POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Early voting has begun in Fresno County
abc30
The Fresno County Clerk announced Monday is the opening of 'Early Voting' for the Statewide General Election, which will be held Tuesday, November 6th. The main Elections office in Downtown Fresno will act as a countywide polling place.
See Also:
● Election season is officially underway as ballots go out Bakersfield Californian
● It’s almost Election Day. Our Voter Guide will get you up to speed — and save you time Sacramento Bee
● How energized are California voters? Mail balloting will give an early answer San Francisco Chronicle
● Vote By Mail California Secretary of State
Fresno still ‘ground zero’ for terrible air. Why did Valley Air District blow off major hearing?
Fresno Bee
A recent EPA public hearing over the Trump Administration’s proposed weakening of vehicle emission rules drew a sizable turnout. Our local air officials were MIA.
O’Neill Leaving Federal Bench, Warns of Judge Shortage
GV Wire
Judge Lawrence O’Neill is leaving the federal bench in 16 months. He’s circled the date on his calendar: Jan. 31, 2020. But he’s concerned hyper-partisanship will delay his replacement and cause such crippling judicial gridlock that some suspects will have to go free.
Valley religious leaders criticize Nunes’ mailer
Fresno Bee
Statement from religious leaders.
Congressional Candidates In Roseville, Placer County District Spar Over California Fuel Tax Repeal
Capital Public Radio
Northern California Congressman Tom McClintock and his Democratic challenger, Jessica Morse, clashed in their second debate on Monday.
How lightning rod incumbent Soiseth plays key role in race for Turlock mayor
Modesto Bee
As Turlock Mayor Gary Soiseth runs for re-election he faces claims of being a bully who has driven off department heads and he has been reckless with the city’s finances. He says both are not true.
Arvin's fifth city manager in a decade sees hope in long-term future
Bakersfield Californian
Arvin’s new city manager has only been on the job for a month, but he’s already attempting to look past the city's recent spate of problems toward the bright future he sees for the city.
State:
Gavin Newsom, John Cox spar over income inequality, California affordability
Fresno Bee
California governor’s race candidates, Democrat Gavin Newsom and Republican John Cox, debated Oct. 8, 2018 and split over California’s growing housing and homelessness crisis, as well as how to address immigration, guns, health care and climate change.
See Also:
● Governor candidates spar on vision for California abc30
● CA Governor candidates: cost of living is the top issue facing the state abc30
● CA governor’s race debate: Newsom and Cox split on housing Sacramento Bee
● Gavin Newsom and John Cox clash in their only head-to-head governor's race debate Los Angeles Times
● Gavin Newsom says past spats with other politicians are due to his lack of 'timidity' Los Angeles Times
● Little Common Ground But No Breakthrough Moments In Lone California Governor's Debate Capital Public Radio
● Fact-Checking The California Governor's Debate With John Cox And Gavin Newsom Capital Public Radio
● The Key Moments From John Cox and Gavin Newsom's Only California Governor's Debate Capital Public Radio
● California governor debate: John Cox and Gavin Newsom disagree about...pretty much everything CALmatters
● PolitiFact statements about The 2018 California Governor's Race PolitiFact
● Fact-checking Gavin Newsom’s record ‘solving’ homelessness in San Francisco PolitiFact California
● EDITORIAL: Gavin Newsom clear winner in debate with John Cox San Francisco Chronicle
● EDITORIAL: More Cox-Newsom debates, please — and Feinstein-de León, too San Diego Union-Tribune
Here’s why you won’t find Gavin Newsom’s campaign statement in the California voter guide
Fresno Bee
California voters will notice a high-profile absence from the state-issued 2018 midterm election voter’s guide — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s candidate statement.
See Also:
● No, Gavin Newsom's dog didn't eat his candidate statement for the California voter guide Los Angeles Times
CA governor candidate John Cox built real estate fortune
Sacramento Bee
Seeking crossover appeal in a heavily Democratic state, Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox highlights his experience in the private sector as the salve for California’s problems.
2018 Voter Guide: A look at all the California propositions
abc30
In the November election, California voters will decide on 11 propositions. Here's everything you need to know about them.
See also
Prop. 7: California considers full-time daylight savings, end of changing clocks San Francisco Chronicle .
