If you look closely at local governments in the San Joaquin Valley, you’ll find a handful of city council members in their early twenties. One even ran and won as a 19-year-old. In the studio this week, moderator Kathleen Schock spoke with three of these local city councilmembers: Jewel Hurtado …
Read More »Fresno City Council Votes To Support DACA Cases Going Before The Supreme Court
Fresno will join more than 40 other cities across the country in a legal brief that supports three Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals cases going before the Supreme Court in November. The Fresno City Council voted Thursday to be listed in the Amicus brief that supports the plaintiffs in the …
Read More »Selma City Council Split Between Two District Maps: ‘Are They Fair To The Community?’
The Selma City Council is torn between choosing a district map the community supports or picking one that keeps members from running against each other. At Monday night’s regular meeting, the council cast votes on a map created by the company it hired, the National Demographics Corporation (or NDC), and …
Read More »Hanford’s Carnegie Museum May Be On The Line After City Issues List Of Repairs
Steel tycoon and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie built libraries all over the U.S. with at least 14 of them in the Central Valley. Today, only a handful of those original buildings remain. One of them is in Hanford. There’s now a museum inside, but its future may be at risk. Last …
Read More »Delano City Council To Vote On Becoming A Sanctuary City
On a recent Wednesday at about noon, Aldo’s Mexican Restaurant in Delano was empty. There wasn’t any chatter or the sounds of sizzling carne asada on the stove, just the song Mejor Recuerda by Julión Álvarez playing in the background. “During the lunch hour, we used to always be busy, …
Read More »After Realistic Active Shooter Drill, Raisin City School Board Considers Fallout
The Raisin City School Board is meeting today to discuss the consequences of a surprise active shooter drill that terrified students and involved a staff member going around campus with a mask and fake gun. The board is considering whether to discipline or remove the school’s superintendent. Raisin City Elementary …
Read More »After Heated Debate, Fresno City Council Advances Unconventional Gun Violence Prevention Program
Fresno moved a step closer Thursday to fund an unconventional program that aims to reduce gun violence. After a fiery debate, the Fresno City Council voted to partially fund Advance Peace. Three council members voted to allocate $ 200,000 from the budget for the program. The city administration, local leaders, …
Read More »After Fiery Debate, Fresno City Council Advances Unconventional Gun Violence Prevention Program
Fresno moved a step closer Thursday to fund an unconventional program that aims to reduce gun violence. After a fiery debate, the Fresno City Council voted to partially fund Advance Peace. Three council members voted to allocate $ 200,000 from the budget for the program. The city administration, local leaders, …
Read More »Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer Says He’ll Unify The City As Mayor; Protestors Call Him Divisive
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer announced his run for mayor Wednesday as protestors rallied outside his press conference at the Manchester Center. About a dozen protesters chanted “Dyer is a liar” and booed him as he spoke about combatting homelessness, bringing more high-paying jobs to Fresno, and uniting the city. …
Read More »After Heated Public Outcry, Fresno City Council Votes Down Ordinance To Limit Giving To Panhandlers
The Fresno City Council voted down an ordinance Thursday that would have fined people in their cars attempting to give money or food to those standing at busy intersections. The proposal in question is called the Safe Transfer of Objects to Pedestrians, or STOP, and was authored by Council President …
Read More »In Election Upset, Sanger City Councilmember Hurtado On Way To State Senate
When it comes to the state legislature, November’s elections contained only a handful of surprises, but one of the few occurred right here in the San Joaquin Valley: Sanger City Councilmember Melissa Hurtado will be the next State Senator to govern District 14, which encompasses parts of Fresno, Tulare, Kings …
Read More »Her Grandparents Worked With Cesar Chavez, Now She’s Running For Kingsburg City Council
You’ve heard a lot about who’s running for office this election day — and that includes a record number of millenials. In some districts, the California Voting Rights Act is making it easier for young people of color to be on the ballot. That’s the case in the small town …
Read More »Fresno City Council Puts Pot Tax Before Voters
The Fresno City Council voted 5-1 today to put a tax on marijuana dispensaries and related business before voters this November. The tax proposal comes at the same time that the city is studying a change to zoning laws to allow a limited number of medical marijuana dispensaries to operate …
Read More »