Quote of the Week
“Every person I speak to is fearful, not just for themselves, but for their loved ones as well.”
— Armida Mendoza, a Fresno immigration attorney, speaking on recent immigration orders by President Donald Trump
This Week in Fresnoland
Fresno family in limbo amid Trump’s immigration crackdown
Jemma Israelyan was looking forward to having more family in Fresno. Israelyan, an American citizen who immigrated from Armenia nearly a decade ago, had been helping her cousin’s family prepare to move to Fresno for more than a year.
They received word through the United States Refugee Admissions Program that they were expected to land in Fresno on Feb. 4. They sold their home in Armenia, their car and most of their belongings.
But last week, two days after Donald Trump’s inauguration and two weeks before their long-planned move, they got word their departure had been “cancelled” with “no other information” about when — or if — their case could be reconsidered or moved forward.
“I can’t believe it’s happening right now, but in my heart, I pray to God and hold on to that hope for their safety,” said Israelyan. “They called me, asking for answers, and I don’t know what to say.”
Read the full story from Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina.
Is it time to retire Fresno County’s Hall of Records?
Fresno County supervisors took the first steps this week toward replacing the county’s aging Hall of Records, a nearly century-old administration building that, like many or even most of Fresno’s buildings, is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
The Hall of Records is a three-story modern art deco building that harbors multiple county services, plus the offices and chambers of the Fresno County Board Of Supervisors, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
In spite of its architectural significance, the county has long discussed the potential for a new building due to its many issues in the modern age. Multiple county staff have reported issues like faulty elevators, security risks and extreme temperature fluctuations during the summer and winter months.
Supervisors have already set aside millions of dollars to either renovate or replace the building but the debate could trigger some pushback in a county that’s been criticized for razing some of its most historic buildings.
Two attorneys unpack Jake and Irma’s prison sentences in the Bitwise case
With Bitwise’s Jake and Irma starting federal prison sentences in less than two months, Fresnolandia hosts Dani Bergstrom and Jordan Mattox discussed lingering questions about the ex-CEOs’ sentencing with two attorneys on this week’s episode.
Like, will they just be out in a few years? (Short answer: No. There’s no parole in the federal system.)
Why didn’t any other Bitwisers face criminal charges? (There’s not really a short answer to that one, you’ll have to listen.)
Tech lawyer Jesse Molina and former U.S. Assistant Attorney Vincente Tennerelli, both of whom now teach at the San Joaquin College of Law, talk about the sentences, how restitution restitution payments will work and more. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
City councilmembers accuse other cities of sending their unhoused to Fresno, without evidence
The City of Fresno wants to start punishing other cities for sending unhoused people to Fresno – but details on when or where this is happening remain few and far between.
Councilmembers Mike Karbassi and Nick Richardson co-sponsored a new ordinance at a council meeting Thursday, which comes with a $1,000 fine for each unhoused person an employee of a neighboring city or jurisdiction transports to Fresno.
When asked for more details, however, Karbassi failed to provide any specific examples of other cities sending their unhoused to Fresno, Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad reported.
Karbassi added he couldn’t speak to details because of an active investigation into the matter. He also said he couldn’t comment on who is investigating the matter.
Trump orders cause confusion in Fresno
Local governments in nearly every American city scrambled Tuesday to figure out how President Donald Trump’s abrupt — and now-delayed — order to cut off federal funding broadly would affect local operations, Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad reported.
Harried Fresno leaders from the mayor’s office to small community nonprofits struggled to determine what — if anything — Trump’s on-again, off-again order would do and acknowledged the uncertainty for city services like firefighters, domestic violence survivors and refugees.
A leaked memo from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget required revising federal assistance not in line with a Jan. 20 Trump executive order. In the 24 hours since, the federal OMB office issued clarifications on the impacts of the federal freeze.
On Tuesday morning, 23 states, including California, sued the Trump administration over the pause on federal funds. Minutes before the freeze was supposed to go into effect Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked it until Monday, Feb. 3.
Outside the Lines
Central Unified this week approved naming a new elementary school after Jaswant Singh Khalra, a prominent Sikh human rights activist with ties to the Central Valley who was assassinated in 1995. ABC30
Fresno EOC’s deficit continues to swell — growing to more than $4 million — and there’s still no audit in place after more than two months of questions. On Monday, the group’s new interim CEO said he has a plan to eliminate the nonprofit’s deficit by the end of the calendar year. Fresnoland
Fresno crowned a Weird Al Yankovic lookalike winner last Friday at an energetic contest downtown hosted by Cen Cal Cinema. Fresnoland
“It’s a time of transition for Fresno State as the University’s Diversity Officer, Dr. Rashanda Booker, has announced she’ll be leaving the university.” KMPH
More than 500 volunteers hit the streets this week in Fresno and Madera as part of the community’s efforts to count the number of unhoused people living in the region. Your Central Valley
Dr. Julie Nicole provides gender-affirming care for patients here in the Central Valley. In an interview with ABC30, the doctor outlined some of her concerns with recent orders from the White House targeting trans people. ABC30
“As threats of mass deportations loom in the Central Valley, school districts in the region are mobilizing to protect their students. A handful of parents recently gathered at Fresno Adult School on a bright Saturday morning, notebooks and pens in hand, ready to take notes during an hour-long ‘Know Your Rights’ presentation.” The Merced Focus
Block Beat
SOUTH CENTRAL FRESNO: A new 205,000 square-foot Coca Cola warehouse complex – which drew opposition from environmental justice groups who say heavy industry has already burdened the South Central community enough – opened nearly two years after plans for the facility got city approval. The facility promises jobs for 285 people. Business Journal
CHINATOWN: Dozens of people watched in awe Saturday as lion dancers showcased vibrant, acrobatic movements perfectly synchronized to the rhythm of drums, cymbals, and gongs during a Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the Chinatown Fresno Foundation. Fresnoland
CLOVIS: Chick-fil-A wants to open its first location in Clovis on Shaw Avenue between Willow and Peach avenues, city officials confirmed. The Fresno Bee
FRESNO HIGH: Dulce Upfront is hosting an info session on how to apply for the next round of the Measure P arts and culture grants Monday, Feb. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at its location on Van Ness off of Weldon. Dulce Upfront
GALLERY ROW: Hella Fresno will feature 40 Valley artists in their El Sagrado Corazón exhibit art show during the next ArtHop, Thursday, Feb. 6. You can find them in the South Stadium Building downtown (700 Van Ness Ave.) along Gallery Row. Hella Fresno
CALWA: Tenants Together is organizing a Rent Control Block Party Saturday, Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at Calwa Park. Instagram
FRESNO FAIRGROUNDS: The Big Fresno Fair may not have horse racing following a state board vote. The vote took place during a closed session part of a meeting, leaving the reasons for the decision unclear. Last year, officials reported the deaths of three horses, two from injuries on the track and one from pneumonia. Your Central Valley
