Fresnoland

Fresno gears up to close down dozens of smoke shops following legal victory A city ordinance passed earlier this year that will strongly limit the amount of smoke shops in Fresno by 2027 cleared a legal hurdle, and local leaders doubled down against the businesses. Fresno city leaders held a news conference on Wednesday morning to champion both the legal challenge’s dismissal from court, and to share updates on their goal to crack down on smoke shops illegally operating in the city.

Fresno gears up to close down dozens of smoke shops following legal victory

A city ordinance passed earlier this year that will strongly limit the amount of smoke shops in Fresno by 2027 cleared a legal hurdle, and local leaders doubled down against the businesses. Fresno city leaders held a news…

Hoover High literacy scores jump 20 points in one year. What are they doing right? Fresno Unified’s state testing scores haven’t looked great historically. For at least a decade, more than half of tested students have scored below state standards for English and math. But in Fresno Unified’s third year back to in-person classes since the pandemic began, there are pockets of improvement in California’s third-largest K-12 school district.  Every year, students in third through eighth grade, as well as 11th grade, take the…

Hoover High literacy scores jump 20 points in one year. What are they doing right?

Fresno Unified’s state testing scores haven’t looked great historically. For at least a decade, more than half of tested students have scored below state standards for English and math. But in Fresno Unified’s third…

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New $7.3 million health science building at Sunnyside High opens up
 Administrators at Sunnyside High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning celebrating the completion of a new health sciences building. The 13,251 square-foot building houses a collaborative space for students, a weight training room, sports medicine and performance labs and four classrooms. The facility will be home to the school’s Health Sciences Pathway classes, which allow students to earn certificates in athletic training, performing CPR and first aid. 

New $7.3 million health science building at Sunnyside High opens up


Administrators at Sunnyside High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning celebrating the completion of a new health sciences building. The 13,251 square-foot building houses a collaborative space for students, a…

Fresno LGBTQ+ nonprofits awarded city funds amid EOC uncertainty and declining federal support The City of Fresno’s LGBTQ+ community fund awarded $70,000 to seven organizations in its second cycle, this time using the city’s general fund rather than federal dollars.

Fresno LGBTQ+ nonprofits awarded city funds amid EOC uncertainty and declining federal support

The City of Fresno’s LGBTQ+ community fund awarded $70,000 to seven organizations in its second cycle, this time using the city’s general fund rather than federal dollars.

Fresno Unified restructures Black student achievement department to protect federal funding This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter The Trump administration’s threat to cut federal funds to schools with race-based programs and a discrimination lawsuit prompted the Fresno Unified School District to restructure its academic support department for Black students. Starting with a name change in October, the African American Academic Acceleration department — still known as A4 — is now the Advancing Academic Acceleration & Achievement department.

Fresno Unified restructures Black student achievement department to protect federal funding

This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter The Trump administration’s threat to cut federal funds to schools with race-based programs and a discrimination lawsuit…

Fresno’s federal funding may still be at risk, as U.S. DOJ appeals injunction The Trump administration isn’t done with its fight with Fresno and others over federal funding. On Friday morning, the U.S. Department of Justice appealed a preliminary injunction blocking federal agencies from stripping federal funding for local governments, including the City of Fresno. The funding was threatened after federal agencies determined local jurisdictions weren’t following President Donald Trump’s executive orders attacking diversity programs…

Fresno’s federal funding may still be at risk, as U.S. DOJ appeals injunction

The Trump administration isn’t done with its fight with Fresno and others over federal funding. On Friday morning, the U.S. Department of Justice appealed a preliminary injunction blocking federal agencies from stripping…

Fresno city and county leaders tout ‘new era’ partnership to tackle local homeless crisis Fresno’s city and county leaders joined a collection of unhoused service partners at a Friday news conference to tout what they described as significant progress toward a new local partnership aimed at solving the region’s homelessness crisis. The news is a major narrative shift on homelessness. Historically, the two parties have butted heads on who is responsible for what when it comes to providing resources for the unhoused — with county officials claiming the issue is a city problem.

Fresno city and county leaders tout ‘new era’ partnership to tackle local homeless crisis

Fresno’s city and county leaders joined a collection of unhoused service partners at a Friday news conference to tout what they described as significant progress toward a new local partnership aimed at…

Fresno County mayors override supervisor’s opposition to greenlight Measure C renewal plan Has the Measure C stalemate been broken? Fresno County’s transportation policy board narrowly approved a plan Thursday evening to get a new version of Measure C, the current sales tax for roads and transit, on the November 2026 ballot – drawing fiery opposition from a small faction led by Supervisor Buddy Mendes. The plan – called the “high-priorities” alternative, would dedicate about 65% of the sales tax revenues to fix and improve local roads, with 25% towards public transit, reflecting the…

