A pair of sitting Visalia Unified School District’s (VUSD) trustees will defend challenges to their incumbencies, and a third trustee’s seat will be filled by one of five newcomers as a slate of nine candidates vie for three positions this fall. Two of the three races on the November 3 ballot will feature sitting trustees […]
Steve Harrell–a Tulare native son and the former second in command at the Tulare Police Department–is throwing his hat into the ring for the District 3 seat on the Tulare City Council. The seat is currently held by embattled Councilman Carlton Jones, who has been the focus of repeated claims against the city by members […]
The city of Tulare will pay two of its police officers a total of $40,000 to avoid going to court over an allegedly improper disclosure of information about them by Councilman Carlton Jones. At its meeting August 18, the Tulare City Council voted 4-1–with Jones casting the sole no vote to pay $23,000 to Lt. […]
Students in the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) will attend class on a part-time basis when they return to campus next month during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. At a special meeting of the VUSD trustees held Tuesday, July 14, Dr. Tamara Ravalin presented the district’s best guess at what the class schedule for the 2020-21 […]
Ryan’s Place, the beloved gathering spot on Mooney Boulevard in Visalia, has closed its doors to diners for the time being as the restaurant’s owners struggle with a labor shortage while the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues apace. “It’s a temporary thing,” said Amy Rose, who manages Ryan’s Place and a handful of other restaurants founded […]
A deficit budget covering the next two fiscal years will see the city of Visalia outspending its income by more than $3 million. The plan–which spends $72.9 million in fiscal year 2020-21 with a $1.48 million deficit and $73.9 million in FY 21-22 with a $1.55 million deficit–received unanimous support from the Visalia City Council […]
Plans for a compact subdivision in south Visalia will move forward after the Visalia City Council voted 3-2 to overturn a previous decision by the city’s Planning Commission that stopped the development. Housing in Commercial Zone By overruling the commission, the council agreed to allow San Joaquin Valley Homes to divide 4.8 acres skirting […]
A letter to California’s governor from Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) appears to have been partially plagiarized from a letter written by his opponent two months earlier. The letter from Mathis’ office to Gov. Gavin Newsom–dated May 1 and regarding Senate Bill 743–appears to have been copied verbatim from a letter written by Drew Phelps. Phelps […]
Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) leaders are not sure when the city’s schools will reopen, and a continuation of distance learning remains a distinct possibility. Waiting for Guidance With schools on a state-issued order to close their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Tamara Ravalin says district administrators around the state are waiting for […]
Third update: Visalia Chief of Police Jason Salazar has released a statement in video form addressing the incident involving a counterprotester striking two demonstrators with his vehicle. Police are in contact with all parties involved and details of the interaction are included below. Second update: The Visalia Police Department have issued a statement regarding the […]