This article was updated to include a comment from Kaweah Health. Kaweah Health CEO Gary Herbst defended his hospital stating that though a recent state investigation “had value,” the investigators were “incompetent” and “on a crusade.” Herbst made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with the Valley Voice. Despite statements from Herbst and hospital officials […]
In the wake of the drug-overdose death of a contractor in Kaweah Health Medical Center’s emergency department in December 2020, the county’s largest hospital, was given just 90 days to correct dozens of policy and procedure deficiencies or lose federal funding. Kaweah Health’s leadership was given 10 days to respond. Cutting It Close? The […]
Editors’ note: This article was corrected to state that a doctor who inspectors said stole federally controlled drugs was an anesthesiologist, not an emergency department physician. It was also corrected to clarify that the statements confirming the report’s version of events were in the inspectors’ report and in the response to it. Failure to monitor […]
Attorneys for Tulare County have filed an appeal to a Tulare County Superior Court Judge’s decision allowing a Farmersville couple to sue in the wake of an allegedly mishandled search warrant service by deputies of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO). Appeal to Higher Court In a June 18 decision, Hon. Nathan Ide ruled […]
A handful of former members of Visalia’s now-defunct Environmental Committee have gone rogue, and one of the men who put them out of business couldn’t be happier to see them carrying on their work in a new setting. Only Mandated Committees In what appears to be a new way of doing business at Visalia […]
A set of autumn hearing dates in a case accusing Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) of harassment and wrongful termination have been vacated, but the beleaguered legislator may still end up in court over the matter. New Attorney Janie Sustaita De Raadt, a former Mathis staffer, says she’s found a local attorney willing to pursue […]
Half of the Visalia City Council still feels it’s too risky to allow cannabis-related businesses to operate inside the city limits and asked staff at city hall not continue their exploration of opening the city to the state’s fastest-growing industry. Plenty of Interest The move comes despite a flow of continuous inquiries from business […]
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and its officers have no immunity for false arrest and assault against a Farmersville couple that occurred during an allegedly botched search warrant service, a Tulare County Superior Court judge has ruled. Jury Trial Scheduled In a June 18 decision, the Hon. Nathan Ide ruled the department and its […]
Following years of effort by dozens of individuals from no less than 15 different agencies, Visalia will finally get a low-barrier homeless shelter after the Visalia City Council approved a $5-million funding package. Opening Planned for January 2023 At its June 22 meeting, the council approved $5 million dollars of funding for the development and […]
In 2021, the Tulare City Council took an unusual step in expressing its support of the LGBTQ+ community. It wasn’t just only that the council issued a proclamation this year naming June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the traditionally very conservative city. Because while cities in the Tulare and Kings counties have on occasion acknowledged […]