Fresno County mayors override supervisor’s opposition to greenlight Measure C renewal plan

Has the Measure C stalemate been broken? Fresno County’s transportation policy board narrowly approved a plan Thursday evening to get a new version of Measure C, the current sales tax for roads and transit,…

Fresno council approves new plan for the Tower District A seemingly straightforward approval from city leaders on Thursday marks the end to years of arduous discussion and planning among Tower District stakeholders over the future of their community. The Fresno City Council approved the newly drafted Tower District Specific Plan, setting new rules for design and land use decisions in the city’s historic neighborhood. The current Tower District Specific Plan…

Fresno council approves new plan for the Tower District

A seemingly straightforward approval from city leaders on Thursday marks the end to years of arduous discussion and planning among Tower District stakeholders over the future of their community. The Fresno City Council approved the newly…

‘Big middle finger to Fresno.’ Commission narrowly approves $4 billion mega-development with no plan to pay for it California’s fifth-largest city is coming apart at the seams over 9,000 acres of land. Fresno’s planning politics are about to go nuclear. The Fresno Planning Commission approved the 45,000-home Southeast Development area (SEDA) Specific Plan in a historic 4-3 vote late Wednesday night after a packed house of residents told them to vote no. The mega-development faces a $3 billion funding shortfall, which drew roughly 150 worried residents to City Hall.

‘Big middle finger to Fresno.’ Commission narrowly approves $4 billion mega-development with no plan to pay for it

California’s fifth-largest city is coming apart at the seams over 9,000 acres of land. Fresno’s planning politics are about to go nuclear. The Fresno Planning Commission approved the…

Fresno Unified unveils more training and evaluation goals for teachers and the superintendent Beefed up training evaluation standards for Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her and the district’s teachers and staff took center stage at this week’s school board meeting. Specifically, the superintendent shared details on the district’s effort to make staff evaluations consistent across the district, including a dashboard that will track required and completed training for employees conducting evaluations. “Since COVID, training has been inconsistent and we have not had a way track which leaders have gotten training and which leaders have not gotten training,” said Her.

Fresno Unified unveils more training and evaluation goals for teachers and the superintendent

Beefed up training evaluation standards for Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her and the district’s teachers and staff took center stage at this week’s school board meeting. Specifically, the…

Fresno City Council to discuss trash contract extension into 2030s The Fresno City Council is set to vote Thursday on a second extension of a controversial trash deal that has prompted other waste haulers to demand rate increases of their own. The proposed agreement with Orange Avenue Disposal, a company owned by the politically-influential Caglia family, would extend its contract by one year to dispose of city residential waste to a facility near Kerman through 2035.

Fresno City Council to discuss trash contract extension into 2030s

The Fresno City Council is set to vote Thursday on a second extension of a controversial trash deal that has prompted other waste haulers to demand rate increases of their own. The proposed agreement with Orange Avenue Disposal, a…

Fresno Unified graduation rates climb but almost 30% of students remain ‘chronically’ absent from classrooms Chronic absenteeism at Fresno Unified dropped slightly, but remains almost double pre-pandemic levels, according to new state data. In the 2024-25 school year, 29.4% of Fresno Unified students in kindergarten through eighth grade were chronically absent — meaning students missed at least 10% of all school days in a year. Out of the 50,568 students, 14,866 were identified as chronically absent, representing an improvement of 0.9% from the previous year.

Fresno Unified graduation rates climb but almost 30% of students remain ‘chronically’ absent from classrooms

Chronic absenteeism at Fresno Unified dropped slightly, but remains almost double pre-pandemic levels, according to new state data. In the 2024-25 school year, 29.4% of Fresno Unified…

Calling it ‘gas station heroin,’ Fresno leaders crack down on synthetic kratom The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a move toward introducing regulations against kratom — a plant that has drawn scrutiny in recent years from state and federal health officials. The hearing preceded a joint news conference with Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza and leading county health officials. Kratom is a tree native to southeast Asia with leaves used in some health supplements.

Calling it ‘gas station heroin,’ Fresno leaders crack down on synthetic kratom

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a move toward introducing regulations against kratom — a plant that has drawn scrutiny in recent years from state and federal health officials. The…

‘Brand new toy’: How Fresno Mayor Dyer resurrected controversial southeast mega-development The Dyer administration has orchestrated a December showdown over the Southeast Development Area, pushing the 9,000-acre mega-project toward final approval despite a $3 billion infrastructure shortfall that has residents preparing for political war. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer now has a potential majority at the Fresno City Council to approve the Clovis-sized mega-project, known colloquially as SEDA, according to interviews and statements by councilmembers at a Nov.

