The Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 Tuesday morning (Supervisor Sal Quintero voted no) to repeal the proclamation of a local emergency due to COVID-19. Additionally, the board is asking all county departments that interact with the public to reopen. "We've seen this in Sacramento for the last year...
Fresno Homeless Housing Conversion a Model for the State, Mayor Says
With new amenities that include a community green space, pool, BBQs, laundry facilities, a business center, a gated entry, and 24-hour security, the site of the old 'Smuggler's Inn' is unrecognizable — in a good way. 'The remodel of these units, turning them into a place where a family, an individual...
Fresno County Says No More ‘First’ COVID Vaccinations Until Mid-February
As Governor Gavin Newsom was touting the benefits of new FEMA mass distribution vaccine sites in Oakland and Los Angeles, officials at the Fresno County Department of Public Health were left scratching their heads as to why the Central Valley was left out. "Fresno County was not chosen to host...
Effort to Rename County’s Squaw Valley Area Put on Hold After Complaints
A proposal seeking to change the name of the Squaw Valley area of Fresno County was postponed Wednesday night by the Orange Cove City Council. Mayor Victor Lopez said the delay in discussing a resolution calling for renaming the area "Nim Valley" was done to allow the city to seek...
Local Leaders Say No COVID Dollars Left to Help Workers Through New Shut Down
It's unclear exactly when California's new stay at home order will impact the Central Valley, but it could be just a matter of days. The trigger? ICU bed capacity across 12 counties that make up the newly designated San Joaquin Valley region. Once available capacity falls below 15%, the stay...
County Says Creek Fire Victims Can Stay in RVs on Property as They Rebuild Homes
Fresno County residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged in the Creek Fire have new housing options available as they return to rebuild what they lost. They can now live on their properties for the next six months in recreational vehicles or "tiny homes" under a temporary measure approved Tuesday...
Fresno Homeless Count: 45% More People on Streets, More People Housed
Even as local leaders marshal more resources and team up to tackle homelessness, the number of people living on the streets of Fresno has climbed 45%. Listen to this article: That's the big takeaway from Wednesday's announcement of the point-in-time homeless count conducted in late January in Fresno and Madera...
County Adds 300 Contact Tracers for Outreach to Vulnerable Communities
Fresno County is partnering with the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission to immediately add 300 contact tracers to help stop a surge of COVID-19 cases. Officials announced on Tuesday that $5.5 million in Fresno County CARES act funding would go toward the effort. Many of the contact tracers had been volunteering...
Arambula Uses Facebook Live Town Hall to Battle Fresno County Supervisors
A battle of approaches is playing out in Fresno County over how COVID-19 money is used. And, the fight is being waged in hallways of public buildings and through mainstream and social media while lives hang in the balance at crowded hospitals and ICU units. On one side, the Fresno...
Arambula Gives His Side of Showdown, Magsig Says It Was a ‘Setup’
A San Joaquin Valley insurance meeting is an unlikely place for a heated showdown between an Assemblymember and a county supervisor, but that's what happened Friday. Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula says he is concerned about a "lack of urgency" by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors on handling the pandemic....