Non-citizens may have been added to voter rolls, DMV says
Fresno Bee
The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Monday that about 1,500 customers may have been improperly registered, including non-citizens.
See Also:
● DMV says about 1,500 customers were improperly registered Sacramento Bee
● Layered on top of prior mistakes, California's DMV finds another 1,500 people wrongly registered to vote under new system Los Angeles Times
● California DMV may have registered noncitizens to vote San Francisco Chronicle
Opinion: California Breaks the Internet
Wall Street Journal
Sacramento wants to regulate the web nationwide.
See also:
● California’s net neutrality law: Will it survive judicial review? AEI
● EDITORIAL: Internet Bill of Rights? The time has come San Diego Union-Tribune
Walters: How California shifted from pro-GOP purple to deep blue
CALmatters
The evolution of California from a Republican-leaning purple state into one that’s deeply blue is one of the most dramatic chapters in the state’s political history.
Brown Act Amendments Change Online Agenda Requirements for 2019
AALRR
The Ralph M. Brown Act governs the conduct of meetings of public agency legislative bodies, including notice requirements for such meetings. Under the Brown Act, public agencies are required to post an agenda identifying each business item to be discussed or transacted at that meeting of the legislative body. (Government Code § 54954.2.) Agendas must be posted in a location freely accessible to members of the public and, as relevant here, on the local agency’s website.
California has a racist past. But removing monuments sparks debate about how to reflect an ugly history
Los Angeles Times
As monuments and mascots are now deemed offensive and removed from public spaces, leaders and historians are left to ponder how the past should be preserved without adding fuel to hate groups that sometimes use the symbols as a source of power.
Federal:
Trump apologizes 'on behalf of the nation' to Kavanaugh during swearing-in
abc30
President Trump called controversy over Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation a "disgraceful situation, brought about by people that are evil."
See Also:
● Former Federal District Judge weighs-in on Kavanaugh's confirmation abc30
● Trump apologizes to Kavanaugh and declares him ‘proven innocent’ Stockton Record
● New Supreme Court Justice Capital Public Radio
● Trump apologizes to Kavanaugh 'on behalf of our nation,' asserting he was 'proven innocent' Los Angeles Times
● Trump says calls to impeach Kavanaugh are 'an insult to the American public' Los Angeles Times
Trump and McConnell are a political odd couple who share one important goal
Modesto Bee
The ultimately successful, if extremely messy, Senate confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is the unlikely and intriguing
See also:
● McConnell’s Position Has Shifted on Considering Supreme Court Nominees in Election Years The New York Times
Hiltzik: How a new court-packing scheme could save the Supreme Court from right-wing domination
Los Angeles Times
With the prospect looming of a Supreme Court dominated by Trump-appointed right-wing judges into the foreseeable future, an idea for a possible counterstroke has begun percolating among progressive political analysts and legal theorists: Expand the court from the current nine justices to provide for a more balanced, if not distinctly liberal, bench.
See also:
● Conservative-Dominated Supreme Court Fulfills Nixon-Era Dream Wall Street Journal
Science and the Supreme Court: Cases to Watch in 2018
Scientific America
The death penalty, uranium mining and the endangered dusky gopher frog are among the topics that justices will consider this year
The next Congress needs to take its war powers back
Los Angeles Times
The American political environment is as polarized as it has been in recent memory. But there is one major policy priority that should unite lawmakers on both sides: making the legislative branch relevant on matters of war and peace.
Politico
There are now 209 seats either firmly or leaning in the Democratic column — only 9 shy of the 218 needed to win control.
See also:
● Poll: Dems have 4-point lead in battleground House districts TheHill
● Republicans Need a Cold Compress With Less Than One Month to Go Roll Call
What’s Behind Democrats’ Shrinking Senate Odds?
FiveThirtyEight
Republicans’ chances of keeping the Senate are up to about a 4 in 5 (79 percent), according to the “Classic” version of the FiveThirtyEight forecast.
See also:
● Democrats, Try Some Self-Restraint Wall Street Journal
Who’s winning the voter enthusiasm race for November?
AEI
Several new polls provide a sense of levels of voter enthusiasm for the election which is one month away tomorrow. The good news is that they all show an uptick in voter enthusiasm.
The Hidden Money Funding The Midterms
Politico
Allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell used a blind spot in campaign finance laws to undercut a candidate from their own party this year — and their fingerprints remained hidden until the primary was already over.
