Valley News

As state and local officials continue to stress the importance of social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak, lawyers across California are joining forces to get their at-risk clients out of ICE detention centers, including the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield. Sofia Bahena Ortuno, 64 years old, is one …

Nearly two weeks after the coronavirus forced Fresno State to transition to virtual instruction, FM 89’s Kathleen Schock spoke to Bryan Berrett, Fresno State’s director of the Center for Faculty Excellence, about how students and faculty are adapting. https://www.kvpr.org/sites/kvpr/files/styles/big_story/public/202004/bryan_berrett.jpg

What’s it like to be on the frontlines of medicine during a pandemic? FM89’s News Director Alice Daniel got a firsthand account from Dr. Patil Armenian. She’s an associate professor of clinical emergency medicine at UCSF Fresno and she works at Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno. https://www.kvpr.org/sites/kvpr/files/styles/big_story/public/202004/IMG_9064.jpeg

A team of public media reporters are gathering information from California health departments every day to keep you updated on the latest confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19. This dashboard provides a localized look at COVID-19-related cases and deaths in your county, as well as a risk assessment for …

As the host of the popular NPR show Latino USA and founder of the non-profit Futuro Media Group, Maria Hinojosa shines a light on the experience of the Latinx community in America. And with the release of her memoir in September, Hinojosa will soon be sharing some more personal stories …

With recent data indicating that the COVID-19 curve is flattening in some parts of California, FM89’s Kathleen Schock spoke to the state’s Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis about the planning process to reopen the economy and efforts to increase testing capacity. https://www.kvpr.org/sites/kvpr/files/styles/big_story/public/202004/Eleni-Kounalakis-win.jpg

Shantay Balch of the B.L.A.C.K. Wellness and Prosperity Center says community advocacy groups are seeing a daily increase in requests for basic supplies, including diapers. “Calls are nonstop to agencies,” she said, including her own, First 5 Fresno County and the Fresno EOC. “They’re just nonstop. Diapers. Diapers, formula, water, …

The Fresno County Public Health lab was damaged in a flood back in 2019, so the county was sending its potential COVID-19 specimen to Tulare County’s Public Health Lab for analysis. But a partnership with Fresno State now means Fresno County will be able to process tests locally. Standing outside …

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 …

We recently asked a few students for audio postcards about how the pandemic is affecting them. Today, we’re going to hear Selma High School senior Mia Salinas who says she’s missing out on prom, her final season of track, and the chance to say good bye to her teachers and …

Bitwise Industries got a shout-out from Governor Gavin Newsom Thursday as he announced relief for small businesses. The Fresno-based tech company is creating a resource for those laid off due to the pandemic: OnwardCa.org . The website is something of a one-stop shop for COVID-19 needs. You just put in …

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood announced on Tuesday a dozen cases of COVID-19 among staff and inmates in the county jail. That’s why the county is now releasing some inmates without bail. Sheriff Youngblood announced on F acebook the judicial council is requiring the release of some inmates with low …

Even before the coronavirus, Tiffani Quinto had some experience with pandemics. “You know I lived through H1N1,” she said. “I was a buyer at the time at Valley Children’s. And it’s similar to that.” Now she’s the supply chain management contract coordinator for Community Medical Centers in Fresno. She says …