Good morning! It’s Friday, Sept. 11. This is Rob.
Did we miss any? Here’s our latest guide to all the best farmers markets in Fresno and Clovis. Fresnoland Food
Never forget: Today is the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and multiple Valley communities are commemorating the tragic day. KMPH
More tiny homes? A mixed-income complex is in the works on a vacant lot at the corner of Dewitt and Belmont avenues in east Fresno. The Fresno Bee
AI & Ag: The central San Joaquin Valley’s next generation of farmers is learning how AI is changing the agriculture industry. The Merced Focus via KVPR
“Zoinks!” Meet the retired Clovis artist whose decades-long career included animating some of the most popular and beloved cartoon television shows ever. KMPH
Sounds good: Nearly a century after Warnors Theatre opened in downtown Fresno, its remarkable nearly-100-year-old organ still fills the 2,100-seat venue. The Business Journal
1. Second alleged whistleblower files claim against Granville
One of Fresno’s biggest suburban home builders returned fire after two former finance employees accused the company of misrepresenting financial statements.
The second alleged whistleblower complaint comes just months after the company’s former chief financial officer filed similar complaints and sought whistleblower protections in connection with the company’s reportedly struggling finances.
In addition to claims of being isolated and mistreated for bringing his concerns forward in April, the claim filed by former controller Aleksey Dvorkin also contradicts owner Darius Assemi’s prior public claims about Granville Homes.
In court records, Dvorkin describes trouble with loan repayments, but also says Assemi’s other pet project, the GV Wire website, is losing about $1 million per year and has accumulated debts of more than $3 million against the company.
“GV Wire is unlikely, for all intents and purposes, to repay its debts obligations to Granville Homes,” Dvorkin alleges.
The company continues to dispute that assessment, arguing in court records that the website “is a separate legal entity that generates revenue,” employing as many as seven people, and that it “remains essentially a small start up business.”
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
2. Fresno Unified sees big jump in UC admissions
In recent years, Fresno Unified has seen admissions rise at UCs from both its neighborhood high schools and its charter schools.
School counselors who spoke with Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas say most of the credit should go to the new, more proactive approach taken by the district in helping students apply to college.
“We provide application workshops, individual support and consistent communication throughout the college application process,” said Berenice Tapia, a counselor at McLane High, “rather than simply telling students to apply, we work alongside them to help them understand their options and successfully navigate the process.”
But Fresno Unified is far from alone in the recent four-year uptick – and many other education leaders and experts say the largest single contributing factor to admission numbers was the elimination in 2021 of the SAT/ACT testing requirements.
And now there’s push at the state level to bring the testing prerequisite back as part of the admissions process.
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
3. ‘A loss for the entire city’
The Fresno Bee laid off seven reporters and an editor Thursday in the largest newsroom cuts to hit the former McClatchy family-owned newspaper, amid a new strategy that emphasizes AI-produced and reproduced content.
“We are losing positions that I do not think will be replaced within the news landscape,” said Josh Tehee, a veteran Bee reporter and union co-chair. “This is a loss for the entire city. It’s not quite half the newsroom, but it’s a substantial amount. It’s maybe around 30-40%.”
Deep staff cuts were announced nationwide across McClatchy, which is owned by a hedge fund Chatham Asset Management.
McClatchy’s Miami Herald – the paper that broke the Jeffrey Epstein scandal – announced layoffs today too. Around 30% cuts were also announced at McClatchy papers in Idaho and Washington, with even more in Kentucky, South Carolina, Kansas City and Charlotte, among others.
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
