With about 70 births per 1,000 women of child-bearing age annually, Tulare County has one of the highest fertility rates in California. Tulare County is also struggling to maintain enough doctors to provide essential maternity care. Agreements between doctors and hospitals are ending and obstetricians are changing their practices and sometimes moving out of the […]
Tulare County Behavioral Health has been actively engaged in identifying community needs, meeting state standards, and enhancing the behavioral health system through community outreach and engagement with local partners, focus groups, community surveys, and advisory boards. During this time, Disability Rights California (DRC) also launched an investigation into local services and identified areas for improvement. […]
After protests and nearly two hours of public comment on March 4, the Porterville City Council is still working on an ordinance that would make it unlawful for someone to use a bathroom, locker room, or other “private facility” that does not match with their sex at birth. The city may soon also consider using […]
The Porterville City Council will discuss the first draft of a “Protect Women’s Safe Spaces” ordinance at its March 4 meeting. The ordinance would make it illegal for someone in Porterville to use a bathroom, locker room, or other “private facility” that does not match with their sex at birth. A public hearing at a […]
Legal wrangling over the status of a family planning clinic that provides abortion pills in Tulare has continued into the new year. FPA Women’s Health opened last year in the Tulare Medical Center, a complex of offices near Adventist Health Tulare but unrelated to the hospital or the Tulare Local Healthcare District. The center’s property […]
With almost no fanfare, crews have been stealthily at work, building what will eventually be Visalia’s largest public recreation area. If you haven’t heard of the East Side Regional Park before, there’s a good reason. It doesn’t officially exist yet. Sort of. A Park Bigger than Mooney Grove Currently, the biggest park in Visalia […]
The Porterville City Council could soon consider a “Protect Women’s Safe Spaces” ordinance proposed by Porterville Mayor Greg Meister. The proposal has drawn the attention of LGBT advocates in Porterville and Tulare County who say that it’s discriminatory. At the end of the council’s February 18 meeting, the council unanimously voted in favor of Meister’s […]
District Attorney Tim Ward is pleased to introduce Tor, TCDA’s first electronic detection K9. Tor was welcomed at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting in Visalia. Tor, a two-year-old black labrador retriever, is an inaugural graduate of the United States Secret Service (USSS) National Computer Forensic Institute (NCFI) program for electronic detection K9’s. The TCDA Bureau […]
A federal lawsuit pending in US District Court claims a “law-enforcement gang” composed of sworn deputies is operating within the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. The accusation stems from what plaintiffs – all current and former TCSO deputies – allege is a widespread conspiracy. County leaders, they claim, punish law enforcement officers who speak out against […]
As we enter the new year, the Visalia Police Department is addressing an increase in accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. With a focus on reducing these incidents, VPD is launching a new safety initiative aimed at promoting safer behavior for both road users and pedestrians alike. “Pedestrian and cyclist accidents are on the rise, […]