresno General Plan to conclude that it's not working nearly well enough. He sees residential housing exploding in Clovis, Madera, and other surrounding cities, and calculates the extra miles traveled daily by people who work in Fresno — and the vehicle emissions...
Medical and Recreational Cannabis Finally Get the OK in Fresno
More than two decades after California voters legalized medicinal marijuana, the Fresno City Council finally followed suit Thursday. On a 5-2 vote, with Steve Brandau and Garry Bredefeld opposed, the council approved an ordinance regulating the production and sale of cannabis — including recreational marijuana. It provided a long-awaited political victory...
What Should Fresno Be Thankful For? Let’s Start With 5.3% Unemployment.
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is that it prompts us to look to the bright side and count our blessings. Aside from my familial blessings, the thing I'm most thankful for is the turnaround in Fresno's economic trajectory. The city's unemployment rate in October was 5.3%. Ten years ago,...
Face-Off on Measure P: Ashley Swearengin and Lee Brand
View the video above to watch former Mayor Ashley Swearengin and Mayor Lee Brand discuss their views on Measure P.
City Council OKs Moratorium on Fresno Water Fines
The Fresno City Council unanimously approved a moratorium on fines for excessive water usage at special meeting Thursday. The moratorium is retroactive to Oct. 1. The council will convene again on the subject in January. Council members additionally instructed city staff to inform the public about the moratorium. Water violation...
Tax Vote Should've Been 50/50 For Parks & Police: Ashjian
It has been said, "Two men look through the same jail cell walls, one sees mud and one sees stars." Certainly, this is the way that I see the Fresno parks sales tax initiative. First, I think some background is in order. At the ultimate fallout of the Great Recession, Fresno's...