Quote of the Week
“This is a loss for the entire city. It’s not quite half the newsroom, but it’s a substantial amount. It’s maybe around 30-40%.”
—Bee reporter Josh Tehee, speaking with Fresnoland on this week’s layoffs at The Fresno Bee
This Week in Fresnoland
Fresno County gets down to brass tacks
Budget talks open Monday at the Hall of Records as the Fresno County supervisors prepare to crunch the final details of a record-breaking $5.5 billion budget amid warnings of a looming fiscal cliff tied to Trump Administration cuts.
And while some departments, like the Sheriff’s Office and Behavioral Health are expected to see their spending increase in the coming year, other key departments like Public Health — which is poised for a $10 million cut — are bracing for major losses.
Fresno County also plans to pull about $15 million in one-time funding for a new sheriff’s office’s headquarters, which will soon be housed at the buildings on 650 O St. and 705 P St. The county purchased the buildings from developer Darius Assemi earlier this year to the tune of about $25 million.
The county’s budget hearings begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14 at the board chambers on the third floor at the Hall of Records. Residents will also be able to participate virtually this year through Zoom.
Read the full Fresnoland story.
Second alleged whistleblower files claim against Granville
And, speaking of Assemi, a second alleged whistleblower complaint emerged this week against one of Fresno’s biggest suburban developers, who has denied financial struggles even as former employees accuse the company of misrepresenting financial statements.
The latest complaint about Granville Homes comes just months after the company’s former chief financial officer filed similar complaints and sought whistleblower protections in connection with the company’s reportedly struggling finances.
In addition to claims of being isolated and mistreated for bringing his concerns forward in April, the claim filed by former controller Aleksey Dvorkin also contradicts owner Darius Assemi’s prior public claims about Granville Homes.
In court records, Dvorkin describes trouble with loan repayments, but also says Assemi’s other pet project, the GV Wire website, is losing about $1 million per year and has accumulated debts of more than $3 million against the company.
“GV Wire is unlikely, for all intents and purposes, to repay its debts obligations to Granville Homes,” Dvorkin alleges.
The company continues to dispute that assessment, arguing in court records that the website “is a separate legal entity that generates revenue,” employing as many as seven people, and that it “remains essentially a small start up business.”
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
Fresno Unified sees big jump in California college admissions
Over the last five years, Fresno Unified admissions into UCs schools has been on the rise and some gains have been fairly dramatic.
School counselors who spoke with Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas say most of the credit should go to the new, more proactive approach taken by the district in helping students apply to college.
“We provide application workshops, individual support and consistent communication throughout the college application process,” said Berenice Tapia, a counselor at McLane High, “rather than simply telling students to apply, we work alongside them to help them understand their options and successfully navigate the process.”
But Fresno Unified is far from alone in the recent four-year uptick – and many other education leaders and experts say the largest single contributing factor to admission numbers was the elimination in 2021 of the SAT/ACT testing requirements.
And now there’s push at the state level to bring the testing prerequisite as part of the admissions process.
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
Fresno Bee layoffs ‘a loss for the entire city’
The Fresno Bee laid off eight journalists this week in the largest newsroom cuts to hit the former McClatchy family owned newspaper in years, amid a new strategy that emphasizes AI-produced content.
“We are losing positions that I do not think will be replaced within the news landscape,” said Josh Tehee, a veteran Bee reporter and union co-chair. “This is a loss for the entire city. It’s not quite half the newsroom, but it’s a substantial amount. It’s maybe around 30-40%.”
Deep staff cuts were announced nationwide across McClatchy, which is owned by a hedge fund Chatham Asset Management.
McClatchy’s Miami Herald – the paper that broke the Jeffrey Epstein scandal – announced layoffs today too. Around 30% cuts were also announced at McClatchy papers in Idaho and Washington, with even more in Kentucky, South Carolina, Kansas City and Charlotte, among others.
Can Fresno Unified save money on its police contracts?
Fresno Unified is already looking ahead at another year of tough financial choices and on Wednesday, trustees expressed frustration with the district’s police contracts.
As part of the budget process for the 2025-26 school year, the FUSD board of education reviewed and approved its unaudited financials from the previous school year, which included a presentation by the district’s chief financial officer, Patrick Jensen.
Jensen explained that while the district originally projected a loss of 1,100 students this school year, it announced last week that it now expects to lose 1,800 students this year. According to Jensen, the district receives around $17,000 per student, and because of the increase in enrollment decline projections, the district may need to cut over $11 million in its next budget cycle.
