Quote of the Week
“I don’t see any point where we have to say, we cannot do it. That would be a disaster for the U.S. and the entire Northern Hemisphere.”
— Ian Choudri, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, responding to a question at a Fresnoland Futures event about the possibility of abandoning the project
Do you value Fresnoland’s hyperlocal reporting? Please consider becoming a monthly member for as little as $5 a month or supporting our work with a one-time donation. The vast majority of contributions to our organization are less than $50. A gift of any size makes a difference for us. All donations are currently doubled during our spring campaign thanks to our board of directors, local supporters, and the James B. McClatchy Foundation.
This Week in Fresnoland
Fresnoland Futures event answers questions about the future of California’s high-speed rail
This week, Fresnoland held a marathon of events about the state’s marathon construction saga: the high-speed rail project.
Some of the biggest takeaways? Here are a few:
(A) State leaders say it’s too late to turn back now.
The state Rail Authority’s CEO Ian Choudri said he does not “see any point where we have to say, we cannot do it.”
(B) But funding to get it to the finish line is a moving target – and not just because the federal government has entered its DOGE era.
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, said he’s actively negotiating the project’s most consistent funding source in the state legislature.
(C) The potential benefits for Fresno’s downtown and Chinatown are immense – but not guaranteed.
Downtown and Chinatown leaders discussed the ways in which they’re both ready for the project thanks to infrastructure improvements – and not ready, with vacant properties plaguing both neighborhoods.
Couldn’t make it Tuesday? Read all about the events in Julianna Morano’s recap for Fresnoland.
Fresno’s smoke shop apocalypse
Dozens of smoke shops could be forced to close in Fresno after the city council adopted new rules Thursday, Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad reported.
But we don’t yet know how many of the city’s 144 smoke shops will be forced to close or change the nature of their business by 2026.
The rules allow for seven smoke shops in each of the seven council districts, but one councilmember told Fresnoland the stipulations of the ordinance could reduce the number below that.
The proposal narrowly passed in a 4-1 vote – with one councilmember abstaining and another absent. Councilmember Brandon Vang played a key role in passing the rules, helping break the 3-3 tie on the same proposal last month when his District 5 seat was still empty.
Introducing ‘Around Fresnoland’: Meet the man behind Fresno’s only Cuban food truck
This week Fresnoland rolled out the first story in a new regular series we’re calling “Around Fresnoland” (unless or until we come up with something better) where we’ll profile people fueling our neighborhoods and communities with heart, grit and creativity.
Rob Parsons spent some time with Lazaro Santana, the owner and chef at Havana Café, discussing the love of cooking Santana learned from his mother and how his father fled Communist-ruled Cuba and survived a shipwreck in shark-infested waters.
Opened in 2022, Havana Café has built a following primarily through word of mouth, Santana says. But his 18-hour days are starting to pay off.
Learn more about Santana and his food, including tips on what to order after you’ve tried the Cubano.
Know a person with an interesting backstory? Send them our way via tips@fresnoland.org.
Dozens rally for Medicaid in Clovis outside a Valley Republican’s office
What started as a sidewalk rally to protect Medicaid culminated in a 20-minute conversation between protesters and staffers for a Valley Republican who recently supported a budget proposal threatening Medicaid’s future, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
Disability Voices United, a statewide nonprofit, organized a demonstration outside U.S. Rep. Vince Fong’s office to demand the congressman vote “no” on any budget that cuts the program a disproportionate number of Valley residents depend on.
A handful of the protesters later knocked on Fong’s door and were met by two staffers who informed them the congressman wasn’t there but vowed to relay their fears to him.
Those fears include the fate of IHSS programs across California, which in Fresno County provide in-home care for 24,000-odd residents who are elderly and who have disabilities.
Will the city council greenlight another industrial rezone for south Fresno?
The Fresno City Council is weighing whether to greenlight the rezone of 60 acres of land in southwest Fresno from mixed-use back to industrial – but it kicked the can down the road until May in response to a developer’s request, Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver reported.
Rezoning would defy both the Fresno Planning Commission and southwest Fresno residents, who have fought for years to reduce industrial development in their community.
The land in question is bounded by Elm Avenue, Highway 41 and Annadale Avenue.
Proponents of the rezone say the current zoning makes it difficult for the current industrial businesses to obtain financing or change tenants.
Fresnoland obtained an email showing controversial political operative Alex Tavlian previously worked on the project. He also recently attended a Planning Commission meeting on the rezone.
Outside the Lines
Misty Her is officially Fresno Unified’s new superintendent after serving in the role on an interim basis for the past year. The year-long search for predecessor Bob Nelson’s replacement “may have eroded community trust.” EdSource
New bike lane expansions may be coming to Fresno following the city council’s approval to begin preliminary work on three selected corridors. Fresnoland
A rival grower just bought Touchstone Pistachio Company, the “centerpiece of the Assemi family’s vast pistachio and almond holdings.” The Fresno Bee
“The goal of making Fresno’s first Cat Cafe a reality is no small feat, but the couple behind that dream says it is worth every obstacle they face along the way.” KSEE
Calls to law enforcement to report domestic violence have either remained steady or gone done across most of the San Joaquin Valley recently. However, “a dramatic spike in Fresno County has given the Valley the highest rate of such calls of any region in the state.” KVPR
“After months of anxiety over the possibility that mass deportations could cripple the San Joaquin Valley’s multi-billion dollar agriculture industry, President Trump has signaled that he may be open to relaxing the rules for some undocumented workers.” The Fresno Bee
Community Health System just received its largest donation ever: $2.5 million from an anonymous donor for the upkeep of Terry’s House, “a ‘home away from home’ for families of critical care patients.” The Business Journal
“The State Center Community College District is expecting to spend $1.3 million dollars on legal expenses this year. The price tag is quadruple what it was a decade ago.” KVPR
Ryan McCarthy has been appointed as the twelfth head coach of the Fresno State women’s basketball program, Fresno State announced this week. KSEE
“The small Chapel of the Light Cemetery in Fresno, off Belmont Avenue, has been ordered to ‘cease and desist’ operations amid claims of financial mismanagement.” ABC30
Block Beat
TOWER DISTRICT: Porchest is finally here. This Saturday (April 26) in the Tower District, you can see a record-setting 367 bands and unique performers take over porches all over the neighborhood – but consider checking out Porchfest’s online map to plan out your day in advance. KSEE
CITYWIDE: This Saturday (April 26) is Independent Bookstore Day, and Fresno will have its own indie bookstore crawl. Judging by the Cover has put together a Fresno Bookstore Passport with six participating locations around town. Get all six stamps, and you could win a prize! Judging by the Cover
DOWNTOWN: Guardians, caregivers, parents and families are invited to “an interactive storytime designed especially for 0 to 5 year olds meant to build pre-literacy/literacy and school readiness skills.” Family story time begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Central Library, 2420 Mariposa St. Downtown Fresno
FRESNO HIGH: CMAC is putting on its Swede Fest screening party this year, Friday, May 2 at Fresno High School’s Royce Hall. Film submissions – no longer than 4 minutes each – are due by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 27. CMAC
FRESNO CITY COLLEGE: The San Joaquin Valley Bookfest will return this Saturday, May 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Fresno City College. The full day of programming will include the cream of the crop of Valley poets, novelists, nonfiction writers, children’s authors and more. SJV Bookfest
