Fresno’s best local olive oils, blind tasted and ranked What constitutes “fancy” or “luxury” can be a bit fickle when it comes to food. Back in the ‘80s, the farther away from which something was imported, the greater its aura of luxury. We’ve largely moved away from that in recent years – thanks to all sorts of newer, hopefully improved ideas about seasonality, local produce, carbon footprints, and “farm-to-table” – and these days, for the most part, hyperlocality is king.

Fresno’s best local olive oils, blind tasted and ranked

What constitutes “fancy” or “luxury” can be a bit fickle when it comes to food. Back in the ‘80s, the farther away from which something was imported, the greater its aura of luxury. We’ve largely moved away from that in recent years – thanks…

With Fresno County partnership, Fresno Arts Council begins moving past embezzlement scandal The Fresno Arts Council will remain the county’s primary arts agency. Fresno County supervisors unanimously approved keeping the Fresno Arts Council as its partner for state funding on Tuesday in spite of the arts nonprofit’s $1.8 million embezzlement scandal. Tuesday’s vote allows the council to serve as the county’s partner for the State and Local Partnership Program, which ranges from $45,000-90,000 in grant funds for city and county arts and culture projects.

With Fresno County partnership, Fresno Arts Council begins moving past embezzlement scandal

The Fresno Arts Council will remain the county’s primary arts agency. Fresno County supervisors unanimously approved keeping the Fresno Arts Council as its partner for state funding on Tuesday in spite of…

How a Fresno judge shut down landmark environmental suit against Caltrans’ Highway 99 expansion On the coast of Monterey in the early 1990s, residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea went to federal court to stop Caltrans from building a freeway through Hatton Canyon, a stretch of wetlands and rare Monterey pines just east of town. Caltrans’ plan called for a new bridge over the Carmel River, two new interchanges, and a widening of the road into Carmel Valley, where residential subdivisions were spreading fast.

How a Fresno judge shut down landmark environmental suit against Caltrans’ Highway 99 expansion

On the coast of Monterey in the early 1990s, residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea went to federal court to stop Caltrans from building a freeway through Hatton Canyon, a stretch of wetlands and rare Monterey…

Amid fear and confusion, this Fresno college student is trying to help turn out Latino voters in June As immigration enforcement ramps up and attacks on mail-in voting intensify, concerns remain high about turning out young Latino voters in Fresno County.

Amid fear and confusion, this Fresno college student is trying to help turn out Latino voters in June

As immigration enforcement ramps up and attacks on mail-in voting intensify, concerns remain high about turning out young Latino voters in Fresno County.

After Fresnoland story on Dyer’s texts, FUSD trustees forced to vote in May on SEDA position After a Fresnoland story revealed that Mayor Jerry Dyer privately lobbied Fresno Unified trustees to kill a resolution opposing his signature mega-development plan, the board's president is moving to force a vote next month on whether Superintendent Misty Her can publicly organize against the Southeast Development Area (SEDA).  The district's own analysis shared with Fresnoland in December says the buildout of the new, Clovis-sized area could trigger the closure of…

After Fresnoland story on Dyer’s texts, FUSD trustees forced to vote in May on SEDA position

After a Fresnoland story revealed that Mayor Jerry Dyer privately lobbied Fresno Unified trustees to kill a resolution opposing his signature mega-development plan, the board's president is moving to force…

Jimmy Pardini reflects on taking risks and raising the bar on Fresno food Any time Fresno gets a new restaurant with a menu that doesn’t include five types of burgers on it feels like cause for celebration. That’s not to say that we don’t have some great restaurants with vast burger selections, or that we don’t love a great burger; sometimes it just feels like there’s a gap in the market around here between casual family eateries and fussy overpriced ones.

Jimmy Pardini reflects on taking risks and raising the bar on Fresno food

Any time Fresno gets a new restaurant with a menu that doesn’t include five types of burgers on it feels like cause for celebration. That’s not to say that we don’t have some great restaurants with vast burger selections, or…

A guide to Fresno County’s Hmong and Mien strawberry stands Springtime in the Central Valley means it’s busy season for Kevin Yang and other local strawberry farmers. The fields at Sunshine’s Farm fill with families eager to pick the juiciest strawberries, enjoy food trucks, and just relax in the sunshine during the goldilocks season before it gets too hot. Yang’s family is among dozens of Hmong and Mien families who grow strawberries and other produce for the community, with many opening up their small stands to serve customers face to face.