OUR VIEW: We recommend: Here's why conservative Kern should support Feinstein
Bakersfield Californian
Voters’ choice for U.S. Senate is between two Democratic candidates – incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein and state Sen. Kevin de Leon. It is a one-party choice resulting from California’s top-two primary system.
To Trump, the media is the ‘enemy of the people.’ He should look in the mirror.
Washington Post
By now it all seems normal, except it’s not.
OPINION: Robert Reich: Is There Anyone Left To Check Donald J. Trump?
Newsweek
Anyone still unsure of how (or even whether) they’ll vote in the midterms should consider this: All three branches of government are now under the control of one party, and that party is under the control of Donald J. Trump.
Mike Pence's NFL walkout cost taxpayers $325,000 and was likely staged, report says
Los Angeles Times
Vice President Mike Pence’s early departure from an NFL game last year because of players kneeling during the national anthem was very likely staged and also expensive for taxpayers, according to a new report.
Other:
#ChooseKindness Campaign Kicks Off Bullying Prevention Month
abc30
October is Bullying Prevention Month. Do your part to spread acts of kindness.
Google Exposed User Data, Feared Repercussions of Disclosing to Public
Wall Street Journal
Google exposed the private data of hundreds of thousands of users of the Google+ social network and then opted not to disclose the issue this past spring, in part because of fears that doing so would draw regulatory scrutiny and cause reputational damage, according to people briefed on the incident and documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
See Also
● Time to Google ‘Political Savvy’ Wall Street Journal
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Seaweed could make cow toots smell like ocean breeze, Tulare County farmers doubtful
Visalia Times-Delta
The smelly reality is that cows will always pass gas. But, if farmers had more access to seaweed, cow flatulence might just stink a little less for the planet.
Intercept
On a chilly night in December 2016, Julianne Perry led a group of volunteers over the shoulder of the highway and into the darkness of California’s Central Valley, toward the sound of lowing cattle.
The Soybean-Producing States at Risk in the Trade War With China
Route Fifty
The risks that America’s top soybean-producing states face in the trade war between the U.S. and China are underscored in recent research from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
The Trump administration’s strategy to reduce violent crime is delivering results
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump was elected to office with a mandate from the American people to reduce crime, and he gave the Department of Justice orders to do that. That is why we have Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Sign confrontations, thefts, and threats: Campaign crime caught on camera
abc30
Stolen and vandalized signs are somewhat common in election seasons, but this time, we're seeing it on video.
Public Safety:
Every year, Fresno gives the SPCA more money. Every year, more dog attacks happen
Fresno Bee
Dog bites in the city of Fresno have doubled in five years, causing city officials to want oversight in taxpayer money going to the Central California SPCA.
‘I expected more.’ Many California leaders want more #MeToo action
Fresno Bee
In the 365 days that came in between the explosive Harvey Weinstein revelations last fall and the divisive Brett Kavanaugh confirmation vote this weekend, California’s state Capitol was the stage for some of the most contentious debates of the #MeToo era.
Fire:
Los Banos Fire adds new tool to help those with autism
abc30
Los Banos firefighters are adding a new tool to their engines aimed to help people with special needs. It's one of the first fire departments in the area to introduce these cards to firefighters in hopes of improving communication.
Wildfire concerns prompting SDG&E to upgrade infrastructure, explore new technology
Los Angeles Times
San Diego Gas & Electric is upgrading its infrastructure and expanding its use of technology to limit the risk of wildfires and reduce the time it takes to restore service afterward.
California homeowners: Wildfire cleanup made matters worse
Sacramento Bee
One year after wildfires devastated Northern California's wine country and destroyed thousands of homes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' first experience cleaning up after a wildfire has turned into an expensive bureaucratic mess.
See Also:
● As terror of wildfire fades, survivors face new challenges San Francisco Chronicle
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
The surprising ways Long Beach managed a turnaround
Bakersfield Californian
You might still be wondering how a port city in the second largest metro in the United States relates to Bakersfield. At first glance, there seem to be more differences than similarities. But there’s a lot that we can learn from this turnaround story.
Stocks struggle to a mixed finish; tech shares fall again
Los Angeles Times
U.S. stock indexes found their footing after a sharp early loss Monday and finished mixed. Technology companies sank for the third day in a row.
