Valley Edition

On the next Valley Edition: With the recent excessive heat wave and the drought, small farmers worry about the survival of their crops. 

Plus, the legislative effort to overturn a state law that allows some workers with disabilities to earn less than the minimum wage.   

And Fresno’s Cambodian community launches a weekly night market. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On the next Valley Edition: Rural communities throughout California lack vital healthcare infrastructure: how some local counties are grappling with vaccine deserts. 

Plus, the political fight to bring safe drinking water to San Joaquin Valley communities.

And how to prepare for yet another summer of dirty air. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On the next Valley Edition: In 2020, more patients died at a psychiatric hospital in Fresno County than at many prisons three times its size. An FM89 investigation looks into why.

Plus, State Legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom arrive at a deal that will allow undocumented residents 50 years and older to apply for Medi-Cal. 

And a new book by a Fresno State history professor looks at the Declaration of Independence from the perspective of those who stayed loyal to Britain.

On the next Valley Edition: When was the last time you really listened to someone with a different political view? We introduce our collaboration with StoryCorps’ One Small Step.   

Plus, author Mark Arax discusses how history intersects with race and real estate in the city of Fresno.  

And how the pandemic forced one LGBTQ entertainer to assess his mental health. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On the next Valley Edition: A state law requires schools to track attendance during the pandemic, but the frustrations of teachers and students at one Madera high school tell a different story than the numbers.

Plus, we discuss how school districts are planning to make up for the learning loss students experienced during the pandemic?

And a local historian tells us why he thinks Juneteenth should be a national holiday. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above.

On this week's Valley Edition: Why one small town in the San Joaquin Valley is a destination for unaccompanied minors crossing the Southern border, and how it’s preparing for an anticipated increase this year. 

Plus, how has the pandemic impacted the Central Valley’s LGBTQ+ community? And a new podcast tells the story of a Stanislaus County defense attorney accused of murder. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above.

On this week's Valley Edition: Beginning last summer, dozens of Fresno County non-profits came together to fight COVID-19. They’ve been so effective at community outreach, other counties are following their lead.

And, Corcoran is sinking. The local author of an article explaining it in the New York Times tells us why. 

Plus, Fresno State’s new president shares his vision for the university. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above.

On this week's Best of Valley Edition: In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we revisit the story of an immigrant family from Vietnam whose generosity and foresight helped them get through the past year.

Plus, we take a look back at important conversations we’ve had in the past few months about anti-Asian rhetoric and violence during the pandemic, as well as the rise in misinformation and conspiracy theories.  

Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition: Quinceaneras are an important cultural milestone. But due to the pandemic, many young Latinas have had to wait to celebrate the event a year later on their 16th birthday.  

Plus, Fresno’s Southeast Asian community is playing a pivotal role in the new $38 million exhibit under construction at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.  

And why racism is a public health crisis. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week’s Valley Edition: What the research says about the risk of COVID-19 complications during pregnancy.

And mental health professionals help to process the anxiety some are feeling about reentering society post-vaccination.

Plus, a veteran journalist tells us what governor Newsom’s drought emergency declaration means for the San Joaquin Valley.

And county funding for community gardens in Fresno stops next month. We look at the impact. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above.

On this week's Valley Edition: As candidates line up to run against the governor in the recall election, we discuss the financial costs for taxpayers and the political costs for Newsom. 

Plus, as demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in Fresno County drops, we visit the Cherry Auction to find out why some Latino residents are choosing not to get the vaccine.

And a pair of historians discuss the farm labor shortage in the 1940s. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition: The history of Allensworth, a Black settlement in Tulare County, is part of a new podcast that takes an in-depth look at Black pioneers in rural California.   

Plus, the story of a Vietnamese-American tailor whose generosity and foresight kept his sewing business alive during the past year.

And Fresno’s new poet laureate processes the pandemic. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above.

On the next Valley Edition: Local activists discuss the status of police reform in the Valley following the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. 

Plus, a funeral home director reflects on a surreal year and the psychological effect of the pandemic on his staff. 

And Fresno writer James Ardaiz tells us about his new historical novel, "Tears of Honor." Listen to these stories and more on the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition: Latino immigrants have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, especially in Kings County where deaths increased by 90% last year due to COVID.

Plus, filmmakers document intergenerational trauma a century after the Armenian genocide.

And a new guidebook uncovers some of the lesser-known highlights of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition: Fresno leaders respond to a rise in anti-Asian racism. Why some crimes go unreported, and details of a proposal to hire a diverse outreach team.

Plus, award-winning NPR talk show host Diane Rehm discusses her new PBS documentary about medical aid in dying. 

And community organizers are providing support to street vendors after a deadly attack on one this year. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition:  They're essential, but Punjabi truckers say that without COVID-19 information translated into their native language, they're left without some critical details that could protect them on the job.

 Plus, how donations are helping one Fresno homeless encampment survive.

 And local Asian American women share their experiences of discrimination.  Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition:  We check in with community organizations to see if the statewide effort to fix vaccination disparities is reflected in rural farm towns. 

Plus, we discuss our collective trauma as a result of living through a deadly pandemic. How might it shape our mental health in the future? 

And we look back; it’s been one year since COVID-19 upended our lives. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition:  Due to federal funding, the pandemic has created an unlikely opportunity for new homeless housing in Fresno. We look at some of the programs in place.

Plus, we tell you about a Microsoft pilot program that KVPR is a part of to preserve and expand local news around the country.

And arts critic Donald Munro gives us an update on the Tower Theater sale. Listen to these stories and more in the podcast above. 

On this week's Valley Edition: Thousands of migrant workers come to California each year to do temporary labor in the Valley and send money back to their families. What has the pandemic been like for them? We go to Delano to talk to some workers from Mexico who have been living in a hotel for the past four months. 

 And, we speak with four registered nurses who work in ICUs throughout the San Joaquin Valley about the toll of treating COVID-19 patients over the last year. 

On this week's Valley Edition: Farm workers across the San Joaquin Valley are showing high levels of interest in getting the COVID-19 vaccine but they say information about where to go is scarce. 

But there is plenty of medical mistrust within communities of color and the reasons are complex. We talk about why.