Skip to main content

In the News

April 9, 2015

With the May deadline for finalizing California's budget looming, our state leaders need an answer from the U.S. Senate on whether it will deliver on more than a half a billion dollars in annual federal funding promised to California families for their kids' health insurance coverage.

April 9, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal legislators in Washington, D.C. seem to agree the Renewable Fuel Standard needs to be reformed, as demonstrated by a pair of bills currently circulating in both houses of Congress. The specifics of how the standard should be amended, however, still need to be fleshed out.

March 23, 2015

ESSEX JUNCTION – U.S. Rep. Peter Welch visited a family owned motorcycle shop in Essex Junction on Monday and announced he has reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would abolish a federal mandate to add biofuels, such as corn ethanol, to gasoline.

"Current law requires that corn-based ethanol be a part of all of our fuel," Welch said. "The corn-based ethanol has been a well-intentioned flop. It just has not achieved the goals it was set out to do."

March 21, 2015

A who's who of Madera County politicians debated in Madera South High School's inaugural civic symposium on Friday.

Congressman Jim Costa, Sen. Anthony Cannella, Assembly Member Frank Bigelow, County Supervisor Brett Frazier and Madera Mayor Robert Poythress answered questions from students ranging from President Barack Obama's executive order on immigration to high speed rail.

The symposium was limited to students in the school's senior class, who had to apply to attend the event.

March 20, 2015

Thumbs up to the California lawmakers for helping to relaunch a bid to put the House of Representatives on record as recognizing the Armenian genocide. The resolution was introduced this week with more than 40 co-sponsors. Noting the upcoming 100th anniversary, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said, "Our detractors will always say, ‘Now is not the right time.' I say, The time is now." A century is long enough to wait.

March 19, 2015

WASHINGTON — California lawmakers on Wednesday helped relaunch the latest, long-shot bid to put the House of Representatives on record as recognizing the Armenian genocide.

A perennial effort that always faces stiff political and diplomatic headwinds, the familiar resolution was introduced Wednesday with more than 40 co-sponsors, some of them House freshmen. The intention, though, remains the same as it has been for several decades.

March 19, 2015

Some of this area's top government leaders gathered recently to discuss the future of the Castle Aviation and Commerce Center.

If you are not aware of the issues in Castle's decades-old redevelopment saga, here are some of the key topics discussed: the current infrastructure, the cost of doing business in the park that businesses must take on, needed demolitions of buildings on the property, the current lack of easy access to Highway 99, and the lack of skilled workers staying in the region.

March 17, 2015

Given that old adage, "You can't tell where you're going unless you know where you've been," casting a close eye over last year's congressional voting patterns is in order.

Sure, that was an election year for a divided Capitol, while Republicans now run the whole show and their performance isn't subject to formal assessment by the voters until next year. But still, members behaved in the second half of the 113th Congress in ways distinctive enough to create several storylines to watch throughout the 114th.

March 12, 2015

The formation of a new, bipartisan Congressional Chicken Caucus in the United States House of Representatives has been announced.

The caucus will serve as a formal group of members whose mission is to educate members of Congress and others about the history, contributions and issues of importance to US chicken producers, pertaining to food safety, international trade, labor, animal welfare, immigration and environmental issues, among others.

Chicken industry vital to the economy

March 11, 2015

MENDOTA, Calif. — In this region that calls itself "The Cantaloupe Center of the World," vast fields that once annually yielded millions of melons lie fallow. And, for some farmers, planting tomatoes and other traditional row crops may now constitute acts of courage.

America's largest agriculture economy is changing because of a lack of water. Amid a prolonged drought and an anticipated third straight year of cutbacks in federal water supplies, the one assured constant is stress.

June 18, 2026

Porterville Recorder

The fiscal year 2027 House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives contains $750,000 for improvements at the Porterville Muncipal Airport.

In addition the bill contains $3.2 million for the completion of the Farm to Market Corridor project that runs through Ducor on Avenue 56.

June 14, 2026

FOX26

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) - An American flag that flew as a symbol of freedom and service received a final salute in Fresno on Saturday.

Veterans, community leaders, and families gathered for a flag retirement ceremony honoring the flag, veterans, and America's upcoming 250th anniversary.

Issues:Veterans
June 14, 2026

ABC30 

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of Fresno hosted its first-ever honorable flag retirement ceremony Saturday.

It comes ahead of Flag Day on Sunday and as part of the celebrations marking 250 years of our nation's independence.

Issues:Veterans
June 12, 2026

FOX26

FRESNO, Calif. - California continues to battle the spread of invasive golden mussels, a species that experts warn could have major impacts on waterways, infrastructure, and ecosystems across the state.

FOX26 set out to answer two questions: who is leading the response to stop the species from spreading, and how often are new detections added to the state's tracking map?

Issues:Water