Supervisors Pete Vander Poel (District 2) and Dennis Townsend (District 5) apparently left the meeting to avoid being included in the presentation of the proclamation.

The county declaration honors the groups’ work to protect and support the LGBTQ+ community in Tulare County. Both men also declined to sign the proclamation.

Walk-Out Surprised, Disappointed Board Chair

The pair’s unexpected absence came as a surprise to Board Chair Amy Shuklian, who oversaw the presentation.

“I didn’t know they were going to walk out of the meeting. I’m disappointed,” she said. “I feel bad for the organizations that were up there talking about what they do in the community.”

The organizations being honored were support and advocacy group Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) of Tulare and Kings Counties, the civic service club Visalia Pride Lions, and The Source, a community center for LGBTQ+ individuals.

The supervisors’ proclamation was intended to honor these nongovernmental groups, whose work, Shuklian said, are critical to the wellbeing of all county residents. Similar proclamations are regularly made for other groups like those honored Tuesday, she said.

“Organizations and nonprofits are what make our community, Tulare County, function,” Shuklian said. “We contract with The Source and a lot of other organizations to provide the services we’re (Tulare County) mandated to provide.”

Shuklian also said official recognition, such as the county proclamation, signal strongly that the people those groups represent are welcome here.

“It’s important they feel they’re members of the community no matter who they are,” she said. “It’s important to recognize everyone in the community, no matter who they are, if they are doing good work.”

Vander Poel ‘Doesn’t Believe’ in Activism, Protesting

According to Supervisor Vander Poel, it was the inclusion of PFLAG that prompted him to leave the room. Unfamiliar with PFLAG – a support group for the family and friends of LGBTQ+ people formed in 1973 – Vander Poel turned to the website of the local branch.

“When you look at their home page you will see a photo. In that photo, there are individuals holding signs that say, ‘Trump Treason = Lock Him Up,’ and ‘Fight Ignorance, Not Immigrants,’ and ‘Affordable Health Care for All,’” Vander Poel wrote in an email response to Caitlin Rauen, who had questioned his reasoning.

This is not the first time official support for PFLAG has upset its detractors.

In 1990, First Lady Barbara Bush wrote a letter of support to PFLAG’s president, in which she said, “We cannot tolerate discrimination against any individuals or groups in our country.” Bush’s private comment was reprinted by the Associated Press, drawing the ire of conservatives.

PFLAG’s founder, Jeanne Manford, was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2013.

PFLAG’s main approach is wielding legal power against public figures who attack the LGBTQ+ community, as well as organizing protests and other events intended to influence public policy. However, the wording the national organization used on its website was so concerning to Vander Poel he felt he could not lend his name to the local proclamation.

“On the PFLAG national website, they talk about ‘fighting’ and ‘protesting,’” Vander Poel wrote. “Activism and protesting are not strategies I believe in, and I did not want to recognize a seemingly political organization that focuses on that.”

Supervisors’ Action Was Not a Protest

Vander Poel, who represents the Tulare area, told other local media outlets his absence was not a protest. Rather it was to avoid a confrontation.

“I did not explain myself or make any comments at the meeting because I did not want to take anything away from the recognition being bestowed upon the organizations,” he wrote.

Supervisor Dennis Townsend, who represents the Porterville area, reportedly said the county proclamation was secret acknowledgement of Pride Month by Shuklian. He also said the honor was official validation of the behavior of LGBTQ+ individuals, and not simple recognition of the organizations’ beneficial work in Tulare County.

Shuklian denied this accusation.

“This was not a Pride Month proclamation. Obviously, this is Pride Month, but I wanted to recognize these organizations,” she said. “A lot of people say, ‘Well, why do we have Pride Month?’ To me, the opposite of pride is shame, and I will never be ashamed of who I am or who I love.”

During the ceremony, Brian Poth, CEO of The Source, explained why he thinks the work done there is important. It is not only critical to the clients who use the services, but serves to better the entire community.

“We believe that when people feel safe and included, they build lives that benefit their communities,” Poth said. “Every resident deserves access to success, opportunity and a sense of belonging.”

In praising the organizations’ work, Shuklian explained why her colleagues’ absence and their attitude was difficult to understand.

“You have definitely saved the lives of youth and young adults in Tulare County. I know that for a fact,” Shuklian said. “And anybody who can go against the fact that you work to save the lives of our young people is a shame.”

She was especially upset the pair left without explaining their behavior.

“If Pete had leaned over and said I’m not comfortable and don’t want to be in the photo, I might feel different,” Shuklian said.

