Fresno Mayor Lee Brand has blessed a request that the city council have a larger role in the search for Andy Hall's successor as police chief. The compromise forged by the mayor and councilman Nelson Esparza comes amid lingering controversy about Hall's appointment after the retirement of longtime chief Jerry Dyer...
Brand's Police Chief Choice Reflects His Integrity, Not a Charade
You can debate whether Lee Brand's decision to select an interim police chief as Jerry Dyer's successor is the right one. You also can question the optics of his stunning change-of-course after City Hall conducted a national search that heavily involved the community. But I have no doubts about the...
Pilot Confirmed Dead in Lemoore Fighter Jet Crash in Death Valley
Authorities on Thursday confirmed the death of a pilot whose fighter jet from Naval Air Station Lemoore crashed in Death Valley National Park, injuring seven people who were at a scenic overlook where aviation enthusiasts routinely watch military aircraft speeding low through a chasm dubbed Star Wars Canyon. “The Navy has...
Crews Find Crashed Plane in Lake Tulloch
UPDATE: Crews recovered the body of a pilot and his plane Tuesday after the aircraft crashed into Lake Tulloch in Calaveras County, officials said. JAMESTOWN — Search teams on Monday afternoon located a small plane that crashed and sank in Lake Tulloch a day earlier, the Tuolumne Sheriff's Office said. In...
Rain Could Hamper Search for Victims of California Wildfire
CHICO — It's been 12 days since Christina Taft started the frantic search for her mother Victoria, who refused to evacuate their Paradise home as flames neared, and six days since she gave authorities a cheek swab to identify remains that are likely her mother's. She still hasn't received confirmation...