Esther Quintanilla
ReporterEsther Quintanilla reports on communities across Central California, covering a variety of stories surrounding the rich cultures in the Valley, farmworker issues, healthcare, and much more. She previously reported through the Central Valley News Collaborative, a partnership between the Fresno Bee, Vida en el Valle, KVPR and Radio Bilingüe.
Esther is an award-winning, bilingual reporter whose coverage has been featured on KQED, NPR and Radio Bilingüe. Her work on farmworkers, the Central Valley floods, and the closure of Madera Community Hospital has earned her three Golden Mike awards and two regional Edward R. Murrow awards. Esther also collaborated with NPR’s 1A Remaking America series following the collapse of Bitwise Industries.
Esther is a Valley native. She grew up in Bakersfield and moved to the northern San Joaquin Valley in 2017 to earn her B.A. in English with a minor in Writing Studies from the University of California, Merced. After that, she attended the University of Southern California to receive an M.S. in Journalism.
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A popular monthly arts and culture event in Fresno known as Arthop is moving indoors next month due to expected high temperatures. But are there more changes coming? -
In a statement released to the social media account for Irma Olguin Jr. on the platform X, an apology addresses former “teammates, investors, lenders and their respective families.” -
Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. initially pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges when they surrendered in November, but recently reached a plea deal. -
The central valley of California produces a quarter of the nation's food. How are farmworkers dealing with an intense, long-lasting heatwave sweeping the interior of the state?
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The central valley of California produces a quarter of the nation's food. How are farmworkers dealing with an intense, long-lasting heatwave sweeping the interior of the state?
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Temperatures in California have been through the roof. The Central Valley has seen some of the worst heat, with residents under an excessive heat warning since July 2. Meanwhile, farmworkers have continued to work throughout these scorching conditions. -
The city of Visalia, California, recently attempted to refresh its look, and sparked a heated backlash. -
A new poll finds that Latino voters in the Central Valley have an opportunity to decide key elections at the state and federal levels in November. -
On Wednesday, hours before being placed on leave, Paco Balderrama told reporters he could not provide details about the investigation and had vowed to remain police chief while the investigation played out. -
A bronze statue of civil rights leader Cesar Chavez will be featured in a new museum in the White House in the fall.