Tulare, Visalia Support LGBTQ+ Community Officially

The Board of Supervisors wasn’t the only government body that chose to honor LGBTQ+ citizens in June. On Tuesday, the Tulare City Council proclaimed June as LGBT Pride Month in the city. The council there also recognized the work of The Source.

The Visalia City Council will present a proclamation honoring The Source during a celebration of the organization’s 10th anniversary, 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, June 10, at 109 NW 2nd Avenue in Visalia. The event is open to adults only.

Neither of those proclamations singled out PFLAG for specific recognition, unlike that presented by the county. The decades-old organization has never been seen as radical in its behavior or advocacy, which leaves Shuklian puzzled over why her colleagues singled it out. Shuklian also said the proclamation had been worded to be as inoffensive as possible.

“I really didn’t think that it was such a big deal, especially for those organizations,” she said. “I was shocked that PFLAG was the stickler.”

Kathryn Hall, PFLAG’s current president, was particularly offended by Vander Poel and Townsend’s action.

“I think it was rude to be purposefully absent when their constituents are being honored,” Hall said. “These three organizations do good work not just for the LGBTQ community.”

On a more sinister note, Hall believes behavior like that of Townsend and Vander Poel make life even more difficult for people who have been historically singled out for prejudice and bigotry, and violence.

“It’s mean spirited and a sign of the climate that has become threatening toward LGBTQ+ people,” Hall said. “And it’s just this kind of behavior that makes life difficult for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.”

LGBTQ+ people struggle more with internal conflicts most other people aren’t forced to confront, Hall said, and official attitudes of intolerance make that problem far worse.

“The higher incidence of mental health problems and outcomes is due to the way people treat them,” she said. “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with people in the queer community.”

A more effective way of unifying the country and making our community better for everyone, Hall said, is making an effort to understand those whose views conflict with our own.

“I think a little empathy is what it takes,” she said.

The post Two Tulare County supes walk out as LGBTQ+ support organizations honored appeared first on Valley Voice.

The award honors elected leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing transportation solutions that improve quality of life, support economic growth and address the long-term mobility needs of their communities.

“From the very beginning, I saw the neglect that this region faced and knew we had to do something about it,” Senator Hurtado said. “I heard stories from families, workers, farmers and local leaders across the Central Valley about decades of underinvestment in our infrastructure. We could not continue down that path. That’s why I have made transportation and critical infrastructure a priority. Central Valley families deserve safe roads, strong communities and every opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”

Since Taking office in 2019, Senator Hurtado has championed transportation investments across Senate District 16. Specifically, her hard work has helped to secure funding for local roads, airports, freight movement and highway improvements. Her leadership has led to nearly $5 billion in state investments benefiting communities throughout her district.

Among her longstanding transportation priorities has been the effort to “Finish What We Started”, a decades-long push to complete the widening of Highway 99 and eliminate remaining bottlenecks along one of California’s most important transportation corridors.

“TCAG chose to honor Senator Hurtado as our 2026 Outstanding Elected Official because of her long-standing support for transportation projects that improve highway safety, and in particular her support for widening highway 99,” Ted Smalley, TCAG Executive Director said. “Senator Hurtado was the only state Legislator to personally appear at the California Transportation Commission asking for additional money to finish what we started.”

Senator Hurtado has worked alongside local, regional and state leaders to advocate for funding to widen critical segments of Highway 99, and to secure state budget investments for long-overdue improvements in Tulare County.

Senator Melissa Hurtado is Chair of Senate Budget Subcommittee #4 on State Administration and General Government and currently represents the 16th Senate District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern Counties.

The post TCAG names Senator Hurtado as 2026 LocalMotion Elected Official of the Year appeared first on Valley Voice.

What began in 2018 with just 97 passengers has grown into a well-loved tradition, with over 500 passengers traveling by train to the 2025 Juneteenth Festival. Travelers are encouraged to book now to secure their seats and to enjoy further savings by combining discounts, as detailed on the Gold Runner Deals webpage.

The fun for all ages event will feature food trucks, music, dancing, merchandise vendors, and tours of historic buildings.

“We are proud to continue this annual tradition of bringing Californians together to celebrate Juneteenth at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park,” said Chris Orlando, Chief Executive Officer of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, which operates Gold Runner. “Each year, more people choose to be part of this trip and to experience the history and community that make the Allensworth celebration so meaningful.”

Founded in 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth, a former enslaved man, Allensworth was created as a town where Black families could build lives, businesses, and institutions on their own terms. Today, it is preserved as a California State Park and stands as California’s first community founded, financed, and governed by Black leaders, giving it a singular place in the state’s history. The park’s history is kept alive through its annual events, which invite visitors to gather, learn, and celebrate at the very place where this remarkable community once stood.

