(Was this newsletter forwarded to you from a friend? Sign up to receive it here.)
☀️Good morning! It’s Thursday, May 1! This is Rob, wishing you a happy National Mother Goose Day! Today’s weather will be just like yesterday and pretty much the same as tomorrow. Maybe a little rain this weekend. Maybe.
🔬“The bill, aimed at keeping communities and first responders safe, is part of a goal that (U.S. Rep. Jim) Costa has been working towards in order to prevent future incidents like the 2023 Reedley bio lab incident, in which an illegal biological laboratory in Reedley was discovered violating multiple health and safety codes.” The Fresno Business Journal
💰“Dozens of nonprofits, foundations and government agencies in the San Joaquin Valley risk losing millions of dollars of funding cuts or freezes under the Trump administration’s push to reduce “wasteful” government spending.” The Fresno Bee
📢“Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea has announced her run for California State Assembly District 31.” ABC30
👮🏽♀️Fresno-area law enforcement agencies gather at noon today at Courthouse Park for the 27th annual Peace Officers Memorial. The ceremony is in honor, observance and memory of every in the line of duty death from all law enforcement agencies within Fresno County. A total 64 men and women have been etched into stone at the Fresno County Peace Officers Memorial. The names on the memorial date back to 1889. Fresno County Peace Officers Memorial
🖼️“Don’t miss the Southeast Asian 1975 Legacy Exhibition at Fresno State’s Ellipse Gallery. This powerful exhibit honors the resilience, culture, and contributions of Southeast Asian communities following the Secret War in Laos.” The event begins at 5:30 p.m. today in the Ellipse Gallery & Balcony at the Fresno State Library. The exhibition runs from May 1 to Sept. 30. The full showcase begins May 26. Instagram
📚The San Joaquin Valley Bookfest will return this Saturday, May 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Fresno City College. The full day of programming will include the cream of the crop of Valley poets, novelists, nonfiction writers, children’s authors and more. SJV Bookfest
🚗“If you’re planning to visit Yosemite National Park during the summer, you will need to make a reservation.” ABC30
And, new this morning: For nearly 20 years, videos of the Fresno Nightcrawler, the city’s most famous urban legend, have racked up hundreds and millions of views on YouTube, sparked lengthy online debates and captured the attention of urban folklore enthusiasts and artists locally and nationwide, who were quick to embrace Fresno’s weirdly charming cryptid as a sort of unofficial underground mascot, creating stickers, shirts and plushes celebrating the now legendary mystery. Now, the city’s favorite mystery is the subject of a new episode of an online docuseries. Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina unpacks the urban legend and why it might just live forever. Check out their full story below!
‘This weird little story.’ Why Fresno’s goofy Nightcrawler legend might just live forever
A quirky 20-second clip from 2007 featuring a strange, white-legged figure has unexpectedly united Fresno and its growing love keeps the legend alive.
