The Fresno Bee
Gubernatorial candidates talk affordability to Fresno voters
Some of the candidates hoping to become California’s next governor made opening statements in Spanish this week during their visit to the central San Joaquin Valley, which is one of the youngest and most Latino areas of the state. Some highlighted...
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CA governor hopefuls pitch to Central Valley ag community
Six candidates vying to succeed Gavin Newsom as California governor made their pitch to Central Valley voters at a candidate forum Wednesday at Fresno State. During the hour-and-a-half long forum, the four Democrats and two Republicans were asked...
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Appeal of racism verdict curbed city’s risk of losing insurance
The city of Fresno would be on the hook for about $5 million if leaders chose not to appeal a recent $15.4 million discrimination verdict, but the city would also be at risk of losing its insurance coverage, the city manager confirmed on...
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LA actor returned home to Fresno to start Shakespeare company
Blake Ellis left Fresno in the 2000s, it wasn’t that he wanted to, necessarily. But he was an actor looking for professional work. Opportunity was scarce. Unsurprisingly, he ended up in Los Angeles, where he landed some film and TV work (including a...
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In deadly LaGuardia crash, call to ‘Stop!’ came too late
“Stop, Truck 1, stop!” The desperate call from an air traffic controller late Sunday night came seconds before the first fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport in exactly 34 years. The call came too late. Two pilots were killed and dozens were injured...
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Fresno Unified, groups cancel Chávez celebrations after claims
An event in Fresno to honor Cesar Chavez has been cancelled after the emergence of “troubling allegations” against the late labor leader. The San Antonio ExpressNews reported Tuesday morning that Chavez allegedly engaged in inappropriate sexual...
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Mini roundabouts popping up in Fresno aim to curb speeding
There’s an odd bit of roadway on Wishon Avenue as one enters the Old Fig Garden neighborhood in Fresno. It’s a circle of low concrete and brickwork marked by a redand-white yield sign that leads drivers around, rather than through, the...
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Cesar Chavez Boulevard underpass reopens in downtown Fresno
more than four years of work, Cesar Chavez Boulevard reopened to traffic Tuesday as a high-speed rail underpass connecting the southern ends of downtown Fresno and Chinatown. Work on the underpass, which allows drivers and pedestrians to travel under...
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Fresno has ‘unique opportunity’ to boost transit with light rail
Depending on what a study finds feasible for Fresno, and what future local elected officials decide, it’s possible a light rail system could one day connect downtown to various parts of the Fresno-Clovis metropolitan area. There could be a line from...
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Fresno business being ‘forced out’ for Radio Park project
The city of Fresno is working to acquire the Quick Mart at Clinton Avenue and First Street through eminent domain as part of its $10.6 million project to redesign Radio Park. The city filed an eminent domain complaint last month, arguing that taking...
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‘Another tight year’: Fresno mayor warns of budget cuts
The city of Fresno is facing a $23.3 million budget deficit that has city departments preparing for cuts. “It’s going to be another tight year — there’s no question,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said in a Feb. 9 interview. “We’re going to see sales tax is...
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Iconic Tower District ballet dance studio for sale
A classic Tower District building that has served as a hub for the city’s performing arts community is for sale. The Severance building at 1401 N. Wishon, home to a California Arts Academy dance studio, was put on the market about two weeks ago. And...
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Mayor Jerry Dyer reveals plans for the rest of his tenure
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer has several ambitious goals for the remainder of his second term. The Fresno Bee recently sat down with the mayor for a 40-minute interview to discuss his accomplishments and challenges as mayor. From local issues such as the...
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Delayed San Joaquin River access project to start this fall
Construction on a longstalled, $13 million project that would make recreation along the San Joaquin River more accessible to cars and foot traffic is scheduled to begin later this year, Fresno officials said Tuesday. The river, a public space, is...
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Mobile Museum of Tolerance visits schools to combat hate
In a time of divisiveness and increasing hate, a mobile museum that makes stops throughout California strives to encourage tolerance of people of all ages and backgrounds. That message of positivity came to Fresno on Friday, with the Mobile Museum of...