State Fiscal Health Index: August 2018 [EconTax Blog]
LAO
Bottom Line: Little change from July. Economic conditions continue to be consistent with historically strong state revenues. Conditions have improved consistently over the past year.
AEI
Call it “short-termism” or “quarterly capitalism” or the “myopia hypothesis,” the idea that American companies try to juice their stocks by underinvesting in capital expenditures and R&D has gained currency in recent years as an explanation for a so-so US economy — or at least why workers are not benefiting as much as owners.
U.S. Trade Deficit Widened in August
Wall Street Journal
The U.S. trade deficit widened in August, as a strong domestic economy boosted Americans’ purchases of foreign automobiles, industrial supplies and petroleum.
Jobs:
AEI
Because that the main reason factory jobs as a share of US jobs have been in steady free fall for three-quarters of a century: innovation, know-how, and Yankee ingenuity that have led to relentless advances and improvements in technology
EDUCATION
K-12:
Sequoia High will get new campus if contaminated dirt cleared
Visalia Times-Delta
After years of planning and unexpected delays, construction crews will finally begin work to create a new, updated campus for Sequoia High School students and faculty.
Are California’s low test scores a cry for the state to take more responsibility?
CALmatters
California is supposed to be getting its students ready for 21st century careers. It’s one of the favorite educational phrases of our time, most recently used by state schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson in his department’s press release on state test scores. Yet, at the rate the tests are going, the state won’t get to that point until it’s waving this century good-bye.
See Also
● EDITORIAL: The real story behind California's latest school test scores Los Angeles Times
Higher Ed:
CSUB to hold strategic planning forum
Bakersfield Californian
California State University, Bakersfield will hold a strategic plan open forum on Tuesday. Faculty, staff, students and the community are invited to participate. The forum will provide the opportunity for the public to become involved in helping to direct the college’s future.
CSU, struggling to raise graduation rates, eliminates no credit remedial classes
San Francisco Chronicle
CSU has forced tens of thousands of underprepared freshmen to take remedial, high-school level classes that provide not a single credit toward graduation. No more.
California lieutenant governor candidates pledge to work to lower college costs
EdSource
Both candidates vying to be the next lieutenant governor of California agree that the state and its universities must do more to help students afford college, but are proposing different strategies to reduce the cost of higher education.
5 ways to boost community college completion rates
Brookings
Fewer than 40 percent of community college students obtain a certificate or degree within six years of enrollment. Elizabeth Mann Levesque shares recommendations to lower the structural and motivational barriers these students face and help community colleges reach their potential as viable pathways into good-paying jobs.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Fresno still ‘ground zero’ for terrible air. Why did Valley Air District blow off major hearing?
Fresno Bee
A recent EPA public hearing over the Trump Administration’s proposed weakening of vehicle emission rules drew a sizable turnout. Our local air officials were MIA.
Climate change effects could be 'irreversible' without drastic action: Scientists
abc30
Scientists with the United Nations issued an alarming report on Monday, warning that global temperatures could reach an irreversible tipping point as soon as 2030.
See Also:
● 'Life-or-death' warning: Major study says world has just 11 years to avoid climate change catastrophe Hanford Sentinel
● Study examines how climate change is stressing us out Stockton Record
● The world faces catastrophe without drastic action on global warming. Do we have the will to fix it? Los Angeles Times
● Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040 New York Times
● Climate change impacts worse than expected, IPCC 1.5 report warns National Geographic
● 'Incredibly grim' prognosis on global warming also carries clarion call for global action Los Angeles Times
● EDITORIAL: UN’s shocking new report shows the world on brink of climate disaster San Francisco Chronicle
● 2 Americans win econ Nobel for work on climate and growth Sacramento Bee
Loggers, environmentalists find common ground near Pinecrest and elsewhere
Modesto Bee
Some environmentalists have been working with the logging industry in the Sierra Nevada to thin out over-grown timber stands that have fueled massive wildfires. They disagree with President Donald Trump’s assertion that litigation is holding back the work.
Did you see that bright light over the Central Valley? Here's what it was
Visalia Times-Delta
If you were outside Sunday around 7:30 p.m., you might have seen something a little strange in the night sky.
