POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
New Merced City Council members look at ahead at swearing-in ceremony
Merced Sun-Star
Two new Merced city council members took their seats Monday after their predecessors were honored for their service during tough times after the recession.
Central SJ Valley:
Costa Says Dem Takeover of Congress Good for High-Speed Rail
GV Wire
As Rep. Jim Costa prepares for the 116th Congress, he remains bullish on the future of high-speed rail in California.
The Fresno Bee and the War on Local News
GQ
Local newspapers like The Fresno Bee have long been an endangered institution in America, and that was before California Rep. Devin Nunes began waging a public campaign against his hometown paper. Zach Baron spent time with the reporters fighting to keep news alive in an age when the forces they cover are working equally hard to destroy them.
South SJ Valley:
How Sanger Democrat Melissa Hurtado came to be California’s youngest state legislator
Fresno Bee
Melissa Hurtado beat incumbent Andy Vidak, a Hanford Republican, for the 14th District state Senate seat in the midterms. The Democrat from Sanger is now preparing for her life as the youngest state legislator.
Rob Hunt appointed as Tulare interim city manager
Visalia Times Delta
Rob Hunt is back as interim Tulare city manager. Tulare City Council approved an agreement with Hunt, the city’s community services director, who’s taking over for Willard Epps, who retired earlier this month.
The Wonderful Co. raises minimum wage to $15 per hour
Bakersfield Californian
The Wonderful Co. announced on Wednesday that it is increasing its minimum wage to $15 an hour for all its full-time California employees as of Jan. 1.
See Also:
● POM Wonderful will raise its minimum wage to $15 — years before California law demands it Merced Sun-Star
● Agricultural empire behind Halos and Wonderful pistachios raises minimum hourly wage to $15 Los Angeles Times
State:
Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor Retires After 40 Years Of Scrutinizing State Budgets
Capital Public Radio
Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor spoke with CapRadio’s Ben Adler earlier this week about wrapping up 10 years as the state’s top nonpartisan budget expert and 40 years keeping an eye on California’s fiscal outlook.
Gov. Jerry Brown: ‘I wanted to bring a whole new spirit to Sacramento, which I did’
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Jerry Brown was explaining why he loves his isolated, ancestral ranch and plans to live there when he broke into song.
See also:
● California governor: Democrats are likely to spend too much AP News
Brown’s symbiotic relationship with the media
CALmatters
During his half-century-long career in California politics, Jerry Brown has had a complex relationship with journalists, particularly those who covered him on a day-to-day basis.
State Supreme Court to take up public records cost case
San Francisco Chronicle
The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide an issue of importance to anyone seeking police body camera videos or other electronic records from government agencies: whether the fees for those records can include the sometimes sizable costs of removing confidential material before releasing the rest.
The California Sun
The ground is literally sinking beneath our feet in California.
Federal:
Washington Post
The GOP-controlled Congress on Wednesday severely undermined President Trump’s drive for a border wall, embracing a short-term spending bill that would keep the government open but deny any new money for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
See Also:
● Trump on verge of giving up best chance to secure wall money Fresno Bee
● With Senate passage, bill to prevent shutdown goes to House Fresno Bee
● Senate approves bill to keep government running into 2019 abc30
● Senate approves stopgap spending bill Merced Sun-Star
● Trump’s vow to build a wall hits a dead end Merced Sun-Star
● Senate, calling Trump’s bluff, OKs stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown Los Angeles Times
● Senate approves bill to keep government running into 2019 San Francisco Chronicle
● Congress set to delay Trump’s wall money, wildfire relief San Francisco Chronicle
● Deal could avoid shutdown, but California wildfire and water measures have to wait Fresno Bee
● Shut Down, Reopen—Then What? Wall Street Journal
● Trump Signals Reluctance to Sign Spending Bill Due to Lack of Funding for Border Wall Wall Street Journal
Ryan uses farewell address to assail politics of ‘outrage’
Sacramento Bee
Retiring House Speaker Paul Ryan decried the outrage and bitterness that he said now color American politics in a farewell speech that also acknowledged his inability to achieve two top goals: controlling surging federal debt and reining in Medicare and other mammoth benefit programs.
