California, Fresno County | featured news

Santa Claus paid a visit to Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno Monday to deliver teddy bears to children in the hospital. Santa, aka Bear Campbell, a respiratory therapist at the medical center, rode up on a motorcycle to make the delivery. Campbell has performed as teddy-bear Santa since 2009. Read comments

Many Fresno Comcast customers woke up to a lack of Internet and phone service Monday, and some users remained without service after 8 p.m. Read comments

Half a million dollars and the right to purchase water for 25 years from Madera Irrigation District was awarded to a water bank financier to settle a dispute. Read comments

A 44-year-old Porterville man was killed in a crash just west of Visalia on Saturday afternoon. Read comments

A search is underway for a 60-year-old Visalia man with dementia who was reported missing around noon Saturday. Read comments

The Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots campaign distributed 2,000 toys this year instead of 500, making it the largest Toys for Tots distribution in Central California. The Marine Corps League worked in conjunction with United Way of Fresno County to collect and give out toys. Read comments

Various human rights organizations from different parts of the Central Valley blocked traffic Saturday at Kings Canyon and Chestnut avenues in southeast Fresno to protest several human rights issues, including recent police-involved shootings of suspects. Read comments

New or gently-used blankets are being collected for Fresno homeless through Monday at a number of locations around the city. Read comments

Drivers across the central San Joaquin Valley are enjoying an ongoing drop in the cost of gasoline, with fuel prices hitting levels not seen since 2009. In a few weeks, however, the price will go up — guaranteed. Read comments

The Clovis Rotary Club and the Clovis Police Officers Association continued a 31-year tradition Sunday with a bicycle and grocery giveaway. Read comments