“Juneteenth is one of our most important national holidays, and Allensworth is one of the most meaningful places in California to observe it,” said Lori Wear, California State Parks. We’re proud to welcome visitors here every June, and grateful to Gold Runner for helping us reach Californians seeking an alternative route to the Park.”

The southbound trains (Sacramento – Allensworth) running for the event include trains 702 (11:41 a.m. arrival) and 710 (12:41 p.m. arrival).

Northbound (Bakersfield – Allensworth) trains include 713 (9:41 a.m. arrival), 715 (11:41 a.m. arrival), and 717 (2:47 p.m. arrival).

When purchasing train tickets, a discount will automatically be applied. If eligible, riders can then combine this reduced ticket with additional savings regularly available which include:

• Infants under 2 years of age ride for free
• Children 2-12 years old ride half-price every day
• Seniors (62+ years of age) receive 15% off
• Veterans & active military members receive 15% off
• Disabled riders save 15% off
• View deals

Visitors attending the Festival via Gold Runner trains will arrive at the Allensworth station (CNL), which will serve as a special stop for this event. Upon arrival, a complimentary 35-passenger shuttle provided by Tulare County Area Transit will transport riders between the train platform and the historic schoolhouse.

Throughout the year, CNL serves as a whistle stop available only to pre-booked groups. However, for special events at the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, including the October Rededication, Black History Month, and the Juneteenth Celebration, Gold Runner operates special trains at discounted prices in order to connect travelers with this historic and important destination.

Train tickets to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park can be booked online at the Colonel Allensworth landing page or contact Carmen Setness, community outreach coordinator for San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC), at csetness@sjrrc.com.

The post Gold Runner to run special trains to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park for 2026 Juneteenth Celebration appeared first on Valley Voice.

What does California have in common with Iowa, New York, Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico and New Jersey? They all held primaries today, June 2 – and California was rife with political drama, similar to New York.

There were 61 gubernatorial candidates running in California’s primary. That race has been one of the most watched races in the nation.

After polling swung from two Republicans advancing to the General Election in November, to two Democrats shutting out the Republicans, tonight’s results revealed that it will most likely be – as of publication time – Republican Steve Hilton with 26.9% of the vote and Democrat Xavier Becerra with 25.75% of the vote advancing to the November General Election.

Democrat Tom Steyer, as of 11:30pm, is in third place with 19.8%. As of publication time, final results were not available.

Locally, it was a three way race for Tulare County District 4 Supervisor between Ian Bakke, Rudy Mendoza and incumbent Eddie Valero.

Bakke is chief operating officer at Bakke Ag Services and a resident of Visalia. Mendoza is the mayor of Woodlake, a small business owner, and CEO of an agricultural company.

District 4 includes the unincorporated communities of Badger, Cutler-Orosi, Elderwood, Goshen, Ivanhoe, London, Monson-Sultana, Seville, Three Rivers, Traver, and Yettem. The cities represented in District 4 include Dinuba, Woodlake, and a small portion in the northwest corner of Visalia.

With 85.7% of the ballots counted it is likely that Valero with 45.93%, and Bakke with 38.11%, will battle it out on November 3.

Mendoza received 15.96 as of Tuesday night. If one of the candidates had garnered 50% of the vote, plus one additional vote, there would not be a runoff.

Valero expressed his gratitude about the primary results.

“I’m grateful and humbled by the support we’ve received across District 4. Tonight’s results reflect the hard work of so many volunteers, supporters, and community members who believe in the progress we’ve made together and the work still ahead. While votes are still being counted, I’m encouraged by the trust voters have placed in our campaign, and I remain committed to serving every community in District 4 with the same energy, accessibility, and dedication that have guided me over the last eight years,” he said.

“We’re extremely proud of Ian Bakke’s performance tonight. It’s noteworthy that a majority of the district voted against the incumbent, Eddie Valero, and our team is confident Ian will win this fall,” Connie Conway, Tulare County Republican Party Chairwoman, commented.

California’s congressional District 22, along with our gubernatorial race, is also being watched by the rest of the country.

Incumbent David Valadao is the last Republican Representative left in Washington who voted to impeach Trump out of the original ten in 2019.

Congressional District 22 serves parts of Kern, Kings, Tulare, and Fresno. With 74% of the votes counted Valadao is certain to advance to the General Election with 44.2% of the vote.

After a bruising battle between the two Democrats Candidates Jasmeet Bains and Randy Villegas it is too close to call as of 11:00pm, with Bains receiving 26.1% to Villegas’ 29.7%.

