Good morning! It’s Friday, March 13. This is Rob & Diego!
Hot March: Sunny skies and 80-degree days today and throughout the weekend! NOAA
Hardy Har? Sour Milk’s next group art show – a tribute to filmmaker and artist John Waters — is set for 5 to 9 p.m. at Sour Milk, 1474 N. Van Ness Ave., in the Tower District. More info
Racial Equity Townhall: California’s Racial Equity Commission with the Governor’s Office will host a town hall in Fresno on Wednesday, April 1 about “addressing racial equity and inequities affecting underserved and marginalized communities.” United Way
Tendernism coming to Fresno: The man behind the viral fall-off-the-bone BBQ “tendernism” tiktok is visiting Fresno on Sunday. Walter Johnson will be at Chop Cheese Bodega on Blackstone between 3 and 5 p.m. on March 15, trying a new sandwich. The Business Journal
Fresnoland is hiring: That’s right, we’re hiring for our first-ever Senior Revenue Officer to help lead and execute our fundraising strategy with local donors and sponsors. Share with your fundraising friends! Fresnoland
1. Fresno’s June ballot list
Fresno voters can finally start to get a clearer view of a crowded field of candidates in this year’s election cycle, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reports.
For all of the following races, a candidate can win their seat outright if they win over 50% of the vote. If all fail to do so, the two candidates with the most votes will face off in a run-off election during the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Four city council seats, two county supervisor seats and the county of education are all on the upcoming June ballot, among numerous other races.
Here’s the full breakdown of the June 2 ballot.
2. Arias against appealing the city’s racism verdict
A Fresno city councilmember is urging the council not to appeal a $15-million racial discrimination penalty imposed earlier this week by a Fresno jury, The Fresno Bee reports.
In a statement Thursday, Councilmember Miguel Arias, who also issued a public apology to the two former city workers at the center of the lawsuit, said the council should pay the penalty and move on.
La-Kebbia “Kiki” Wilson received $15 million and Charles Smith received $400,000 in connection with the workplace discrimination lawsuit, which included allegations that Smith witnessed a supervisor – Howard Lacy – use the “N word” in a conversation about Wilson, who is Black.
Both former workers said they faced harassment and retaliation in connection with the complaint.
City councilmembers are expected to discuss appeal options next week in a closed-door meeting.
Arias: “Too often, the City has been quick to settle claims brought by police officers while prolonging cases brought by members of the public, nonprofit organizations, and civilian employees. Those decisions ultimately cost taxpayers millions more in legal fees when cases are eventually lost in court or settled after years of litigation.”
3. Fresno Unified weighs in on transportation-tax debate
At Fresno Unified’s board meeting on Wednesday, the board approved a resolution officially supporting the Better Roads, Safe Streets transportation plan.
Fresno County’s Measure C transportation sales tax is set to expire in 2027. The plan set forth by the Better Roads, Safe Streets measure allocates 65% of an anticipated $7.4 billion toward local road repairs. Another 25% would go toward public transportation, 5% to regional projects, 4% to access and innovation and 1% to administration and oversight.
The measure faces a possible rival transportation initiative known as the “Fix Our Roads” plan. This plan will apportion 50% of an anticipated $3.9 billion pot of money for local road repairs. Another 16% would be set aside for major streets and highways, 16% for a flexible category for local jurisdictions to allocate as they see fit and 18% for public transit.
“We have had a 17-fold increase in our students being hit walking to school or biking to school; we’ve had at least two deaths, one by bike and one pedestrian,” said Veva Islas, president of the FUSD board of education, who voiced her support for the measure.
“When we have asked for investments, we have not gotten the cooperation that we need from our city and our county, and this would be the funding that would allow us to invest in those improvements,” Islas added.
Trustee Valerie Davis also voiced her support for the measure, noting that a school in her area has asked the city of Fresno for better drainage nearby, saying that the street becomes flooded and hampers students.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad.
