California, Fresno | featured news

The roll call of people with central San Joaquin Valley ties who died in 2014 includes names that loomed large in business, acting and sports. Read comments

For many, now is the time to say goodbye to the Christmas tree. For most, it’s a parting that happens alongside a green waste bin or a backyard burn pile in the country. But for some, the goodbye becomes a gift: A dead tree transformed into a giant chew toy. Read comments

In 21 years of driving without a license, Lilia Becerril has never been pulled over. Read comments

Many New Year’s Eve celebrators will no doubt knock back more than a few pints of libations on Wednesday, but local health officials are calling on central San Joaquin Valley residents to consider donating a different type of pint — blood — to help neighbors in need. Read comments

A 10-month closure of the Avenue 12 off-ramp of northbound Highway 99 in Madera will begin Jan. 5, weather permitting, Caltrans officials said. Read comments

A Kaweah Delta Health Care District employee was honored this month for her work in the Hispanic community of Visalia. Read comments

A man who died after getting out of a moving car on Highway 41 on Monday night was a mental-health patient being transported from one treatment facility to another, authorities said. Read comments

Valley citrus growers and emergency shelters are bracing for sub-freezing nights over the next couple of days as a sometimes blustery arctic air mass settled over much of California. Read comments

Yosemite National Park will take bids next month on a contract worth nearly $2 billion to run the Ahwahnee Hotel, Badger Pass Ski Area and other retail outlets, but the high-stakes jockeying is already happening. Read comments

Maria Mendoza, 17, and Kristen Crozier, 22, died less than an hour apart Sunday after two separate Amtrak trains struck them. Read comments