Good morning! It’s Monday, Nov. 10. This is Rob and Omar.
☁️ Cloudier skies early with highs reaching 80 today, but rainstorms are expected later. NOAA
🍞 The federal government shutdown has already hampered Fresno-area food banks. ABC30
🛫 The shutdown is also creating chaos at local airports, including Fresno. KVPR
DAKOTA & FOWLER AVENUES CLOSURE: Beginning Monday, Nov. 10, through Monday, Nov. 17. There will be a temporary traffic pattern for a lane shift on Fowler Avenue across Dakota Avenue.
CESAR CHAVEZ BLVD CLOSURE: Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 12, Cesar Chavez Blvd from P Street to Broadway Street will have lane restrictions, lane shifts, and partial closures to cross-traffic.
HUGHES AVENUE CLOSURE: Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 12, Hughes Avenue will be closed in both directions from Nielsen Avenue to Roeding Drive.
1. Not in your backyard, but maybe in God’s?
The Westside Church of God and Southwest Fresno Development Corporation are leading Fresno County’s first project to build affordable housing on church property, working on 21 senior cottages on an acre of land next to the Edison neighborhood church, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina reports this morning.
Fresno is joining the national Yes in God’s Backyard movement, which helps churches to build affordable homes amid the nation’s housing crisis.
Church groups are trying to acquire and renovate roughly four homes per year, revitalizing the area while contributing to the city’s larger plan to add 1,000 homes in the area.
The organization recently secured a five-year, interest-free $2 million social impact loan to purchase and rehabilitate blighted homes in the 93706 area, creating opportunities for first-time homebuyers.
Bishop Paul Binion: “I just had a vision — why couldn’t southwest Fresno have what every other part of Fresno has? Why not stores and shops here? Why not new homes? Why not development?”
2. And still…
Two heavyweights got their fourth titles at Taco Truck Throwdown on Saturday night.
Taco Pinto came away with the judge’s choice winner and Tacos La Vaporera won the people’s choice title.
Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina and Omar S. Rashad covered the annual competition, which brought more than 10,000 people to Chukchansi Park on Saturday night.
More than 20 taco trucks were scattered across the baseball field, along with lucha libre wrestling and live music from local singers and big headliners.
Headliners E-40 and Baby Bash got Chukchansi Park jumping with some of their biggest hits. Local artists also put on a show, including FYR, DJ Smiley, Sum Slight and Mia Mei.
3. Fresno eyes PG&E rate hike skeptically
A Fresno crowd largely opposed plans for yet another PG&E rate hike, with many criticizing the proposal that the utility company is necessary to fund badly needed infrastructure and safety improvements in the coming years, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
Friday’s public hearing comes after PG&E submitted a request earlier this year to California’s regulatory commission for private utilities companies, asking commissioners to approve annual rate hikes over a four-year period from 2027 to 2030.
PG&E estimates those increased rates could drive up a typical residential customer’s monthly bill from $214.93 this year to $248.01 by 2030 (for 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity), according to a consumer notice.
According to one analysis, average electricity charges for PG&E customers have increased by more than 60% over the last five years.
