New economic estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau show what most Valley residents already knew: Things were worse in 2008 than they were in 2007. And experts suggest they're even bleaker now.
People earned less money last year, and more of them lived in poverty, according to the Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey.
A citizens' report on Fresno County Child Protective Services, prompted by a beating death of a 10-year-old boy in January, calls for improved communication among agencies that respond to child-abuse allegations.
But the three-page report, completed this month, "does not begin to scratch the surface of the problems," according to Supervisor Henry Perea, who requested the report.
The three-member committee started reviewing the agency in March, following the beating death of Seth Ireland. The case marked the third time in about two years that a parent or guardian was charged with killing a child after county social workers had already been warned about abuse or neglect.
More than $4 million in federal stimulus funding is about to become available to relieve and prevent homelessness in Fresno.
With the start of a new federal budget year Thursday, city and county leaders are allocating funds to 11 organizations that will be charged with finding and helping people who are homeless or in danger of becoming so.
This week on The Pulse: 09/26/09
On this edition of The Pulse, Kirk Nagamine, the new CEO of the Central Valley Business Incubator is our guest. We'll learn more about Kirk's plans to expand CVBI's services beyond the walls of their facilities, venture capital in thevalley, and Kirk's own background as an entrepreneur.
Download this program (MP3 file)...
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The 42-year-old San Joaquin Gardens shows off the first phase of its $150 million makeover during a ribbon-cutting Monday from 2-4 p.m.
FRESNO, Calif. -- Employees of a farm equipment business are being hailed for stopping a fellow employee from committing additional carnage after he opened fire on a colleague with a shotgun.
We have some true heroes here in Fresno.
The statistics from researchers at the advocacy center and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research made me gulp: 41% of children ages 2 to 11 statewide drink one or more sugary sodas each day. By contrast, 57% of children in Kings County and 53% in Fresno County drink sodas. The state's leader was Imperial County, where 61% of kids drink sodas.
Why restore a river? Climate change, scientists say
As the climate warms up, critics of river restoration projects -- such as the San Joaquin River -- sometimes ask: "Why bother? Isn't everything going to change in the future anyway?"
It's a good question that seven science and conservation groups assessed in a study published this month. Their answer is that river restoration is important in at least two major ways.
The starting point for Fresno's plan to solve its chronic homeless problem is a place called Tent City.
Here, clusters of makeshift homes have sprouted on railroad property downtown. Tent City and two smaller encampments nearby, which together house at least 300 homeless residents, are the most visible evidence of the problem -- and the focal point of a plan to end chronic homelessness in Fresno County in the next decade.
The plan: First provide housing, then tackle the larger problems, such as mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse that can keep people trapped on the streets.
That's a departure from traditional programs that require the chronically homeless to undergo months of treatment and counseling before they're deemed to be "housing ready."
Fresno's downtown homeless encampments are "going to be the starting point for us. These are the people that we have to help first," said Greg Barfield, who was appointed last year as Fresno's homeless prevention and policy manager. Among Barfield's challenges: implementing a 10-year plan to end homelessness that the city adopted last year in collaboration with Fresno County.
Visalia police have released surveillance photos of a man dressed in business attire who robbed the Bank of America on South Mooney Boulevard about 11:30 a.m. Monday.
The robber, who wore a tie and a wide-brim hat, gave a teller a note that demanded money. He then walked out with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police described the robber as an older, heavy-set man.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call detective Steve Lampe at 559-713-4741
Surveillance-camera image of a man who police say robbed a Bank of America in Visalia on Monday.
Check fresnobee.com for updates throughout the day.
So ... that narrows it down to about 20,000,000 men in the U.S..
