News

Cutting the Cord on Comcast’s $200 Cable Bills - Streaming Apps and Roof-top Antennas Can Save You Hundreds

EDITORIAL - What happens when your Xfinity/Comcast Cable-TV bill tops $200 a month? You learn new (and relearn older) ways to save money on your television entertainment expenses. Over the last year, we have done everything we could think of to cut our cable bill but found the only way to really save money with Xfinity/Comcast is to forget about cutting the bill and just Cut the Cord. So that is what we did and now we have more great TV than ever before.

First thing we did was return all of our cable boxes to Xfinity/Comcast. These were costing us between $10 and $15 each per month. We replaced them with Roku streaming devices that have access to the Xfinity app. The Roku Xfinity/Comcast’s app gives you another way of watching the cable company's programming without the expensive cable box rentals. By doing this we started to save about $45 a month.

ACLU Letter Criticizes Valley School District for Free Speech Violations

BAKERSFIELD — The American Civil Liberties Union Foundations of Southern and Northern California today sent a letter to the Greenfield Union School District in Bakersfield, expressing deep concern that “the district has created a hostile environment for Black students and staff in its schools by subjecting them to differential treatment and degrading, off-handed comments.”

The letter details the treatment of seventh-grade English teacher Kei Jackson, whose contract was not renewed after she filed a formal complaint alleging that the district violated staff and students’ rights to free speech and expression, and maintained a racially hostile environment.

Parents of Two Year Old Murder Victim Plead Not Guilty – Held on $1 Million Each

MADERA – It seems like the entire city of Madera is morning the loss of a child they never met. A sweet little boy that, in death, has touched the hearts of people shocked by what two parents are being accused of doing to someone they were supposed to love and protect.

Two murals, commissioned by Joe’s Mobile Tint Shop, have been painted to memorialize the young boy, gifts are being left in the area the young boy's burnt body was found last week. Facebook pages are popping up and there is talk of scholarships being funded for all three of Madera’s high schools in the boy’s name. There is no shortage of love for this young boy.

Madera County Man Arrested for Sex Trafficking – Additional Victims Sought

MADERA RANCHOS – Madera County Sheriff’s Detectives Madera Ranchos resident Dylan Colby Nichols Dobbs (27) Tuesday after an investigation involving his abuse, coercion, and sex trafficking of a 22-year-old woman

Dobbs has been using social media to contact and befriend potential victims. Detectives believe he has been sex trafficking several women and girls in the San Francisco Bay and Las Vegas areas and controlling them through coercion, threats, and violence.

Two Modesto Residents Indicted for Trafficking Large Amount of Methamphetamine and Heroin

FRESNO - A Modesto couple was indicted today by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Jose Juan Garcia-Herrera, 59, and Lupe Aime Busio-Valencia, 41, were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and with possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, during the investigation, detectives observed Garcia-Herrera transferring items from a residence to an area under the driver’s seat of a vehicle. During a subsequent stop of the vehicle driven by Garcia-Herrera and accompanied by Busio-Valencia, detectives seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine and 3 kilograms of heroin.

Fresno Man on Federal Supervised Release Indicted on Drug and Firearms Charges

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Elias Muhammad, 23, of Fresno, charging him with attempted possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Muhammad was arrested after a vehicle stop on May 5. He was in possession of a firearm and .40 caliber ammunition after having suffered two prior felony convictions. He posted bail on that offense on May 10 and was released from custody.

Three Gang Members Charged Federally with Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering for Shooting in November that Killed Four

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against three members of the Mongolian Boys Society, charging them with conspiring to commit murder in aid of racketeering for acting as lookouts for a gang shooting that killed four, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Fresno residents Pao Vang, 30; Jhovanny Delgado, 19; and Johnny Xiong, 25, were members of the Mongolian Boys Society (MBS), a criminal organization active in Fresno and Visalia.