Valley Edition

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?

On this week’s Valley Edition:  Why is it so difficult to find childcare in the Valley? One university looks to high school students as part of the solution.

Sometimes it’s hard to find good healthcare too, especially if you’re living in a rural area. We look at one local hospital’s efforts to increase rural access to doctors. We also talk about what it means that Fresno State’s nursing master’s program just lost its accreditation. And we catch up with three Valley teenagers lobbying their representatives in Washington, D.C. for climate change reform.

This week on Valley Edition: Rates of domestic violence appear to be climbing in the Central Valley. How pervasive is it, and what’s behind the increase? We bring you the story of one survivor whose abuser was a Clovis cop.

We also hear from mental health educators who work with high schoolers and other youth. Kids are learning the signs of mental illness, and if a career in mental health is for them.

Later, we talk about a festival brewing in Lemoore, and it’s all about lagers, IPAs, and ales to name a few.

This week on Valley Edition: We’ve moved from Tuesdays to Fridays!

A Los Banos mother explains why she became an activist for the multiracial movement, and in Merced, we talk to high schoolers about a mental health class they initiated.

In Bakersfield, an unusual event uses games and humor to encourage attendees to think about what they want - after they die.

On this week’s Valley Edition: The Trump Administration has come one step closer to allowing fracking on some federal lands in the Valley. We’ll dive into the plan - and find out how locals feel about it.

Also, a 2020 ballot measure could generate more revenue for schools and public services, but one county office worries, implementation will be costly. And later, we talk to middle school students from Chowchilla about a podcast they created.

Listen to those stories and more on the podcast above.

On this week's Valley Edition: we return to the story of Ethan Morse, the son of the former district attorney in Merced County who was gunned down in March. Some say the murder was tied to Morse’s arrest six years ago.

And how do you use science to recreate a mysterious 30-year-old invention shrouded in secrecy? Students at UC Merced throw their hats in the ring, together with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Plus child abuse is a huge problem in the Valley - we learn about the scope and take a look at some solutions.

On this week’s Valley Edition: Police have a suspect in the murder of a former Valley District Attorney’s son -- video surveillance shows the suspect dressed in opposing gang colors.

And California’s drinking water landscape can be tough for anyone to navigate - especially in small communities already facing other challenges. We learn about a program in Visalia that's fostering water leadership.

Plus Fresno writer Mark Arax has a new book about valley water politics, and a Visalia teenager gets a nod from a national podcasting competition.

On this week’s Valley Edition: Allegations of sexual abuse against a popular valley priest have led to a vocal outpouring of support for him that some argue prevents victims from speaking out. Later, we learn about a student art project that tells the stories of survivors of sex trafficking.

And we talk to the creators of a new graphic comic book that gives readers a picture of Fresno’s redlining history and how that plays out today. We also meet Fresno’s new Poet Laureate Marisol Baca.  

Listen to those stories and more on the podcast above.

On this week’s Valley Edition: We take you on a ride-along with the Bakersfield Police Department’s gang unit as part of our ongoing series on opioids.  We watch arrests take place for drug possession, and learn why narcotics officers sometimes wear hazmat suits.

In Fresno, the city is debating liquor licenses. Why are there so many more in underprivileged neighborhoods? We also look inside a Propublica-Sacramento Bee investigation of the Fresno County jail.

Listen to those stories and more on the podcast above.

On this week’s Valley Edition: Oildale has a reputation as an epicenter for drugs like heroin and meth. And yet, fatal opioid overdoses appear to be dropping. We hear from health professionals and community leaders about why—and whether the change can last.

We also talk to a Fresno Bee reporter about how social justice groups have been making their mark on city politics, and a historian on how Fresno’s soccer history is intricately tied to the experiences of migrants.

Plus: How a community garden in Madera County is helping some disenfranchised women grow, too.

On this week’s Valley Edition: We take you to Fresno’s Chinatown where we meet the new owners of a century old Buddhist temple.

Plus, high-speed rail construction has closed off three roads leading into this historic neighborhood. Local business owners tell us what that means for them, today and into the coming decades.

And what does $70 million in cap and trade funding mean for Chinatown? We also tell you about Japanese pastries, shrimp and grits, sukiyaki and a longing for chile rellenos.

On today’s Valley Edition: Records released under California’s new police transparency law, are giving the public an unprecedented look into how officers decide when to use force. We peel back the layers on one officer-involved shooting in Hanford. We also look at a program that’s reduced gun violence in other California cities - and some hope it could do the same in Fresno. Plus: We talk to the Fresno Bee’s political reporter about following the business interests of a local congressman.

On this week’s Valley Edition: We learn what one man’s near-death experience with a rare disease can tell us about the healthcare system. And what is the city of Fresno doing about human trafficking?

Plus, a look back at the history of corruption in the Fresno Police Department, and an equal pay case that recently made its way to the Supreme Court.

Listen to those stories and more from the podcast above.

On this week’s Valley Edition: We hear about a lesser-known figure in the farm labor movement. She was there before Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, and now, union organizer Maria Moreno’s story is being memorialized in a new documentary film.

Plus, there’s a new state program that tackles mental health issues for the homeless while  also focusing on housing. But success isn't easy.

And later, we talk to two women who spent decades in prison and are now grappling with the near constant challenges and prejudices of life after incarceration.

On this week’s Valley Edition: More than half of California’s olive groves are right here in the San Joaquin Valley. But Tulare County growers say that with a major olive cannery set to buy more Spanish olives, the future for olive production looks grim.   

Plus, it’s Women’s History Month. We sat down with three young, dynamic leaders to ask about the women who inspire them.

And later, we learn more about President Trump’s plans to rewrite rules that govern water allocations and infrastructure in the San Joaquin Valley.  

On this week’s Valley Edition: The Valley air district is facing scrutiny for how it manages pollution from local industries. Air quality advocates wonder: How well is the program working?

Plus, Fresno County is considering the Voter’s Choice Act Model for the 2020 election, which could mean fewer polling locations, but more days to cast your ballot. We’ll hear from one neighboring county that’s already made the switch.

On this week’s Valley Edition: There’s no summer school for kids in Bakersfield this year. We ask the superintendent why not. Plus, a new report details the poor living conditions of detention centers in California, but some immigration attorneys say keeping Mesa Verde open in Bakersfield is a good thing.

And later, one of the longest running fringe festivals is happening right now in Fresno. We talk to the founder of Rogue Fest, and hear from some of the performers.