A new online tool can help farmers and ranchers find information on U.S. Department of Agriculture farm loans that may best fit their operations. USDA has launched the new Farm Loan Discovery Tool as the newest feature on farmers.gov, the Department’s self-service website for farmers. USDA undersecretary Bill Northey says the tool can “help…… MORE
FUSD Trustee Slatic Facing Censure, Campus Ban
FRESNO (KMJ) – FUSD Bullard-area trustee Terry Slatic is under scrutiny from his board colleagues, who have called a special meeting to discuss Slatic’s behavior, related to his recent controversial visit to Bullard to address the school’s cheerleading squad. “We’ll see how that goes, I think it’s pretty unprecedented,” Slatic said. Slatic says he will…… MORE
Berkeley Banishes Gender-Specific Terms from City Code
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) – California’s Berkeley City Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday to replace gendered terms with gender-neutral words in the city’s code. The San Francisco Chronicle reports Wednesday that “she” and “he” will be replaced by “they.” The words “manpower” and “manhole” will be replaced by “workforce” and “maintenance hole.” The measure to replace…… MORE
Developing: Valadao – Cox Rematch a Possibility
FRESNO (KMJ) – Former Hanford Republican Congressman David Valadao says he is taking “a strong look” at getting in the race to unseat the man who defeated him in 2018, 21st District Democratic Congressman TJ Cox. Cox won the seat by less than 1,000 votes. The former congressman filed a Statement of Candidacy with the…… MORE
Lead Paint Suppliers Settle Calif. Lawsuit for $305M
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The nation’s major suppliers of lead paint have agreed to pay California’s largest cities and counties $305 million to settle a nearly two-decade old lawsuit. The settlement announced Wednesday comes after years of legal and legislative battling in California and other states. The settlement is with the Sherwin-Williams Company, ConAgra Grocery…… MORE
Patterson Honors Small Business of the Year
CLOVIS (KMJ) – A veteran-owned business is this year’s 23rd Assembly District Small Business of the Year. “Tactical Ops Brewing” in Clovis was honored by Assemblyman Jim Patterson. Owners Brandon Broussard and Justin Campagne combined their passion for high quality craft beer and their appreciation for the service and sacrifice of veterans. With the majority…… MORE
Farm Groups Evaluate H-2A Proposal
Agriculture groups are evaluating the Department of Labor’s H-2A proposal announced earlier this week. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall welcomed the proposal, thanking the Trump administration for “recognizing the need to reform” the program. However, noting the rule is lengthy, Duvall says AFBF will “evaluate it closely for its potential to assist…… MORE
Auditor Uncovers CA State Government IT Security Flaws
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California’s auditor says parts of state government need to do more to safeguard the information they collect, maintain, and store. A report released Tuesday by Auditor Elaine Howle’s says it found “high risk deficiencies” when it surveyed information security practices at 33 government entities. Those entities are not required to meet…… MORE
Quick Arrest Made in Shooting of Hanford Boy
HANFORD (KMJ) – An arrest in the case of a Hanford boy who was shot in his home. After a rapid investigation that took mere hours, Kings County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested 29-year-old Rowdy Paulo and charged him with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and shooting a firearm at an inhabited dwelling. “He would…… MORE
Calif. Readies $1.6 Billion Rail Design Contract
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California is moving toward awarding a $1.65 billion contract to design and construct the tracks and system for the first segment of its beleaguered high-speed rail project. The California High Speed Rail Authority’s board of directors on Tuesday approved releasing a request for qualified bidders for the project. Rail officials hope…… MORE
