After 10 years as a private citizen, former Democratic state assemblywoman Nicole Parra is ready to reenter the political arena, this time setting her sights higher as she aims to take over Rep. David Valadao’s (R-Hanford) seat in the US Congress. A Bakersfield Native Parra–who served as the assembly member for the 30th District from […]
Timothy Lutz, director of Tulare County Health and Human Services, needed just one word to frame his reaction to the area’s current COVID situation: “Wow.” ‘Extremely High’ Death Rate He offered that assessment early on the morning of January 21, a day after Tulare County saw 319 new cases and nine deaths. In the brief […]
The trial of Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA) CEO Dr. Yorai “Benny” Benzeevi could become a high-profile case garnering nationwide attention, as former attorneys for disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein and Casey Anthony — a Florida woman accused and acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter — join his legal team. Benzeevi’s company managed the Tulare Local […]
State Assemblyman Devon Mathis has upset some of his constituents with a racially-insensitive Christmas poem entitled The 12 Vato Days of Christmas. Mathis posted the poem to his personal Facebook account on December 18. It remains in place as of the night of Sunday, December 20. While the post received little attention so far, three […]
Tulare may turn to the courts to finally force completion of the Del Lago Subdivision. Nunley-Owned Company Defaults Begun in the first decade of the 2000s, the subdivision reached a point in 2015 when upgrades to the area surrounding it should have been completed. Owners of Del Lago Place–a limited liability corporation and one […]
Despite the turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) will see a budget boost of nearly $20 million over the previous school year. According to numbers presented to the school board by Jim Sullivan, administrator of VUSD Family and Community Services, the district’s coffers should contain around $387 million from […]
Dr. Yorai “Benny” Benzeevi — onetime CEO of the Tulare Local Health Care District (TLHCD) who fled the country to avoid prosecution for crimes allegedly committed while he held that office — has been arrested. Beginning in 2014, Benzeevi, through his company Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA), took over operation of the TLHCD — including the […]
The Tulare County Elections Office has certified results of the November 3 general election, and two incumbent politicians are on their way out after their races were decided by single digits. In Tulare, Steve Harrell has edged out incumbent City Councilman Carlton Jones by just seven votes, while at the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) […]
Twenty-eight employees at the Tulare County Department of Child Care Services (DCCS) will lose their jobs one week before Christmas. The layoffs–intended to close a $2.1 million budget gap at DCCS–were announced to workers last week then approved just seven days later by a 4-1 vote of the county supervisors on Tuesday, November 17. An […]
Cases of COVID-19 in Tulare County have spiked by more than 75% in the last two weeks, and officials fear the trend will continue into the winter months. 1,000-plus New Cases The Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency (TCHHS) reported 482 new cases of COVID for the week ending November 9 and 625 for […]