Chowchilla
Chowchilla, CA · Arts & Culture
The Fresno Bee
Monty, Kim, Warren and more: Fresno's TV news goodbyes pile up across every newsroom
It’s been a hectic few months for those following the Central Valley’s TV news scene, with a wave of retirements, departures, new hires and reassignments that hit all Fresno’s TV newsrooms in a way that is uncommon, if not unprecedented. Here’s a look at where things stand. Monty Torres retires with good news on his health Longtime KMPH evening anchor Monty Torres made his retirement official in June , telling viewers in a nearly three-minute segment that he would not be returning to the Fox 26 news desk after more than 20 years with the station. The news came with a silver lining. Torres, who took medical leave last October after a lung cancer diagnosis, said a biopsy of trace fluid from his lung showed “no malignant cells present” and that his symptoms had “nearly all disappeared.” Since then, Torres has become part of the Still Here Network, posting short-form new content to social media and Youtube under the banner, News Now. The station pulled his replacement, Vanessa Villafuerte, from CBS47. She joins Madison Macay as co-anchor for the 10 p.m. newscast. “We kind of kept it a little bit of a secret for a while,” Villafuerte said in her
KMPH.com
Meet our new FOX26 reporter, Finnley Pendergast
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — On Wednesday, FOX26 Great Day introduced our viewers to the newest member of the FOX26 family. Finnley Pendergast is joining FOX26 as our new reporter. Meet our new FOX26 reporter, Finnley Pendergast. He recently graduated from Fresno State, where he worked as a multimedia journalist...
Merced Sun-Star
Ready for the holidays? These Merced region craft fairs are, and about to pop up
Get a jump on your holiday shopping, with Christmas craft fairs preparing to set up as early as Nov. 4. Local artisans and other vendors will peddle all manner of wares and food items across the greater Merced and Mother Lode regions. Here’s a look at some of the larger events planned. All are free to enter, unless otherwise noted: Carnegie Artisan Market – Nov. 5: Vendors to offer the work of artists, jewelers, woodworkers, crafters and other creators. 5-8 p.m. Carnegie Arts Center, 250 N. Broadway, Turlock. carnegieartsturlock.org . Stanislaus County Fairgrounds Holiday Market — Nov. 7: About 80 local vendors will take part with kids crafts and food. A bar also will be open. There will be free photo opportunities with Santa Claus. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Stanislaus County Fairground floriculture area, 900 N. Broadway, Turlock. 209-668-1333. Holiday Craft Fair – Nov. 14-15: Crafts for sale including handmade items, wreaths, kitchen decor, scrapbooking supplies and more. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Lake Don Pedro Hacienda, 5182 Fuentes de Flores, La Grange. 831-214-2314. Crafty Chicks Holiday Market – Nov. 21: More than 65 indoor vendors with gifts, artisan foods, decor and more. There also will be a
KMPH.com
Scary Movie star signs autographs and takes pictures with fans in Fresno and Visalia
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — One of the stars from the original Scary Movie visited Fresno on Wednesday. Actor Dave Sheridan played Special Officer Doofy in the 2000 film Scary Movie. He visited the Riverpark PartyWorks on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno and then the Visalia PartyWorks on Caldwell Avenue. At...
The Modesto Bee
csusignal.com
Julian Leyva takes the stage at Stan State
On Wednesday Oct. 28, Julian Leyva, a singer and songwriter from Ceres, CA known for his up and coming contemporary corridos style and ambitious lyrics performed a live concert at Stan State’s Student Center lawn. Leyva was chosen by President Britt Rios-Ellis for the Presidential Celebration Series of biannual...
The Modesto Bee
Iconic singer's ‘deeply personal' stories part of Modesto's Gallo Center concert
Get the Eat. Sip. Play. newsletter in your inbox Available now: Sign up here for the best food, drink and entertainment coverage in Stanislaus County. He hasn’t been “The Stranger” for a long time. The music of Billy Joel, including songs on his above-mentioned 1977 breakthrough album, will be celebrated at a show coming to Modesto’s Gallo Center. “The Billy Joel Legacy: A Tribute Experience” will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the downtown venue. Called a “dynamic celebration of the legendary singer-songwriter’s greatest hits, and the story of the man behind the melodies,” on the Gallo Center’s website, the show takes audience’s through Joel’s iconic career. The performance features a full band and two rotating singers. A Des Moines Register online story calls the show “more than a concert.” “Through live performances, cinematic multimedia, and captivating narration, audiences will journey through the defining moments of Billy Joel’s life to discover the people, places, and experiences that inspired some of the greatest songs ever written,” the story says. Creator and director of the show Dean Elliott said in that online story that the “music of Billy Joel has an incredible ability to connect with audiences across generations.” “Whether
fresyes.com
Fresno’s New HOTWORX at Park Crossing: Sip, See & Sweat This Saturday
Curious about the new HOTWORX in North Fresno, but not quite sure what working out inside an infrared sauna actually means? This Saturday is your chance to get a closer look!. HOTWORX Fresno at Park Crossing is hosting Sip, See & Sweat on Saturday, November 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be studio tours, music by DJ Bambi, Pressed Juicery, Massage Envy, and a one-day offer of $0 sign-up fees for people who become members at the event.
munroreview.com
For Chris Carsten in ‘Water for Elephants,’ the Saroyan Theatre is home. Sort of.
The last time we saw Chris Carsten perform in Fresno, he did it with an intensity so pummeling that it reminded me of turning up a stereo until the sound distorts. That was in 2022, in Good Company Players’ masterful production of “A Man for All Seasons” at the 2nd Space Theatre, and Carsten played the pivotal role of Thomas Cromwell with an explosive, even reckless, performance. It was stunning.
midvalleytimes.com
Community aims to start new chapter for Selma library
SELMA – After weeks of hitting the pavement and connecting with residents, ongoing efforts to start a new Friends of the Library group are finally gaining some momentum. Rosa Huerta is the first vice president of Friends of the Fresno County Library, a nonprofit organization with the goal of advocating for and supporting local libraries. Since learning about the Selma Branch Library’s upcoming reopening after two years of renovations, Huerta has been working to start a Friends of the Library chapter to support the returning branch.
thegoodlifesv.com
The Fresno Bee
Fresno teen collected 450 Halloween animatronics; think scary clowns. Where to see them
Lucas Antonio is lost somewhere in a maze of clowns. There are a dozen, or more, set up at the entrance of the Fresno Fright Nights, the Halloween attraction that opened at Island Water Park this month. The contorted bodies are dressed in stripes and polka dots, bright shocks of colored hair atop plastic white faces with wide-smiles of monster teeth. Plug them in and the animatronics come to laughing, snarling life. “They’re all their own characters, with their own names,” says Antonio, an 18-year-old “Halloween enthusiast” who helps design and equip haunted attractions with a collection of scary animatronics that numbers in the hundreds. “They are just so basic and goofy, and I just have to have every single one of them,” he says of the clowns, which are designed and marketed through a company called Seasonal Visions International. Antonio has been collecting nearly his whole life and turned what had been a neighborhood haunt in his front yard into to a year-round gig. He has a partnership with Fresno Fright Nights, but also helped open Scare Factory in Fresno in 2024 and is senior director and specialist manager with the company ElsewhereFX, which tours pop-up Halloween attractions across