Over in Congressional District 20 – which includes Bakersfield, Clovis, Visalia, Tulare, Hanford, and the southern Sierra Nevada and is currently held by Republican Representative Vince Fong – two of the four candidates running were No Party Preference and received less than two percent of the vote each.

With 75% of the vote counted, Fong has 69.4% to Democrat Sandra Van Scotter’s 27.7%. Both will go on to the general election.

Congressional District 21 features the majority of Fresno, the north side of Visalia, and all of Sanger, Selma, Kingsburg, Parlier, Reedley, Orange Cove, Dinuba, Orosi, Cutler, Farmersville, Woodlake, and Exeter.

With only 21.4% of the vote counted, incumbent Jim Costa had a comfortable lead and will most likely be proceeding to the General Election. Republican Kyle Kirkland was currently in second place.

California State Senate District 16 represents Bakersfield, Visalia (northern portion), Hanford, Porterville, Tulare, Delano. As of 11:00pm 83% of the ballots had been counted and incumbent Democrat Melissa Hurtado had 36.1% to Republican Guillermo Gonzalez’ 49.5%. Manpreet Kaur, Vice Mayor of Bakersfield, was a distant third.

California State Senate 12 covers Fresno, Kern, and Tulare, covering cities Clovis, Exeter, Maricopa, Ridgecrest, Taft, and Tehachapi and parts of Visalia and Tulare. With 65% of the ballots counted Nathan Magsig has a comfortable lead with 62% of the vote. Libertarian William Brown is in second with 24.7%.

With 67.5% of the vote counted former State Senator from Bakersfield Republican Shannon Grove leads the other four candidates with 36.1% of the vote for State Board of Equalization District 1. In second place is Democrat Nelson Esparza 30.3%.

Vote-By-Mail Ballots returned by mail, in order to be counted, must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by county elections offices by June 9, 2026.

The last day for county elections officials to certify election results is July 2, 2026.

The post Much anticipation, but few surprises, in California’s June 2 Primary appeared first on Valley Voice.

A month ago it appeared two Republicans in this heavily Democrat registered state might advance to the November General Election. Now it is more likely that two Democrats will advance, but we won’t know until tomorrow night!

California also has one of the most hotly contested Congressional seats in the country, District 22, held by Representative David Valadao.

But the primary election drama swirling around District 22 doesn’t involve Valadao.

Striking political attack ads have been exchanged between the two Democrats hoping to contest Valadao in the November General election, Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains, from Bakersfield and Randy Villegas, Visalia Unified School District Trustee.

Bains ads claim that Villegas, in his capacity as a VUSD trustee, has covered up the abuse of minors who were sexually assaulted by school district staff over the past several decades. In fact, Villegas was one of five trustees who voted on a VUSD settlement agreement. The minors and their parents have requested to maintain their privacy, as is usual in these cases.

The Villegas campaign claims that AIPAC, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent $500,000 on attack ads and that AIPAC is a controversial Republican-backed, pro-Israel super PAC that is quietly intervening in the CA-22 primary. Villegas’ campaign claims the Republican political machine is funding Bains because they believe she would be the weaker candidate against Valadao.

Many other local elections are on the ballot Tuesday night so get out and vote!

The more local the elected office the more your vote counts! Some elections have been decided by two or three votes.

Post Office or Official Drop Off Box?

The California Secretary of State Website informs voters, “Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received not later than 7 days after Election Day.” But the Secretary of State also says, “To ensure your ballot is postmarked by Election Day make sure to mail it at least five days before Election Day.”

For those who have not yet voted the most secure way to make your vote counts is to put your ballot in one of the many official ballot drop boxes. Official Ballot Drop Boxes will be available 24 hours a day through 8:00 PM on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Below is a list of drop box locations in Tulare and Kings Counties. This list is also included with your mail-in ballot

Government Plaza            5951 S Mooney Blvd        Visalia

Visalia Branch Library      200 W Oak Ave  Visalia

Tulare Public Library        475 N M St          Tulare

Tulare Senior Citizen Center          201 N F St            Tulare

City Recycle Drop Off & CNG Fuel Station (Recycling Area)               555 N Prospect St             Porterville

Porterville City Transit Center (Service Drive)          61 W Oak Ave     Porterville

Lindsay City Hall 150 N Mirage Ave             Lindsay

Farmersville City Hall       909 W Visalia Rd               Farmersville

Exeter City hall   137 N F St            Exeter

Woodlake City Hall          350 N Valencia Blvd         Woodlake

Dinuba City Hall 405 E EL Monte Wy          Dinuba

Visalia Courthouse Rose Garden (East Parking Lot)              221 S Mooney Blvd          Visalia

