Joe Moore

Today on Valley Edition we learn how one key Fresno City Council race could shift the balance of power in local politics. We also go to Yosemite Valley and hear about a new production of Shakespeare set amid Yosemite’s towering granite monoliths. Later in the show we learn how climate whiplash could impact the Central Valley with prolonged droughts and massive floods, and we talk to Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee and find out which big water storage projects are expected to get water bond funding, and which ones aren’t. Plus a look at an effort to preserve Delano’s history.

The California Water Commission delivered bad news last Friday to the backers of a proposed new dam on the San Joaquin River near Fresno. Supporters had hoped to receive around $1 billion in funding for the $2.7 billion project from the money voters approved in the 2014 Proposition 1 water bond. Instead, the commission awarded Temperance Flat only $171 million. Other proposed storage facilities fared better, such as the Sites Reservoir, which scored nearly $1 billion in funding. So what are the winners and losers saying?

Many communities across the valley have rich histories. The challenge in many cases is preserving those stories, memories, photos and artifacts for future generations. In one Kern County community, a new effort is underway to do just that. We recently spoke with history professor Oliver Rosales about the Digital Delano project. The effort to collect and record oral histories and more is holding a special event May 1 at the Bakersfield College Delano Campus, and we learn about local residents can help participate. 

Will House Republicans warm up to Kevin McCarthy as he seeks to become the next Speaker of the House? Or will members of the "Freedom Caucus" stage their own fight for the spot? Why is Democratic congressional candidate Andrew Janz focusing on Clovis in his messaging to unseat incumbent Devin Nunes in the 22nd Congressional District? And what do recent legal battles over local redistricting and Latino voter rights mean for valley politics? We talk politics and seek answers to those questions and more with Fresno State Political Science Professor Thomas Holyoke on Valley Edition.

On this week’s Valley Edition we learn how valley farmers are working on solutions to a problem that has a long legacy in the valley – nitrogen pollution. Not only can nitrate pollute groundwater, new research suggests it’s also a bigger contributor to air pollution than previously thought. We’ll learn why solving the problem is so difficult, and what local growers are doing to reduce their nitrogen use. We also will hear how a massive infrastructure project is nearing completion in Fresno.

According to a new report from The Bakersfield Californian's Harold Pierce, 10 teachers in the Kern High School District have been assaulted by students this year alone. Some suggest the number might even be higher. It's the latest news on a topic that has long plagued the district, which once was know for its high suspension and expulsion numbers.

Hunger is a big problem across America but especially here in the San Joaquin Valley. One of the local groups taking on the issue is FoodLink of Tulare County. The Exeter-based organization is dedicated to bridging the gap between between health and anti-hunger relief efforts.

This week we talk with Fresno Philharmonic conductor Rei Hotoda for insights into Sunday April 15th's concert Heaven & Earth. The performance features music celebrating spirit and nature by Debussy, Poulenc, Jennifer Higdon and Tan Dun. It's the final Masterworks Concert of the season, and Hotoda says listeners should come with their cellphones, ready to participate in this week's performance. 

This week on Valley Edition we learn about a new proposal to fix the City of Fresno’s poorly maintained parks system with a new sales tax. But will voters buy into the plan to fund parks, arts and trails? FM89’s Laura Tsutsui reports. We also learn how California’s state parks system has been transformed nearly a decade after a budget crisis threatened many parks with closure.

It wasn’t a "Miracle March" but last month's spring storms helped turn around what might have been a devastating year for California’s water supplies into one that is merely depressing. But was it too late for many valley farmers? We spoke with Johnny Amaral, deputy general manager for external affairs for Westlands Water District on Valley Edition. He joined us to talk about how this year is shaping up for valley growers, and also about some other issues in the news.

The Fresno City Council has approved a tax incentive deal with retailer Gap Inc. that would move the company’s e-commerce fulfilment center to Fresno.  City officials say the deal could result in as many as 500 new jobs.

The thirty year deal rebates the company $15,000 for every full-time job it creates, once it hits the 500 job threshold. The money would come from sales tax collected on items purchased from the facility, which would be housed in Gap’s existing warehouses near Fresno Yosemite international. It could be worth as much as $10 million.

Fresno has long been a hotbed of poetry, from Philip Levine to Larry Levis to Juan Felipe Herrera. Now a new generation of poets is taking up the tradition of chronicling the region's land and its people. Ronald Dzerigian is one of those poets, and his new book "Rough Fire" captures a unique slice of the local landscape. Dzerigian is a Fresno State MFA grad, and the new collection is his first book, due for release on July 20th 2018 by Finishing Line Press.

On this week’s Valley Edition, we learn about the looming changes to local government in Kern County following the adoption of new supervisorial district lines after a voting rights act lawsuit. We also talk to the co-author of a new report about the San Joaquin Valley’s looming nursing shortage, and with a leader of one local hospital that’s already dealing with the problem. Plus, a look at why democracy may not be working when it comes to local water districts. We learn about a new report shows that 87 percent of publicly elected seats on those boards went uncontested in recent years.

Kern County Supervisors have adopted new district lines following a legal settlement with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The group sued the county alleging the 2011 supervisorial redistricting disenfranchised Latino voters by drawing lines that divided communities like Arvin and Delano, diluting their political power. In February MALDEF won the suit in U.S. District Court, setting up settlement talks to draw new district lines and new procedures for upcoming elections.

A new report from the Visalia-based Community Water Center indicates that nearly 500 local water board seats have gone uncontested in recent elections. In the southern San Joaquin Valley, the report finds that 87 percent of seats on public water boards went uncontested. When only one candidate is seeking a seat, the election for that seat is not held.

A new study from the UCSF Healthforce Center has ominous news for the valley’s health care system. According to the authors, demand for registered nurses in the San Joaquin Valley is projected to grow by 35 percent over the next 12 years. But at the same time, the region’s total number of RNs is expected to actually decline, creating a serious shortfall. Some estimates put the regional RN shortage as high as 10,000 by 2030. So what’s behind the decline?

On this week’s Valley Edition we learn about a scandal that has rocked the health care industry, and allegedly led to disruptions in care for thousands of California Medi-Cal recipients. We also take a look back the local “March For Our Lives” events, and talk to journalist Andy Kroll about his new profile of California Governor Jerry Brown in the California Sunday Magazine. Plus author Sam McManis joins us for a look at his new book “Crossing California” which showcases the state’s weird and wonderful roadside destinations.

California Governor Jerry Brown holds the record for being the state’s youngest governor and also the state's oldest governor. As he nears the end of his record fourth term in office, many are turning to talk about the “L” word – legacy. A new profile in the California Sunday Magazine seeks to provide some new insights into Governor Brown, the evolution of his career and his thinking.

In a few months, California families from Eureka to Calexico will begin hopping in the family car for that grand American tradition of the road trip.