Quote of the Week
“It is scary as an immigrant, especially because you’ve put so much into this country. You’re like, ‘OK, well, what happens to my career? What happens to everything I’ve worked for?’”
— Jennifer Balino, a nursing student Dreamer facing uncertainty in the wake of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented people brought to this country as children
This Week in Fresnoland
Fresno trucking companies celebrate reversal of electric mandates
Ritchie Trucking Service, a trucking company in Fresno, was considering scaling back its operations if new state regulations on diesel trucks would’ve kicked in soon.
But one big part of those regulations – the Advanced Clean Fleet rule, which required large trucking companies to go zero-emissions with their largest vehicles over the next two decades – got scrapped by the California Air Resources Board last month.
Trucking companies in Fresno were relieved by the change, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported, while other industry leaders said there’s still more uncertainty ahead with other CARB regulations.
And while laws change, one thing is constant: residents in Fresno are breathing in some of the dirtiest air in the country. Without the benefits of the abandoned regulations, advocates worry if the region can meet its emissions targets.
Fresno Dreamers face uncertainty
Jennifer Balino was just 5 years old when her parents brought her to the United States. Now a 25-year-old nursing student and DACA recipient, Balino — and thousands of others in Fresno County — suddenly find themselves facing an uncertain future.
In the wake of recent court rulings and a slew of anti-immigrant executive orders from the White House, DACA recipients, also known as “Dreamers,” face the possibility of deportation from their homes in Fresno to countries that some have never even visited.
Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina spoke with local organizations to learn how they’re dealing with uncertainty for Dreamers. Fresnoland’s coverage of misinformation directed at our immigrant neighbors drew international attention this week when Medina was interviewed by the Guardian, one of Britain’s largest daily newspapers.
Clovis is not a sanctuary city
“At a time when Fresno and other cities are pursuing ‘sanctuary city’ policies or declaring that their police won’t help with federal deportation efforts, a Clovis leader sought to take the opposite approach and declare the city a ‘non-sanctuary,’” The Fresno Bee’s Melissa Montalvo reported.
A subsequent op-ed by The Bee’s Tad Weber noted the suggestion from Councilmember Diane Pearce that “Clovis should follow the lead of Huntington Beach, which last month declared itself to be a ‘non-sanctuary’ city,” The Fresno Bee reported. “That means that the Orange County city’s police and other employees cooperate with the federal government in its search and apprehension of people living there without legal status.”
Clovis has been studying Huntington Beach’s political playbook for a while now. Last month, Clovis began exploring becoming a charter city.
Fresno gets creative
Fresno-area artists worked overtime last week, opening two exhibits — one highlighting the work of nearly two dozen Black artists from California and a second featuring pieces from Internationally recognized artistic brothers Paylak and Kayts Vanikian, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina reported.
“Down with the Clique,” an art exhibit now in its second year showcasing 22 Black artists from across California at Scarab Creative Arts, will be open until the end of February, featuring a diverse collection of artwork, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media, and collages.
Internationally recognized brothers Paylak and Kayts Vanikian will showcase an exhibition featuring over 60 oil paintings on high-quality linen, which kicked off with an opening reception on Feb. 5 at the Armenian Museum of Fresno, located in the UC Center.
Reflecting on two weeks of Trump policies in Fresno
Believe it or not (and in the breaking news world it’s especially hard to believe) Trump’s only been president for three (very long) weeks.
On this week’s episode, Fresnolandia hosts Danielle Bergstrom and Jordan Mattox unpacked the onslaught of immigration policies over these first couple weeks with guests Tal Eslick, a public affairs consultant, and Sabina Gonzalez-Eraña, a senior program manager at the California Endowment.
“The mechanism and the day-to-day logistics of deporting people is very different than unleashing a whole wave of white nationalist hate,” Gonzalez-Eraña said on what makes deportations unique under Trump.
“It’s hard for me to be in both places at the same time,” Eslick said of the response to Trump’s disruption to immigration programs, “that ‘Oh my God, we cannot disrupt these institutions’ – but also, they’re going so poorly.”
Outside the Lines
It’s almost that (dreaded) time of the month – paying your winter utility bill. We’ve updated our guide to local programs to help people who are income-eligible pay PG&E bills. Fresnoland
No transparency at Fresno EOC? Nearly two dozen Fresno EOC employees received layoff notices effective March 7, ABC30 reported. The increasingly secretive Fresno EOC did not respond to requests for comment from Fresnoland this week. The layoffs come amid long-standing financial uncertainty, leadership turnover and lingering questions about where millions of dollars in funding have gone.
Since 2020, Fresno County’s population has grown by 12,467 people. Fresnoland
“A federal judge has dismissed a case filed on behalf of professors with State Center Community College District who claimed that California Community Colleges diversity and equity policies infringed on their academic freedom.” EdSource
Many people in the San Joaquin Valley water world let out a collective “Huh?” last week as officials from the Army Corps of Engineers – who operate several dams in the valley — did a sudden and rare winter release of water from Lake Success and Lake Isabella, under a Trump executive order meant to get water to the Southern California fires, risking summer irrigation water and local flooding. SJV Water
Trump pledges to investigate California high-speed rail. Is it actually over budget? Fresno Bee
Huge number of students in Fresno and Madera skipped school to protest mass deportations Fresno Bee
Meet the Fresno man working to pull California from the United States. KSEE
In a major shift, Yosemite delays a new reservation system amid a Trump administration review. San Francisco Chronicle
Block Beat
FRESNO: The City of Fresno plans to open three warming centers from 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, through 7 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 9. Warming Center locations are: Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo Ave.; Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler Ave.; and Maxie L Parks Community Center 1802 E. California Ave.
COPPER RIVER: The Fresno Philharmonic is presenting the world premiere of “Meguru: Dreams of Harvest,” inspired by the writings of local peach farmer Mas Masumoto at the Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall Feb. 15 and 16. You can pregame the event at any of Ampersand Ice Cream’s locations around town this month, where they’re featuring a monthly flavor made with Masumoto peaches. Fresno Philharmonic
CITYWIDE: The Foundation for Fresno Unified Students is asking the public to donate some appropriate business attire for their third annual suit drive, KSEE reports. The collection event is Feb. 10 to 21. The free shopping event for students is April 8. For more info, click here.
WOODWARD PARK: In honor of Black History Month, Fresno-based Black Girl Hike is hosting a beginner-friendly hike at Woodward Park Saturday, Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. The hike is open to everyone and participants are invited to lunch at Planet Vegan afterward. Black Girl Hike
FRESNO-YOSEMITE AIRPORT: “Southwest Airlines on Thursday announced it will offer daily nonstop flights between Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) and San Diego International Airport (SAN) beginning Oct. 2.” Fresno Business Journal
FRESNO STATE: Fresno State’s President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval told The Collegian that the departure of Rashanda Booker, the university’s inaugural diversity officer, had nothing to do with a recent Trump executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. He did not comment on whether the university plans to rehire for the position. The Collegian