Strathmore Branch Library            19646 Road 230 Strathmore

Ivanhoe Branch Library   15964 Heather Ave          Ivanhoe

Tulare Akers Professional Center 5300 W Tulare Ave           Visalia

Kings County:

Commission on Aging / Senior Center  10953 14th Ave., Armona

Avenal Branch Library  501 E. Kings St., Avenal

Corcoran Area Transit / Amtrak Station  1099 Otis Ave., Corcoran

Hanford High School  120 E. Grangeville Blvd., Hanford

Home Garden Community Services District Office  11677 2nd Pl., Hanford

Kings County Elections Office (Walk-up box) 1400 W. Lacey Blvd., Hanford

Kings County Government Center (Drive-up box) 1400 W. Lacey Blvd., Hanford

Central Union Elementary School 15783 18th Ave., Lemoore

Lemoore College – Student Union Building  555 College Ave., Lemoore

Lemoore Masonic Lodge  647 W. Bush St., Lemoore

Lemoore Parks and Rec. Department  721 W. Cinnamon Dr., Lemoore

The post Election Day is Tomorrow!! appeared first on Valley Voice.

The funding, secured through investments made under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, will help improve water reliability, modernize aging infrastructure, strengthen drought resilience, and support long-term water management efforts throughout the Valley.

“Reliable water infrastructure is critical to the future of the San Joaquin Valley, our agricultural economy, and the communities that depend on it,” said Congressman Costa. “The Central Valley depends on a reliable water supply to support our farms, local economy, and growing communities. These investments will help strengthen water delivery systems that families, farmers, and communities across the Valley rely on every day.”

Projects receiving funding include:

• $65.8 million for the Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Correction Project
• $53 million for the O’Neill Pumping Plant Main Transformer Replacement Project
• $11 million for the O’Neill Pumping Plant Unit Upgrades Project
• $2 million for Fresno Irrigation District flow metering improvements expected to conserve approximately 840 acre-feet of water annually

The Friant-Kern Canal serves farms and communities across the eastern San Joaquin Valley and has lost significant carrying capacity due to decades of land subsidence. The O’Neill Pumping Plant projects will modernize critical Central Valley Project infrastructure connected to San Luis Reservoir and improve operational reliability throughout California’s water system.

Congressman Costa has long advocated for federal investments in water storage, conveyance, groundwater recharge, and drought resilience projects across the Central Valley.

Additional information on previously secured federal funding for Central Valley water infrastructure and San Joaquin Valley community projects:

• Costa Statement on $540 Million for Central Valley Water Projects
• Rep. Costa Secures Passage of $11.2 Million in Federal Funding for San Joaquin Valley Communities

The post Costa Announces More Than $131 Million for Central Valley Water Infrastructure Projects appeared first on Valley Voice.

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Rising fuel prices, truck driver shortages, and a tightening labor supply have collided to create the perfect storm for higher food prices, leaving both Central Valley consumers and business owners scrambling to keep up. With no relief in sight, everyone’s feeling squeezed.

“It’s not just one thing,” says Thomas Riddle, managing director of transportation of Pro*Fresh Logistics, based in Monterey. “Food pricing isn’t a simple equation. There are at least 14 people handling your produce from the field to your fork.”

Produce has to be harvested, moved to cold storage, to the distribution center, and grocery store shelves, says Kevin Beno, owner of K & D Produce Sales in Visalia. “The cost to move product at every step of the way is just more expensive,” Beno says.

Tomato prices are a case in point.  At Tony’s Taverna in Three Rivers, chef Ryan Rusie watched the price for a 25-pound box soar from $18 in April to $80 in early May. “When diesel’s $7.40 a gallon, everything that gets shipped is going to cost more,” Rusie says.

Tomato prices have since dropped to $35 now that the California tomato season has kicked in, but the volatility remains. Tony’s, which opened last October, hasn’t raised menu prices yet. “We don’t want to do that to our customers,” says Maritza Konnaris, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Tony. “We can’t serve less on the plate, so we’re just trying to get through this. Prices have to go down, at least a little.”

It’s a tough balancing act, and as long as costs keep rising, restaurant owners across the country will be forced to make tough choices and find creative ways to stay afloat. To try to save money, Tony Konnaris drives down to Los Angeles every week to get supplies, which are sometimes cheaper than in the Central Valley.