‘Brand new toy’: How Fresno Mayor Dyer resurrected controversial southeast mega-development

The Dyer administration has orchestrated a December showdown over the Southeast Development Area, pushing the 9,000-acre mega-project toward final approval despite a $3 billion infrastructure shortfall that…

Fresnolandia Podcast: Lessons from Sacramento on managing suburban growth On this week's Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle spoke with Mike McKeever, a regional planning expert based in Sacramento. He spent 12 years as CEO of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the regional planning organization for the Sacramento metro. Prior to that, he spent his career in Portland as a planner and consultant. They discuss how Sacramento navigated competition for housing in the suburbs, whether approving too much housing can be a problem when trying to solve a housing crisis, and why cities and regions need to be more in touch with local demand. Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Fresnolandia Podcast: Lessons from Sacramento on managing suburban growth

On this week's Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle spoke with Mike McKeever, a regional planning expert based in Sacramento. He spent 12 years as CEO of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the regional planning…

There’s a new California law for families separated by ICE. Fresnoland breaks down what you need to know As immigration enforcement intensifies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a law that expands who can legally act as a temporary caregiver. The change comes at a time when nearly half (about 45%) of California’s children have at least one immigrant parent.

There’s a new California law for families separated by ICE. Fresnoland breaks down what you need to know

As immigration enforcement intensifies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a law that expands who can legally act as a temporary caregiver. The change comes at a time when nearly half…

How a central Fresno resident fought for safer streets after a tragedy There’s a telephone pole at the intersection of Clinton and Warren Avenues in Fresno that Inez Zuniga can’t stop thinking about. It’s easy to speed past it, and a lot of people do, Zuniga says. But that intersection haunts Zuniga, who can’t drive down Clinton or Warren without thinking of the little boy who was hit and killed by drivers years ago at the location just minutes from Zuniga’s house.

How a central Fresno resident fought for safer streets after a tragedy

There’s a telephone pole at the intersection of Clinton and Warren Avenues in Fresno that Inez Zuniga can’t stop thinking about. It’s easy to speed past it, and a lot of people do, Zuniga says. But that intersection haunts…

Amid community pushback, Fresno councilmembers consider pulling back proposed ban on Tower District street vendors Deep into Friday and Saturday nights in the Tower District, most people are beginning to end their day full of drinking and dancing by slowly sauntering off into the streets of the city’s hub for nightlife. For people like Laurie Montero, however, their night is about to begin. Montero, 47, is one of many street food vendors that adorn Olive Avenue with a mix of music, colorful lights and, above all else, some hot and ready food.

Amid community pushback, Fresno councilmembers consider pulling back proposed ban on Tower District street vendors

Deep into Friday and Saturday nights in the Tower District, most people are beginning to end their day full of drinking and dancing by slowly sauntering off into the streets of the…

Preparing for ‘the worst’: state lawmakers share grim outlook on health care impacts to Central Valley One Central Valley assemblymember said she’s preparing “for the worst,” with the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies — a key sticking point for most Democrats in negotiations to end the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history — still up in the air as lawmakers make last-minute deals to reopen the government. “I don’t know if people in Washington really understand, especially those in control, the level of increase in premiums and what that’s going to do to our families,” Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, a Democrat and former Fresno City Councilmember currently representing Merced, told reporters on Monday.

Preparing for ‘the worst’: state lawmakers share grim outlook on health care impacts to Central Valley

One Central Valley assemblymember said she’s preparing “for the worst,” with the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies — a key sticking point for most Democrats in negotiations to end the…

Fresno Unified is restructuring one of its equity departments and wants parent feedback Fresno Unified is hosting a community forum and asking for parent feedback on the restructuring of one of its equity departments. The district’s Office of African American Academic Acceleration, or A4 office, is morphing into the Office of Advancing Academic Acceleration & Achievement. Created in 2017, the A4 department was created to improve disparities in student performance and graduation rates for African American and Black students.

Fresno Unified is restructuring one of its equity departments and wants parent feedback

Fresno Unified is hosting a community forum and asking for parent feedback on the restructuring of one of its equity departments. The district’s Office of African American Academic Acceleration, or A4 office,…

Two Fresno heavyweights get new titles at the 14th Taco Truck Throwdown More than 10,000 people showed up to the 14th Taco Truck Throwdown, and it was a Saturday night to remember at Chukchansi Park. The small kitchens inside more than 20 taco trucks were extra busy all night, keeping up with the long lines of people eager to have some of the best tacos in Fresno. This year's Taco Truck Throwdown winners weren't new to the competition: the judges crowned…

Two Fresno heavyweights get new titles at the 14th Taco Truck Throwdown

More than 10,000 people showed up to the 14th Taco Truck Throwdown, and it was a Saturday night to remember at Chukchansi Park. The small kitchens inside more than 20 taco trucks were extra busy all night, keeping up with the…

‘Our mission is to meet needs.’ Fresno joins ‘Yes in God’s Backyard Movement’ with a affordable housing project Fresno is joining the national Yes in God’s Backyard movement, which encourages churches to build affordable homes amid the nation’s housing crisis.

