Sultana
Sultana, CA · Municipal
The Fresno Bee
Celebrating Diwali in Fresno County? Find events, fireworks and shopping deals
From temples and gurdwaras to local grocery stores, the Fresno area is gearing up for Diwali, the South Asian festival of lights . Worldwide, nearly 1 billion people across Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities celebrate Diwali , which falls on Sunday, Nov. 8. For the nearly 24,000 Indian residents living In the Fresno metropolitan area , the holiday holds deep religious and cultural significance. Celebrations across California and the county will feature traditional prayers, festive shopping deals and public firework displays. How is Hindu temple observing Diwali in Fresno? During Diwali, worshipers gather at local temples and gurdwaras to offer prayers and share meals, many of them dressed in traditional attire. A representative for BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Fresno, said the Hindu temple will remain open all day Sunday for devotees and visitors. For Hindus, Diwali symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. “The holiday commemorates the return of Lord Rama and his wife Sita to their kingdom of Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, leading townspeople to light clay lamps (known as diyas) to guide their path home,” The Washington Post reported. How does Sikh community celebrate holiday? In the Sikh community,
Porterville Recorder
The Fresno Bee
Top stories: Snack recall. Valley election results. Is Starving Artist closed? Grocery tenant
Voters across five San Joaquin Valley counties cast ballots this week in races that will shape Sacramento and Washington representation, while north Fresno saw major shifts at the RiverView Shopping Center. A popular toddler snack sold nationwide was pulled from shelves over a choking hazard that federal regulators called potentially fatal. Here is a quick look at what readers followed most closely in The Fresno Bee this week. Here are top stories of the week: How did the Central Valley vote? See live 2026 election results across five counties — Voters in Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Madera and Merced counties cast ballots Tuesday in races for Congress, the California Legislature, county and city offices, school boards and local ballot measures. Unofficial results are being updated as county election officials continue counting. Vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day may be counted if received by Nov. 10, and counties must certify results by Dec. 3. Empty for years, a north Fresno grocery gets a new renter. Who is it? Why the delay? — After seven years sitting empty, the former Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins space at the RiverView Shopping Center has a new tenant: Mulligan’s Sports Bar & Indoor Golf. The spot
midvalleytimes.com
Selma color run returns after near cancellation
SELMA — Residents will splash downtown with color during the city’s annual 5K Run and Walk, which returns for a third consecutive year after nearly being canceled due to low registration. The annual event is a noncompetitive two lap race that invites friends and families to walk or...
yourcentralvalley.com
Dyer’s ‘Measure D’ is gaining, while Fresno County’s ‘Measure S’ is not, results show
FRESNO, Calif. ( ) – The long and complicated road toward Measure S continues, even after the ballots have been cast, with initial results in from the Fresno County Elections Office showing 53% against the transportation improvement act. Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig says the legislation to replace Measure...
KMPH.com
Porch pirate season in full swing as holidays approach, Clovis PD says
CLOVIS, Calif. (FOX26) — As folks begin to shop for the holidays, the time of year that more packages arrive at the doorsteps of Fresno County residents rolls around --- and thieves are on the prowl. For Fresno local Joanna Arzate, porch pirate season came early. On Sept. 17,...
yourcentralvalley.com
The Fresno Bee
Retired officer, incumbent surges to lead in 3-candidate Clovis City Council race
Three candidates faced off Tuesday for the new northwestern District 5 seat in Clovis with the incumbent taking a lead that held through the night’s vaote tally updates. Incumbent Drew Bessinger, a retired police officer, led the group with 56.% of the expected vote after the first results came in about 8 p.m. In second place was Sarah Almond (22.6%), who owns a small solar sales company Candidate Des Haus, a legislation and policy director for an energy and engineering company, brought up third with 20.8% of the early returns. Bessinger said he believed the work he put into the campaign showed in the early results though he stopped short of declaring victory. “The numbers were indicative of the effort that I put into the re-election, and to the effort that I put into being a public servant for 50 years,” he said in a phone call. “I walked 100 miles putting door hangers out, talking to folks, and I think that pays dividends because people appreciate seeing people who serve them and those who want to serve them at their door.” He said he appreciated that both his competitors ran campaigns “citizens of Clovis can be proud of,” noting
midvalleytimes.com
Fowler seeks to fill planning commission vacancy
FOWLER – Community members can now throw their hat in the ring for a chance to make decisions on future city developments. Until Nov. 25, residents of Fowler may submit an application to serve on the city’s planning commission. The city aims to fill one vacancy on the commission to get it operating back at full capacity with five members.
kvpr.org
Fresno's German Syndicate: The land speculators who sparked the Valley's growth
They were known as The German Syndicate. And in 1860s they placed a big bet on the land that would become Fresno. But just like today, sometimes big gambles pay off, and sometimes, those same empires collapse. The story of the investors who gave birth to Fresno, today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots.
Madera Tribune
Madera Unified honors Hall of Fame inductees
Madera Unified School District and the Madera Linkage Foundation honored two longtime district employees during the 2026 Student Champion Hall of Fame induction ceremony on October 22, at Madera South High School. Established in 2021, the Hall of Fame recognizes former employees whose dedication, leadership and service made a lasting...
midvalleytimes.com
The Fresno Bee
Soria holds large lead in race for CA Senate district covering large part of Fresno
State Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria is maintained a large lead on election night in the race for the California Senate’s District 14 seat currently held by Anna Caballero. Returns showed more than 110,000 votes had been counted as of 11:29 p.m. in the race to represent the district, which covers the southern half of the city of Fresno, the west side of Fresno County and also large parts of Madera and Merced counties. Soria, a Democrat, held about 64.1% of the expected vote while Republican Darin Dupont, an attorney and Merced City Council member, held 35.9%. Soria’s lead had widened slightly since the night’s first returns. She told The Fresno Bee that Tuesday’s numbers show “there is resounding support” for her campaign. “We’ve been working very hard over the last four years in the State Assembly,” said Soria, who attended a watch party in the Fresno High neighborhood. “We’ve demonstrated that we can deliver real, tangible results, like opening a hospital, delivering relief for families in Planada, bringing money for our immigrant community.” Earlier in the night, Dupont told The Bee it was still too early to call the race. “There’s still a lot of votes to be tallied in this