As an example, a pallet of to-go boxes that cost $6,000 locally, are half price in Los Angeles. “It’s important to us that quality and the prices are the same for our customers. So, Tony will drive down and back in one day. He leaves at 7 a.m., makes five different stops and the comes back at 11 p.m., and then I’m here to help him unload supplies. The next day, he’s back at the restaurant first thing to prep for lunch,” Konnaris says.

It’s hard to tell how much more prices will continue to rise. Steven Fenaroli, managing director of public affairs and communication for California Farm Bureau in Sacramento, says that farmers are being squeezed just as hard as anybody else. “Farmers right now are keeping less than 6 cents for every dollar of produce that’s sold,” Fenaroli says.

With rising costs and tightening government regulations, the cost of doing business and complying with safety and labor regulations is 1400 percent higher now than it was 55 years ago, according to a 2024 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo study of lettuce growers in Salinas Valley.

“It’s death by 1,000 paper cuts,” Fenaroli says. The cost of diesel, which has gone up 46 percent since this February, has only made matters worse for farmers, increasing expenses for everything from running equipment to transporting crops.”

Fertilizer production is tightly linked to natural gas, much of which is exported by countries like Qatar through the Strait of Hormuz. “A lot of farmers aren’t going to be able to plant things. The reality is farmers are going to have to make hard choices when deciding what to plant,” Fenaroli said, who noted that 70 percent of farmers nationwide, surveyed by the American Farm Bureau, say they cannot afford fertilizer for their upcoming planting seasons.

Midwest corn growers, especially face their own fertilizer headaches, which will force hard choices about what and how much to plant. Delays in shipments and high costs threaten to reduce yields and drive up food prices even further.

Transportation costs are climbing, too. The country is already short on truck drivers to move produce. About one in six U.S. truck drivers is foreign-born, according to the American Trucking Association. Now, new regulations are sidelining many of those drivers, making the shortage—already estimated at 60,000 to 80,000—even worse.

Rising food prices aren’t just about oil and trucking regulations—tariffs are also playing a major role, says Ricky Volpe, an agribusiness economist at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Take tomatoes, for example. Over the past year, imports from Mexico faced a 25 percent tariff, which helps explain why tomatoes have gotten so expensive. But it’s not just tomatoes; Volpe points out that nearly every food category is seeing price hikes.

In the last month alone, food prices have climbed 0.7 percent. That might seem small at first glance, but stretched over a year, it means an 8.4 percent jump—way above the U.S. government’s target of less than 2 percent annual inflation. The last time Americans saw increases like this was during the height of the Covid pandemic, when food prices soared 20 to 25 percent due to supply disruptions.

Volpe doesn’t expect food prices to drop. “Food prices generally don’t ever really go down.  The real question isn’t if prices will fall, but when inflation will slow,” he says. While he’s not forecasting another wild surge, he does predict food inflation will settle in the 4 to 4.5 percent range—still double the government’s goal. And with the current trends, he thinks high food prices could be sticking around through 2026.

The post Food prices soar in the Central Valley appeared first on Valley Voice.

“We found some errors in the ordinance that we’re correcting, as well as making some changes so that the ordinance reflects our best practices,” said Tracy Robertshaw, the department’s manager.

The updates to the Visalia Municipal Code Section 1.13 were unanimously approved by the City Council on April 20 in a first reading. The council reaffirmed the change during a second hearing on May 4.

“I think the changes are more resident-friendly,” said Councilman Brian Poochigian. “It’s more fair. It makes things a lot more clear.”

60 Working Days to File an Appeal

Perhaps the most significant change in the city’s formal approach to enforcing city code is clarifying how long a resident has to appeal a decision once a violation has been identified and a notice of correction issued. Robertshaw said understanding the previous wording of Section 1.13 was nearly impossible.

“I had difficulty making sense of it, and that’s what I do,” she said. “It was like ‘15 days before this,’ and ‘30 days after that,’ and it was a mess. Now it’s just 60 days.”

And it’s not a hard deadline for either side of a code enforcement issue.

“If there’s a reason we can’t give you the 60 days, we can work with that,” Robertshaw said. “If there’s a reason you (a citizen) can’t have the hearing in 60 days, we can also work with that.”

They also clarified what remedies are available and what government codes are in play, mainly by getting references in the city code to match the state’s.

“There were also some typos in the ordinance in regards to the California Civil Procedure Code, so we changed that,” Robertshaw said. “In one area it was just a typo completely. It had the wrong number. In the other area it actually left off the second part of that California Civil Procedure.”

The city’s ordinance also referenced Government Code 11513, but did not describe what that law says. That code governs rules of evidence and sets the informal nature of an administrative appeal hearing, and its wording is now included in the Visalia City Code.

