This week the staff at Kaiser Fresno Medical Center said goodbye to Sandra “Sandy” Oldfield, a registered nurse at the hospital who died of COVID-19 after treating an infected patient. On Wednesday evening, hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil to honor her memory. Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock spoke with …
Read More »People Detained At Bakersfield Detention Center Go On Hunger Strike Over COVID-19 Concerns
Over one hundred people detained at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield are on an indefinite hunger strike, according to Susan Beaty, a fellow with Centro Legal de la Raza in Oakland. Those detained are demanding access to masks, soap and other protective items. The strike started at …
Read More »Fresno County School Districts Close Temporarily Amid Coronavirus Concerns
Three Valley districts have made the decision to close their schools starting Monday until April 13: Fresno, Clovis and Central Unified. They’re the latest across the state to announce a blanket closure of schools due to coronavirus concerns. In a press conference Friday, Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson said preserving …
Read More »Fresno School Districts Close Temporarily Amid Coronavirus Concerns
Two Valley districts have made the decision to close their schools starting Monday until April 13: Fresno and Central Unified. They’re the latest across the state to announce a blanket closure of schools due to coronavirus concerns. In a press conference Friday, Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson said preserving the …
Read More »Citing Economic Concerns, California’s Oldest Dairy Closes Its Doors
After more than a century of milk production, California’s oldest dairy is closing. The owner isn’t getting out of agriculture altogether, however—he’s switching out cows for trees. Dino Giacomazzi is a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Hanford. Having produced milk since 1893, he suspects Giacomazzi Dairy may be the oldest west …
Read More »It ‘Certainly Raises Concerns’ – Dyer Responds To Video Of Officer Punching Teenager
The Fresno Police Department is on the defensive after a bodycam video showing an officer punching a teenager was leaked to the public. The video shows an event in late January in which officers are arresting a group of people at an apartment complex near downtown Fresno. After being patted …
Read More »Three Fentanyl Overdoses In One Day Raise Opioid Concerns In Fresno County
Law enforcement and health professionals in Fresno are reeling after three people overdosed last week on the opioid drug fentanyl. The men snorted what they thought was cocaine, said Fresno Deputy Police Chief Pat Farmer in a press conference on Monday. The three men, who took the drug together on …
Read More »Courthouse ICE Arrests Spark Concerns, But Aren’t New
Recent arrests of undocumented immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials inside Central Valley courthouses from Fresno to Sacramento have sparked controversy. But as Valley Public Radio’s Monica Velez reports, such arrests aren’t new. She joined us on Valley Edition to look back at a series of arrests made by …
Read More »Immigration Attorneys Raise Concerns About U Visa Policy Changes
About eight years ago Mirsa Urias was working at a restaurant in Bakersfield. She was the only person working up front and says it was business as usual until one man entered. “He pointed a gun at me and said I had to give him money,” the 30-year-old says in …
Read More »Across Valley, Concerns Arise Over Government Transparency
Earlier this year, we reported on a new immigration policy in Madera County : Whenever the county jail was releasing a foreign-born felon back into the community, it would coordinate that release with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which could potentially detain or deport that felon. But when …
Read More »Amid Homeless Concerns, Brandau Wants Fresno To Ban Camping
A Fresno City Councilmember has a new idea on dealing with the city’s homeless population – a law that would ban camping in the city. Councilmember Steve Brandau is set to take the proposed ordinance before the city council next Thursday. If adopted, the law would ban camping on both …
Read More »Fiery and fatal week renews concerns about Highway 99 corridor’s safety
Madera County Supervisor David Rogers speaks with firsthand knowledge about the dangers of Highway 99, a highway that gained notoriety last year as the most dangerous in the United States. … Click to Continue »
Read More »In Kern County, Expanded Mental Health Services On Hold Thanks To State Budget Concerns
The Affordable Care Act may be staying in place for now, but the long-term future of health care is still far from certain. And that uncertainty is already taking its toll on some health care programs–with ripple effects felt throughout the Valley. If you peruse the Airbnb listings outside Bakersfield, …
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