The solution to the juvenile delinquency problem in our nation’s politics
Sacramento Bee
They just can’t help themselves, these denizens of D.C. performing for the cameras and demeaning the challenging work of democracy that they were elected to perform diligently.
Other:
Los Angeles Times
Facebook’s business model has always been simple: acquire as much personal information from users as possible, then find a way to make money off of it.
See also:
● D.C. attorney general sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica scandal, the first major U.S. regulatory action in company’s crisis Washington post
Majority of Donald Trump Supporters in Western U.S. Feel They Can’t Speak Mind Freely, Poll Finds
Newsweek
A recent survey found that when it comes to supporters of President Donald Trump, the majority of those in the western region of the United States don’t feel comfortable vocalizing their opinion.
The Train Is Leaving the Station for the Last Rational Republicans
Roll Call
In a classic demonstration of Southern populist oratory at the 1956 Democratic convention, Tennessee Gov. Frank Clement excoriated the misdeeds of the Republican Party by dramatically asking, again and again, “How long, O how long America, shall these things endure?”
Nevada and Idaho Are the Nation’s Fastest-Growing States (and California is growing too)
Census.gov
The U.S. population grew by 0.6 percent and Nevada and Idaho were the nation’s fastest-growing states between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018. Both states’ populations increased by about 2.1 percent in the last year alone. Following Nevada and Idaho for the largest percentage increases in population were Utah (1.9 percent), Arizona (1.7 percent), and Florida and Washington (1.5 percent each).
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, December 23, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 –Maddy Report:“HSR Business Plan” – Guests: Tom Richards, Vice Chair of the High Speed Rail Board of Directors; Tom VanHeeke from the LAO; and Jon Coupal with the Howard Jarvis Tax Payers Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, December 23, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “HSR’s New Business Plan: Finally on the Right Track?” – Guests: Tom Richards, Vice Chair of the High Speed Rail Board of Directors; Tom VanHeeke from the LAO; Jon Coupal with the Howard Jarvis Tax Payers Association; and California’s Legislative Analyst, Mac Taylor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, December 23, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Como Entender las Reservas del Presupuesto Estatal” – Guests: Jacqueline Barocio & Lourdes Morales, investigadores de LAO y Alexei Koseff, Reportero de Sacramento Bee. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
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AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Modesto council approves permits for city’s first eight marijuana dispensaries
Modesto Bee
The Modesto City Council on Wednesday awarded its first-ever permits to eight retail marijuana businesses looking to sell cannabis products out of storefronts.
See also:
● ‘Dead Skunk’ Stench From Marijuana Farms Outrages Californians New York Times
FDA E. Coli Investigation Leads To Recall By Santa Barbara Grower
Capital Public Radio
The FDA says its investigation into the source of an outbreak of E. coli illnesses linked to California romaine has led to a farm in Santa Barbara county. But the agency says that’s not where the story ends.
Hemp is about to be legal under the 2018 farm bill. You can’t get high from it — but you can wear it
Los Angeles Times
Hemp — a close relative of marijuana that can be used to make textiles and other products — has long been classified as a Schedule I drug by the federal government. That’s set to change.
Trump administration aims to toughen work requirements for food stamp recipients
Washington Post
The Trump administration unveiled a plan Thursday to force hundreds of thousands more Americans to hold jobs if they want to keep receiving food stamps, pursuing through executive powers what it could not achieve in Congress.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Reining in crime at Stockton malls
Stockton Record
As shoppers visiting the Weberstown and Sherwood malls were already in the Christmas spirit, so was the mounted patrol unit of the Stockton Police Department.
Senate unanimously votes to make lynching a federal crime
Los Angeles Times
The Senate has unanimously approved bipartisan legislation that would make lynching a federal crime. The effort was led by two Democratic senators who are potential presidential contenders in 2020, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California.
