It’s Tuesday, October 7. Danielle, here.
☀️ Warmth is back: high of 89 today.
🚙 As seen on TikTok: “Everything about Highway 99 is meant to sharpen your mind.” If absurdist humor is your thing, then you won’t regret watching this ode to the 99. (NSFW language warning.) Cities by Diana
Teen’s death on bike prompts safety push: Supervisor Luis Chavez said he’s looking into safety upgrades on Olive Avenue near Angus after 15-year-old McLane High student Nathan Torres was killed by a driver while riding his bike on Sept. 29. Your Central Valley
1. Fresno makes gains in economic and racial inclusion, but inequality persists
A new report from the Fresno DRIVE coalition found that Fresno’s economy has been improving for people who have lower incomes and for people of color. From 2013 to 2023, the city climbed 33 spots after being near the bottom of the national Economic Inclusion Index rankings to 235 of 274 of large U.S. cities. The numbers are even better for racial inclusion, improving by 62 places, from 225 to 163.
The Inclusion Indices, developed as part of the Urban Institute’s Inclusive Recovery Project, reflect the ability of lower-income residents and people of color to benefit from economic growth, tracking key indicators including neighborhood segregation, rental burden, high school dropout rates, working poor, and racial gaps in homeownership, poverty, and education.
Other bright spots in the report:
- Concentrated poverty is down by 68%
- The median income increased by 55% countywide
- High school completion rates rose, with large jumps for Black and Latino students
Dr. Cassandra Little, CEO of the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce: “Through our incubator, we’ve supported and graduated 140 entrepreneurs with an 82 percent completion rate. An overwhelming 92 percent of these businesses are Black-owned, 5 percent are Latinx-owned, and more than half are women-owned. Each of these numbers tells a story of resilience, empowerment, and collective progress — proof of what’s possible when we invest in our people and believe in the potential of our community.”
2. Fresno County ranks 1st as deadliest ‘red light running’ capital of California
Is anyone surprised by this news?
According to Los Angeles-based nonprofit Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE), Fresno County has the highest number of severe injuries or fatalities per capita due to red-light running and intersection violations of any large California county, The Business Journal reports.
Fresno County has 6.86 severe injuries or fatalities per 100,000 people, compared to 5.09 in San Francisco and 4.26 in Los Angeles County.
The report points to the tragic death of Clovis East teens Jordan Galvez and Maddux Greene, caused by a drunk driver with a prior conviction at Shields and Clovis Avenues on May 2.
The group is using the data to advocate for SB 720, a bill in the legislature that would give cities and counties new powers to penalize drivers who violate red light camera policies. (The City of Fresno does not currently utilize red light cameras, FWIW.)
Damian Kevitt, executive director of SAFE: “These aren’t just statistics – they’re mothers, fathers, children, and friends whose lives were stolen. Fresno County’s ranking as the deadliest in the state shows we’re facing a crisis at our intersections.”
3. Health care costs could double in Fresno County if tax credits expire
Almost 185,000 lower-income San Joaquin Valley residents – and nearly 2 million statewide – who purchase health insurance through Covered California will see their monthly premiums skyrocket in January after Congress failed to reach an agreement on extending “enhanced tax credits” that subsidize a large share of the cost, reports Tim Sheehan for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.
Fresno County residents with Covered California plans could see their premiums spike by 160%, if the tax credits aren’t extended soon.
The result is that thousands of families likely won’t be able to afford health coverage and will join the ranks of the uninsured, said Jessica Altman, Covered California’s executive director.
Covered California is the state’s insurance marketplace under the federal Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare).
Altman: “In a time when costs are rising in so many places and many people are fighting to just meet their daily needs, this is a huge stressor for people and the families that we serve.”
