Zoning classifications and property descriptions are meant to organize and clarify, but they often just confuse. Land use in Tulare County is divided into thirty-one zone classifications. All zoning designated with an “R” is residential. For example, “R-1” is zoned for single-family residential and “R-2” is zoned for single-family residential or two-family dwellings (like duplexes). […]
We are in the holiday season and many of us think of what we might do to help others. There are many, many persons throughout the United States who are in medical need of a stem cell transplant after other cancer therapies have failed. Modern technology has made donating stem cells much like donating blood. […]
Last winter, I dedicated a column to an explanation of the new Common Core State Standards. In fact, I started with, “A big change is on the horizon for California schools: the implementation of Common Core State Standards.” In September, I read about a recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the public’s attitudes toward the […]
An additional 197 square miles in Tulare County have been placed under quarantine for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) following the detection of three psyllids near Exeter, Lemon Cove and the unincorporated area southeast of Porterville. Along with an additional 37 square miles of quarantine in Kern County, this brings the total quarantined area in […]
The city of Visalia, faith-based organizations and service providers are coming together to deal with the issue of homelessness in Visalia. A broad-based outreach plan kicks off this month with faith-based partners to discourage individuals from giving money to panhandlers with the “Change That Counts” campaign, urging support instead for those who help the homeless. […]
According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), about one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year. Additionally, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada. However, between 70 and 90 percent of the individuals who are treated for their illness experience a […]
This fall, the Tulare County Office of Education’s Behavior Health Services (BHS) program expanded the reach of its successful Intervention Resource Classroom (IRC), first piloted at Lindsay High School last semester. The Lindsay High School pilot, known as the Green Zone, is a safe and highly supportive classroom where students with identified behavior management issues […]
Shannon Ranch Elementary School in Visalia received the most votes and won first place in The Toro Company’s “Ready. Set. GROW!” grant program. The school will use its $7,000 grant to install a drip irrigation system to help efficiently irrigate the school garden. The area is used by students throughout the year to learn about […]
On December 2, Covered California officially launched the full self-enrollment function of the Small Business Health Options (SHOP) online marketplace. This new function on the Covered California website will enable small businesses to fully enroll for coverage that may begin as early as January 1. “Small businesses now have new options to provide more choice […]
You may have had a little more money in your pocket this year after buying all the ingredients for your Thanksgiving dinner. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 28th annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 was $49.04, a […]