The Criminal Justice Bill Shows Where the GOP Is on Race
Roll Call
Sen. Tim Scott, Republican from South Carolina, was optimistic after the Senate passed an amended bill this week that makes bipartisan progress on an issue — criminal justice reform — that has divided lawmakers for years.
EDITORIAL: The Senate did something worthwhile
San Francisco Chronicle
The criminal justice reform bill passed Tuesday by the Senate appears likely to become law, easing some of the most draconian facets of the federal penal system for thousands.
See Also:
● Black leaders forged alliance with Trump on sentencing deal Modesto Bee
Public Safety:
Trump administration moves to ban bump stocks
Fresno Bee
The Trump administration is moving forward to officially ban bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like automatic firearms.
See Also:
● EDITORIAL: Kudos to Trump for banning bump stocks. Can Congress dig up the courage to follow suit? Los Angeles Times
California has new gun control laws for 2019. Here’s what you should know
Sacramento Bee
California has a slew of new gun control laws heading into 2019, the result of legislation inspired by America’s growing gun violence epidemic, including high-profile mass shootings in Las Vegas and Parkland, Florida.
See also:
● More than 15% of childhood deaths in America are due to guns, study says Los Angeles Times
California privacy law must be changed to avoid making user data more vulnerable
Sacramento Bee
Americans deserve modern privacy rules that provide meaningful control over personal data, whether it is collected online or offline, from companies across all industries. That means giving people the ability to access, correct, delete and download their data. Full stop.
Capital Public Radio
Several agencies — including the Sacramento and Los Angeles police departments — have been releasing these records for some time. But the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department’s first-ever release of videos from an incident didn’t take place until earlier this month.
Study: Kids More Likely To Die From Cars And Guns In U.S. Than Elsewhere
Capital Public Radio
A New England Journal of Medicine study looks at death rates for children in the U.S. and compares them to rates from countries around the world.
See Also:
● More than 15% of childhood deaths in America are due to guns, study says Los Angeles Times
Fire:
Camp Fire survivors start over in Fresno
abc30
As the holidays approach, survivors of the Camp Fire in Northern California are struggling to put a roof over their heads. Some have temporarily relocated to Fresno — desperate for help to rebuild.
Fighting wildfire from the inside out
Sacramento Bee
People and policymakers — including Cal Fire — are still worried about giant walls of forest fire when they need to think about protection against tiny embers. Our biggest weapons are expansive green parks, wide streets bordering communities and houses built to withstand embers.
PG&E restores power to ‘essentially all’ customers in Butte County who can receive it
Sacramento Bee
Power has been restored to nearly all PG&E customers inside the Camp Fire footprint who can receive it, PG&E announced Monday. Since the beginning of Camp Fire restoration efforts, approximately 10,000 PG&E customers who can receive power have had their service restored.
Northern California Fires Leave Local Businesses With Few Options To Rebuild
Capital Public Radio
More than 2,000 businesses were located in Paradise and the surrounding communities, according to Census Department data. The majority burned, but those that haven’t will face challenges reopening, raising questions for how the region will rebuild its workforce and economy.
FEMA Opens Disaster Recovery Centers In Sacramento For Camp Fire Survivors
Capital Public Radio
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration are operating the centers, which are also open in the East Bay. FEMA says opening locations in Sacramento and elsewhere outside of Butte County is important because it provides people as many ways to communicate as possible.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Fed raises key interest rate but signals slower pace of increases ahead
Los Angeles Times
Amid stock market turmoil and President Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates, Fed officials announced another rate hike on Wednesday — but signaled a slower path of increases in the coming year.
See also:
● Federal Reserve cuts its outlook for U.S. economy; stocks plunge Washington Post
Is the new NAFTA the biggest trade deal ever, as Donald Trump said?
PolitiFact
President Donald Trump sat down with the Canadian and Mexican heads of state to sign the renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Nov. 30.
Recession Prep: How Cities Can Prepare for an Economic Downturn
Public CEO
Nine years into an economic recovery has many pundits wondering how much longer can it possibly last. With experts noting that another recession is closing in, what can municipalities do to prepare?
