Valley Edition

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.

On this week's Valley Edition: The history of African Americans in the San Joaquin Valley - what were the early days like for those who blazed a trail for future generations?  

And forget the movie - why the real-life Green Book was necessary for helping African Americans travel safely - even here in California.

Plus: black farm worker families in the 1950s - did they find a better life from their years in the South?

On this week’s Valley Edition: Highlights from this year’s World Ag Expo, including technology that aligns with California’s clean energy goals. We also revisit a Navy Veteran who was facing deportation proceedings, but now might be off the hook.

Plus: Stranger than fiction? We go inside an explosive report linking election meddling and a secretive Israeli intelligence agency to a hospital in Tulare.

Later, we’ll speak with a Fresno-born composer whose work helped earn the Mary Poppins reboot an Oscar nomination.

On this week’s Valley Edition: We look at how pesticides may be contributing to honey bee deaths, and what that means for the $3 billion dollar almond industry. We also look at how the bankruptcy filing from utility provider PG&E could derail the state’s renewable energy goals.

Later, we take some time to explore the arts and culture scene by visiting an art gallery in Bakersfield and talking to a Fresno writer with a new collection of poems.

On this week’s Valley Edition: The federal government issued deportation orders to a veteran who served six years in the Navy. He’s got a checkered past, but he says he’s making up for it. We also look at an unusual business started by a Valley native that some say glorifies the crimes of serial killers.

Plus: It’s been a year and a half since the City of Fresno banned camping in order to reduce its homeless population. Tent cities are less common but is the ban helping or hurting those most in need?

This week on Valley Edition: We hear from the widow of a police officer who took his life last year. Now, she’s telling his story to bring attention to a leading cause of death among law enforcement.

Plus: We talk to a grandmother and a grandson - she’s 83, he’s 19 - about their takes on life, love and aging. They're part of our new occasional series, Over 80, Under 20.

On this week’s Valley Edition: The opioid crisis is not just in rural, midwest America -- it’s right here in the San Joaquin Valley. We kick off a series of stories on local treatment gaps and the reality of being addicted.  

Plus: How are immigration courts faring during the partial government shutdown? We hear from attorneys concerned about delays and cases stuck in limbo.

And now that Fresno Police have released their 2018 crime statistics, we revisit Fresno’s Measure P and the opposition it faced leading up to the November election.

On this week’s Valley Edition: A plot of land in southwest Fresno that used to be a landfill is now not just a park, but a national landmark. A historian gives us the gritty details.

Plus: How are local federal employees dealing with the shutdown?  We’ll hear from Fresno IRS workers, who say they’re watching their savings dwindle.

Later we hear from renowned folk singer John McCutcheon, who’s performing in Fresno, and we catch up with arts blogger and critic Donald Munro about the shows he’s excited to watch this winter.

On this week's Valley Edition: The San Joaquin Valley has some of the dirtiest air in the country. In Fresno and Kern Counties, a state law has introduced a new strategy to tackle the problem: putting air monitoring in the hands of the community.

Later, we look at how some undocumented high school students are navigating college applications and applying for driver licences. Some are choosing to opt out entirely.