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The Fresno Bee
Some incumbents struggling in latest Fresno County school board election update
Another election results update is in, and in the Fresno school board trustee races many incumbents are struggling. The tight race to represent Fresno Unified School District’s Area 3, Sunnyside, is heating up with incumbent Valerie Davis falling behind Riley Talford. Talford presently has 50.72% of the expected vote, while Davis has 48.73% — a difference of about 160 votes. Similarly, McLane region incumbent Veva Islas is still trailing behind Karen Steed, who has 36.54% of the expected vote. Islas is at 33.13%, while Mirna Garcia has 29.86%. As for the election to represent the district’s Edison region, Miguel Arias is still maintaining a sizable lead — over 1,200 more votes that the runner-up — in the crowded race. In Central Unified, incumbent Josh Sellers is trailing behind John Nale by just 80 votes in the Area 1 race. However, another incumbent — Harman Singh — has nearly 49% of the vote to continue leading Area 3, putting him ahead of challengers Erica Gonzalez Piedra and Lavera Smith. The remaining Central Unified races for areas 4 and 7 do not have any incumbents in the running, though Carmen Flores and Diljot Singh are leading their races with 53.02% and 57.46%
The Fresno Bee
Fresno-area junior college faculty hold symbolic funeral as contract talks drag on
State Center Community College District faculty members recently held a mock funeral to mourn the death of their contract as the union enters its second year of negotiations. Members of the State Center Federation of Teachers gathered outside the district headquarters — donning black outfits and surrounding a symbolic casket — on Tuesday afternoon. Some wore suits and formal attire while others showed up in costumes. One demonstrator had a sign that read, “Our contract is dead and does not R.I.P.” When the SCCCD board of trustees meeting began, attendees carried the coffin — with the expired contract stapled inside — into the building. “Today, we’re having a symbolic, mock funeral to really kind of relay the absurdity of us being out of contract,” Fresno City College English professor Monique Quintana said. “We just want what we deserve.” SCFT president Keith Ford said ceremonial funerals are one way for labor organizers to make their frustrations heard. He said their contract expired in June 2025, though negotiations have been underway since Nov. 2024. “After making all of our points as civilly and sometimes as humorously as possible, we thought it’s time to really lay on the gravitas and say, ‘No, this
The Fresno Bee
Fresno, Sanger West secure first girls tennis titles; water polo semis/titles set
The Fresno High girls tennis team won the Central Section Division V championship, rallying for a 5-4 victory over No. 3 Exeter to secure the first section title in school history. The top-seeded Warriors trailed 2-1 in the doubles matches, but Fresno coach Jamesa Lundberg said he had faith in his players. They pulled through, capped by a tiebreaker win at No. 1 singles by Arianna West, who lost the first set in a tiebreaker. She won the second set 6-2 and the third-set tiebreaker, 10-6. Wins also came from No. 3 Madelyn Gonzalez, Sofia Medina at No. 4, and Brianna Alonso at No. 6. Fresno reached the championship after defeating No. 16 Taft, No. 9 McLane and No. 5 Avenal. “I am extremely proud of our girls,” Lindberg said. “They stayed competitive and focused throughout the playoffs among the attention and playoff predictions. I am also extremely grateful for my assistant coach Julie Wong. She stepped up for me in her first year assisting at Fresno High and was amazing. The section title follows the Fresno boys winning the Division IV title in 2025. Other section winners from the Fresno area include No. 2 Sanger West (Division III) and
petsplusmag.com
Unconditional Makes Premium Air-Dried Dog Food More Accessible, Launching In 1,400 Petsmart Stores Nationwide
(PRESS RELEASE) FRESNO, CA — Unconditional, the premium air-dried dog food brand from Citizens Pet, announced its launch into 1,400 PetSmart stores nationwide. The expansion brings the brand’s high-quality, honestly priced nutrition to more dog parents through a trusted retailer they already rely on for everyday pet care and guidance.
bvmsports.com
Fresno State Volleyball Heads to Colorado State, Boise State
Fresno State closes its road schedule with two matches: a Thursday rematch at Colorado State, followed by a Saturday visit to Boise State. The Bulldogs enter the final stretch of their first Pac-12 season after a narrow five-set loss at Texas State, where they set season highs in kills and hitting percentage for a five-set match.