Court Questions Law That Underpins Trump’s Trade Policy
Wall Street Journal
Judges hear arguments in suit brought by steel importers and foreign producers.
Jobs:
abc30
Christmas will come a little early for families of employees of the federal government. President Donald Trump wrote in an executive order that all federal employees would be excused from work for a federal holiday on Monday, Dec. 24, 2018.
Drug giant Merck to build logistics center in Visalia, bring jobs
Visalia Times Delta
Germany-based pharmaceutical giant Merck plans to open a $28 million distribution facility in the Visalia Industrial Park.
The Wonderful Co. raises minimum wage to $15 per hour
Bakersfield Californian
The Wonderful Co. announced on Wednesday that it is increasing its minimum wage to $15 an hour for all its full-time California employees as of Jan. 1.
See Also:
● POM Wonderful will raise its minimum wage to $15 — years before California law demands it Merced Sun-Star
● Agricultural empire behind Halos and Wonderful pistachios raises minimum hourly wage to $15 Los Angeles Times
Labor foes go after union funds
CALmatters
A California State University professor has joined a years-long legal campaign by opponents of public employee unions, filing a suit demanding a refund of thousands of dollars in union fees.
Wall Street Journal
Investors wonder if the economy will get worse; for job seekers it could hardly be better.
Opportunity industries: Pathways to good jobs in American cities
Brookings
A new interactive report from Chad Shearer and Isha Shah examines the presence of “good jobs” that provide stable employment, middle-class wages and benefits across occupations and industries in America’s largest metropolitan areas.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Hanford Sentinel
Inspire California, along with the Kings County Library and Children’s Storybook Garden and Museum, hosted a free community literacy event at the Hanford Library that was attended by over a hundred local grade schoolers.
Watch: Generating new evidence to scale quality education interventions
Brookings
In a new video, Jenny Perlman Robinson of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings introduces the Millions Learning Real-time Scaling Lab, a project that aims to generate more evidence and provide practical recommendations to bring the world’s most effective educational strategies to scale.
Higher Ed:
Application Window Open Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship
The Maddy Institute
Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, February 22nd, 2019. Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. The Maddy Institute will award two $56,000 Fellowships to Valley students who are accepted into a nationally ranked, qualified graduate program in the fall of 2019.
Students can now transfer directly to BC’s bachelor program
Bakersfield Californian
Community college students now have the ability to transfer directly into Bakersfield College’s Industrial Automation baccalaureate program.
Apprenticeships:
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ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
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Energy:
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HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Your lifespan is linked to where you live
Hanford Sentinel
Even your lifespan can be local. Researchers have long said that health disparities are heavily influenced by where you live. New data from the National Center for Health Statistics show just how much your neighborhood can impact the length of your life.
Drug giant Merck to build logistics center in Visalia, bring jobs
Visalia Times Delta
Germany-based pharmaceutical giant Merck plans to open a $28 million distribution facility in the Visalia Industrial Park.
A New Generation Of Trans Youth Faces Obstacles To Health Care
Capital Public Radio
A wave of young people is coming out as transgender, leaving the health system struggling to keep up.
Critics Call Trump Administration Plan To Reduce Lead Exposure Toothless
Capital Public Radio
The Federal Lead Action Plan is a framework rather than a call for new regulations. The plan seeks to bolster efforts to communicate the dangers of lead exposure. Critics say it doesn’t go far enough.
Human Services:
Vaping could be snuffed out in California if these bills become law in 2019
Sacramento Bee
California lawmakers on both the left and the right are working up plans to restrict vaping in the coming year, citing their worries that flavored tobacco in e-cigarettes entices too many young people to take up a potentially harmful habit.
San Joaquin County Continuum of Care to give out $7M to help homeless
Stockton Record
The San Joaquin Continuum of Care announced Wednesday its commitment to provide more than $7 million in Homeless Emergency Aid Program funds to address homelessness in San Joaquin County.