“We have tons of inflation in our system right now; we’re paying more for everything from parts for our laptops to fuel,” Jensen said, adding, “and our federal funding scenario is not favorable as far as what we think we’re going to be getting from the federal government over the next couple of years, so that’s kind of the the economic reality that we’re underpinning the district right now.”
Jensen said the district has already identified at least an $11 million hole in the budget, an estimate he described as “conversative.”
Additionally, the board unanimously voted to put a contract with the Fresno Police Department on hold to review the district’s spending and needs for school resource officers.
Multiple community members and parents in attendance on Wednesday spoke against the $5.6 million contract, arguing that as taxpayers, they shouldn’t have to pay the school to subsidize the salaries of multiple officers. They also pointed to the need to save money amid the district’s financial situation.
The contract itself would only cover the 2026-27 school year. Board members did not specify which upcoming board meeting the contract would come back for a vote.
Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas noted that the board had faced similar issues in the past with high-priced contracts and concerns with the district’s subsidizing of police vehicles they would never own and supervising sergeants that don’t step foot on school sites.
“Our neighboring school districts have a better deal and,” Rosas said, “they’re not paying for what we’re paying for.”
-Diego Vargas, Fresnoland education reporter
Outside the Lines
New gun law? Just weeks after a Fresno County prosecutor was stabbed outside the county courthouse in downtown Fresno, the Board of Supervisors took its first steps toward allowing prosecutors with valid CCW permits to carry guns in county-operated buildings. Fresnoland
Did we miss any? Here’s our latest guide to all the best farmers markets in Fresno and Clovis. Fresnoland Food
‘Picture of hell’ Six years after the Creek Fire erupted survivors say the memories of the devastating wildfire remain vivid as communities continue to recover. ABC30
Convenience costs: Each day in the central San Joaquin Valley, some 1,300 fast-food and coffee drive-through lanes fill up with riding cars. But exactly how much the fast food waiting contributes to the region’s bad air quality remains largely unstudied. CVJC
AI & Ag: The central San Joaquin Valley’s next generation of farmers is learning how AI is changing the agriculture industry. The Merced Focus via KVPR
“Zoinks!” Meet the retired Clovis artist whose decades-long career included animating some of the most popular and beloved cartoon television shows ever. KMPH
Restitution: The former Fresno Arts Council employee who stole $1.8 million appeared in a federal courtroom Tuesday and was ordered to repay about $1.1 million. The Fresno Bee
Downtown: Nearly a century after Warnors Theatre opened in downtown Fresno, its remarkable nearly-100-year-old organ still fills the 2,100-seat venue. The Business Journal
Sad news: Tragedy strikes Sierra Sky Park Airport as four members of a family, including both parents and two children, died in a plane crash a week ago. YourCentralValley
New degree: Fresno City College touted new changes and a new bachelor’s degree in Medical Imaging Supervision and Leadership, providing students another opportunity to earn a four-year degree at the community college. ABC30
Let’s get it started: The first annual Central Valley Blackeye Pea Festival and Cook-Off will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. Blackeye Pea Fest
The Nightcrawler! The Fresno County Library is offering a library card with the Fresno Nightcrawler on its cover. KVPR
RIP: Retired Fresno Police Chief Ed Winchester died after serving the department for more than three decades. GV Wire
Block Beat
East Fresno: A mixed-income complex is in the works on a vacant lot at the corner of Dewitt and Belmont avenues. The Fresno Bee
Downtown: Nearly a century after Warnors Theatre opened in downtown Fresno, its remarkable nearly-100-year-old organ still fills the 2,100-seat venue. The Business Journal
Brewery District: The Dads Cookies shop opens from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 3 at its new storefront located at 760 Fulton St. YourCentralValley
Southwest: The Jensen Avenue Improvement Project is now complete. The project kicked off in 2025 and upgraded Jensen Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Marks Avenue with new underground water mains, added bike lanes and curb ramps. ABC30
Big Fresno Fair: The Big Fresno Fair and Central California Blood Center have joined forces for the “Pint for a Pass” Blood Drive until Oct. 18; all blood donors will receive a “Buy One, Get One Free” admission voucher redeemable for the 2026 Big Fresno Fair. YourCentralValley
Roeding Park: The Fresno Chaffee Zoo reopens its reptile house, returning the snakes and lizards to public view. ABC30
Fresno State: Tickets go on pre-sale Thursday for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Dec. 3 “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” show at Fresno’s Save Mart Center. YourCentralValley
Dinuba: Ruiz Foods plans to permanently lay off 176 workers at its Dinuba facility. The Business Journal
Sanger: Public school enrollment is down statewide, including in Fresno Unified, but two neighboring cities are trending the other direction. Sanger Unified continues to show enrollment gains. KMPH
