California, Fresno | featured news

A growing movement to downsize and simplify life into a couple hundred square feet of space has made its way to the central San Joaquin Valley. Read comments

BELL — Chazney Erin Bell, 32, of Thousand Oaks, formerly of Fresno, died Dec. 13. She was a service representative. Visitation: 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 26 at Jesse E. Cooley Jr. Chapel. Service: 11 a.m. Dec. 27 at the chapel. Read comments

The Fresno City Council took what some called an “historic” step Thursday night to curb a decades-old pattern of urban sprawl by approving the 2035 General Plan, a 20-year policy blueprint for the city’s future growth. Read comments

A man crashed his Dodge Ram pickup into the front of a Cricket Wireless building in southeast Fresno on Thursday morning, injuring a 62-year-old woman, said Fresno police Lt. Joe Gomez. Read comments

There is a 75 percent probability of average or above-average precipitation between January and the end of March for California, according to a new report by federal scientists — the first time in five years such a wet outlook has been predicted in the state during the first three months of a year. Read comments

The Madera County grand jury announced Thursday the results of an inquiry into the day-to-day activities within the Madera Cemetery District. Read comments

The massive water diversion tunnels proposed in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have undergone another major design change aimed at appeasing local residents: The three intakes planned on the Sacramento River will no longer require pumps. Read comments

The Avenue 12 off-ramp on northbound Highway 99 in Madera County will close on Dec. 29 for a 10-month construction project. Read comments

Ray Arthur has rubbed elbows with the stars for much of his life, the last eight years through promoting Fresno to the movie, TV and advertising industries as Fresno film commissioner. That will end Dec. 31 as Arthur’s retiring from the position that he’s done both as a paid city employee and on a volunteer basis. Read comments

Northbound lanes of Interstate 5 are blocked south of the Highway 152 exit near Los Banos following a fatal accident early Friday, the California Highway Patrol reported. Read comments