Good morning! It’s Tuesday, Jan. 6. This is Rob.
It’s been a while: They call it “sunshine” and it’s expected to stick around Fresno for now following weeks of cloudy weather! Expect highs today in the low 60s. NOAA
Where’s it at? Yes, plans are still in the works for a second Sam’s Deli. The Business Journal
1. Hundreds of retired Fresno Unified employees stuck in healthcare limbo
About 1,500 retired Fresno Unified employees can’t obtain routine care at Community Medical Centers after an insurance contract expired Dec. 31, Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas reports.
In a brief statement late Monday, Fresno Unified Superintendent tried to calm fears but acknowledged the predicament for hundreds of retirees, which she described as a “very scary time.”
It wasn’t clear Tuesday when the Board of Education could take up the issue again with hundreds of retirees stuck in limbo as the hospital negotiates with the company.
Some retirees might still be able to receive some of their regular treatments if they apply for treatment continuation from the insurance provider, Aetna.
Community’s Aldo De La Torre: “If a patient in this group is in active treatment with a Community Health Partners physician, they can request authorization from Aetna for a ‘continuity of care’ provision.”
2. Save Mart Center naming deal set to expire
A $1.5 million naming-rights deal between the Fresno State Association and Pepsi is set to expire this year, The Fresno Bee reports.
Pepsi holds exclusive rights to distribute its products and also has a partnership with Starbucks to distribute canned coffees.
The Fresno State Association granted Pepsi the exclusive right in a contract signed in 1999.
The Association still owes more than $26 million on the arena.
Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval: “The amount of attention that we get, and the amount of influence that we exert in the region, both symbolically but also through our own alumni network, it is tremendous. We’re a good brand, an excellent brand with whom they want to associate.”
3. Farmers still need more rain
Fresno has seen 7 inches of rain since October, ABC30 reports, putting the region ahead for the upcoming farming season.
ABC30 meteorologist Christine Gregory says the region is about 2 to 3 inches above normal for this time of year
And that’s good news for local farmers, but many remain nervous about the coming year as only average or slightly below average rainfall is anticipated.
Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen: “Right now, we’re in good shape if we get average storms through the rest of the season, but if it does completely turn off, and we’ve seen that in the last decade, that becomes problematic because we’re not in great shape when it comes to the next upcoming season.”
Today’s newsletter was edited by Omar S. Rashad.
