Central Valley Daily

Nov. 3: Small Town Of Avenal Goes To The Polls – After Recalling Its City Council

By Soreath Hok,

Published November 3, 2026 at 4:45 AM PST

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A recall election left all but one seat empty on the Avenal City Council. This Election Day, residents of the Kings County community will decide on which candidates should fill those positions. But how has the city managed without a full council since the summer? KVPR reporter Samantha Rangel discusses the impact the vacancies have had on city services.

Plus, the latest news headlines: Three more Valley residents accused of illegal voting; and a Fresno City Council candidate calls for an independent investigation into a botched arrest. Today’s episode is hosted by Soreath Hok and produced by Jonathan Linden.

Central Valley Daily

Soreath Hok

Soreath Hok is a multimedia journalist with experience in radio, television and digital production. She is a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award winner. At KVPR, she is currently the local host of KVPR's Central Valley Daily podcast.

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Samantha Rangel

Samantha Rangel reports on stories for KVPR in the Fresno and Clovis areas. After growing up in the town of Firebaugh, Samantha earned her B.A. in Media, Communications, and Journalism from California State University, Fresno. Her previous work can also be found in The Westside Express, her college paper, The Collegian, NPR, and The California Report.

The best way to reach her is at srangel@kvpr.org or 559-862-2397.

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Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden