Valley Edition

On this week's Valley Edition, we go up in the air for an aerial view of Kern County’s Cymric Oil Field. And on the ground in Tulare County, will a village of tiny homes help solve the homeless crisis? 

You may know McFarland for the Disney movie about an against-the-odds cross country track team winning the state championship. But now the town is in the spotlight for a different reason - two investigative reporters tell us about its “second chance” police department. 

On this week’s Valley Edition: The first African American park superintendent was instrumental in building a wagon road into Sequoia National Park back in 1903. Now for Veterans Day, a portion of Highway 198 will be renamed for this dynamic Colonel.

We also take you to Tulare County where a dynamic mother-daughter team advocates for infrastructure improvements and basic needs, like drinkable water, in unincorporated communities.

On this week’s Valley Edition: California is trying to manage its groundwater better, but some communities, already grappling with unsafe drinking water, worry they’ll be left behind by local agencies to fend for themselves.

And a Bay Area conservation group just purchased the world’s largest privately owned giant sequoia grove: 530 acres of pristine forest.

Plus: We hear from journalists about two upcoming projects. One of them is run by young women throughout the state, the other is an effort to improve education reporting in Fresno. 

On this week's Valley Edition: Two violent incidents shook the Sikh community in Bakersfield this year; now a women’s group is running a resource hotline in English and Punjabi.

And one father in Fresno who lost two children to gun violence has a strategy for fighting it in his own neighborhood. Is it working? We follow him to find out.

On this week’s Valley Edition: When it comes to California’s overhaul of groundwater management, many small farmers are wondering: When will they get a seat at the decision making table?

Also, Bakersfield may take a different approach to the homelessness crisis by using empty jail beds to enforce drug laws. 

Plus: We dig deep into the Bakersfield Sound with a new 10-CD collection. 

Listen to those stories and more in the podcast above.

On this week’s Valley Edition: The dairy industry has been called upon to dramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions - and thanks to a technology called methane digesters, it’s looking like it will get there. 

We also visit one company that’s keeping the tradition of neon alive in the Valley, one fluorescent tube at a time.

Plus: We look into Kern County’s rising fees to access court documents, and we speak with a handful of the Valley’s youngest politicians about why they chose to run for office in their early twenties.

On this week’s Valley Edition: What does a 16th century Albanian village in Italy have to do with one of the longest running religious celebrations in the Valley? We find out at the annual St. Elia celebration in West Fresno.

We also hear how a scientific study on emotional support helped Valley women get through breast cancer - and may help reduce health disparities among ethnic groups.

Later, we explore the politics of homelessness, and why Sacramento hasn’t been tougher on vaping. 

On this week’s Valley Edition: The award winning musical Hamilton! In San Francisco, the iconic role of George Washington is now being played by a Central Valley native. We talk to actor Darnell Abraham about his journey to the stage.

And why does Bakersfield have such great modern architecture? It's a two-pronged answer that includes an innovative high school teacher and the 1952 earthquake. We learn more about Bakersfield Built: Architecture of the 1960s.

On this week’s Valley Edition: September is National Suicide Prevention Month. We bring you the story of one Kern County woman who says helping someone in need could be as simple as asking questions. 

We also tell you about the 30th annual Reel Pride Film Festival coming up next week. It’s the sixth-longest-running LGBTQ film festival in the country.

And we meet a man whose street photography helps him cope with cancer.

Listen to those stories and more on the podcast above.

On this week’s Valley Edition: caring for a child with acute mental illness can be really difficult especially when resources to keep the child safe are limited. We get feedback from parents and profressionals.

We also dig into why the Selma City Council wants to get rid of at-large voting and map out districts. And the Friant-Kern Canal delivers water to farms and communities on the east side of the Valley but excess groundwater pumping is causing it to sink in some areas. We hear about one possible, but expensive, fix.

On this week’s Valley Edition: We return to 1619, the first year enslaved Africans were brought to the shores of Virginia. Four hundred years later, what are the repercussions of this brutal institution? 

Also the National Science Foundation has picked up RadioBio, a podcast produced by students at UC Merced. Scientists at the top of their fields explain everything from flying lizards to T-cells.

And will Hanford’s historic Carnegie Museum remain open? We visit the Kings County city to learn more.

On this week’s Valley Edition: The National Transportation Safety Board has released its findings on the 2015 medevac helicopter crash that killed four people in the Valley. 

We also hear from both sides of the Senate Bill 1 debate -- that’s the state bill that aims to safeguard California from rollbacks in federal laws like the Endangered Species Act.

Later, we’ll introduce you to a young Mariachi singer from Delano. She’s just recorded her first album, and now she’s on her way to Harvard. 

This week on Valley Edition: we visit residents of a community surrounded by highways, agriculture fields, and oil and gas development. We learn about their grassroots efforts to find out whether those industries are polluting their air.

In Kern County, we look into the case of Supervisor Leticia Perez who faces two conflict of interest charges relating to her ties to the marijuana industry.  

We also speak to an author who knew the Marlboro Man; he was a real cowboy from the San Joaquin Valley.

On this week’s Valley Edition: The Fresno Unified School Board voted to censure Trustee Terry Slatic for unethical conduct. We’ll hear from Slatic himself and from Trustee Veva Islas, who wants him recalled.

And later, when you’re homeless, health care becomes much more complicated. We talk to a 68-year-old woman about the obstacles she’s experienced.

We also hear from freshman Congressman TJ Cox in his new Selma District Office.

Listen to those stories and more on the podcast above.

Coming up on Valley Edition: Big changes for high-speed rail. The state may divert some of the funds to Bay Area and Southern California transportation projects. Meanwhile, what about all the rail easements on farmland in the Valley? Are farmers getting reimbursed?  

Later, what role did corporate greed, mismanaged forests and sprawling development have on the most destructive wildfire in the history of the state? We talk to journalist Mark Arax.

When it comes to the 2020 census, why are some San Joaquin Valley communities among the country’s hardest to count? We explore what some advocates are doing to reach those who may have never been counted before.

Volunteers also share how they’re working to improve the quality of life for the 2,600 foster kids in Fresno and Madera Counties.

Plus, we speak with doctors trying to improve health care for the LGBTQ+ community, and we hear from a panel of water leaders about the latest in a statewide attempt to better manage groundwater.

On this week’s Valley Edition: The emmy award winning filmmaker Ken Burns is coming to Fresno and Bakersfield next week. He tells us about his newest project Country Music, including his take on one of Oildale’s finest, Merle Haggard.

Also on the heels of the Ridgecrest earthquakes, a producer from KPCC takes us inside their podcast about quakes called ‘The Big One.’

On the next Valley Edition: Fresno ranks low in terms of park access and acreage. But a grassroots movement is hoping to change that with citizens building their own parks. 

We also look at rural Tulare County as environmental justice groups showcase their efforts to improve water and air quality. And, we go on the road with some people whose California Dream is living in a van.

Later, we talk about student absence. It’s worse in rural areas, so what are some districts doing? 

On this week’s Valley Edition: He hadn’t been to Fresno in 78 years, but this week Walter Imahara visited the site of the Fresno Assembly Center. It’s where he and his family were sent first before going to an internment camp in Arkansas. 

Later, what if you’re a low income, first generation college student? Where do you turn to get the mentoring and support you need? We meet students who are finding assistance with a program at Fresno City College. 

On this week’s Valley Edition: Today on our show, stories about identity: how do you be yourself when others assume you’re something else? We talk to a transgender person about what it’s like to work while transitioning. And we hear from athletes who play competitive soccer in wheelchairs. And what’s behind gang violence in Fresno? Can it be curbed with an innovative program?