Valley News

The Fresno Community Chorus stopped singing in March just ahead of shelter-in-place orders and the county’s adoption of COVID-19 restrictions. Seven months later, the group reunited in person to sing, not in a concert hall but in a parking lot. On Tuesday evening, dozens of cars drove into the Calvary …

The superintendent of Immanuel Schools said Wednesday he’s pleased to no longer be arguing the legality of keeping his K-12 private school in Reedley open. That’s due to a recent settlement among Immanuel, Fresno County, and the state attorney general’s office. The settlement comes now that Fresno County is in …

The future of stem cell research, cash parole and kidney dialysis clinics are now in the hands of California voters. And those are just three of the 12 propositions on the November ballot. To better understand the impact these propositions could have on the state, Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock …

Depending on a county’s status in California’s reopening blueprint , most of the state’s gyms are allowed to operate either exclusively outdoors or indoors with tight restrictions on capacity. In Kern County, however, some gyms have been designated as essential, allowing them to circumvent those guidelines. The two Sculpt 365 …

Traditionally, the Reel Pride Film Festival draws thousands to Fresno’s Tower District for one of the nation’s biggest celebrations of LGBTQ cinema. But in response to COVID-19 restrictions, organizers have turned this year’s festival, which takes place this weekend, into an online event. To learn more about what audiences can …

As the November 3rd election deadline draws near, Valley Public Radio continues its look at the propositions before voters. Joining Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock for a conversation about the potential changes to rent control, property taxes, data security, and how the state charges theft-related crimes are Ben Christopher, election …

As local COVID-19 case numbers continue to improve, five counties in the San Joaquin Valley have now advanced beyond the purple “widespread” designation of the state’s reopening plan known as the Blueprint for a Safer Economy . Fresno, Kern, Kings and Merced are now designated red for “substantial” virus spread, …

This week on Valley Edition: More and more young candidates are running for office. We talk with three Valley youth vying for seats on local school boards. Plus, teaching online is challenging enough. But getting kids to sing in a chorus over the internet? That’s really tricky. Choir teachers are …

With public schools still operating remotely, one subject particularly challenging to teach online is music. Despite the limitations, choir teachers in Fresno County are brainstorming new ways to instruct, even through a screen. On one Thursday morning, halfway through the high school choir class that Jacob Bailey is teaching on …

On a bright afternoon in June, a group of protesters wearing masks gathered in a dusty parking lot outside a prison in rural Kings County. One of them held a megaphone up to a cell phone. “My name is Jacob Benitez, I’m an inmate calling from Facility F right here …

Last week, Fresno County businesses celebrated that the county had advanced into the red, less restrictive tier of the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan. Then, this past Tuesday, they learned that they may be forced to close back up again, as early as next week, if the county’s case rate doesn’t …

Jordan Pulido lost his grandmother to the coronavirus, and says the pandemic has derailed most of his plans for his last year at Fresno State. The 22-year-old is studying music education, and this year, he was supposed to perform in the university’s rendition of “Carmina Burana,” travel to Italy, and …

And now it’s time for another segment of StoryCorps San Joaquin . As part of Valley Public Radio’s collaboration with the personal history project , we’re airing segments based on recorded conversations from February’s 2020 mobile tour in Fresno and Bakersfield. Today, as part of the Yonsei Memory Project, you’ll …