Tulare County Sued by Former Animal Control Employees

Posted on November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 by Catherine Doe

On November 10, two former Tulare County Animal Control employees, retired USMC Major Paul Grenseman and Julia Jimenez, filed suit in Tulare County Superior Court against five Tulare County employees, including Tim Lutz, Health and Human Resource Services fiscal operations manager. The plaintiffs are suing the county for discrimination, racial/ethnic and sexual harassment, failure to prevent discrimination and failure to prevent harassment as well retaliation for objecting […]

Visalia Planning Commission Approves 25-Acre Multi-Use Business Park

Posted on November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 by Steve Pastis

At its November 10 meeting, the City of Visalia Planning Commission approved a 25-acre master-planned, multiuse business park development on the southwest corner of North Plaza Drive and West Crowley Avenue, just north of Highway 198 in Business Research Park. The project, planned by 4Creeks, Inc., will offer 97,200 square feet of office space, 38,200 square feet of retail, a gas station and convenience […]

Nunes Appointed Intelligence Chair

Posted on November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 by Valley Voice Contributor

On November 17, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) announced that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA-22) will chair the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the 114th Congress: “Today we face a sophisticated and determined terrorist enemy that is intent on killing more and more Americans, not to mention innocents around the globe. We also face rogue states like Iran and North Korea that continue to thumb their noses […]

Homeowners Bordering Stillwell Mine Want Compensation

Posted on November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 by Catherine Doe

When Rob and Sissi Morton moved into their Lemon Cove home 12 years ago, they thought they had bought a little piece of heaven. Their 1.5 acres of land had a beautiful view of the foothills and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Regardless of the amount of rainfall, they also had some of the most reliable water in the state, with the water table only […]

CEMEX Fights For Its Life

Posted on November 6, 2014November 9, 2014 by Catherine Doe

CEMEX is fighting on two fronts to continue mining in Tulare County. The first front is defending itself against allegations that it violated its conditional use permit. If found guilty, the company could lose its permit to mine gravel at Stillwell Mine in Lemon Cove. On the second front, it is in danger of the […]

Sandhill Cranes Return to Pixley National Wildlife Refuge for the Winter

Posted on November 6, 2014November 9, 2014 by Nancy Vigran

Every fall, thousands of sandhill cranes, along with other migratory birds, return to the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge to spend the winter. The refuge, located in the southern part of Tulare County and maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), provides a warm safe-haven, wetland habitat for the birds through the winter months. […]

Tulare County Health Officials Ready for Ebola

Posted on November 6, 2014November 9, 2014 by Valley Voice Contributor

Ebola is a rare and deadly disease first reported in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its symptoms, which include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising, may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. The disease is often fatal, […]

Office of Emergency Services Reports 784 Private Well Failures in Tulare County

Posted on November 6, 2014November 9, 2014 by Valley Voice Contributor

Through the week of November 3, the Tulare County Office of Emergency Services (OES) reported the failure of 784 private wells, most located in and around east Porterville. The Tulare County Board of Supervisors heard a presentation by OES Manager Andrew Lockman during their regular meeting on October 21. The presentation was focused on steps […]

New State Programs Create Opportunities for College of the Sequoias

Posted on November 6, 2014November 9, 2014 by Steve Pastis

Three recently launched state programs offer new opportunities for the College of the Sequoias – a financial literacy program, a program for those displaced by the drought, and most intriguing, the possibility of a four-year degree program. In late September, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that initially allows 15 California community colleges to award bachelor’s […]

Visalia Approves New General Plan

Posted on November 6, 2014November 9, 2014 by Catherine Doe

After four years of hard work, the Visalia City Council adopted their General Plan. After a three-and-a-half hour final meeting on October 14, the vote was 5-0 to adopt the Climate Action Plan, the General Plan Update and the associated Environmental Impact Report. “This truly is the community’s plan–the community was engaged throughout the process, […]