Carbon tax gets renewed attention but still faces resistance
Modesto Bee
Carbon taxes have gotten renewed attention thanks to an alarming new report on climate change and a Nobel Prize victory by two American economists, but neither is likely to break down political resistance.
See Also:
Exxon Puts Up $1 Million to Campaign for a Carbon Tax Wall Street Journal
New U.N. Climate Report Says Put a High Price on Carbon New York Times
Nothing is worse for climate than burning coal: ex U.S. EPA chief
Reuters
Science shows that nothing does more to cause climate change than burning coal, a former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Tuesday, a position in contrast to President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies.
Energy:
New energy-efficient home tract in north Clovis is largest of its kind in California
Fresno Bee
When it comes to building energy efficient homes in California, De Young Properties is in a race with itself. The company has the largest zero net energy subdivision in California in north Clovis.
California Energy Price Data for September 2018
California Center for Jobs & The Economy
Monthly updates for the most current September 2018 fuel price data (GasBuddy.com) and July 2018 electricity and natural gas price data (US Energy Information Agency).
EPA Backs Down From New Energy Efficiency Ratings After Landlords Balk
Wall Street Journal
The Environmental Protection Agency has put on hold plans to update its system for rating the energy efficiency of office and industrial buildings, pausing after some big landlords complained the methodology would unfairly penalize their properties.
Trump Moves to Allow More Ethanol in Gasoline
Wall Street Journal
President Trump is moving to allow year-round sale of gasoline containing a higher percentage of ethanol, satisfying campaign promises he made to the Farm Belt, while likely provoking a battle with the oil industry.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
How to Boost Vaccine Rates for Low-Income Families
PEW center
A new five-state project funded by the federal government aims to improve vaccination rates among low-income children and pregnant women, using statewide registries intended to track the immunization histories of all residents.
Human Services:
Hanford may turn downtown building into homeless service center
abc30
Hanford city leaders say they can't solve their homeless problem completely, but they aim to improve it with a new homeless service center, something they don't currently have.
Business offers Valley residents the chance at 'True Rest'
abc30
From cold pressed juices to float therapy, there are more choices to help you get healthy in the Valley.
Los Angeles Times
Nothing brings an industry’s dirty little secrets to light as effectively as litigation, especially when the industry gives up those secrets voluntarily, in the service of making more profit than it could obtain by remaining silent.
AEI
In the midst of the debacle in the Senate surrounding the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Congress actually did manage to pass a significant piece of bipartisan legislation.
Health Care Crowds Out Jobs, Taxes in Midterm Ads
Wall Street Journal
Eight years ago, the newly passed Affordable Care Act was so widely criticized that it contributed to Democrats losing control of the House of Representatives.
Republicans Will Cut Social Security and Medicare After Tax Plan Passes, Says Marco Rubio
Newsweek
Florida Senator Marco Rubio admits that the Republican tax cut plan, which benefits corporations and the wealthy, will require cuts to Social Security and Medicare to pay for it.
IMMIGRATION
Immigrant who spent six months in detention describes harsh conditions at Adelanto facility
Los Angeles Times
Inspectors said Immigration and Customs Enforcement had violated its own national detention standards, including prohibiting detainees from hanging or draping objects from any fixtures or furniture.
An ICE Memo Lays Out The Differences Between Trump And Obama On Immigration Enforcement
Buzzfeed News
Attorneys for Immigration and Customs Enforcement were restricted from granting reprieves for certain immigrants facing deportation, ordered to review and potentially reopen previously closed cases, and told that nearly all undocumented immigrants were priorities for deportation, according to a previously unreleased memo obtained by BuzzFeed News.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Work begins on Amazon facility near Meadows Field
Bakersfield Californian
Earthmovers shuttled up and down a large dirt mound across from Meadows Field airport Monday, the latest sign Amazon is moving ahead with a plan to open a distribution center that would employ at least 1,000 people as soon as late 2019.
Housing:
New energy-efficient home tract in north Clovis is largest of its kind in California
Fresno Bee
When it comes to building energy efficient homes in California, De Young Properties is in a race with itself. The company has the largest zero net energy subdivision in California in north Clovis.
Prop 10: Should California Allow Cities to Apply Rent Control Policies to More Rental Housing?
