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| Wed, Feb 8th, 2012 Solar Energy Lunch & Learn |
| Thu, Feb 9th, 2012 Workplace Violence Seminar |
| Thu, Feb 9th, 2012 Workplace Violence Seminar |
| Thu, Feb 9th, 2012 Speed Networking |
| Fri, Feb 10th, 2012 Employment Law Workshop for 2012 |
| Wed, Feb 15th, 2012 Legislative Day 2012 |
| Wed, Feb 15th, 2012 “The Laws They Are A-Changin’” |
| Thu, Feb 16th, 2012 SBA Loan Workshop |
| Thu, Feb 16th, 2012 SBA Loan Workshop |
| Thu, Feb 16th, 2012 Employee Policies |
Blogs
Gordon Webster - Publisher - 01/30/2012
Gabriel Dillard - Managing Editor - 01/31/2012
Latest Local News
Written on 02.03 - 1:42 pm by
Fresno home prices, including distressed sales, declined by 9.4 percent in December 2011 compared to the previous December.
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Written on 02.02 - 5:02 pm by
The Fresno County Department of Public Health has received federal funds through the national Community Transformation Grant initiative in an effort to reduce chronic disease such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes by promoting healthy environments where people live, work and play, the County said in a news release.
The County’s news release did not state the amount of the grant, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the amount awarded to Fresno County was $499,695.
Under the leadership of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, a detailed plan of action will be developed by a coalition of partners representing health, education, business and environment.
“Fresno County will address three priority areas: tobacco-free living, active living and healthy eating and clinical preventative services,” Edward L. Moreno, director and health officer of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, said in the news release. “If we transform our environments to make the healthy choice, the easy choice, more people will be able to adopt healthy lifestyles and reduce their risks for chronic disease.”
Chronic diseases are responsible for 75 percent of the health care costs in the United States. Seven out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases, and almost one out of every two adults has at least one chronic illness.
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Written on 11.29 - 4:00 pm by
Rain for Rent, a water-handling and irrigation company, is once again seeking applicants for its college scholarships.
Charles P. Lake/Rain for Rent scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each will be awarded to 35 undergraduate students pursuing a career in agriculture, engineering or construction management.
Applicants must have completed their freshmen year at an approved four-year college/university and must be currently enrolled for the next school year.
Junior college students who are registered as sophomores and fall within the requirements may apply as well.
Applications will be accepted through April 13 at the Fresno County Farm Bureau, 1274 W. Hedges Ave. in Fresno. Brochures for the scholarship can be viewed and printed by visiting www.rainforrent.com/company/scholarship.aspx.
To obtain a scholarship application, please contact Katie Rodgers at the Fresno County Farm Bureau at (559) 237-0263 or katie@fcfb.org.
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Written on 02.02 - 2:15 pm by
Raising funds for a $2.17 million elevated helipad, Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation in Visalia is asking the public to pick the best video in a contest to encourage more donations for the project.
The foundation, which supports Kaweah Delta Medical Center, is using the contest as a way to market its efforts in a fundraising campaign to build the helipad by spring in order to better treat trauma patients flown to the hospital.
Through February, the public can vote on one of the top two videos by viewing them at VisaliaLifeSounds.com and clicking "like" on whichever is their favorite.
One video, "Helipad in Need," tells the story of an injured driver who needs the helipad to get to the hospital faster.
It was produced by Mike Urtaza, 18, a senior at Mt. Whitney High School and directed by Josiah Alter, 14, a freshman at Mt. Whitney.
The other video, produced and directed by Kyle Souryasack, 17, a senior at Redwood High School, informs the public about Kaweah Delta Medical Center's need for a helipad.
When complete, the planned helipad would perch 14 feet above the hospital's parking lot near Locus Street and connect to the emergency room ambulance port on the east side.
Donations for the helipad or for any other purposes may be made on Kaweah Delta Health Care District's website at http://www.kaweahdelta.org/giving/donations.asp.
Kaweah Delta Medical Center is also in plans to build a 96,000 square-foot, multi-story medical office building that could house physician offices and an urgent care center while also filling out the vacant 5th and 6th floor of the hospital's north tower with a cardiac unit and a post-surgical unit.
Established in 1979, Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation has raised more than $35 million i support of Kaweah Delta Medical Center through personal solicitations, grants, special events, direct mail and fundraising campaigns.
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Written on 02.02 - 1:02 pm by
Fresno podiatrist Thomas Kaschak has been selected by Kaiser Permanente to receive the 2011 David Lawrence Community Service Award, the medical group said in a release. Kaschak travels to Vietnam every year to perform surgeries on patients suffering from birth defects and other problems.
Kaschak has performed these charitable surgeries since 1998 and is one of 15 Kaiser Permanente employees across the country to receive the award, which recognizes employees and physicians who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts to improve the quality of health in the United States and abroad.
Kaschak, along with other surgeons, medical assistants, nurses and anesthesiologists typically perform about 30 surgical procedures each time they visit the Da Nang Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center in Vietnam. Some of those treated have injuries they have carried from the time of the Vietnam War, while others have had recent encounters with land mines.
“When I first went to Da Nang, I was unprepared for what I was going to see,” Kaschak said in the release. “I felt bad about not being able to contribute the way I wanted to, so I decided to go back. I’ve gone every year since and it’s been a wonderful experience.”
