Quote of the Week
“Many immigrant families already don’t trust institutions like the court system or the police, so whenever we say something and don’t follow through, it erodes trust that is already very difficult to maintain.”
— Brain Wise Solutions’ Jason Williams speaking on ICE-related childhood traumas
This Week in Fresnoland
Some good news for Fresno Unified test scores
For years, Fresno Unified schools have struggled meeting math and literacy expectations, but recent test results showed dramatic improvements in several of the city’s largest schools, Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas reported.
Hoover High School and McLane High School led the way, reporting enormous double-digit advances over just one year.
Administrators credited the new student success to several factors, including more restrictive phone policies and enforcement and daily curriculum aligned with SBAC testing.
McLane High School Principal Brian Wulf: “Post-COVID, we were trying to impose things on them and it wasn’t working and we were having trouble and we shifted. That’s why we started seeking out new curriculum, new innovative practices, and we found success.”
Fresno OKs $4.2 million in homeless shelter funding
Three city homeless shelters secured a total of $4.2 million in funding this week from Fresno City Hall, keeping dozens of people off the streets this winter even as other city shelters face potential closures in the coming weeks, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
The Fresno City Council on Thursday unanimously approved funding to keep open the Valley Inn facility at 933 North Parkway Drive, the Travel Inn shelter at 1444 W. White Ave. and Hope Pointe at 4061 N. Blackstone Ave.
The move comes as state and federal lawmakers cut homelessness-related funding amid a controversial shift in strategy.
The money comes from the state’s Homeless Housing Assistance Program, which allocates money to help run local-level initiatives for the unhoused.
Fresno LGBTQ+ groups secure local funding
As President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to eliminate federal funding for diversity efforts, local-level support has become increasingly important for LGBTQ+ communities across the country, including here at home, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina reported.
This year marks the second cycle of Fresno City Hall’s LGBTQ+ community fund, which passed out some $70,000 among seven organizations, which will work to help nonprofits address major gaps in public health, mental health and crisis support.
Councilmember Annalisa Perea: “One of the biggest needs that we have here locally is funding for our LGBTQ+ nonprofits. This has become more of an exacerbated issue, given how cuts at the federal level have trickled down to impact these organizations who historically serve some of our most vulnerable populations.”
Is there a smoke shop apocalypse coming in 2027?
Fresno city leaders gathered reporters at City Hall this week to celebrate a recent court victory that is expected to force dozens of smoke shops to close across the city in the coming years.
Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela was on hand Wednesday when city officials confirmed their intentions to push ahead with a proposal that ultimately caps the total number of smoke shops in the city at 49.
It’s unclear how many shops and businesses could ultimately be forced out.
Most smoke shop owners are expected to learn their fate in a lottery drawing in 2027 to determine which shops stay and which will go.
Shane Smith, attorney for the California Smoke Shop Association, the group that filed the suit, said they plan to support “individual members in future cases for compensation should their businesses be lost to the City’s Ordinance.”
Preparing for ICE tragedies in Fresno
A new California law expands who can legally act as a temporary caregiver — helping at least some of the state’s immigrant families facing deportation maintain at least some control over the fate of their children.
Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina spoke with local experts to learn what happens to children if both their parents are taken away by immigration authorities.
Coming up with a family preparedness plan is key, advocates said, and that includes everything from having emergency contacts updated at school to thinking through potential caregivers for your children.
Nora Zaragoza-Yáñez of Faith in the Valley: “I highly encourage everyone to prepare for things that are in your control. It’s important for immigration advocates or attorneys or forward-facing people who offer these services to have one, we are all targets.”
Outside the Lines
Migrant workers are skipping medical appointments amid the anti-immigrant crackdown. KVPR
Two hours of closed-session debate this week at the State Center Community College District school board meeting did not appear to resolve the increasingly bitter fight over Chancellor Carole Goldsmith’s leadership that has deeply divided the four-school district. EdSource
Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela sat down with KVPR to discuss local efforts to ban synthetic kratom — a substance that many claim has health benefits but that medical professionals say leads to over-the-counter drug abuse. Central Valley Daily
The CEO of a Fresno health care company faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on federal charges of defrauding the Veteran Affairs Department of more than $7 million in bogus services. Business Journal
Nearly 200 years after a Native American tribe was thrown off its land near Yosemite National Park, the South Sierra Miwuk Nation has reattained nearly 900 acres bordering Yosemite National Park. The Fresno Bee
A new resort will be opening near Yosemite National Park next year. KSEE24
Clovis must make new room for nearly 1,300 new apartments across the city in the coming years. ABC30
Madera educators picketed this week, calling out the district’s teacher retention issues. KMPH
The iconic chain Randy’s Donuts is coming to Clovis. The Fresno Bee
Sanger is gearing up for its 77th Annual Toyland Parade, already described as the largest parade in the city’s history. KSEE
The Parlier community is mourning the tragic death of a 29-year-old police officer Jesus Dario Corona, who was killed in a traffic collision over the weekend while commuting to work. ABC30
A federal appeals court dealt a blow to the nation’s richest farmer last week when a three-judge panel threw out a lawsuit against state labor regulators. CalMatters
The Trump Administration plans to withhold SNAP food aid from recipients in most Democratic-controlled states starting next week unless they provide information about those receiving the assistance. ABC30
The City of Clovis Youth Commission is holding “Threads of Joy,” a clothing drive benefiting young people. CBS47
Block Beat
SUNNYSIDE: Fresno Unified administrators celebrated the completion of a new health sciences building at Sunnyside High School at a Monday morning news conference. Fresnoland
DOWNTOWN: Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer expects the recently revitalized Mariposa Plaza to draw “thousands upon thousands of visitors” to downtown Fresno each year. CBS47
MCLANE: Yosemite Middle School will host a Hmong New Year celebration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 for families and the Yosemite community, featuring traditional Hmong dancing and music and a Hmong costume fashion show. Yosemite Middle
HIGHWAY CITY: Highway City Community Development will host its free “Santa’s Village” event at the Teague Community Resource Center (4718 N. Polk Ave.) from 4 to 6 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 6. Highway City Community Development
WEST FRESNO: A Fresno family is suing the Central Unified School District, alleging their daughter, who is described as “autistic and nonverbal” was assaulted and molested by two students on a school bus. The Fresno Bee
TOWER DISTRICT: The Fresno City Council unanimously approved a new 50% rebate incentive on the sales tax for each new business that fills a vacant storefront in the Tower District. ABC30
SOUTH TOWER: Judging by the Cover, a locally-owned independent bookstore, is set to move to a South Tower location as part of a new effort by the neighborhood’s Community Land Trust. To out more about the move, the partnership and sign up for a tour of the new property in the coming days, click here. Judging by the Cover
FIG GARDEN: Fresno’s 103rd annual Christmas Tree Lane is back. ABC30
DOWNTOWN: Fresno-area residents are invited to weigh in on a $750 million project to build the next Fresno County Courthouse. The Fresno Bee
ROEDING PARK: The Fresno Chaffee Zoo announced the birth of a Southern White Rhinoceros. ABC30
DOWNTOWN: For the first time in almost two decades, the Fresno State men’s basketball team returned to Selland Arena. CBS47
Today’s newsletter was edited by Julianna Morano.