Ken Keller named new president/CEO of Memorial Hospital
Bakersfield Californian
Ken Keller has been named the new president and CEO of Memorial Hospital. Keller, who has served as the chief operations officer for the hospital since 2015, is succeeding current president/CEO Jon Van Boening. Keller’s new position is effective Monday.
Coverage denied: Medicaid patients suffer as layers of private companies profit
Los Angeles Times
California’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, has determined that the Long Beach company, which was paid to coordinate care for about 400,000 patients, improperly denied or delayed care for at least 1,400 of them, state officials confirmed. The state Department of Managed Health Care is investigating further.
Last-minute scramble for ACA plans appears unaffected by court ruling
Washington Post
Nearly 8.5 million Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act health plans for 2019 in the 39 states relying on HealthCare.gov — with a last-minute rush that suggests shoppers were undeterred by a federal court ruling that deemed the law unconstitutional.
IMMIGRATION
Tulare County sheriff after rampage: Laws should be changed to better communicate with ICE
Fresno Bee
Laws need to be changed to allow local law enforcement to more easily communicate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in regards to criminals in jail who are deemed violent, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said Wednesday.
Can this GoFundMe campaign really raise $1 billion for Trump’s border wall?
Merced Sun-Star
A GoFundMe campaign, crowdsourcing funds for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, had raised nearly $700,000 on the platform by Wednesday afternoon, and raised its goal to $1 billion
Attorneys say 7-year-old immigrant who died in US custody wasn’t given water
Sacramento Bee
Attorneys for Nery Caal said Wednesday he and his 7-year-old Guatemalan daughter were given cookies but no water after the two turned themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents in a remote New Mexico area, refuting earlier claims by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
ICE hold meant nothing in Visalia killer’s case, which could have kept him in jail
Visalia Times Delta
ICE has issued 200 detainers in Tulare County, only 50 have been honored.
McFarland pulls out of agreement to operate ICE detention facility in Bakersfield
Bakersfield Californian
The city of McFarland has pulled out of an agreement to operate the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield, raising questions about who might become the new local partner required to keep it open.
Another Legal Setback To The Trump Administration’s Effort To Crack Down On Asylum
Capital Public Radio
In June, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a ban on asylum-seekers fleeing gang violence or domestic abuse. A federal judge on Wednesday blocked that ban, saying it had “no legal basis.”
See Also:
● Trump policy limiting asylum claims by victims of gangs and domestic violence is overturned by judge Los Angeles Times
● Judge blocks restrictions on who can apply for asylum San Francisco Chronicle
U.S. drops strict fingerprint policy that slowed release of migrant children from custody
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration is changing the way it reviews sponsors who want to care for migrant children in government custody — backing off of a requirement that all people in the house be fingerprinted.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Five store openings in Fresno you may have missed: Big chains to little local stores
Fresno Bee
Five stores in Fresno ranging from big chains to sellers of local products opened in places like River Park and the Tower District.
At ripe old age of 108, restored downtown building on verge of new life
Bakersfield Californian
The building began its life in 1910 as Security Trust Bank.
Housing:
Valley apartment rents rising. But get a load of other prices in California
Fresno Bee
Apartment rents in Fresno rose by almost 6 percent during the past 12 months, climbing to an average monthly rental rate of $1,047 this month according to a new nationwide analysis.
Modesto rents continue to rise. But have they reached a plateau?
Modesto Bee
Modesto apartment rents increased 3.9 percent in the past year to an average of $1,193 per month, according to RentCafe, a nationwide apartment search website.
California housing costs push migrants away from areas providing the most help
CALmatters
In recent weeks, more than 7,000 migrants have gathered in Tijuana, hoping for asylum in the United States. Some will be deported. Others will be detained for long periods of time.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Does California Have A Budget Surplus Of Nearly ‘$30 Billion,’ As Gov. Jerry Brown Claimed?
Capital Public Radio
Gov. Jerry Brown will leave the state with a sizeable surplus when his term ends next month. But just how large is that pot of excess money?
Fed raises key interest rate but signals slower pace of increases ahead
Los Angeles Times
Amid stock market turmoil and President Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates, Fed officials announced another rate hike on Wednesday — but signaled a slower path of increases in the coming year.