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Hotel near River Park will be 1st of its kind in Central Valley
A new hotel is being built in the area just east of River Park in Fresno — with a dual brand expected to offer a more luxurious experience on one side and a comfortable and eco-friendly environment on the other side. Construction to build the first...
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Century-old piece of railroad history returns to the Sierra
The narrow-gauge locomotive was once the prevalent working machine of the logging industry; designed for the rigors of work, particularly the maneuvering of steep grades and tight curves of the mountainous terrain. In its heyday, there were thousands...
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Church plans parking lot on green space in Tower District
A Catholic parish in Fresno wants to convert a grass parcel in Fresno’s Tower District neighborhood into a 69-car parking lot. Currently, the Shrine of St. Therese Church on Wishon and Floradora avenues has a 16angled parking stalls on the southwest...
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Fresno students walk out in second day of ICE protests
More than 1,000 Fresno high school students walked out of their campuses on Monday to protest ICE and President Trump’s deportation crackdown. Students walked out of Hoover High School, located at Barstow Avenue and First Street, about 9:30 a.m....
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Homan says crackdown could ease with more access to jails
Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, said Thursday that the immigration crackdown in Minnesota could wind down if federal agents gained broader access to state jails, amid public outrage over the administration’s policies. “The withdrawal...
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Future Fresno soccer stadium could anchor entertainment district
City leaders appeared set a few weeks ago on a downtown or Chinatown location for a future stadium when they announced a deal with the United Soccer League to bring a new professional team to Fresno. It could look for space along the future California...
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Fresno airport breaks passenger record for fifth year in a row
For the fifth year in a row, Fresno Yosemite International Airport has broken its own record for passengers flying in and out of the airport. In 2025, the region’s airport served more than 2.7 million travelers, a 2.97% increase over the total in...
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Highway 99 in Fresno has a history of fog-related pileups
The Tule fog has a long history of putting the San Joaquin Valley under conditions ripe for catastrophe, a situation made deadly over Fresno’s history when drivers haven’t taken precautions on Highway 99. The Fresno Bee archives list deadly pileup...
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Rolex dealer, ‘truly healthy’ shake shop open at Park Place
The Park Place shopping center on Palm and Nees avenues in north Fresno has added a health-focused protein shake shop and a luxurious jewelry store that is the only official Rolex dealer in the city. The high-end store, called The Wickersham Company,...
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Coroner identifies Fresno man killed in Highway 99 pileup
A 61-year-old Fresno man has been identified as the sole fatality in a massive pile-up that prompted a mass-casualty/ trauma response along Highway 99 on Sunday. Gustavo Villanueva Vargas was struck and killed in a chain reaction of crashes caused by...
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Minn. officials kept out of ICE shooting investigation
A top state law enforcement official said Thursday that federal agencies were denying Minnesota investigators access to evidence from a fatal shooting by an immigration enforcement officer the day before, preventing them from participating in the...
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County homeowners spend 6 figures to become Clovis residents
A group of Fresno County homeowners set to become Clovis residents will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to connect to the city’s municipal services amid depleting groundwater resources. Quail Run, a 41-acre neighborhood with 18 homes located at...
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Construction at major intersection creates maze of detours
Construction work at the perennially busy intersection of Shaw Avenue and Golden State Boulevard near Highway 99 has created multiple detours to build a new overpass for the California High-Speed Rail project. The overpass being built along Shaw...
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Sensory gym for special needs children coming to Clovis
For Christopher Reyes, a sensory gym coming to Clovis means more than indoor zip sliding, mountain climbing and other fun for children with special needs. It means those children will have a place without judgment, and where their parents don’t...
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New owners of Bekins building plan ‘modern-day man cave’
Drinks, music, space for cars and car lovers. That’s the vibe that local developer Reza Assemi and his business partner, Jaime Gonzalez, are shooting for in their redevelopment plans for Fresno’s historic Bekins building, known for its Peelz Citrus...
