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 bond...

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 Fresno....

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.

This week on Valley Edition we learn about new technology that is allowing valley residents to monitor the air quality right outside their homes. We also talk about the plans for new e-commerce centers in Fresno. Mayor Lee Brand says the plan to approve a major new industrial development could create hundreds of new jobs. But critics say the distribution warehouses would also generate more air pollution. Also on this week's show - a look at this past weekend's Women's March in Bakersfield,...

This week on Valley Edition we talk with one of the authors of a new study examining how exposure to air pollution can impact both our DNA and our immune system function. We also talk with the NYU professor who is exploring the history of computer gaming, and the role one local company played in pioneering the software industry. And we talk with a photographer who has a new book focused on valley agriculture.

This week on Valley Edition, we learn why the valley endured some of the worst air quality in decades, and why more wasn't done to prevent it. We also talk about the weather with meteorologist Sean Boyd. Later in the show we hear about the pros and cons of the proposed new route for high-speed rail through Bakersfield, and we talk with Merced Sun Star reporter Monica Velez about the closure of a network of health clinics last year in the north valley. Finally, we talk with folk singer John...

This week on Valley Edition we revisit three interviews from 2017. We talk with Michael Kodas author of the new book "Megafire" and learn why wildfire behavior is changing. We also look at local history in two different interviews. Stephen Provost joins us to talk about his new book " Highway 99 : The History of California's Main Street" and Heather David is on the program to talk about her new book "Motel California."

This week on Valley Edition, we talk to Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims about her thoughts as the county begins to implement SB 54, California's "Sanctuary State" bill. Mims was one of the bill's biggest critics when it made its way through the legislature, and she was worked closely with federal immigration officials in the past. We also talk with Bakersfield City Councilmember Bob Smith about the city's budget gap and about the idea of putting a tax increase in front of voters. And...

This week on Valley Edition we learn about new progress on the effort to bring Chinook salmon back to the San Joaquin River. We also hear about a valley program that for 25 year has been helping kids from communities like Parlier go to Ivy League schools. And we get an inside look at what it takes to put on a Fresno holiday tradition - Christmas Tree Lane. Plus Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld joins us to talk about his stance on medical marijuana, and an investigation into...

This week we learn what happens when you don't "check before you burn" by taking a trip to the Valley Air District's "fireplace school." We also talk to Fresno City Councilmember Clint Olivier about his plans to leaglize a number of businesses involved in the marijuana industry in Fresno, and about a proposal that would give members of the city council a raise. We also hear how students at Fresno State may have kicked off a rebellion over student fees that extends system-wide in the CSU....