The changes also allow objections to the city’s selection of a hearing officer.

Avoiding Casual Civil Rights Violations

The updated portions of the city code also correct against a potential violation of due process in the appeals process.

The new wording removes a financial barrier to requesting redress that the old code allowed. City Hall, at least on paper, could demand part of the anticipated administrative fees in advance of an appeal. Without that deposit, a hearing would not be scheduled. Robertshaw said such deposits have never been collected by the city, and removing the language prevents them from being demanded in the future.

“The ordinance was written where if you had, you know, $500 in fines, you had to pay a $250 deposit on those fines to even ask for a hearing,” she said. “Code enforcement has never done that, and so we’ve made that change to pull that language out of the ordinance.”

While requiring a deposit from citizens who request an administrative appeal hearing is legal in California, the opinion at Visalia City Hall is that the practice poses a potential violation of due process. State law requires a hardship deposit waiver option for those who cannot afford to pay a deposit, however, the updated code eliminates the deposit entirely, thus removing the possibility of having to pay for legal review and the civil rights violation that may pose.

“That’s just to make it fair to the community that’s requesting the hearing,” Robertshaw said. “It’s pretty harsh you’re requesting a hearing, and we’re going to make you pay for a portion of the fines up front.”

More (or Less) Time to Correct Violations

Also eliminated from the updated code enforcement rules is the requirement all violations be fixed within 10 days of the city sending out a notice to comply.

“Our complaints vary from the simple fence to substandard housing, so we’re not going to require somebody that has to get a building permit (to do it in) 10 days because that would set them up for failure,” Robertshaw said “You cannot get a building permit in 10 days.”

Instead, the city will try to take into account the context of the violation, its seriousness and the threat it poses to safety, before setting a deadline for compliance.

This was a problem with the city Mayor Brett Taylor had encountered in the past.

“Long before I was on the council, I had an encroachment permit issue, and there was no way I could get anyone to come out and lay a new sidewalk in a 10-day period,” he said.

He got an extension from the city and was able to avoid fines or further escalation, but city code didn’t require that cushion. It didn’t even require a reasonable response. Now it does.

“I appreciate the fact we’re actually doing this in writing,” Taylor said.

But this approach will also mean some violations will be given a far shorter time for correction.

“On the flip side of that, if you have a broken sewer line and sewage is running down Mooney Boulevard, we’re not going to give you 10 days to fix that,” Robertshaw said. “You have to fix that now.”

The time allowed, however, won’t be arbitrary.

“We have a standard. If it’s a life safety issue, of course it’s less time,” Robertshaw said. “If it’s not a life safety issue, of course we’re going to give you more time to fix that. Ten days is not workable for most violations.”

When Is a Person Not a Person?

As it stood before the updates, the city’s code about code enforcement had no definitions of key terms. Now it does.

“Oddly enough, we did not have a definition of an ‘administrative citation,’ ‘person,’ ‘responsible party’ and ‘violation,’” Robertshaw said. “So we’ve added those definitions to clarify that.”

While these terms are easily understood, it might not be clear that “person” doesn’t just mean a person, at least not in the eyes of the civil code. It now means “any person, firm, association, business entity, company, corporation, government entity, organization, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or estate,” or at least it does at City Hall.

And not all days of the week are days, at least not for City Hall’s purposes when it comes to deadlines. This attitude is meant to give citizens more time to fix alleged violations or to appeal the city’s decisions.

“There were some places in the ordinance where it said ‘working days,’ and some where it said ‘calendar days,’” Robertshaw said. “Code enforcement has always used working days because it gives the public a longer period of time than calendar days, and so what we’ve done is just gone in there and made it all consistent throughout the ordinance to use working days.

That means when city offices are closed, that day doesn’t count against the deadline, something that wasn’t fixed in the city code.

“We also called out when the offices are closed,” Robertshaw said. “Because a lot of the city offices are now closed on Fridays, that is a day we would not count against the public when we’re making the determination on them to request an appeal.”

The post Visalia fixes errors in update to code enforcement regs appeared first on Valley Voice.

Former CEO of the Tulare Local Health Care District (TLHCD) Yorai Shimon ‘Benny’ Benzeevi can no longer practice medicine in the state of California.

The Medical Board of the California Department of Consumer Affairs announced today, May 7, that the disgraced onetime emergency room doctor agreed to surrender his physician and surgeon’s certificate. The agreement was signed by Benzeevi on April 20 following a disciplinary hearing.

