Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Williamson described the loss of Officer David Nelson this way: “He may have been old enough to be my son, but he was a brother to me.” Williamson shared those thoughts with the media on Monday. The 26-year-old police officer was fatally injured in a crash during a high-speed pursuit last…… MORE
Pot Legalization Signature Effort Gets OK
Fresno (KMJ) And the race is on! Pot legalization proponents in the Golden State now have 180 days to gather 365,880 valid signatures in order to place their measure on the November 2016 ballot. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla gave the go-ahead on Monday. The proposal would impose an $8 per ounce excise tax…… MORE
Calif. Lawmakers Applaud SCOTUS Redistricting Ruling
WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of California’s congressional delegation on Monday applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding the use of independent commissions to configure electoral districts. Now, some lawmakers want to help spread the concept to other states. In 2008, California voters approved giving the once-a-decade responsibility for drawing political districts to an independent commission.…… MORE
Fishing Resumes After Santa Barbara Oil Spill
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — The state Department of Fish and Wildlife allowed fishing to resume on Monday across 138 square miles of water off the Santa Barbara coast that was closed following last month’s huge oil spill. Fish and Wildlife officials said decided to reopen the area following word from scientists that consuming fish…… MORE
Calif. Students Lose Experiments in SpaceX Explosion
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The SpaceX rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station Sunday didn’t just lose food and other necessities; it also was carrying school science experiments. The unmanned rocket broke apart shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida. A Russian resupply ship is scheduled to leave Kazakhstan with much of the space…… MORE
Madera Opens Cooling Centers All Week
Cooling centers will be open in Madera to beat the heat. The City of Madera anticipates extreme temperatures and it will keep its cooling centers open all this week. “We’ll offer waters and some light snack in hopes of keeping folks cool and providing respite from the heat.” -Ozzie Naranjo, Community Recreation Programs Manager. The…… MORE
Mandatory Vaccines Bill Heads to Governor Brown’s Desk
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California lawmakers have passed a contentious bill that would impose one of the strictest school vaccination laws in the country after a series of emotionally charged debates. The Senate on Monday reaffirmed the bill striking California’s personal belief exemption for immunizations on a 24-14 vote. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has not…… MORE
Madera County Arrests Man Cleared of Murder
MERCED, Calif. (AP) – A central California sheriff has acknowledged the error of arresting a 19-year-old on a warrant for a murder charge he had been cleared of. Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke says he’s looking into what went wrong. Jacob Tellez spent a night in jail over the weekend before he was…… MORE
California: Land of Economic Opportunity or Regulatory Nightmares?
Aaron Abeytia Aaron Abeytia anchors afternoon newscasts on News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ. Read More… Listen to the report as aired on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — California’s present regulatory environment is viewed as burdensome, complex, and cumbersome. A new report from Bay Area law firm Archer…… MORE
CA Lawmakers to Tackle Transportation, Medi-Cal Issues
Aaron Abeytia Aaron Abeytia anchors afternoon newscasts on News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ. Read More… Listen to the report as aired on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — Governor Jerry Brown has called two special legislative sessions, urging lawmakers to tackle long-term funding shortfalls in California’s transportation and…… MORE
