Last November, we brought you the story of Manuel and Olga Jimenez . They’re a Woodlake couple who created a mile-long community botanical garden in their town to inspire and teach kids. Hundreds of young people have volunteered at the Bravo Lake Botanical Garden since it was started 17 years …
Read More »‘Ask Us How We Feel’ – Madera Youth Organize Peaceful Protest Against Police Brutality
More than a hundred people gathered at an elementary school on Friday in Madera to protest police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The people behind the protest were black high school students. Eighteen-year-old Mary Idowu led the protest which started with a “No Justice, No Peace” chant. …
Read More »A Fresno Crowd Of 3,000 Protests Peacefully In Solidarity with George Floyd, Black Lives Matter
More than 3,000 people gathered in downtown Fresno Sunday to protest the murder of George Floyd and other black lives lost to police violence. The Fresno State NAACP and other black organizations in Fresno organized the peaceful protest which started in front of City Hall and lasted for about three …
Read More »Fresno PD Joins Activists in North Fresno to Stand Against Violence
More than 100 people gathered in scorching hot temperatures on Tuesday to stand against a potential riot at the River Park shopping center in north Fresno. This group, which included Fresno police officers and community activists, was responding to a social media post that attempted to incite violence under the …
Read More »Three Injured By Cars At Weekend Protests Against Police Violence In Bakersfield, Visalia
In two separate incidents this weekend, cars intentionally drove into pedestrians at rallies protesting the death of George Floyd, a black man murdered by Minneapolis police. In Bakersfield Friday night, around 300 people gathered in front of the city’s police department, holding signs and rallying peacefully. Ana Cornejo, a grade …
Read More »The Morales Family On Playing Mariachi Music Through The Pandemic
Last August, we introduced you to a Delano teen who had just released her own mariachi album and was preparing to attend Harvard University with her older sister. In mid-March, sisters Anaí and Xóchitl Morales returned home to Delano to finish their semester at Harvard online, due to COVID-19. Since …
Read More »Teenagers Find Themselves In New Caretaking Roles With COVID-19
Teenagers are grappling with a lot these days, from having new caretaking roles to figuring out ways to fill the time. FM89’s News Director Alice Daniel spoke with Deshae Lee and Faith Vega. Both are high school seniors in Fresno and interns at a youth organization called Californians for Justice …
Read More »She Was Released From Mesa Verde With No Place To Go: A Friend She Made Inside Helped Out
Karla Lopez, 32, currently lives in Stockton with her friend Lilian Marquez. The two met at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield nine months ago and have been friends since then. But Lopez’ journey to get here started way back in November of 2018. That’s when a caravan …
Read More »Avenal State Prison Outbreak Second Largest Among State Correctional Facilities
The Avenal State Prison now has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases among the state’s correctional facilities. The prison reported 198 cases as of Tuesday. No visitors have been allowed at the prison for months, said Kings County Supervisor Doub Verboon. He said he thinks a staff member had …
Read More »‘Fresno Is Not Flattening The Curve’ – County Recommends Masks As Some Businesses Reopen
Fresno County’s Public Health Department announced a county-wide mask recommendation this week that takes effect Friday. Officials say it’s one more layer of protection as the county starts to reopen. At a media update Wednesday afternoon, Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra compared wearing masks to using speed bumps, helmets, …
Read More »Fresno County To Open Dine-In Restaurants, City To End Shelter In Place
With state approval, dine-in restaurants can now reopen in Fresno County , as long as measures like social distancing and employee face coverings are used. This comes just after the city of Fresno announced an end to its shelter-in-place order, starting Tuesday. Fresno Mayor Lee Brand said the decision to …
Read More »New Research Finds Climate Change Is Contributing To A Historic Megadrought In The Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is accustomed to dealing with drought, but when those conditions last for decades, scientists call it a megadrought. According to a study recently published in the journal Science, the Southwest is currently experiencing a nearly two-decade megadrought that is fueled in part by global warming and …
Read More »Small Farmers In Fresno County Discuss The Challenges Of Operating During A Pandemic
Small farms are at the heart of the San Joaquin Valley’s rich agricultural industry, but the challenges facing these operations are numerous. Valley Edition Host Kathleen Schock checked-in with three Fresno County farmers about the most recent obstacle they are facing: COVID-19. She spoke with grape and raisin farmer Steven …
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