Quote of the Week
“I’m sorry I broke your heart.”
– Bitwise cofounder Irma Olguin Jr., speaking to victims of the Bitwise fraud, during a sentencing hearing Tuesday morning for her and co-CEO Jake Soberal.
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This Week in Fresnoland
The city-county tax-sharing saga is over – but questions remain for southeast rural residents
Fresno city and county leaders arrived at a long-awaited truce on the tax-sharing deal late Friday afternoon, showing that they can find agreement on some topics — at least on the direction of new development, Danielle Bergstrom reported for Fresnoland.
Fresno County supervisors gave the official green light to the new agreement in a special meeting, with Supervisor Nathan Magsig, representing Clovis and mountain communities, as the lone vote in opposition.
Supervisors acknowledged it wasn’t a perfect deal with the city, telling the nearly two dozen residents of the southeast development area, or SEDA, who showed up in protest to “keep pushing back on the city” to get their questions answered.
Nearly two dozen residents from the rural southeast development area, slated for a 45,000 home mega-development, showed up to urge county leaders to reconsider the deal.
“The tax-sharing agreement is a direct attack against farmland and food production,” said David Ramming, a small farmer and resident of SEDA, and former USDA plant breeder.
Magsig told them to take their concerns back to the city.
“I would encourage you, if you turn around and look at all your neighbors right behind you, you all need to continue to speak with one voice,” Magsig urged. “The city of Fresno still has an environmental impact document they need to complete.”
‘No one belongs here more than you’
In the conclusion to one chapter of the Bitwise story, disgraced ex-CEOs Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. received prison sentences notably longer than what they bargained for in their plea deals Tuesday, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
In a packed courtroom, a federal judge handed down an 11-year sentence for Soberal and a nine-year sentence for Olguin. The judge cited Soberal’s training and experience as an attorney as reason for Soberal’s longer term.
The room was also brimming with emotion as Soberal and Olguin apologized to investors, employees and other victims.
“I’m sorry I broke your heart,” Olguin said during her tearful statement.
Employees shared mixed feelings leaving the hearing.
“I think it’s just a sad, unfortunate situation for everybody involved,” said David Ramirez, a former Bitwise worker.
But there’s more to come as Bitwise’s bankruptcy case continues and employees await payouts from a $20 million class-action settlement.
Why so secret, Fresno EOC?
The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission has a new acting CEO and another CEO “on a leave of absence” – and “no additional information to share,” a spokesperson told Fresnoland late Tuesday, Fresnoland’s Omar Shaikh Rashad reported.
Michelle Tutunjian, most recently the nonprofit’s chief operating officer, took over as acting CEO on Nov. 20, spokesperson Jose Moreno said in an email.
“To ensure clarity, Emilia Reyes remains the CEO of Fresno EOC, while Michelle Tutunjian serves as Acting CEO,” Moreno said. “Ms. Reyes is currently on a leave of absence, and I have no additional information to share.”
It’s unclear whether Reyes is still drawing a salary from Fresno EOC. Moreno has refused to answer questions about Reyes, citing personnel rules, including refusing to disclose copies of the nonprofit’s policies and procedures. He also declined to provide a timeline for when information would be released publicly.
The quiet leadership shakeup comes in the midst of a $3.2 million deficit at the nonprofit poverty-fighting organization.
Helping the helpers help survivors of domestic violence in Fresno
Dozens of local organizations and domestic violence survivors in Fresno County work to fill critical resource gaps but still face growing demand, chronic underfunding, and systemic barriers that hinder their ability to fully support survivors, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina wrote this week in a special report produced with USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism.
Gisselle’s reporting highlights a harsh reality in Fresno County: The demand for domestic violence services far exceeds available resources, leaving survivors without personalized or sufficient care as the community struggles to address a high volume of cases — one of the highest in California — with limited support.
While there isn’t a precise way to determine the number of domestic violence survivors, due at least in significant part to chronic underreporting, the Marjaree Mason Center—the only dedicated domestic violence agency in Fresno—and local law enforcement leadership rely on law enforcement call data to measure the scope of the issue. Fresno County has the highest per capita rate of domestic violence calls to law enforcement among California’s 10 largest counties.
Read Gisselle’s full report here.
Will Care Courts solve homelessness in Fresno County?
Hopes are high among elected officials as the CARE Court system goes online in Fresno County and beyond. Among those hopes are that CARE Court will be part of California’s cure for homelessness. But health experts across the state are trying to soften some ambitious promises made by elected officials, and some advocates are already levying criticism to how the practice may affect the state’s most vulnerable, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
The programs will do a lot of good, they say, but won’t lead to an exodus of homeless encampments.
“The CARE Act and Proposition 1 are intended to strengthen the behavioral health continuum of services,” said Susan Holt, director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, “but neither of them are, in and of themselves, a solution to homelessness.”
California counties, including Fresno County, launched the CARE Court system on Dec.1 — a new state-wide health plan prominently backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to help individuals with untreated psychotic disorders, like schizophrenia, connect with community-based mental health services.
Outside the Lines
The city and the City of Fresno Professional Employees Association came to an agreement yesterday after the first day of picketing, restoring city services and ending the strike. Fresnoland
Unhoused advocates held demonstrations across the West Coast on Tuesday to share resources for homeless residents who are about to brave their first winter under the perpetual threat of arrest. Fresnoland
The San Francisco Chronicle is here to remind us that the valley is a more affordable place to live, relative to coastal cities, refreshing the data for an age-old talking point for local politicians and economic development officials.
“Two years ago, California water regulators were stunned to learn that a major river in the San Joaquin Valley had stopped flowing. The waterway ran dry for 5 miles, leaving young fish stranded in muddy pools, birds fleeing to new homes, and paddlers, waterfront property owners and farmers gripped with frustration. In a state partly defined by its thirst for water, the emptying of the Merced River for four months in 2022 remained something of a mystery.” San Francisco Chronicle
“Criminal charges will not be filed after a Fresno police officer shot and killed a 27-year-old man in May of 2022. The California Department of Justice announced it completed its investigation into the shooting.” ABC30
Block Beat
MANCHESTER: “A long-awaited family shelter is expected to open in February — nearly two years after originally planned. The 72-unit family shelter at Fresno Mission’s City Center “campus” near Blackstone and Dakota Avenues, is anticipated to open in the next four to eight weeks, said CEO Matt Dildine. He’d like to have families in before Christmas, but the site needs a few finishing touches before it is move-in ready, meaning a February opening is more realistic.” The Fresno Bee
SOUTH TOWER: Fresno’s seniors are invited to National Sauce Day from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 at the Ted C Wills Community Center. For more information, call 559-621-7529. Instagram
Around Town
Last minute gift shopping? Don’t forget to check out Fresnoland’s holiday gift guide.
Looking for holiday decor around town? Fresno Street Eats has you covered with their holiday lights map.
Local Save Mart, Lucky and FoodMaxx stores are continuing their ‘Friends Helping Friends’ food drive, soliciting donations to support local individuals struggling with food insecurity. The Fresno Business Journal
