Jerry Dyer is worried that without another round of federal relief money, the city could be facing a severe budget shortfall. This week, the Fresno mayor warned of a potential $30 million deficit in comments to the Washington Post. At a news conference at the Welcome Inn on Wednesday, Dyer...
Clovis Police Using Drones to Aid in Emergency Responses
There's a new buzz in the air in Clovis, and it's not bees pollinating trees. Clovis police are using drones as part of their law-enforcement strategy. Under a 90-day pilot program, drones will act the way police helicopters do, says Lt. Jim Munro. "It will allow our officers to keep...
Nunes Says Dine Out. Local Health Official Says It's OK.
Should restaurants be avoided during the COVID-19 outbreak? Congressman Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) says it's OK to dine out. And, Fresno County's top public health official agrees. Both said so with the caveat that dining out should be done in good health. Dr. Rais Vohra, the county's interim health officer, added...
Self-Driving Delivery Vehicles Can Bypass Human-Driver Safety Rules, Agency Says
DETROIT — For the first time, the U.S. government's highway safety agency has approved a company's request to deploy a self-driving vehicle that doesn't meet federal safety standards that apply to cars and trucks driven by humans. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted temporary approval for Silicon Valley robotics...
AP Exclusive: Early PG&E Blackouts Forewarned Later Problems
SAN FRANCISCO — The state senators grilling the CEO of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. were upset — like millions of other Californians, some spent days in the dark when the nation’s largest utility shut off power during windstorms this fall. The lawmakers demanded that the executive explain why blackouts...
Brand New Sales Tax Idea for Funding Fresno's Big Needs
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand rolled out his early idea for a new sales tax in an interview Tuesday with GV Wire. Though he didn't name it such, you might call it "Triple-P" — a 0.75% hike on the November 2020 ballot raising about $69 million annually for public safety, parks,...
California Should Make Clear There Is a Right to Housing, Not Simply Shelter
There are two ways to tackle California’s greatest public safety, public health and humanitarian crisis: homelessness. One way is to marshal resources, build programs, replicate successes, and say, with some justification, that we have helped a lot of people, even if the overall situation isn’t much better. The other way...
What Do Fresno's Hispanic Biz Owners Think of Mayor's Race?
Hispanic business owners are generally focused on the same issues as other business owners — economic policy and public safety. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer addressed the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation breakfast Wednesday. Even though he was in a suit, Dyer talked about public safety issues. But, his presence as...
New Safety Barriers in Downtown Clovis Can Stop a Three Ton Truck
Clovis is beefing up efforts to protect the crowds of people who are drawn to the city's popular Old Town events. Retractable steel barriers, called bollards, will be installed at key intersections starting this week. When raised, they block off streets from normal traffic and are also designed to prevent...
Police Aren’t the Only Ones Who Can Make Communities Safer
After a recent string of shootings in Stockton, the search for answers seems to have turned almost entirely to law enforcement. Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones recently said his first action would be to dispatch additional officers from California Highway Patrol and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office to patrol...