FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – A teenager from the Central Valley is now the first teen to die from COVID-19 in the state of California. On Friday, the California Department of Public Health reported that the teenager had underlying health conditions. “It’s a huge trauma for everyone that’s involved, um, including the hospital workers,” said…… MORE
Ballot Boxing 8-1-2020: Dr. Allan Saxe & Scott Robertson
Guests on Ballot Boxing with Aaron Abeytia this weekend are political science professor Dr. Allan Saxe and Selma mayoral candidate Scott Robertson. Topics include President Trump’s suggestion to delay the election, federal law enforcement presence in major U.S. cities, and the loss of focus on local politics amid the coronavirus pandemic. … MORE
Senate Coronavirus Aid Falls Short for Agriculture
Negotiations to finalize the next coronavirus relief package in Congress are far from the finish line, and so is aid for agriculture, according to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. The Senate Republican proposal includes a second round of $1,200 stimulus payments for individuals, extends additional unemployment payments by $200 a week…… MORE
Mailed Seeds Pose Possible Crop Danger
Growing concerns around unsolicited seeds prompt at least 28 states to issue warnings not to plant the seeds. California and other states including Indiana joined the list of states this week, warning of the potential damage to agriculture. Don Robison, seed administrator for the Office of Indiana State Chemist, says, “The last thing we…… MORE
Madera Ranchos Man Arrested for Sex Trafficking
(Photo courtesy: Madera County Sheriff’s Office) (KMJ) – Madera County Sheriff’s Deputies arrest a Madera Ranchos man for allegedly trafficking a 22-year old woman for sex. Tuesday, 27-year old Dylan “Colby” Nichols Dobbs was taken into custody following an investigation into the abuse and sex trafficking of the victim. According to the Madera County Sheriff’s…… MORE
China Asks U.S. to Investigate Seed Mailings
The China seed saga continues as Chinese officials ask for packages from the U.S. to investigate. In a daily briefing with media, a spokesperson with China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry Tuesday stated China Post, China’s state-owned postal service, has contacted the U.S. Postal Service, asking it to send fake packages to China for investigation. The…… MORE
Big Fresno Fair to be “Drive-Thru” Only This Year
(KMJ) – The Big Fresno Fair says it will “reinvent” itself this year as it adapts its traditional event into a series of drive-thru and virtual experiences in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Fresno County. Over the past few months, Fair Management and staff say they have been monitoring the situation with COVID-19 and…… MORE
Protesters Chained to Governor’s Home as Prison Deaths Mount
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Demonstrators chaining themselves to a fence outside Gov. Gavin Newsom’s home called for mass prison releases and an end to immigration transfers because of the coronavirus pandemic. [RELATED: Death row inmate may have died from coronavirus] Monday’s protest came as deaths mounted at a San Francisco Bay Area prison where…… MORE
New USDA Help To Hire Workers
New features on the farmers.gov website will help facilitate the employment of H-2A workers. The Department of Agriculture says the new features include a real-time dashboard that enables farmers to track the status of their eligible employer application and visa applications for temporary nonimmigrant workers. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says USDA’s goal is to…… MORE
8 California Counties are Latest Coronavirus Hotspots
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As coronavirus cases spike in California’s vast Central Valley, the state will send strike teams and tens of millions of dollars to eight counties to speed up testing, help infected people quarantine and assist overwhelmed health care workers, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. The state is aiming for every infected person…… MORE
