As the final vote count from the November 3 general election in Tulare County is slowly tabulated, a pair of races still remain too close to call on the thinnest of margins. Handfuls of Ballots The contests where candidates are running neck-and-neck are the Area 6 trustee’s seat in the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) […]
As Tulare County officials struggle to improve COVID infection numbers and move the area out of the Purple Tier so life can return to normal here, several gyms appear to be operating in open violation of state and county orders. As late as Thursday, November 5, Fit Republic on Noble Avenue in Visalia was allowing […]
The general population of students in the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) will begin returning to class on the last day of November. Youngest Students Return First The first students to return will be the youngest, with preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first- and second-graders going back to their classrooms on November 30. Grades three through six […]
While the Tulare and Kings Counties’ Congressional and Assembly races remain too close to call, local races are all but decided. Tulare Council gets two new members, Mayor stays With a razor-thin margin, Tulare appears to have two new city council members. With all districts reporting on election night, Mayor Jose Sigala retained his seat […]
Editors’ note: This article has been updated to include a new court document. Tulare City Council member Carlton Jones vandalized his opponent’s election sign then launched a profane online tirade that included homophobic slurs when confronted. Jones Admits Behavior Jones’ behavior was reported by his opponent for the District 3 seat, Steve Harrell, in […]
Republican offices in at least three California counties are engaging in possibly illegal ballot harvesting, according to the Secretary of State’s office, and the Republican Party of Tulare County appears to be using the same technique in the run-up to the November 3 election. Local GOP Soliciting Ballots Last week, a message distributed on social […]
Chris Harrell, a prominent Tulare civic leader accused of soliciting sex with a minor via the internet, has resigned his position as president of the Tulare Board of Public Utilities (TBPU). Last Minute Resignation Harrell submitted his letter of resignation at noon on Friday, October 8, three hours before a special meeting of the Tulare […]
Chris Harrell, the former executive director of the Tulare Historical Museum and a Tulare civic leader, was arrested over the weekend along with 12 other men for allegedly soliciting sex with a minor. According to an anonymous source, Harrell has not worked at the museum for two months. Harrell was released from custody just after […]
Legal actions involving Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) have seen an uptick in activity as the incumbent representative faces a challenge for the 26th District State Assembly Seat, and a review of court filings reveal accusations against him of domestic violence by his former wife. Staffers’ Suits Dismissed The most recent court news involving Mathis […]
Voters were treated to a side-by-side comparison of the candidates seeking the three available seats on the Visalia Unified School District’s (VUSD) Board of Trustees during a candidates forum held in the run-up to the November 3 election. The forum, held virtually on September 23, was sponsored by the Visalia League of Women Voters and […]