A guide to Fresno County’s Hmong and Mien strawberry stands

Springtime in the Central Valley means it’s busy season for Kevin Yang and other local strawberry farmers. The fields at Sunshine’s Farm fill with families eager to pick the juiciest strawberries, enjoy food trucks, and just relax in the…

Fresno’s 5 best shawarma wraps, tasted and ranked, according to our food editor (chicken edition) If people know one thing about Fresno’s food scene, it’s that we have great tacos. This naturally led us to wonder: what about shawarma? With a sizable Middle Eastern and Greek population and an established tradition of eating meat cooked on a vertical spit, it would stand to reason that a thriving shawarma scene in Fresno was only a matter of time.

Fresno’s 5 best shawarma wraps, tasted and ranked, according to our food editor (chicken edition)

If people know one thing about Fresno’s food scene, it’s that we have great tacos. This naturally led us to wonder: what about shawarma? With a sizable Middle Eastern and Greek population and an…

Mega Texas vs. Horn Barbecue in a battle of Fresno’s most critically-acclaimed pitmasters People don’t typically think of Fresno as a place where chefs and restaurateurs go to win awards and be named on lists of the world’s best restaurants. Michelin doesn’t even cover Fresno, with its closest starred restaurants being in Paso Robles and Sacramento. That dearth of hype may be a benefit, according to some, though in any case, it means that the list of be-accoladed chefs in the area isn’t a long one.

Mega Texas vs. Horn Barbecue in a battle of Fresno’s most critically-acclaimed pitmasters

People don’t typically think of Fresno as a place where chefs and restaurateurs go to win awards and be named on lists of the world’s best restaurants. Michelin doesn’t even cover Fresno, with its closest…

An Eastside local’s neighborhood food guide to Southeast Fresno Southeast Fresno is the kind of non-trendy, unassuming neighborhood that’s easy to overlook, even among fellow Fresnans. But, as the saying goes, if you know you know, and if you don’t, it’s worth a visit. The community, roughly situated in the area between the Roosevelt and Sunnyside neighborhoods south of 180, is full of life, with vibrant streets, family energy, and most especially, flavors that hit just right.

An Eastside local’s neighborhood food guide to Southeast Fresno

Southeast Fresno is the kind of non-trendy, unassuming neighborhood that’s easy to overlook, even among fellow Fresnans. But, as the saying goes, if you know you know, and if you don’t, it’s worth a visit. The community, roughly…

How Don Tacha Taqueria became the Lowell neighborhood’s family-run ‘tacoasis’ Fresno is a tough place to stand out for serving great tacos. Taco Truck Throwdown has been establishing our bona fides as a taco destination since 2011, and if there’s one thing the broader world knows about the Fresno food scene, it’s probably tacos. Bringing tacos to Fresno is like bringing sand to the beach. Yet while most people here have their favorite taco truck to grab a bite on the go, and their favorite old school sit-down joint for family night rellenos and burritos, there’s arguably a gap in the market for great places to “tacos and chill.” Can a place have great tacos…

How Don Tacha Taqueria became the Lowell neighborhood’s family-run ‘tacoasis’

Fresno is a tough place to stand out for serving great tacos. Taco Truck Throwdown has been establishing our bona fides as a taco destination since 2011, and if there’s one thing the broader world knows about the Fresno…

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Fresno’s 7 best baguettes, tasted and ranked, according to our food editor

When the pandemic hit, it seemed like the entire world simultaneously got into baking. People who hadn’t so much as picked up a whisk in their previous…

fresnoland.org/2026/04/17/the-seven-bes...

Fresno County shifts job training model to place students with disabilities in workplaces “This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. After a recent morning rush at a Fresno Grocery Outlet, 22-year-old Elena Santos moved down each aisle to return misplaced food items to their proper places. She brought vitamins to the front of the shelves and neatly arranged hygiene products. These tasks were once difficult for her because of a cognitive disability.

Fresno County shifts job training model to place students with disabilities in workplaces

“This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. After a recent morning rush at a Fresno Grocery Outlet, 22-year-old Elena Santos moved down each aisle to return misplaced…

Fresno arts community gets its first look at how the city will run Measure P grants Fresno’s arts community got its first peek on Wednesday at what the next Measure P arts grant cycle will look like with the City of Fresno holding the reins. City staffers with the parks department presented draft guidelines for the next cycle of funding at a meeting Wednesday night, which came with some proposed changes the arts community seemed to embrace, and others some staunchly opposed.

Fresno arts community gets its first look at how the city will run Measure P grants

Fresno’s arts community got its first peek on Wednesday at what the next Measure P arts grant cycle will look like with the City of Fresno holding the reins. City staffers with the parks department presented draft…

Fresno law firm dodges $10,000 fine, says use of AI do not meet its standards A law firm representing the City of Fresno will not have to pay a $10,000 fine after a Fresno County judge found 11 fake and improper case citations in one of its court filings. In an April 14 tentative ruling, Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan wrote that she wouldn’t subject Aleshire & Wynder, LLP to the five-figure fine since the law firm took steps to "rectify the situation.”

