Pinedale
Pinedale, CA · LATEST NEWS
The Fresno Bee
7 food businesses shut down by Fresno Co. health. Three have been cited before
Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@fresnobee.com . Seven food businesses were temporarily closed by health inspectors in Fresno County in October. Of those, three had previously been cited for violations, according to data tracked and reported by The Fresno Bee. North Point Event Center’s West Bar Regency (and the connected Paramhans Restaurant ) was closed Oct. 6 following an inspection that found signs of a vermin infestation. Both businesses were allowed to reopen the following day with proof of pest control service and after re-inspection. The bar, at West and Ashlan avenues, had previously been closed for several weeks in April 2025 , and the event center itself was closed twice that year, according to past reporting in The Bee. Chalio’s , a Mexican restaurant on Front Street in Selma, remains closed after an Oct. 12 inspection that was instigated by an ownership change. According to the inspection report, the restaurant had been operating without a valid permit and had dozens of violations that needed to be correction before it would be allowed to reopen. The restaurant had previously been closed
yourcentralvalley.com
Investigation after water-heater fire at Fresno home
FRESNO, Calif. ( ) – An investigation is underway after crews responded to a house fire in west-central Fresno early Wednesday morning, according to the Fresno Fire Department. Crews responded to the home near Vassar and West Avenues around 2 a.m. Investigators said the fire started in a water-heater...
The Fresno Bee
Former nonprofit executive in Fresno convicted of an elaborate insurance fraud
Sonny Mehrtash, a former nonprofit executive in Fresno, has been sentenced to one year probation and 240 hours of community service for trying to defraud an insurance company of nearly $100,000. Mehrtash, who used to run several fundraising groups including Community Connection and RXfundraising, was convicted of one misdemeanor charge of making a false statement in support of an insurance claim. The fraud conviction stems from a 2024 two-car crash in which Mehrtash was not at fault but was injured. Court records show Mehrtash alleged that he received a burn on his left arm, lacerations to his legs, a bump on his head, post-traumatic stress disorder and a loss of consciousness. Mehrtash also submitted medical reports to Nationwide, the other driver’s insurance company, claiming he had a traumatic brain injury and “postconcussion syndrome.” Mehrtash alleged in his claim that his injuries caused him to be off work and that he was owed compensation. To substantiate his claim, Mehtrash provided medical reports from a doctor, who an insurance company investigator later determined was Mehrtash’s best friend and the registered owner of the BMW 530i vehicle Mehrtash was driving when he crashed. In the investigator’s report that is part of the court
KMPH.com
Crime Stoppers Daily Most Wanted: Candice Stone Madel
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Our Valley Crime Stoppers Daily Most Wanted is Candice Stone Madel. Candice Stone Madel is wanted on a Felony Warrant for Stalking. 33-year-old Madel is 5' 10" tall, 180 lbs., and has brown hair and blue eyes. If you know where Candice Stone Madel is...
The Fresno Bee
Kim Stephens' son joins KMPH's Great Day + other changes at Fresno TV newsrooms
Finnley Pendergast may be new to KMPH’s TV newsroom , but he has some history with the station and its Great Day morning show. His mother, Kim Stephens, has co-hosted the newscast since its inception in 2003, playing counterpart to its well-known weatherman Kopi Sotiropulous. Pendergast grew up visiting her on set. “It was kind of boring then,” says the 22-year-old Fresno State graduate, who just last week joined the station as morning reporter and multimedia journalist. “I was just a kid.” But looking across the newsroom and seeing his mother behind the anchor desk, it hits different now that the pair are working together, he says. “It’s a really cool experience for both of us.” This is Pendergast’s first gig since graduating from Fresno State, where he helped produced a weekly newscast and anchor weather segments for the school’s student newscast. He also worked on the university’s newspaper as sports editor and as a staff reporter. Getting that practice in, especially in front the camera, was helpful, he says, for a guy who is mostly pretty reserved. But there was a big learning curve going into his first live remote from outside city hall, reporting on updates to the
The Fresno Bee
Head-on collision kills one person, closes part of Clovis Ave. south of Fresno
A fatal collision closed down a section of Clovis Avenue south of Fresno for several hours Sunday night. One person was killed in the head-on-crash, which happened around 9:40 p.m. on Clovis Avenue south of Central Avenue. According to the California Highway Patrol, a Chrysler PT Cruiser was traveling southbound on Clovis Avenue when it veered left, crossed the center media and went into northbound traffic and the path on an oncoming Mercedes. “The Mercedes’ driver was unable to avoid the collision,” according to a Monday news release from the CHP. They were ultimately transported to Community Regional Medical Center with major injuries. The driver of the Chrysler was treated by emergency medical personnel “but succumbed to his injuries,” the CHP said. No further information on the drivers has been released and the CHP continues to investigate the initial cause of the crash. It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor, pending toxicology results. “A section of Clovis Avenue, from Central to American avenues, was closed in both directions for two hours while the crash was investigated and a Skylife medical air support worked through a mechanical issue,” CHP said. “After the issue was resolved and Skylife departed,
The Fresno Bee
One dead in Highway 41 crash in Fresno. Driver may be tied to earlier hit-and-run
A 42-year-old Fresno man was killed in a crash Sunday night on Highway 41, south of Fresno. Authorities believe the car may have been involved in an earlier hit-and-run. According to the California Highway Patrol, the car, a Toyota Camry, was speeding south on Highway 41, when it made an “abrupt steering movement to the left. The vehicle crossed the center median and southbound lanes, and entered the west shoulder, where it overturned.” The driver wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was ejected during the crash. He was found “underneath the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the CHP said Monday in a news release on Monday. While investigating the crash, the CHP was told that a vehicle with a similar description had been alerted by the Fresno Police Department in an earlier hit-and-run. “The possible connection remains under investigation,” as does the crash itself, the CHP said. It is unknown if alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash. Toxicology results are pending.
KMPH.com
Mother and daughter reported missing in Fresno found safe
CLOVIS, Calif. (FOX26) — Update: The Fresno Police Department says that Jonicia and Faith have been located. Thank you to our community for helping to find them. Fresno Police need the publics help to find a mother and her 3-year-old daughter, both were last seen in October. Police are...