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Arthur’s Toys a beloved memory years after store closes
Want a shot of nostalgia that will bring a smile to almost any longtime Fresnan’s face? Say the words Arthur’s Toys. The now defunct local toy shop was around for about six decades, with multiple locations across the city. Memories exist in the brains...
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‘Massive’ costs stall plans for Bank of Italy building
The future of downtown Fresno’s Bank of Italy building is hanging in suspense after proposed plans to renovate the building have stalled. In October 2022, an agricultural technology coalition led by the Central Valley Community Foundation announced...
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Absentee owners lead to fire risks: Will city crack down?
After a structure built in the late 1800s burned down in Fresno’s Chinatown on Sunday, neighborhood leaders say they wish owners of vacant buildings in the area would work harder to keep their properties properly secured. They say some owners of...
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Plans for new homes in downtown Fresno stalled
Downtown Fresno is no stranger to news about the future construction of apartments. Several projects in the pipeline — some on private property and others on city-provided land with city-approved development agreements — would add hundreds of new...
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Clovis infill building plan stirs traffic, safety concerns
Dozens of Clovis homeowners voiced opposition Thursday to a proposal that would build 1,300 housing units on 20 parcels of infill development to comply with the state’s affordable housing mandate. The proposal to redesignate 20 underutilized parcels...
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Tribe reclaims 900 acres near Yosemite National Park
A Native American tribe that was displaced by the establishment of Yosemite National Park is getting part of its lands back. The land transfer, from Pacific Forest Trust, is considered a major milestone for Indigenous cultural and land restoration in...
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What we know about mass shooting in Stockton
A child’s birthday party in Stockton turned into one of the region’s deadliest mass shootings in years, leaving four people dead — three of them children — and nearly a dozen others wounded. The tragedy unfolded just before 6 p.m. Saturday at a...
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Dozens of Chihuahuas abandoned in Modesto, Ceres
Abandoned dogs were living in ‘unimaginable’ conditions in a Modesto home Original story: A Merced animal rescue organization is looking for foster homes for dozens of Chihuahuas that were left abandoned at homes in Modesto and Ceres. According to...
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Fresno firefighters rank high in city overtime pay
Firefighters rank highest among Fresno city employees raking in overtime hours and pay, and city leaders say they try to strike a balance between OT and hiring more people to reduce spending. Six of the city’s top 10 highest compensated employees for...
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Jobs report shows gains in September, but unemployment rose
Employers notched a very respectable month of hiring in September, ending a slow summer on a positive note, while the unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%. The data, delayed by six weeks because of the government shutdown, is an already out-of-date...
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Clovis widens major road using eminent domain
Clovis has cleared the way for a project to widen Shepherd Avenue by securing a right-ofway acquisition of a property on Fowler Avenue through eminent domain. The parcel is located at the intersection of Fowler and Shepherd avenues, with its...
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DOJ presence quiet in Fresno County for Prop. 50 vote
of California’s special election, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would deploy election monitors to Fresno polling sites — causing political pushback — but local election officials reported the federal presence on Election Day was minimal...
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Clovis helps struggling casino in hopes of tax payoff
The Clovis City Council has passed new regulations meant to help its financially struggling casino, the 500 Club, expand with the hope it will generate more tax revenue for the city. In November, the city will adopt a new fee structure that shifts...
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Fresno’s medical desert gets its second health center
A new health center will open its doors to patients on Nov. 3 in Fresno’s medical desert west of Highway 99. West Fresno previously had only one clinic serving the historically left behind area’s over 50,000 residents. Now, it has two. Located at 122...
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Fresno plan hopes to combat food, healthcare deserts
West Fresno residents live in what some describe as a food and healthcare desert, which puts residents at increased risk for a number of chronic diseases. A new plan is designed to bring long-awaited resources to the area divided by Highway 99. After...
