Good morning! It’s Wednesday, Oct. 14. This is Rob.
Can’t do that: The Fresno Asian Market shut down for two weeks in September following a health inspection report concluded the market was selling food cooked in private homes instead of commercial-grade kitchens. The Fresno Bee
Burnout: Glacier Point Road has reopened as firefighters battle the Dome Fire, which has consumed more than 6,700 acres in Yosemite National Park and was about 73% contained as of Monday. KVPR
Shield? Taking a play from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, the City Council is considering a new law to regulate the number of group homes in the city housing convicted sex offenders. City leaders described the concentration of homes as a problem while saying they don’t know how many such homes actually exist in the city. The Fresno Bee
Film screening: The documentary film “Mujer Mariposa” will be screened at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 at Fresno City College as part of the People on the Move Film Series. More info here
Books are good: Author Edward Dennis visited McLane High School to discuss his three-book series: “The Boy from Mexico”, “The Boy From Mexico Becomes a Farmworker” and “The Boy From Mexico Becomes a U.S. Citizen”. ABC30
1. ICE agent charged with assault
The 32-year-old off-duty ICE agent accused of attacking a 72-year-old Tower District man was formally charged Tuesday with assault, elder abuse, battery and vandalism.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges Tuesday, just days after city police said the agent, David Gonzalez of Texas, lost the fight he started with the elderly man and the man’s adult daughter.
Fresno police said Gonzalez was found sleeping on the family’s front lawn around 3 a.m. Friday. He allegedly attacked the residents when they confronted him, causing minor injuries to both the man and his daughter. During the scuffle, the 72-year-old fired one shot at Gonzalez, striking him in the upper body.
In a news release Tuesday, prosecutors said Gonzalez remained hospitalized and was facing bail of around $52,000. His arraignment is scheduled for later today in Fresno County Superior Court.
👉Check out the Fresnoland story here.
Gonzalez’s arrest comes amid a dayslong anti-immigration crackdown in and around the Fresno area that advocates say led to the capture of dozens of local residents.
2. A know-your-rights refresher for immigrants and mixed-status families
Bad blood, raw anger and political showboating remained hot this week even as Fresno-area ICE raids appeared to cool down.
Undisclosed police activity on Tuesday near Clovis Unified’s Young Elementary School in east central Fresno caused a brief campus lockdown, KMPH reported, that many initially feared was related to ICE raids, but that turned out to be unfounded. The lockdown was precautionary and students were never in jeopardy,
Many stayed home, from work, from school, from grocery shopping and even the Big Fresno Fair.
Fresno City Councilmember Migeul Arias brushed off criticism this week and continued urging residents to skip the fair due to possible ICE raids, which fair officials have denied.
Kerman Mayor Maria Pacheco went viral in an online video showing her confronting ICE agents this week. Her political opponent, Mike Karbassi issued a statement condemning a shooting in the Tower District last week, when a Fresno resident shot a drunken, off-duty ICE agent who attacked the family.
👉Check out (and share!) Fresnoland’s immigration rights resource guide.
3. Growing backlash
This morning, KVPR unpacks the mounting public opposition to a proposal to use explosives to mine blast gravel along the San Joaquin River for the next 100 years.
The proposal from the CEMEX mining company will soon go before the Fresno County Board of Supervisors after the county planning commission failed to reach a consensus on the project last week, deadlocking on a 3-3 vote.
The company argues that it needs to mine blast the area to dig out the construction grade gravel they say is needed for future development. But critics have long argued that CEMEX could dig that gravel up at other sites in the valley that wouldn’t further damage the river.
And, as Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver has previously reported, there’s zero evidence that we need any of the gravel as the county already has about 200% surplus.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