Kaschak said the first patient he saw crawled into the room on his hands and knees.
Kaschak’s wife, Cissy, joins him for the trip each year, and along with the staff that accompanies them, they pay their own way, often relying on private donations from friends and hospitals to help purchase the equipment and supplies they need. Kaschak said that he hopes to establish a nonprofit status for the Vietnam Medical Project to help fund future trips and equipment.
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Written on 11.29 - 4:00 pm by
Congressman Jeff Denham (R-Atwater) plans to introduce an amendment to keep money in a House transportation bill from going toward California's high-speed rail project.
About 20 percent of the $260 billion bill currently being considered by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee goes to public transit projects like replacing city buses or building new transit centers.
Denham's amendment to the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7) would block the state's proposed 800-mile bullet train from receiving any of that funding, most of which is raised by the federal gas tax.
Denham and fellow representatives have stepped up their opposition to the rail project in recent months following the release of a business plan that pegged construction costs at $98 billion, a significant increase from the $40 billion that was originally called for when the plan appeared before voters in 2008.
To date, the high-speed rail project has received over $4.4 billion from the federal government and a total of $7 billion in funding to begin construction on the first phase from Merced to Bakersfield.
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Written on 02.01 - 4:47 pm by
Economic conditions appear to still be headed in the wrong direction for the San Joaquin Valley, according to the monthly survey released by the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno on Wednesday.
The San Joaquin Valley Business Conditions Index came in at 48.1 for the month of January, still below the growth-neutral index of 50.0. December’s index was slightly higher at 48.4.
According to the survey, 46 percent of the participants view the increasing federal regulations imposed as the biggest threat to growth prospects.
The wholesale prices have to also be a concern as the index rose to an inflationary 57.2 from the already high 55.7 in December. Fresno State research associate Dr. Ernie Goss said he feels the federal government’s aggressive approach with record-low interest rates could lead to excessive money-supply growth.
“In my judgment, this pro-growth stance poses significant inflation risks even though current pressures appear to have eased,” he said.
Employment growth is negative also, as it fell from 48.0 in December to 47.0 in January.
The business confidence index remains low at 47.0, but it is an increase from the 44.1 index in December.
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Written on 02.01 - 3:38 pm by
Former Sanger city manager Eugene “Jim” Drinkhouse has filed a lawsuit against the City of Sanger in an attempt to recover approximately $200,000 of what are described as legal fees and costs associated with his defense in a lawsuit that was filed against him while serving as city manager, current Sanger city manager Brian Haddix said in a release.
Attorney Daniel Bruce filed the suit, in which Drinkhouse claims that the prior Sanger City Council made an agreement to defend Drinkhouse against charges that he aided his ex-wife Laura in a series of real estate transactions and business deals involving developer Randy Castiglione, the former chief financial officer and owner of Mister C Investment Corporation.
The original lawsuit was filed by Castiglione’s children as the owners of Mister C Investment Corporation, who claimed their father had defrauded the company and that Jim and Laura Drinkhouse aided him. Jim Drinkhouse was dismissed as a defendant shortly before a Fresno County jury began their deliberations last year, after which they awarded $2.4 million to Mister C.
When three new Sanger City Council members were seated following the November 2010 elections, the new majority voted to overturn the agreement with Drinkhouse and discontinue paying his legal expenses. The City of Sanger is expected to assert that any actions Jim Drinkhouse took in connection with his ex-wife and Castiglione were personal and not related to his position as city manager.
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Written on 02.01 - 2:38 pm by
A former vice president with Univision Radio in San Francisco has been hired into the newly created position of general manager for JSA Broadcasting in Fresno — parent company of KJWL (99.3 FM) and KYNO (940 AM).
Mary Lou Gunn, who previously worked in Fresno as an executive for Clear Channel and The Fresno Bee, started in her new position today.
"We are elated that Lou has agreed to join us in directing this strategic move forward for our stations," said John Ostlund, co-owner of JSA Broadcasting, in a statemen. "She had a long succesful history in Fresno before leaving town to take executive positions in Portland and San Francisco."
Ostlund also said that Gunn introduced him to his wife Katie.
In a statement, Gunn said that she's excited to come on board as KYNO plans an "aggressive" marketng campaign this spring.
"Coming back to Fresno is coming home, and I am looking forward to rejoining Fig Garden Rotary, seeing old friends, making new friends and eating at my favorite restaurants," Gunn said in a statement.
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Latest State News
Written on 02.03 - 1:58 pm by
Facebook's much-hyped initial public...
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Written on 02.03 - 1:32 pm by
(AP) — The integrity of some equipment...
Written on 02.03 - 1:22 pm by
(AP) — A Minnesota food company said...
Written on 02.03 - 11:53 am by
(AP) — For an emerging generation of...
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Latest National News
Written on 02.03 - 2:36 pm by
(AP) — Federal prosecutors closed their...
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Written on 02.03 - 2:01 pm by
(AP) — Colorado takes pride in its...
Written on 02.03 - 9:40 am by
(AP) — A drop in the unemployment rate...
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Written on 02.03 - 9:33 am by
(AP) — After three days of controversy,...
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