Fresno City Council

Two weeks after giving preliminary approval to a law that would outlaw kratom sales, the Fresno City Council pivoted, giving a final green light to a modified law that restricts, rather than bans, the sale of kratom products to adults.

Behind closed doors, Fresno’s mayor strategized with builders to overcome citizen opposition and coach councilmembers into approving a 9,000-acre development that lacks any plan to pay for its infrastructure.

The community advocates argue the plan to annex 9,000 acres near Southeast Fresno would drain the city’s resources too thin without providing a benefit to communities already within the city.

Mayor Jerry Dyer and City Council President Mike Karbassi said their thoughts and prayers are with Kirk’s family.

The bond will also fund the construction of both Fresno Fire Station 12 in northwest Fresno and the new 911 emergency call center downtown. The new police headquarters will be leased for 21 years.

A trove of emails were released in an active lawsuit against the City of Fresno, which show behind the scenes conversations about the city’s budget process.

Fresno’s elections, and their outcomes, could be manipulated by groups that face minimal fines for breaking the law, according to experts.

A string of industrial properties along Elm Avenue were rezoned to mixed-use in 2017 after a community planning process identified an over-concentration of polluting uses in residential areas. The developers and property owners say the new zoning has limited their financing options, a claim several finance experts dispute.

For many small business owners, the contentious anti-camping law has been a blessing.

Brandon Vang held onto enough of the vote over three weeks after the special election, winning the District 5 Fresno City Council seat outright.