Valley Edition (KVPR)

On this week’s Valley Edition we hear reports about how idle oil and gas wells are drawing new scrutiny from Sacramento regulators, and how residents in a rural part of Clovis struck a compromise with the city and developers to protect their way of life. Plus we talk with Jim Boren of Fresno State’s new Institute for Media and Public Trust. Later in the show we are joined by USC professor Kathleen Wilber to talk about the growing problem of elder abuse and why most instances go unreported....

Today on Valley Edition, we learn how residents in the Kern County community of Lamont are excited about something many of us take for granted: sidewalks. We also learn about a new Buszzfeed investigation into a hit man with roots - and many victims - in the San Joaquin Valley. Plus we explore the problems of the recycling industry, and talk with Fresno author Tim Z. Hernandez about his new book "All They Will Call You."

This week on Valley Edition we learn why the operators of food pantries in the valley say they are facing a new problem - hostility towards Spanish speakers. We also learn how growers, packers and retailers are new technology like blockchain to improve the tracking of food as it flows through the supply chain. It's all part of an effort to reduce the severity of foodborne illness outbreaks like the one that recently tainted romaine lettuce. We also speak with journalist Amanda Fortini...

Today on Valley Edition, we learn about one of the most closely watched races in the June primary, the contest to be Kern County’s next sheriff. We also talk politics with GV Wire’s Bill McEwen and learn how local entrepreneurs are embracing Bitcoin and the world of cryptocurrency. Later in the show we talk with journalist Chloe Sorvino of Forbes about her recent profile of Sierra Pacific Industries, a company that dominates the timber industry in the Sierra. And we also chat with musician...

Today on Valley Edition we learn how international affairs are causing a problem for local recycling operators, and how one Fresno neighborhood is looking forward to a new city plan that could solve a big traffic problem for people who live west of Highway 99. We also talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Branch about his new book "The Last Cowboys," and Diego Arambula, Executive Director of GO Public Schools Fresno about their new Choosing Our Future 2.0 report. Plus Kerry...

Today on Valley Edition we get a preview of tonight’s gubernatorial debate, learn about efforts to control an invasive mosquito in Fresno and Clovis, and go surfing in Lemoore. We also talk with the organizers of a new museum exhibit about the epidemic of tree mortality in the Sierra, and with former Kern County author Howell Hurst about his new book.

On this week’s Valley Edition, we learn why open field agricultural burning has increased in recent years, and what’s being done about it. We also look at the race for the 22 nd Congressional District, and find out why what has long been considered a “safe” seat for Republicans is drawing more attention and money this year. Later in the show we get an update on political unrest in Armenia, and on Tulare County’s connections to Joseph James DeAngelo – the accused Golden State Killer. Plus...

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...

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...

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. But not everyone is happy with the “new normal.” We also talk about everything from the delta tunnels to a the...

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...

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...

This week on Valley Edition, we learn about the controversy over a new bill that some say is a solution to getting valley residents clean drinking water, but others say is an unfair water tax. We also learn about the ongoing fight between Madera County District Attorney David Linn and the Madera County Board of Supervisors. Plus valley jazz artist Benjamin Boone joins us to talk about his new recording with the late poet Philip Levine, feature Levine's poems and some of the world's top...

This week on Valley Edition we’ll learn why Porterville is becoming one of the leading communities in the state when it comes to making the switch to electric buses. We’ll also talk with the author of a new biography on the life of Fresno’s Kirk Kerkorian. We’ll learn how his early life in the valley helped shape his career as a billionaire dealmaker who conquered Hollywood, Las Vegas and the auto industry. FM89’s Kerry Klein joins us to recap the valley’s winter air pollution season, and...

This week on Valley Edition, a decade after the housing crash, things in Merced are looking up, in part thanks to the campus expansion now underway at nearby UC Merced. We also learn how this landlocked community hopes to become an "inland port" to help the county's economy. We also explore the controversy over voting rights in Kern County. We talk to the plaintiffs who recently scored a big victory in federal court over Kern County's drawing of supervisorial districts in 2011. The Mexican...

This week on Valley Edition we learn how computer gamers are helping scientists solve a problem for valley farmers, and we put Fresno’s new bus rapid transit system to the test. We also talk with Woodlake native Amanda Renteria on her surprise bid to be California’s next governor, and with reporter James Burger of the Bakersfield Californian about controversy over Kern County’s regulation of cannabis dispensaries. Plus a look at the “invasive swamp rodent” threatening the valley’s water...

This week on Valley Edition, we talk with NPR’s White House correspondent Tamara Keith about growing up in Hanford and her experience covering the Trump administration. Columnist Joe Mathews also joins us to explain why he thinks Fresno, Clovis and Madera could one day rival Austin, Texas as a major inland regional hub, but only if local governments cooperate. FM89’s Kern County correspondent Christina Lopez brings us the story of a Bakersfield-area protest following last week’s Florida...

This week on Valley Edition, we talk with Assemblymember Jim Patterson about the upcoming audit of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. We also get an update on a story from last week about the ICE facility in downtown Fresno, and we review smartphone apps that claim to provide important data about air quality. Plus a profile of nuevo mariachi musician Omar Nare, and a talk with the organizers of the Yonsei Project.

This week on Valley Edition - an exclusive report from Valley Public Radio's Kerry Klein about a secretive ICE facility hidden in plain sight in downtown Fresno, and why civil liberties groups are concerned about what goes on inside. We also talk with journalist Mark Arax about his new magazine article about billionaire valley farmers Stewart and Lynda Resnick. And we learn why NASA is examining air quality in the valley, both with low-cost air quality monitors on the ground, and new...

This week on Valley Edition, we learn about plans from a Canadian company to mine for gold in Mariposa. We also talk about the local political impact of the "Nunes Memo" and learn why the Delta smelt had a bad year, despite the end to California's drought. Plus we talk with Madera DA candidate Sally Moreno and learn about a new exhibit in Kingsburg.