Valley Edition

Segment 1: Rural homeless:
Many people think of homelessness as an urban issue, but small towns and rural communities throughout Central California are facing this issue as well. This week on Valley Edition, we talk to Matthew Macedo, a Hanford teen who has produced a documentary film called "Homeless in Hanford" about what inspired him to take on this issue. Joey Cox of the Kings Community Action Organization in Hanford, and Felix Vigil, Director of the Madera Rescue Mission also join our discussion about rural homelessness.

Segment 1: Hunger in the Valley
A new study of hunger in America ranks Bakersfield and Fresno number one and two in the nation in number of residents who struggle to put food on the table. How has the richest agricultural area in the nation become home to so many people who can't afford food? Ian Anderson with the Community Action Partnership of Kern County and Andy Souza, with Fresno's Community Food Bank join host Juanita Stevenson to talk about how to bring access to food to communities that struggle with poverty, in the middle of persistent economic challenges.

This week on Valley Edition we talk about the challenges of providing health care in the Valley's rural communities. We'll hear a special report about a Reedley hospital that has recently emerged from bankruptcy, and talk with Assembly Member Linda Halderman, who is a physician, about the efforts to reform the state's Medi-Cal program. We'll also learn more about Fresno Unified's new graduation task force and find out what this commission will do to help stem the wave of dropouts that has been a major source of concern in the district. 

On this week's Valley Edition we talk about a new study that links dementia and air pollution, a new program that aims to help people stay in their homes, and a plan to make Highway 152 a toll road. 

Valley Edition for February 21, 2012:

This week on Valley Edition we talk about the problem of pet overpopulation in the Valley, and learn what groups are doing to help spay and neuter more cats and dogs. We'll also learn more about the future of Fresno County's public library system which will be placing an extension of the sales tax known as Measure B before voters on the November ballot. 

Valley Edition for February 14, 2012

This week on Valley Edition we look at the steps parents and educators are taking to stop bullying of teens, especially over their sexual orientation. We'll also learn about the controversial plan to mine a scenic and culturally significant mountain on Highway 180 near Reedley and Sanger. We'll close the program with a profile of Arts Visalia's upcoming "Sofa Art" show.

This week on Valley Edition, we talk about whether the Valley is the worst place in the US to find a job, as US News and World Report claims in a new article. We talk with UC Merced's new chancellor about the efforts at the campus to boost the region's economy. And we close the program with a report about a theater project in Sanger that aims to bring people together over the topic of hunger, in a land of agricultural abundance.

This week on Valley Edition, we talk about the recent critical report about the state's high speed rail plan, and get an international perspective from a Fresno Bee reporter who recently returned from Spain where he reported on the successes and failures of that country's bullet train system. We'll also talk about efforts to ensure the safety of children in protective care in California.

This week on Valley Edition we talk about this winter's especially poor air quality and learn what residents can do to stay healthy. We'll also talk about the once again stalled Fresno Veterans Home, and a program to help Valley residents make their homes more energy efficient. 

This week on Valley Edition we talk about the plans to dramatically remake the US Postal service by cutting post offices, mail sorting facilities, and even weekend delivery. We'll also talk about the eminent demise of the state's redevelopment agencies, and the importance of hospice care in the Valley.