Fresno law firm dodges $10,000 fine, says use of AI do not meet its standards

A law firm representing the City of Fresno will not have to pay a $10,000 fine after a Fresno County judge found 11 fake and improper case citations in one of its court filings. In an April 14 tentative ruling, Fresno…

‘No plan B.’ Is one side winning in the fight over Fresno’s transportation tax? In the race to the November election, one of the groups proposing a replacement for Fresno County’s soon-to-expire transportation tax, Measure C, turned in the signatures on Tuesday, moving them one step closer to a spot on the ballot. Following just under a month-and-a-half of canvassing, Fresno County Residents for Better Roads and Safe Streets announced at a news conference that they’d collected more than 32,000 signed petitions from county residents, well over the…

‘No plan B.’ Is one side winning in the fight over Fresno’s transportation tax?

In the race to the November election, one of the groups proposing a replacement for Fresno County’s soon-to-expire transportation tax, Measure C, turned in the signatures on Tuesday, moving them one step closer to a…

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Meet the ‘Dream Team’ bringing R&B — and thousands of people — to West Fresno’s Kearney Park

Delanno Hopkins wanted something at the scale of downtown Fresno’s Tequila Fest, but built with the city’s Black communities in mind. That…

fresnoland.org/2026/04/10/r-and-b-in-th...

Ex-Fresno Arts Council manager to plead guilty in $1.82 million wire fraud case Suliana Caldwell of Fresno is expected to plead guilty to one felony count of wire fraud in connection with a $1.82 million embezzlement case.  As operations manager at the Fresno Arts Council, Caldwell was in charge of the books. The nonprofit arts organization’s bank accounts and finances were under her control. She also ran payroll. According to charging documents filed in federal court, Caldwell would transfer funds from the Fresno Arts Council’s bank accounts to a PayPal account before depositing funds into her own personal bank accounts.

Ex-Fresno Arts Council manager to plead guilty in $1.82 million wire fraud case

Suliana Caldwell of Fresno is expected to plead guilty to one felony count of wire fraud in connection with a $1.82 million embezzlement case.  As operations manager at the Fresno Arts Council, Caldwell was in charge…

City Hall saves Advance Peace Fresno (for now), calls for greater local investment The Fresno City Council extended a short-term financial lifeline to one of the most successful local criminal violence prevention programs, and hinted at additional support coming later this year. The council on Thursday approved a $250,000 grant for Advance Peace Fresno, extending the crime prevention program through October. Aaron Foster, program manager for Advance Peace, told Fresnoland after the meeting that he’s “very hopeful and look(s) forward to the city’s support.”

City Hall saves Advance Peace Fresno (for now), calls for greater local investment

The Fresno City Council extended a short-term financial lifeline to one of the most successful local criminal violence prevention programs, and hinted at additional support coming later this year. The council on…

‘Do what’s right.’ Weeks later and Fresno’s Edison High still hasn’t covered its Cesar Chavez mural Community members urged Fresno Unified’s board at Wednesday’s meeting to remove a mural of Cesar Chavez from Edison High School. A resolution to assess all mentions and likenesses of the disgraced union leader and allow community feedback on what to do with any artworks of Chavez passed in the same meeting. However, community members noted that other tributes in Fresno were removed swiftly after allegations of sexual assault against Chavez came to light.

‘Do what’s right.’ Weeks later and Fresno’s Edison High still hasn’t covered its Cesar Chavez mural

Community members urged Fresno Unified’s board at Wednesday’s meeting to remove a mural of Cesar Chavez from Edison High School. A resolution to assess all mentions and likenesses of the disgraced…

Mayor Dyer pressured Fresno Unified trustees not to oppose SEDA. It worked. Mayor Jerry Dyer wants to unleash a new Clovis in southeast Fresno — and text messages obtained by Fresnoland show he personally pressured the Fresno Unified school board to stay quiet about what it could cost the district. Hours before the board voted to shelve a resolution opposing the 9,000-acre Southeast Development Area (SEDA) plan in February, Dyer sent a barrage of text messages to trustees warning them not to take a position against his signature development plan, according to…

Mayor Dyer pressured Fresno Unified trustees not to oppose SEDA. It worked.

Mayor Jerry Dyer wants to unleash a new Clovis in southeast Fresno — and text messages obtained by Fresnoland show he personally pressured the Fresno Unified school board to stay quiet about what it could cost the…

Things keep getting worse for California farmworkers. Would a minimum wage help? Four years after a landmark report from UC Merced painted a dire picture of health outcomes among California’s more than 900,000 farmworkers, a new study suggests not much has improved. If anything, matters seem to have only worsened since 2022, as the 21 farmworkers interviewed for the new study told researchers. As the prices of daily necessities have climbed while wages have stagnated, farmworkers said they’ve been forced to make even tougher decisions between covering the costs of medical care and other essentials like paying for childcare or utility bills.