Benzeevi was ordered to turn over his wall certificate and pocket license, and he will lose all rights and privileges as a physician and surgeon in California.

Benzeevi won’t contest medical board charges – but can’t escape allegations

If he attempts to reinstate his license or seek a new license, the agreement states that he will be forced to pay $49,928.25 in investigatory fees and that he will accept “all of the charges and allegations” in the state’s original complaint.

The allegations that led to Benzeevi surrendering his professional license stem from his illegal conflict of interest while he served as both owner and CEO of Health Care Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) – which was contracted to manage and operate Tulare Regional Medical Center for the TLHCD – and as CEO of the TLHCD.

In 2020, Benzeevi was charged with 40 felony crimes and six misdemeanors. He pleaded no contest in a 2024 Tulare County Superior Court hearing to six felony counts of conflict of interest, one misdemeanor count of failure to disclose his use of district funds to run a smear campaign against a candidate for seat on the TLHCD board, and a final misdemeanor count of using his position as a government official for personal gain.

For his role in defrauding taxpayers, Benzeevi was sentenced to 120 days of house arrest, ordered to perform 420 hours of community service (reduced from 600 hours), received two years of felony probation, and was ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution to his victims: TLHCD and the Southern Inyo Healthcare District (SIHD). HCCA and Benzeevi were also managing the financially-troubled SIHD.

As part of his agreement with the Medical Board, Benzeevi will effectively accept the allegations of the charges for which he was convicted if he attempts to seek a new medical license in California.

“After years of fighting to be heard, the surrender of his license without contest speaks for itself,” said Patty Drilling Phelps, an organizer of Citizens for Hospital Accountability, which fought to expose Benzeevi and other HCCA officials’ fraud. “The community was right, and now the record reflects that.”

‘Corruption and Dishonesty’ Led to Medical Board Review

Among the crimes mentioned by the medical board was the use of TLHCD funds to finance his lawsuit against the former head of Tulare Regional’s medical executive board. When TLHCD board member Parmod Kumar faced a recall election in 2017, Benzeevi allegedly employed the Israeli company Psy Group to interfere in the campaign of rival candidate Senovia Gutierrez.

Later, after Kumar’s landslide defeat, Benzeevi illegally blocked Gutierrez from taking her seat on the board, according to the misdemeanor he pleaded no contest to.

Benzeevi also engineered a $500,000 line of credit to SIHD from the TLHCD, charging for the service and using the borrowed funds to enrich HCCA. He also arranged for SIHD to borrow money from another company he owned, Vi Healthcare Finance. That loan was secured by future tax income.

The double-dealing CEO also extended loans from HCCA to TLHCD beginning in 2015, and he eventually sold $3 million of TLHCD equipment to a third party company, then signed an agreement for TLHCD to lease back that equipment. He used $2.4 million of those funds to pay TLHCD’s debts to HCCA.

His conviction for these crimes was the primary cause for the initial allegations to remove his license. The Medical Board, however, also cited Benzeevi’s corruption and dishonesty, as well as his general unprofessional conduct as added causes for prohibiting him from practicing medicine.

Case Against HCCA Attorney Resumes Next Week

Benzeevi did not act alone as in the alleged fraud against TLHCD and SIHD. Former HCCA CFO Alan Germany was also convicted on two counts stemming from his involvement in Benzeevi’s actions. Germany was convicted of felony conflict of interest and a misdemeanor for failing to file a financial disclosure form required of all public officials.

For his part in the HCCA scheme, Germany paid $150,000 in restitution to his victims, served two years probation and performed 540 hours of community service work. He was also required to write a letter of apology to residents in the TLHCD. He faced a maximum sentence of three years.

Former HCCA attorney Bruce Greene faced an identical set of charges to those alleged against Benzeevi and Germany. However, Greene rejected a plea bargain deal similar to those offered by the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office to his former co-defendants. In May of 2024, the Tulare County Grand Jury found sufficient cause to indict Greene on 11 felony charges and five misdemeanors.

Greene pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The ongoing criminal case against Greene is in addition to a disciplinary hearing against him before the California State Bar. The state’s attorneys accuse Greene of using his influence with HCCA and TLHCD to benefit himself and his client, Benzeevi. The matter is pending, awaiting the outcome of the criminal charges.

Greene’s criminal trial is scheduled to resume next week before Judge Michael Sheltzer. A pretrial conference is set for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 14. The department location will be announced.

A jury trial for Greene is currently scheduled for 10 a.m. on September 26, with Sheltzer presiding.

The post Benzeevi surrenders medical license after conviction in Tulare hospital corruption case appeared first on Valley Voice.