A hearing was held at Kings County Superior Court Thursday, January 31, to consider granting the City of Lemoore a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against City Council Member Holly Blair. The TRO and Preliminary Injunction were requested by Lemoore City Manager Nathan Olson, Police Chief Darrell Smith, and Assistant Police Chief Margarita Ochoa to prevent […]
It’s been a walk down memory lane over the past two days in a hearing meant to decide the status of Dr. Benny Benzeevi’s seized assets. Through two separate warrants, the Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) CEO had $937,000 and various personal items including phones, tablets, laptops, and business documents seized by the Tulare County District […]
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that the first day of proceedings in the case was Tuesday, not Monday. One subpoena — served once Tuesday, revised and re-served Wednesday — derailed hearings that would have revealed the Tulare County District Attorney’s rationale for seizing funds from Healthcare Conglomerate Associates CEO Dr. Benny […]
An alleged plot by two Tulare councilmen to fire employees at city hall is the latest revelation in the ongoing wrongful dismissal case brought by the city’s former chief of police. Also detailed are circumstances leading to the chief’s firing. House Cleaning As the date for mediation in the case approached, Michael Lampe, attorney for […]
A Special Report to the Valley Voice by Martin Velsaco-Ramos In the wake of the government shutdown and Donald Trump’s demands for a wall to address the “migrant crisis” threatening the U.S. border, I traveled to the border city of El Paso, Texas on New Year’s Eve to witness this crisis first hand. The recent […]
Editors Note: The writer of this article has been involved in the efforts to save the 18 acres west of Hidden Valley Park for future park expansion Pros Consulting was hired at a cost of nearly $96,000 to update Hanford’s park master plan. Michael Svetz, lead consultant on the project, told members of the Hanford […]
The battle to stop construction of an AM/PM gas station at Caldwell Avenue and West Street in Visalia isn’t over yet, but the opposition appears to be slowing down. Not Quite Dead Residents of the south Visalia neighborhood hoped the project was stalled by their earlier fight against the construction. There were no signs the […]
The warming center at Visalia’s St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 1415 W. Center opened Wednesday night at 9pm. About a dozen homeless seeking shelter from the cold were served. Last year’s opening night served one person but eventually grew to around 90 people on the coldest nights. Staff member Christy Bergen claimed that volunteer numbers […]
Evidence gathering in the ongoing wrongful dismissal case of Tulare’s former police chief is revealing yet more behind-the-scenes tumult at Tulare City Hall. Lying Liars Again at the center of the controversy are problem-plagued councilmen Carlton Jones and Greg Nunley. During sworn testimony taken in mid-December as part of the investigation into the […]
A Tulare councilman has allegedly leaked part of the contents of a confidential investigator’s report detailing the conduct of officers of the Tulare Police Department. Cease and Desist According to a letter to Tulare City Attorney Mario Zamora from Visalia attorney Mike Lampe–who represents former Tulare Chief of Police Wes Hensley in a wrongful […]