The City of Visalia was awarded a total of $670,044 in Urban Greening grants from the California Strategic Growth Council. The city was awarded a $466,544 grant for the St. Johns River Riparian Corridor Restoration Project to develop new community space with the conversion of commercial use to parkland with bike path connectors to other […]
Dean Runyan Associates released its “California Travel Impacts by County, 1992-2012” report last month, which shows tourism now adds more than $400 million to the Tulare County economy. This reflects a steady increase in several spending and earning categories, with most now above their pre-recession levels. Tulare County, its cities and its other travel destinations […]
The June 3rd primary election ushered into office heavily favored candidates, but also produced a few surprises. The biggest surprise of the night was the race for Tulare County District Attorney. In a duel that was difficult to call during its final days, Tim Ward pulled off a solid defeat of former Assistant DA Ralph […]
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted 5 – 0 on June 3rd to ban all medical marijuana cultivation by cooperatives or individuals. Previously it was legal for cooperatives to grow 99 plants, and for individuals to grow up to 24 plants within an enclosed structure and out of public view. The board was presented […]
Porterville has once again found itself in the spotlight: video of its mayor making a colorful, off-the-cuff remark at a city council meeting while discussing an anti-bullying proposal, has become fodder for news stations and the internet commentariat. During discussion of a “safe zone” proposal at the the city’s May 6 council meeting, Porterville’s mayor, […]
The American Lung Association has released its “State of the Air 2014” report, ranking the ozone and particlulate pollution levels of U.S. metropolitan areas. As most Tulare and Kings County residents would probably guess, this area didn’t fare well. “The San Joaquin Valley remains home to some of the most polluted air in the United […]
Tulare County Supervisors came out with swords drawn during their May 13th meeting. At issue was the imposition of a fine on a Porterville landlord, Monique Yang, for 150 pot plants cultivated on her property by her tenants last September. On September 10, 2013, Yang received a “10-day notice to abate ordinance code violations” from […]
There is a fundraising effort underway to revitalize Oval Park in Visalia, which includes a current campaign at Indiegogo.com and an August 29th concert headlined by Frampton’s Guitar Circus, starring Grammy-winner Peter Frampton and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Guy. “In 2011, the City of Visalia recruited the Visalia Rescue Mission to […]
On May 7, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) Board of Directors certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Fresno-to-Bakersfield project section of the high-speed rail program, and approved a rail alignment within the Fresno-to-Bakersfield project section. The action allows the Authority to take additional steps toward continuing major work on […]
Felipe Martinez is one of four candidates vying to win the District 5 seat on the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, and he believes he’s able to bring a breath of fresh air to the area. Martinez, 57, is an insurance agent and owns Felipe Martinez Insurance Solutions in Porterville. In addition, Martinez is a […]