Things keep getting worse for California farmworkers. Would a minimum wage help?

Four years after a landmark report from UC Merced painted a dire picture of health outcomes among California’s more than 900,000 farmworkers, a new study suggests not much has improved. If anything, matters seem to…

Sheriff’s deputies eye new $25 million office space in downtown Fresno The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved plans to begin acquiring a pair of commercial office buildings for the sheriff's administration in downtown Fresno.  The county plans to acquire two neighboring properties on 650 O St. and 705 P St. The properties are owned by 7355 N Palm Avenue LLC and Assemi Investments LLC. Both LLCs are co-owned by prominent local developer Darius Assemi.

Sheriff’s deputies eye new $25 million office space in downtown Fresno

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved plans to begin acquiring a pair of commercial office buildings for the sheriff's administration in downtown Fresno.  The county plans to acquire two neighboring properties on 650…

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Can Fresno save one of its most effective gun-violence prevention programs?

An anti-violence program that researchers say played a major role in Fresno’s historic drop in gun violence and murder could get a second life this week at City…

https://fresnoland.org/2026/04/07/advance-peace-fresno/

From Wall Street to Belmont Avenue, corporate landlords could be in the Fresno City Council’s crosshairs From Trump to Newsom, there’s a new bipartisan culprit for escalating housing prices: corporate landlords. And last month, the Fresno City Council entered the chat, led by Councilmember Annalisa Perea.  Her proposal – unanimously approved by the council – asks the city attorney’s office to study recent trends around corporate landlords, from rent to ownership transfers. It also would make some changes to the city’s rental registry to make it easier to track down corporate landlords, who usually are obscured by LLCs and trust names.

From Wall Street to Belmont Avenue, corporate landlords could be in the Fresno City Council’s crosshairs

From Trump to Newsom, there’s a new bipartisan culprit for escalating housing prices: corporate landlords. And last month, the Fresno City Council entered the chat, led by Councilmember…

Good Friday procession around Fresno ICE office calls for compassion for immigrants During a Good Friday procession, faith leaders and community members combined prayer, scripture and migrant testimonies to highlight the experiences of immigrants and call for compassion and justice.

Good Friday procession around Fresno ICE office calls for compassion for immigrants

During a Good Friday procession, faith leaders and community members combined prayer, scripture and migrant testimonies to highlight the experiences of immigrants and call for compassion and justice.

Fresno County introduces two-card ballots for the first time amid federal voting uncertainty As Fresno County officials are preparing for the June primary, changes could make the voting process feel more complicated for voters.

Fresno County introduces two-card ballots for the first time amid federal voting uncertainty

As Fresno County officials are preparing for the June primary, changes could make the voting process feel more complicated for voters.

Spies, listening devices and the defiant revival of literary radicals in the hills above Fresno Jefferson Beavers just filed the paperwork for his first LLC, but he knows it may never turn a profit, let alone break even. For him, that was never the point. The point, rather, was to take on the hardscrabble but valuable work of sharing Fresno poets’ and writers’ voices with the world. That’s why he and two fellow writers, Ronald Dzerigian and Angela Chaidez Vincent, are reviving a small literary press called Scrub Jay, which was first launched by two married Fresno State professors back in 1996.

Spies, listening devices and the defiant revival of literary radicals in the hills above Fresno

Jefferson Beavers just filed the paperwork for his first LLC, but he knows it may never turn a profit, let alone break even. For him, that was never the point. The point, rather, was to take on the…

‘An opportunity to love people.’ Inside Fresno’s growing devotion to faith-based coffee A wave of Christian coffee shops is emerging across Fresno and Clovis, serving affordable coffee, while doubling down as hubs of community care and connection.

‘An opportunity to love people.’ Inside Fresno’s growing devotion to faith-based coffee

A wave of Christian coffee shops is emerging across Fresno and Clovis, serving affordable coffee, while doubling down as hubs of community care and connection.

Fresno County braces for impact to Medi-Cal and CalFresh following federal budget cuts President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” punctured a nearly $300 million hole in Fresno County’s budget for the coming fiscal year. The most immediate effects of the federal bill will lead to millions of dollars in losses to funding for social services like Medi-Cal and CalFresh — two of the country’s premier social safety net programs for low-income residents. CalFresh will lose half of its usual federal funding contribution, a loss of about $7.5 million for Fresno County residents.

Fresno County braces for impact to Medi-Cal and CalFresh following federal budget cuts

President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” punctured a nearly $300 million hole in Fresno County’s budget for the coming fiscal year. The most immediate effects of the federal bill will lead to millions of…