TRANSPORTATION
Costa Says Dem Takeover of Congress Good for High-Speed Rail
GV Wire
As Rep. Jim Costa prepares for the 116th Congress, he remains bullish on the future of high-speed rail in California.
Stockton airport adding new service to Los Angeles
Stockton Record
Beginning in August, Stockton Metropolitan Airport will begin offering daily service to Los Angeles International Airport.
Caltrans report looks at how climate change may impact highways in the SJV
Bakersfield Californian
In some places, climate change may seem like a taboo topic to be avoided. But Caltrans is facing it head-on. The California Department of Transportation has released two new reports on the impacts of climate change on the state’s highway system and transportation infrastructure.
In Washington, a campaign to undermine California’s authority over driverless cars
Los Angeles Times
As autonomous-car companies unveil their test vehicles on city streets, they are also unleashing their lobbyists on Congress with an urgent mission: Keep California regulators at bay.
New report: ITS scholars on the cause of California’s falling transit ridership
Institute of Transportation Studies
Many California communities are banking on more transit use to address problems of congestion and climate change. Yet despite heavy investments in public transportation over the past 15 years, transit ridership is declining — from 2012 to 2016, California lost 62.2 million annual transit rides, and the six-county Southern California Association of Governments(SCAG) region lost 72 million annual rides, 120 percent of the state’s total losses.
Artists and Engineers: A New Relationship?
PEW Trusts
Some governments are asking artists to come up with creative transportation solutions.
EDITORIAL: With director out, can Newsom reform troubled DMV?
Sacramento Bee
Changing the DMV’s leadership is a good step forward, but fixing its problems will be harder than replacing the names on the stationery. Gavin Newsom’s thoughts on the DMV are well-documented, giving voters a chance to hold him accountable for his handling of its problems.
WATER
Merced Irrigation District plans lawsuit to fight controversial Bay-Delta plan
Merced Sun-Star
The Merced Irrigation District will be filing a lawsuit to prevent water from the Merced River to be diverted to the Bay Area, according to a news release.
See Also:
● ‘This plan is illegal.’ Merced Irrigation District challenging state’s water decision Modesto Bee
Democrats’ House takeover could mean big changes for California water policy
Los Angeles Times
With Republicans in control, four Central Valley congressmen have been able to pass bills favoring water flows to the region’s farmers and residents. Democrats have other ideas.
My turn: Peace in California’s water wars is within grasp
CALmatters
Dare we say it? The outlines of a truce in California’s unending water battles began to come into focus last week, though not everyone is willing to sign the treaty.
“Xtra”
Heroes and Helpers makes Christmas dreams come true for kids
Fresno Bee
The Heroes and Helpers shopping event began predawn at Target at River Park with Fresno police officers, American Ambulance personnel and other organizations filling kids’ Christmas wish lists, then a special delivery from Santa.
See Also:
● First responders help Santa Claus deliver gifts to Fresno children in need abc30
● Sheriff’s Office, Camarena spread holiday cheer Madera Tribune
● Kern County Probation Department partners with Youth Connection to surprise 132 children Bakersfield Californian
Skiers get an early Christmas present of snow at China Peak
Fresno Bee
With recent storms, China Peak Mountain Resort is making the season bright for alpine skiing and snowboarding.
Here’s how you can show off your holiday lights and win $100
Visalia Times Delta
Did you spend countless hours stringing up lights and setting up different seasonal inflatables or scenes? Is there a house on your block that shines brighter than the rest? We want to see it!
Give gift of celebration with tickets to local New Year’s Eve events
Bakersfield Californian
With just a few days until Christmas, panic is probably starting to set in for the procrastinators who are realizing their options for gifts are either face the hordes at the mall or hope that an Amazon package gets here in time.
‘American Pickers’ looking for local collections to feature
Bakersfield Californian
“American Pickers” is so fond of Bakersfield that they picked us twice. The History Channel series will return to California this spring with its pair of antiques experts on their quest to find hidden treasures.