Dr. Yorai “Benny” Benzeevi — onetime CEO of the Tulare Local Health Care District (TLHCD) who fled the country to avoid prosecution for crimes allegedly committed while he held that office — has been arrested. Beginning in 2014, Benzeevi, through his company Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA), took over operation of the TLHCD — including the […]
The Tulare County Elections Office has certified results of the November 3 general election, and two incumbent politicians are on their way out after their races were decided by single digits. In Tulare, Steve Harrell has edged out incumbent City Councilman Carlton Jones by just seven votes, while at the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) […]
Twenty-eight employees at the Tulare County Department of Child Care Services (DCCS) will lose their jobs one week before Christmas. The layoffs–intended to close a $2.1 million budget gap at DCCS–were announced to workers last week then approved just seven days later by a 4-1 vote of the county supervisors on Tuesday, November 17. An […]
Cases of COVID-19 in Tulare County have spiked by more than 75% in the last two weeks, and officials fear the trend will continue into the winter months. 1,000-plus New Cases The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency (TCHHS) reported 482 new cases of COVID for the week ending November 9 and 625 for […]
As the final vote count from the November 3 general election in Tulare County is slowly tabulated, a pair of races still remain too close to call on the thinnest of margins. Handfuls of Ballots The contests where candidates are running neck-and-neck are the Area 6 trustee’s seat in the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) […]
As Tulare County officials struggle to improve COVID infection numbers and move the area out of the Purple Tier so life can return to normal here, several gyms appear to be operating in open violation of state and county orders. As late as Thursday, November 5, Fit Republic on Noble Avenue in Visalia was allowing […]
The general population of students in the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) will begin returning to class on the last day of November. Youngest Students Return First The first students to return will be the youngest, with preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first- and second-graders going back to their classrooms on November 30. Grades three through six […]
While the Tulare and Kings Counties’ Congressional and Assembly races remain too close to call, local races are all but decided. Tulare Council gets two new members, Mayor stays With a razor-thin margin, Tulare appears to have two new city council members. With all districts reporting on election night, Mayor Jose Sigala retained his seat […]
Editors’ note: This article has been updated to include a new court document. Tulare City Council member Carlton Jones vandalized his opponent’s election sign then launched a profane online tirade that included homophobic slurs when confronted. Jones Admits Behavior Jones’ behavior was reported by his opponent for the District 3 seat, Steve Harrell, in […]
Republican offices in at least three California counties are engaging in possibly illegal ballot harvesting, according to the Secretary of State’s office, and the Republican Party of Tulare County appears to be using the same technique in the run-up to the November 3 election. Local GOP Soliciting Ballots Last week, a message distributed on social […]