Good morning! It’s Wednesday, Jan. 14. This is Rob.
🔁Cold, fog, etc: More sun later today. Highs in the low 60s. NOAA
😤Asthma risks? Orange Cove residents are pushing back against a hydrogen blending test project. KVPR
💵Must be the money: Nelly will headline the upcoming Tequila Fest. The Business Journal
🐈Want a pet? Fresno animal shelter eases overcrowding — for now. KSEE24
1. Fresno prepares to count unhoused residents
Final preparations are in the works for the upcoming “point-in-time count,” the Fresno-Madera region’s effort to estimate the number of unhoused residents living on the streets, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihulea reports.
The headcount estimate comes after a year of dramatic changes to the homeless landscape in Fresno, including the closure of multiple shelters.
Commonly known as a PIT Count, the federally mandated process sees droves of volunteers conduct a physical headcount of unhoused residents. That data serves as a baseline for federal and state funding applications.
Last month, the county announced that they would be forced to close down two supportive housing projects early this year following federal funding cuts — leaving about 80 people with little time to find a new home.
2. Soccer in downtown Fresno? Maybe this time
Fresno has entered an exclusivity agreement with the United Soccer League, taking what officials called a major step toward bringing professional men’s and women’s soccer teams and a dedicated stadium to downtown.
The deal carves out a year to conduct due diligence on site selection, funding models, and ownership groups. City officials said they hope to have a team playing by March 2028, Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver reports.
The proposed stadium would seat approximately 5,000, Dyer said, with a minimum standing capacity of 7,000 including standing areas, and room to expand.
Justin Papadakis, USL’s chief operating officer: “When we saw the amazing progress that’s been made in bringing infrastructure for a real vibrant district in downtown Fresno, we said we want to be part of that story.”
3. The Fresno leaders standing with ICE
A group of conservative Fresno County leaders held a news conference on Tuesday morning calling on local leaders across the country to condemn “attacks” on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
The news conference, hosted by Board Chair Garry Bredefeld, included fellow supervisors Buddy Mendes and Nathan Magsig, Clovis city councilmembers Diane Pearce and Drew Bessinger, and a representative from the office of Assemblymember David Tangipa.
Pablo Orihuela reports for Fresnoland that Pearce delivered the strongest remarks at the county news conference, criticizing Democratic Party leaders, whom she and others at the presser blamed for a reported increase in attacks on an agency that, she said, only seeks to arrest and deport criminal and “violent illegal aliens.”
Fresno has seen multiple protests in the days since an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minnesota last week.
The White House and Homeland Security have claimed the agent was defending himself when he opened fire but multiple video angles contradict the government’s official account, leading to widespread outrage.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad.
