Fresno County farmers and ranchers generated $7,028,024,100 in gross sales for the county in 2017. The top ten crops are almonds, grapes, poultry, pistachios, milk, mandarins, cattle & calves, tomatoes, peaches and oranges. Les Wright, Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner presented the new report to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. Wright says of special interest…… MORE
Concerns Growing over USDA Reorganization
Land-grant universities and other organizations are expressing concerns over the administration’s plan to move Department of Agriculture agencies out of the nation’s capital. USDA recently announced it will move the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture out of Washington, D.C., to a more “cost-effective” location closer to farmers. The…… MORE
Calif. Moves Closer to Eliminating Bail System
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP/KMJ) – The California Assembly has narrowly passed a bill to make California the first state to completely eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial and replace it with a risk-assessment system. The bill, SB 10 authored by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), passed Monday with no votes to spare and over concerns…… MORE
Surfing Becomes California’s Official State Sport
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Surf’s up in California, where it’s now the official state sport. Gov. Jerry Brown announced Monday that he has signed a bill making it so. The new law declares surfing to be “an iconic California sport” – though it acknowledges that surfing originated with the Polynesian people and was imported into…… MORE
New Law Bans Male Guard Pat Downs of Female Inmates
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Male prison guards will be prohibited from pat-down searching incarcerated women and viewing them while they are not fully dressed under a new law signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown announced he signed the bill Monday. It will take effect in 2019. The bill bans male guards from entering areas…… MORE
CALTRANS Approves SB 1 Funding For More Than 100 Transportation Projects
FRESNO, CA( KMJ) – Caltrans today announced that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved funding for more than 100 transportation projects funded entirely or at least partly by $690 million from SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. “These projects are a just a small portion of the key improvements we…… MORE
Castro Rejects Restricting Employee Speech: “Where Would We Draw The Line?”
FRESNO (KMJ) — Fresno State faculty and staff have been officially welcomed back to campus, but the Fall Assembly took place under the shadow of what President Joseph Castro described as “turbulence” from earlier in the year. “While we have undoubtedly been on an upward trajectory in so many different ways, we are living in…… MORE
K9 Finds Heroin In BMW, Merced CHP Looking For Driver
FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Merced CHP is looking for a driver who left two kilos of heroin behind. An officer pulled over a white BMW on August 17, and found the driver’s license was suspended. While he was impounding the car in a Burger King parking lot off Childs Avenue, just east of SR-99 in…… MORE
Bodies of Missing Hiker, Park Employee, Located In Yosemite National Park
FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – The bodies of two people who went missing in Yosemite National Park have now been located. The 48-year-old Scott Tenczar from San Jose was an Afghanistan veteran and an experienced hiker. He was last seen July 25th. Tenczar had been planning to backpack to Crown and Peeler Lakes when he…… MORE
Controversial Water Plan Vote on Hold
The State Water Resources Control Board says that staff revised the agenda for the August 21st and 22nd board meeting. It means final action on the proposed update to the water quality control plan which includes diverting water from San Joaquin tributaries will occur at a future board meeting. The Water Resources Control Board says…… MORE
