☀️Good morning! It’s Friday, July 17. Omar checking in here 🙂
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⚾Kingsburg pitcher goes pro: Jensen Hirschkorn of Kingsburg High School was selected in the third round of the MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. ABC30
💪New gym in NW Fresno: JB Fitness plans to turn an old Walgreens into its second location. The Business Journal
🦁Two lion cubs: Zamaya, a lion at Fresno Chafee Zoo, gave birth to two cubs. KMPH
1. Measure C-lite?
In the wake of Fresno County leaders essentially striking down the successor to Measure C, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the timeline to put a citywide general sales tax on the ballot is very limited.
The big asterisk is he doesn’t know what the appetite is to have a citywide tax to create revenue for transportation needs in lieu of a regional one.
How local electeds would even go about it is also up in the air. A general sales tax simply requires a simple majority of voters approving it, whereas a specific purpose one requires a two-thirds approval threshold — which Dyer called a “very difficult” threshold.
Read the full story from The Fresno Bee here.
2. Selling a home? Hard to do in Fresno
Fresno is at the top of a list ranking U.S. metro areas “where the largest share of builders have cut prices on new homes.” That’s according to Realtor.com’s data set current as of June 2026.
Selling a house right now is a challenge with high mortgage rates already making buyers reluctant. Added with current economic times, home builders are struggling to sell new homes and having to adjust their expectations.
Read the full story in MarketWatch here.
3. Fresno’s first case of cyclosporiasis
Fresno County health officials are saying Fresno County’s first case of cyclosporiasis isn’t linked to the wider outbreak of the intestinal disease across the country.
The disease is caused by a parasite and so far, the outbreak has been tied to lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in the Midwest. The spread of the disease has been linked to contaminated produce on top of lettuce, including raspberries and cilantro.
Deputy Health Officer Trinidad Solis: “We are recommending washing fruits and vegetables under running water. Even if it’s in a package bag, we’re still recommending to wash that.”
Read the full story from ABC30 here.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Rob Parsons