‘Our mission is to meet needs.’ Fresno joins ‘Yes in God’s Backyard Movement’ with a affordable housing project

Fresno is joining the national Yes in God’s Backyard movement, which encourages churches to build affordable homes amid the nation’s housing crisis.

 ‘Out of control.’ Fresno industries, residents divided over PG&E’s latest rate hike proposal The California Public Utilities Commission’s hearings over proposed electricity rate hikes came to Fresno Friday afternoon, drawing a split crowd of Central Valley residents and industry groups that clashed over whether the increased rates are appropriate. The public hearing comes after the Pacific Gas & Electric Company submitted a request earlier this year to California’s regulatory commission for private utilities companies, asking commissioners to approve annual rate hikes over a four-year period from 2027 to 2030.

 ‘Out of control.’ Fresno industries, residents divided over PG&E’s latest rate hike proposal

The California Public Utilities Commission’s hearings over proposed electricity rate hikes came to Fresno Friday afternoon, drawing a split crowd of Central Valley residents and industry groups that…

Better roads, better transit: Key Measure C committee votes to move Fresno County’s new transportation plan forward After nearly four years of debate, a key committee voted Thursday to move forward with a new plan for Fresno County’s transportation sales tax — bringing together factions frequently at odds in a rare show of consensus. An overwhelming majority — 93% — of the Measure C Steering Committee passed what they called a “high priority” expenditure plan that sets aside nearly 70% of tax revenue to fix and improve local roads, and 25% to maintain and expand public transit.

Better roads, better transit: Key Measure C committee votes to move Fresno County’s new transportation plan forward

After nearly four years of debate, a key committee voted Thursday to move forward with a new plan for Fresno County’s transportation sales tax — bringing together factions frequently…

Fresno City Council positioned to finally pass the goal line on policy streamlining housing in office zones The Fresno City Council cleared what they hope is the second-to-last hurdle needed to pass legislation making it easier for developers to build homes on land zoned for offices. Council President Mike Karbassi and Councilmember Annalisa Perea — who have been on different sides in past debates over the new rules — both voted to approve the new version in a split 4-3 vote.

Fresno City Council positioned to finally pass the goal line on policy streamlining housing in office zones

The Fresno City Council cleared what they hope is the second-to-last hurdle needed to pass legislation making it easier for developers to build homes on land zoned for offices. Council…

Rate My Superintendent? Fresno Unified has a new way to grade Misty Her’s performance Changes are coming to how the Fresno Unified Board of Education will rate the performance of the superintendent in its yearly evaluations. A draft template of the new evaluation tool was presented at Wednesday’s board meeting. The new template evaluates the superintendent’s performance by tracking the progress of the district’s goals and guardrails. Fresno Unified’s goals and guardrails are a set of district objectives aiming to improve student performance and raise employee standards through 2030.

Rate My Superintendent? Fresno Unified has a new way to grade Misty Her’s performance

Changes are coming to how the Fresno Unified Board of Education will rate the performance of the superintendent in its yearly evaluations. A draft template of the new evaluation tool was presented at Wednesday’s…

Diverse political coalition threatens ‘nuclear option’ to stop 45,000-home southeast Fresno mega-development A coalition spanning Fresno's political spectrum delivered an ultimatum to Mayor Jerry Dyer on Thursday: Kill the massive Southeast Development Area (SEDA) or face a voter referendum that could permanently halt suburban sprawl in California's fifth-largest city. At a press conference scheduled Thursday just before the Fresno City Council's workshop on the controversial 45,000-home SEDA specific plan, the coalition demanded that Dyer launch a comprehensive process to write a new general plan, charting a new economic future for Fresno.

Diverse political coalition threatens ‘nuclear option’ to stop 45,000-home southeast Fresno mega-development

A coalition spanning Fresno's political spectrum delivered an ultimatum to Mayor Jerry Dyer on Thursday: Kill the massive Southeast Development Area (SEDA) or face a voter referendum that…

Hundreds of shutdown-related furloughs loom over Fresno EOC. Impacts to food, housing programs unclear The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission plans to furlough over 600 employees two months from now — indefinitely — citing a lapse in federal funding to its programs during the now record-length federal government shutdown. The Fresno EOC furloughs, which would affect 639 staff at over 40 centers across Fresno County, kick in Jan. 1, according to a copy of a letter to affected employees obtained by Fresnoland.

Hundreds of shutdown-related furloughs loom over Fresno EOC. Impacts to food, housing programs unclear

The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission plans to furlough over 600 employees two months from now — indefinitely — citing a lapse in federal funding to its programs during the now…