Good morning! It’s Friday, April 10. This is Rob.
‘See the sky about to rain’: Cloudy skies with highs in the 70s, with thunder and rain expected later tonight and throughout the weekend. NOAA
Too late? Again? A Fresno judge ruled that local environmental groups filed their CEQA lawsuit too late. GV Wire
Learn to Swede? Want to create your own sweded film for Swede Fest, but don’t know where to start? CMAC has you covered. Two free classes are available to help you learn how to pick a project and build a production plan, among other tools. Class begins at 6 p.m. April 14. CMAC
Basque Fest! The 48th annual Fresno Basque Festival begins at 9 a.m. May 2. The free public event includes a parade, Basque music, dancing, and food. More info
Calling all poets: The Fresno County Public Library is accepting submissions for its 27th Annual Poetry Contest, inviting residents of all ages to share their writing and be recognized as part of a long-standing community tradition. Facebook
1. Ex-Fresno Arts Council bookkeeper admits wire fraud
The former Fresno Arts Council bookkeeper has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of federal wire fraud in connection with the nearly $2 million embezzlement that shocked the city’s arts community earlier this year.
A plea agreement between federal prosecutors and defendant Suliana Caldwell, first reported Thursday by The Fresno Bee, does not specify a specific prison term, but says that a term of federal incarceration will be determined by a judge.
Caldwell is set for an arraignment and change-of-plea hearing on April 20 in U.S. District Court in Fresno. Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad reviewed the deal Caldwell cut with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Over the span of three years and nine months, Caldwell issued over 300 unauthorized wire transfers, stealing a total of about $1.82 million, according to federal investigators,” Omar writes. “Most of those funds were from the City of Fresno and other public entities, too.”
2. City Hall invests in Advance Peace Fresno
One of the city’s most effective anti-violence programs won at least a temporary reprieve this week when the Fresno City Council extended the program’s funding through the fall and hinted more money could soon be in the works.
Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela spoke with Advance Peace Fresno’s program manager, Aaron Foster, who said he was hopeful following Thursday’s meeting and the $250,000 cash injection that will keep the lights on at least until the end of October.
The program’s future has been in jeopardy since last year when it abruptly lost $2 million amid a series of financial cuts to criminal violence intervention programs across the country on the orders of President Donald Trump.
The City of Fresno’s homicide count saw a 50-year low last year. That decline can be, at least partially, attributed to the work of Advance Peace, researchers have said.
3. No rain, please
R and B and gospel music returns to Kearney Park on Saturday — or next month, if it gets rained out, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reports this morning.
Co-organized by Dream Team Promotions and led by Delanno Hopkins, Rosalind Butler-Patrick and David Harris, aka DJ Daave, among others, the R and B in the Park event drew nearly 1,000 people last year and is already on track to outpace that number this year.
After months of effort organizing musical acts, food trucks and retail vendors, they’re just praying the weather cooperates.
“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day — for real,” Butler-Patrick said.
They have back-up plans in the event of rain, including a reschedule date for mid-May. But this isn’t the only event the team has in store for 2026 — or even the only R and B in the Park.
Tickets for R and B in the Park (6725 W. Kearney Blvd.) are available for purchase online via Eventbrite, starting at $25, plus a $3.52 fee. Gates open at 1 p.m., and the event is scheduled to run from 2 to 7 p.m.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad.