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After much anticipation, Target opens at Fancher Creek
Target has opened its new store at Fancher Creek in southeast Fresno. It was a big deal, judging by who showed up to celebrate. Fresno Street Eats rolled out half-dozen food trucks and vendors for an outdoor market in the parking lot of the shopping...
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Thousands march in Central Valley’s ‘No Kings’ protests
Lori Pardi, a 56-year-old facilities management staff member at Fresno State, had never attended a protest—until Saturday. Standing among hundreds at the “No Kings” rally outside the Manchester Center in Fresno, she said it was time for her to speak...
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Lotus Pond taps ‘memories lost’ for Asian community
On 20 acres surrounded by farmland a few miles outside of Fresno, a small pond attracted visitors all summer from around California and as far away as North Carolina. They came to Fresno County to see flowers with hues of pink, white, yellow and gold...
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Clovis is building a 12-acre park at Loma Vista
Construction will begin next summer on a 12-acre park and recharge basin in the Loma Vista area of Clovis. Located at the intersection of Barstow and Agua Dulce avenues, Agua Vista Park will feature an adaptive playground, overlook areas, a pedestrian...
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Data shows Fresno making economic, racial inclusion gains
Fresno has historically ranked near the bottom nationally for economic and racial inclusion, but new data suggests the city is reversing its trend of decades of exclusion. The report by the Central Valley Community Foundation shows that while...
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Expansion to Clovis trail system coming soon
A trail expansion project along the Big Dry Creek Canal bank and Letterman Park in Central Clovis will soon begin construction. The project includes grading of the existing canal bank, construction of a new concrete sidewalk from Letterman Park to the...
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Chains, mom-and-pop business coming to Clovis corner
Construction is about to start on what will become a few big popular chains and a locally owned restaurant and coffee shop in Clovis. Near Highway 168 and Temperance Avenue, the strip center will be built just north of Owens Mountain Parkway. It’s a...
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James Dean memorial restored for 70th anniversary
Almost 70 years ago to the date of the fatal car crash that took the life of old Hollywood legend James Dean, the actor’s San Luis Obispo County memorial is set to return with a new look. Since 1977, a memorial erected by Dean superfan Seita Ohnishi...
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Fresno celebrates Mexican Independence Day with flag-raising
The annual Mexican flagraising ceremony held at Fresno City Hall to commemorate the 215th anniversary of the Independence of Mexico drew a smaller crowd than past years, though city and consulate officials said it remains an important tradition. Irma...
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State’s largest ICE detention facility has 500 detainees
California’s largest immigration detention center has already filled up with 500 detainees since it quietly opened two weeks ago, according to a California City official. Immigration advocates and lawyers say Tennessee-based private prison operator...
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Mother nature helps battle fire, sequoias still threatened
The battle against the raging wildfire burning in eastern Fresno County took a turn in favor of firefighters. Officials said Wednesday that the Garnet Fire’s activity decreased due to lower temperatures and higher humidity recoveries Tuesday...
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Farmers accuse raisin packer of failing to pay them
Several Fresno County farmers are accusing a longtime Sanger raisin packer of failing to pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars for raisins they delivered but never got paid for. The farmers allege the Chooljian Brothers Packing Company accepted...
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Needle exchange clinic helped dad turn life around
Douglas Nelson began to turn his life around in March with the help of a needle exchange pilot program that, until recently, operated out of the Fresno County Health Department building. The 26-year-old Fresno father had become addicted to Xanax to...
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Plan to rebuild air traffic control tower draws criticism
Fresno Yosemite International Airport’s air traffic control tower began operating in 1962. A Fresno Bee story from that year noted its “strict, simple” lines and “modern American” materials — hallmarks of inenvironmental ternational-style architecture...
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Restaurateur accused of hiring gang member to commit arson
Well-known Fresno restaurant owner Bobby Salazar has been arrested on arson charges, accused of hiring a motorcycle gang member to torch one of his underperforming restaurants, according to a federal criminal complaint. Salazar, 63, owner of two...
