FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- California gas prices hit a record high of $4.72 a gallon on average this week.
Experts say a whopping five dollars a gallon will likely be the norm in a matter of months.
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California is ending the indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people on Wednesday as the state sees declining COVID-19 case rates and hospitalization numbers.
Los Angeles County residents, however, have to keep masking up indoors — regardless of vaccination status.
The statewide indoor masking requirement expires Tuesday, moving the state back to previous guidance that mandates face coverings only for unvaccinated people in all indoor public settings, like shops, gyms, bars and movie theaters.
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At 66, Edward El has a new lease on life — literally. In two weeks, he’ll move into his own apartment in Berkeley after spending the better part of the past 16 years homeless.
Years ago, a back injury and pinched nerves in his legs made standing and walking painful, and he was laid off from his construction job. He ended up in “shelter after shelter after shelter.”
But nine months ago, El moved into one of 12 Project Roomkey shelters in Alameda County designed to reduce COVID-19 among the homeless population. He was connected with a housing navigator, a counselor and medical staff. They helped El apply for affordable housing and rental assistance vouchers, and coordinated with landlords who would give homeless renters a chance. Now he’ll pay a fraction of the cost to live in an area where one-bedroom apartments often exceed $3,000 per month.
The team also made sure that El was enrolled in Medi-Cal and had transportation to his doctor’s appointments. He said he couldn’t have navigated the array of complex systems if it weren’t for his new case management team. “I’m happy. They knew about programs that I didn’t know about that allowed me to get a place,” he said.
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WATERFORD, Calif. — Someone is nearly $300,000 richer after buying a Powerball ticket in the city of Waterford.
According to the California Lottery, a winning ticket was sold at the Pioneer Market along Yosemite Boulevard.
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There are a few areas to expect Caltrans crews to be working in the Mother Lode this week of January 23 to 29.
Work continues on Highway 108 at Hess Avenue/Peaceful Oak Road. This week the bridge work will limit one of the two lanes and the work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM.
On Highway 49 from Sixmile Creek to Church Street/Pine Street one-way traffic control will allow for tree work. The tree work is planned for Tuesday, January 25 from 9 AM to 3 PM.
On Highway 49 at the Parrots Ferry Road the construction continues as detailed here. Roadway excavation is planned to impact Highway 49 from 7 AM to 5 PM Wednesday through Friday.
On Highway 4 in Calaveras at Boards Crossing the right shoulder will be closed for highway construction at post marker 47.
On Highway 4 from Sheep Ranch Road to Rancho Paradiso one-way traffic control will allow for utility work. Expect 10-minute delays Tuesday through Thursday from 8 AM to 4 PM.
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Most Californians are living longer, earning degrees at higher rates and making higher wages than the average American. Yet when taking into account demographics and geography, a new study shows inequities persist.
It can be seen across California, where more than 12 years separate the life expectancies in the shortest- and longest-lived communities, according to the report “A Portrait of California.”
Moreover, the well-being of Black, indigenous and people of color falls significantly below the state average, with Blacks, Native Americans and whites experiencing a decline over the past decade, says the report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Measure of America.
The report looks at how Californians are doing in three key dimensions of well-being: longevity, access to knowledge, and earnings. Well-being is measured using the American Human Development Index (HDI) by combining data on these topics into a composite score on a 10-point scale.
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One of the temporary traffic signals posted at the entrance to the new Walmart Supercenter was destroyed by an allegedly drugged driver on Sunday evening, Dec. 28.
Ceres Police received multiple calls at 8:25 p.m. regarding a white Ford SUV being driven erratically, swerving, driving slow and stopping at green traffic lights. Officer Aaron Pinon was able to catch up to the vehicle as it was southbound on Mitchell Road from Don Pedro Road. As the patrol officer was nearing the white Ford SUV and before he could activate his overhead emergency lights to stop the vehicle, the Explorer veered to the right and collided with multiple objects, including the temporary traffic signal, before coming to rest at the entrance to the new store.
Driver Kevin Myers, 36, of Turlock, sustained injuries which required medical attention at a local hospital.
Due to his medical condition, Myers was released for treatment. Charges of driving under the influence are being are being sought against Myers by the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
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The next step for the Ripon Unified School District’s Trustee Area reapportionment plan is Feb. 16.
That’s when the San Joaquin County Board of Education, sitting as the County Committee on School District Organization, will meet.
Trustees had already approved Plan A also known as the balanced plan, based on 2020 U.S. Census Bureau.
"It's a refinement of the (current) plan," said former school board member Ernie Tyhurst, who once again worked with board President Kit Oase on the reapportionment plan.
They put together on the Trust Area plan back in 2014.
"It didn't change all that much," Tyhurst said at Monday's board meeting. "All (five areas) are within a percentage of each other."
He described the district map as a fan configuration with the Stanislaus River providing a natural boundary. Trustee Area 2 and Trustee Area 3 are divided by the Highway 99 freeway.
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The holiday season is upon us and the California Highway Patrol is reminding everyone to put safety first and follow the rules of the road while traveling California’s roadways.
According to data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, at least 38 people were killed in crashes in California throughout the Christmas holiday enforcement period last year. During that 78-hour Maximum Enforcement Period, CHP officers made 573 arrests for driving under the influence.
“The CHP will be out on California’s roadways while the public travels to join friends and family this weekend,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “Our goal is the same as yours, to make certain you arrive safely at your destination. From our family to yours, we wish you all a safe and happy holiday.”
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Writes Fresno author and journalist Mark Arax in “How We Drained California Dry”:
“No civilization had ever built a grander system to transport water. It sprawled farmland. It sprawled suburbia. It made rise three world-class cities, and an economy that would rank as the fifth largest in the world. But it did not change the essential nature of California. Drought is California. Flood is California. One year our rivers and streams produce 30 million acre-feet of water. The next year, they produce 200 million acre-feet. The average year, 72.5 million acre-feet, is a lie we tell ourselves.”
