Good morning! It’s Friday, May 1. This is Rob.
Sunny with highs in the upper 80s. Maybe it will rain on Sunday. NOAA
Cheers! Downtown Fresno expects large crowds this weekend for Tequila Fest and the first-ever Cinco De Mayo Crawl! ABC30
This is the Way: The Fresno Discovery Center is hosting a Star Wars-themed event to celebrate at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 2. Admission is $3. YourCentralValley
Go Big! Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live is coming to the Fresno Fairgrounds for the first time ever with an outdoor show. More information here
Shredder: The City of Fresno will host a paper-shredding event for residential solid waste customers at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 2 at the Public Utilities Operations & Maintenance Building, 1665 G St.
1. Fresnoland scores top honors
Fresnoland’s in-depth investigation into California’s Williamson Act captured the prestigious public service award Thursday during the 38th-annual George F. Gruner Journalism Awards at California State University Fresno.
Environment reporter Gregory Weaver’s reporting from February of 2025, examined a decades-old tax break meant to protect the state’s precious farmland.
Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano took home an award for best writing for her July 2025 profile of the art and artists behind the city’s murals below the 180 freeway.
2. Copper wire thefts under the microscope again
A pair of alleged copper-wire thieves face felony charges after police said they ripped several feet of wire from high-speed rail overpasses, YourCentralValley reports.
Wire thefts have plagued rural communities up and down the state for decades. Last year, city and county officials crafted new laws aimed at cracking down metal thefts.
YourCentralValley says that the rural crimes task force reported more than 50 such arrests last year. The Fresno City Attorney’s Office has filed multiple cases as part of the crackdown.
Andrew Janz: “I think the word’s getting out there that the City of Fresno, the city attorney’s office, the sheriff’s office are getting tough on copper wire theft, and I think that’s scaring a lot of people.”
3. ‘All of my tortillas contain folic acid’
A new law adding folic acid to corn tortillas is changing the way local tortilla makers work, KVPR reports.
Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula, who wrote the California law to add folic acid to corn masa products, says the new law seeks to reduce so-called neural tube defects — including spina bifida and anencephaly.
The California Department of Public Health estimates the defects are found in 6.8% of Latinos in the region.
That prevalence motivated Arambula to become involved in the legislation.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad.