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Former Fresno State and CSU leader Joseph I. Castro dies at 58
Educator and trailblazer Joseph I. Castro, who rose from humble roots in Hanford to become the first San Joaquin Valley native and Latino to serve as president of Fresno State and then later CSU chancellor, died Sunday after battling cancer. He was...
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Belmont Avenue hosts 10 classically Fresno restaurants
If you were to pick a street in Fresno to show off to out-oftowners, it probably wouldn’t be Belmont Avenue. One of the oldest streets in town, it’s covered in miles of sun-baked pavement and security gates, and crammed with every kind of auto...
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Groundwater pumping takes toll on aqueduct
Years of collapsing areas of land in the San Joaquin Valley — caused primarily by the overpumping of groundwater for farming — has taken a toll on California’s largest water delivery system that relies on stable land to work well. A state report...
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Home repair, mold abatement slow for some in Planada
More than two years after flooding ravaged the rural community of Planada, up to 155 of 843 homes impacted are still awaiting repairs, according to Merced County estimates. A UC Merced study found that 83% of Planada households experienced some kind...
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Wine industry downturn forces Valley farmers to mothball vines
If you drive around the San Joaquin Valley these days don’t be surprised if you see vineyards with weeds growing between the rows and bunches of dusty grapes dangling from tangled vines. The vineyards may look abandoned and in some cases they truly...
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Why fewer hummingbirds are visiting area backyard feeders
hummingbird season. For many Fresno and Clovis residents, it’s an annual routine to set up feeders for these little guests with fast wings and slender beaks, and watch them fluttering around backyard and porch. But this year, some longtime bird...
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Judge blocks plans for new Costco in Fresno
Fresno County judge has blocked approvals for a Costco store planned on Herndon Avenue in northwest Fresno, dealing a major setback to a project initially scheduled to be completed this summer. Judge Jonathan Skiles’ 12-page ruling on Thursday sided...
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Zoo rendering hints at expansion into Playland
On proximity alone, Playland seems inextricably linked to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. The historic children’s theme park sits just across the road from the zoo’s main entrance off Highway 99, and shares space inside the city’s 90-acre Roeding Park. That...
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3 chain retailers set for Loma Vista shopping center
The latest phase of the newest shopping center in Clovis is taking shape with exterior construction nearing completion for at least 10 more businesses. Located at the southwest corner of Leonard and Shaw avenues in the growing area of east Clovis, the...
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Dyson designed Clovis Botanical Garden’s new attraction
founders of the Clovis Botanical Garden long envisioned it would include a visitor center to welcome people to one of the region’s most breathtaking attractions when they first presented their idea to the Clovis City Council in 1993. Three decades...
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$10.5M park in southwest Fresno set to open soon
A $10.5 million park that spans 10 acres in southwest Fresno nears completion of its first phase of development — a significant milestone that’s expected to be followed by new housing and businesses in the coming years. Fresno City...
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Fresno targets Tower District eyesores with new law
buildings in Fresno’s Tower District are the target of a new effort by the city, which will use a new law to rouse owners who don’t maintain their buildings. The Vacant Business Ordinance is a pilot project that is being tested in Tower, where...
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Pillow pairings to perk up a space
Ilove the changing of the seasons. One of my favorite rituals as the cold months fold into warm, and back again, is to switch out the accent pillows on my sofa, chairs and bedding. In a few weeks, I will unzip my heavy weight plaids and replace them...
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Fresno DACA recipient ‘self-deports’ to Mexico
The decision to “self-deport” was not an easy one for DACA recipient Patricia Vázquez Topete. After all, California has been her home for the last two decades. “I’ve achieved the American dream, in my perspective. But I started to feel like I was in...
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‘Pokémon cards are like drugs’: Card-collecting takes Fresno
From assaults to break-ins to reoccurring thefts, the craze for Pokémon cards has led some to the dark side of collecting. Videos of Pokémon horror stories can be found all over the Internet, some taking place in Fresno. In April, a Fresno man was...
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