Good morning! It’s Friday, Oct. 9. This is Rob.
“Shame on them”: The Republican mayor of Mendota is taking a strong stand against ICE amid an ongoing anti-immigrant federal crackdown. The Fresno Bee
Last seen in a weird video? Fresno police have turned case details over to the U.S. Postal Service in connection with a now viral video that appears to show SCCCD candidate and prominent developer Terrence Frazier caught red handed snooping through his political opponent’s mailbox. The Fresno Bee
“Mobsters, Molls & Murder” Dinner theater takes you back to Prohibition Era Fresno with a five course meal, cocktails and a chance to solve the crime. The first show is set for Oct. 22. Fresno City & County Historical Society
1. Voter suppression?
With community protests mounting, many Fresno-area leaders added their voices to the growing chorus of criticism directed at ICE and the widely-witnessed anti-immigrant crackdown occurring across California this week.
While the federal government remains functionally silent, local watch groups and advocates estimate that around 70 people have been detained in Fresno and Madera this week.
Many, including Councilmember Miguel Arias, suggested the timing of the raids was no accident, noting that it comes after the end of major harvesting and before the upcoming November election.
He and others called it “voter intimidation.”
Arias: “This is basic voter suppression and intimidation of the Latino voter base. This is trying to convince those of us in our community to stay home and to not participate and engage in civic responsibility and constitutional right.”
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
2. City Hall ducks rate hike vote — for now
With four councilmembers on the upcoming November ballot where affordability has been a key talking point, the Fresno City Council kicked the can down the road Thursday on a utility rate hike.
The proposed increases, according to city documents, show that the increase would result in an additional $1.77 each month to a typical resident’s water bill. Sewage costs would likely decrease by about a dollar.
Councilmembers said they wanted to see how transportation tax measures perform on the ballot next month before taking up rate hikes, but Councilmember Nick Richardson, one of the councilmembers not currently campaigning for another office, urged his colleagues to bite the bullet and get it done.
Richardson: “If it’s the responsible thing to do, then it’s the responsible thing to do. I don’t want to see us wait 16 years again because everyone wants to kick the can down the road, and all of a sudden we get a flashing bank notification.”
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
3. Commission gets nowhere on San Joaquin River mine blast effort
The Fresno County Planning Commission deadlocked on a controversial effort to mine blast the San Joaquin River this week, setting the stage for a key hearing before the Board of Supervisors.
During a packed hearing Thursday, Fresno County commissioners questioned why the CEMEX company never looked at other locations for the mine, which sits 200 yards from the San Joaquin River.
Additionally, one of the company’s main arguments for using explosives to continue mining one of the most polluted and extracted rivers in the nation has been that Fresno County needs the gravel for future construction.
But as Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver has reported, Fresno County already has a 200% surplus of construction-grade gravel.
The commission’s 3-3 stalemate came after an hourslong hearing where the Hall of Records was overflowing with critics and area residents who urged the commissioners to reject the proposal.
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
