Local News

Three Visalia Residents Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Production of False Identification Documents

FRESNO - Elfego Alcala, 47, Tamilene Cisneros, 49, and Aida Corona, 38, of Visalia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and production of false identification documents, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, between Feb. 2018 and Aug. 8, 2018, the defendants conspired to produce and sell false identification documents.

On March 12, 2018, they engaged in a transaction in which they manufactured and sold three false Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR or “green card”) and three false Social Security cards that appeared to be issued by and under the authority of the United States.

DUI Checkpoint Scheduled This Weekend in Fresno

FRESNO - The Fresno Police Department will conduct DUI saturation patrols on January 10th, 2020 aimed at getting impaired drivers off the road. In addition, the Fresno Police Department will hold a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on January 11th, 2020 at an undisclosed location within the city limits.

DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols are done in locations with a higher frequency of DUI-related collisions and arrests. During the checkpoint, officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.

California Food Expo Dissolves Operations as Financial and Organizational Constraints Prove Challenging

FRESNO - The Board of Directors of the California Food Expo (formerly the Fresno Food Expo) announced today that they have elected to dissolve the 501 (c) (6) organization and close its operations effective January 31, 2020, citing financial and organizational constraints.

In its nine-year lifetime, the Expo created a nucleus of businesses and individuals who have served as stewards of the San Joaquin Valley and California’s rich food industry. While the California Food Expo will itself no longer operate, the efforts it began will continue to serve as a catalyst for future collaborations, the sharing of resources, and new business opportunities.

Atwater Man Threatens His Own Life After Brandishing Handgun

ATWATER - Early Friday afternoon officers from the Atwater Police Department responded to the area of Ralston Park, on Third Street near Elm Avenue, to a report of a male who had just brandished a handgun at the reporting party.

Officers located the reporting party and his girlfriend who told them that a Hispanic male had just pointed a semiautomatic pistol at them at Ralston Park, threatened to shoot the female and then fled the area on foot. As other officers began searching the area, they called out over the police radio that he had located the subject running through an alley near Drakeley Avenue and Third Street and that the subject was carrying a handgun.

New Supermarket Sets Sights on Northeast Madera

MADERA - Vallarta Supermarkets, a well-known food retailer in the Central and Southern California Hispanic markets, has submitted plans to the City’s Planning Department for review as they plan to expand their 50-store chain empire to the City of Madera.

The new store will be located at 1467 Country Club Drive, most recently a Fallas Paredes Discount Store (previously Mervyn's). The company is working with development services staff to finalize plans that entail an $11+ million dollar remodel of the property. The remodel includes a Santa Barbara mission-style façade improvement with dual entrances to the west side of the building.