California’s drought continues after a relatively dry winter failed to replenish the snowpack that is the state’s biggest source of fresh water, prompting water agencies to warn of tightened supplies and the need to impose restrictions. But for this year anyway, home owners in Fresno and Clovis can keep watering ..read more

VISALIA – The answer to housing some of Visalia’s least stationary residents may be to provide them with their own mobile home. Homeless advocacy organization Salt+Light unveiled the latest version of its homeless village at the March 15 Visalia City Council meeting. Founder Adrianne Hillman described the project as a 52-unit mobile home park just outside the city limits. The village will be located on 6.5 acres next to Self-Help Enterprises’ Sequoia Commons multifamily housing project, phase one of which opened in 2020, at Road 76 and Avenue 310 south of Florence Ave. in Goshen, adjacent to t ..read more

Not often does the mayor of a city step down from the dais and appeal a decision on behalf of the business they run, but that’s exactly what Visalia Mayor Steve Nelsen did at a recent council after a Mural Panel recommended against approving a “Welcome to Downtown Visalia” mural ..read more

VISALIA — At 3:47 p.m. on March 18, officers were dispatched to a medical aid call in the 3200 block of West Coppola Avenue. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the subject was deceased. The death appeared suspicious, according to police, and violent crimes detectives were contacted to investigate further. An autopsy is scheduled for the subject. Until a cause of death can be determined, the investigation will continue. The victim’s identity is not being released at this time ..read more

GOSHEN – A special use permit could allow a fruit packing facility in Orange Cove to relocate to a nine-acre portion of a more than 42-acre parcel near Goshen. The applicant, M Park, Inc., is proposing to relocate their Orange Cove plant to site at 31932 Road 60, Visalia, on the southeast corner of Avenue 320 and Road 60 and west side of State Route 99, near Goshen. The plot is already zoned for “exclusive agriculture 40-acre minimum.” Surrounding properties contain agriculture (orchards) and scattered rural residences to the north, west and south. State Route 99 lies to the east ..read more

VISALIA – Dog food is not only fuel for your four-legged friend, it can also act as a fuel for a fire. On March 17, the Visalia Fire Department was dispatched to Perfection Pet Foods, 1100 block of N. Miller Court, after a fire alarm was sounded at the dog food plant. Three engines and a ladder truck arrived at about 5:22 a.m. and found a large piece of motorized equipment was on fire. Employees had already exited the building and were able to tell firefighters where the fire had started ..read more

VISALIA – Not often does the mayor of a city step down from the dais and appeal a decision on behalf of the business they run, but that’s exactly what Visalia Mayor Steve Nelsen did at the March 15 council meeting when he presented on behalf of Downtown Visalians a counterproposal to the Mural Panel’s recommendation to deny a “Welcome to Downtown Visalia” mural on the west wall of the Pacific Western Bank building at 101 E. Main Street ..read more

VISALIA – Despite no senior football season due to the ongoing pandemic, Eutimio Pena’s football career is far from over. He’s committed to play at the next level, and needed only three years of experience to do so. Pena’s first year of playing organized football was on El Diamante High ..read more

TULARE COUNTY – An international packaging company is being sued for unfair labor practices at its Visalia plant. On Feb. 3, La Jolla, Calif.-based labor law firm Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP filed the class action on behalf of two former employees who worked at Pregis Innovative Packing LLC’s packaging plant in Visalia ..read more

VISALIA – Visalia officers successfully avoided a bullet wound when suspect, Kirk Smith fired directly at officers from inside his front door. According to the Visalia Police Department, at approximately 12:33 a.m., on Friday, March 19, officers were called to the 3800 block of South Shady for a report of a prowler in the area. While officers were en route to the location, gunshots were reported to dispatchers in the same area as the reported prowler ..read more