California Budget and Policy Center
Proposition 10, which will appear on the November 6, 2018 statewide ballot, would repeal a state law that limits the scope of local rent control policies that cities and other local jurisdictions are allowed to adopt.
EDITORIAL: Prop 5 is a cynical, self-serving measure cooked up by the real estate industry. Vote no
Los Angeles Times
Proposition 5 goes too far, costs too much and serves no important public purpose. It would skew tax breaks further away from people who don’t own a home or who may be struggling to buy one. It would cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Turlock considers another labor deal that adds stress to beleaguered city budget
Fresno Bee
Turlock leaders Tuesday will consider a deal with its management employees that calls for them to receive a 4 percent raise and other benefits that will cost the city nearly $258,000 in the current budget year.
Carbon tax gets renewed attention but still faces resistance
Modesto Bee
Carbon taxes have gotten renewed attention thanks to an alarming new report on climate change and a Nobel Prize victory by two American economists, but neither is likely to break down political resistance.
See Also:
Exxon Puts Up $1 Million to Campaign for a Carbon Tax Wall Street Journal
New U.N. Climate Report Says Put a High Price on Carbon New York Times
Republicans Will Cut Social Security and Medicare After Tax Plan Passes, Says Marco Rubio
Newsweek
Florida Senator Marco Rubio admits that the Republican tax cut plan, which benefits corporations and the wealthy, will require cuts to Social Security and Medicare to pay for it.
California Lottery settles employee retaliation cases
Sacramento Bee
The California State Lottery has paid more than $500,000 to settle lawsuits filed by two former investigators who claimed they were fired for calling attention to jackpots they believed the lottery improperly awarded to recipients who could not prove they were winners.
TRANSPORTATION
That California election ballot ‘correction’ you got for Prop. 6 isn’t from the government
Fresno Bee
The California gas tax repeal campaign sent out a mailer that purports to “correct” the ballot title for Proposition 6. It is a political advertisement, not an official correction from the Secretary of State.
See also:
● Gas-tax repeal campaign sends 'ballot correction' to voters that opponents say is misleading Los Angeles Times
● Backers of gas tax repeal offer a ‘correction’ CALmatters
South Stockton resident proposes ‘quiet zone’ status to silence wailing horns
Stockton Record
Local resident Matthew Rivinius said he is preparing to wage a fight to have the Federal Railroad Administration designate his neighborhood a “quiet zone.”
Los Angeles Times
Civil rights lawyers have settled a lawsuit accusing the Los Angeles Superior Court of improperly ordering driver’s license suspensions for people who couldn’t afford to pay their traffic ticket fines, saying the court has agreed to notify drivers that they can ask a judge to evaluate their ability to pay.
WATER
The big bore is over. OID has a new tunnel for some of its Stanislaus River water
Modesto Bee
The Oakdale Irrigation District has completed a $15 million tunnel that bypasses a section of canal at risk of rock slides. The 5,949-foot tunnel a few miles east of Knights Ferry is the 10th that OID has built since it formed in 1909 to tap the Stanislaus River.
“Xtra”
Death by 'friendly fire': Local veteran's name added to Vietnam War Memorial
Bakersfield Californian
A ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of California’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial will include the unveiling of a new name added to the memorial: James E. Williams, an Arvin High alumnus — and later a minister — who died 50 years after his tour of duty in Vietnam from complications believed to be connected to exposure to Agent Orange.
Things to do at the Big Fresno Fair that are free
abc30
Some of the best things to do at the Big Fresno Fair are free.
Go inside famous Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California
abc30
Professional surfers wanted a perfect wave every time. Their answer? Build an ocean! Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch in the small farm town of is 100 miles away from the closest beach.Now home to the World Surf League, it attracts the world's greatest pro surfers and thousands of spectators.
Modesto’s historic State Theatre starts next chapter with new leadership
Modesto Bee
State Theatre has named a new executive director, longtime board member Kirstie Boyett. She succeeds Sue Richardson, who steps down after 11 years.
Google Arts and Culture
The California State Archives partnered with Google to create an online exhibit including rare photos and art on the 21 Franciscan missions that dominated the economic and spiritual fabric of Spanish and Mexican California.
Cosumnes River Preserve a slice of 1807 California
SFGate
California's sumptuous countryside is jam-packed with options for pulse-pounding adventure. The Cosumnes River Preserve isn't one of them.