Latest news with #FresnoBee
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Infestations close 7 Fresno food businesses. ‘An entire colony of cockroaches'
Infestations close 7 Fresno food businesses. 'An entire colony of cockroaches' 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@ Cockroaches were a major issue for Fresno County restaurants and food service businesses in June. Seven businesses were closed, some for a week or more, after health inspectors found infestations, according to public data reported by the Fresno County's Health Department. Those closures included: Valentino's, an Italian restaurant in downtown Fresno's Galleria building, where an inspector found a live cockroach inside a paper towel dispenser while trying to wash his hands. According to a June 16 inspection report, 'an entire colony of cockroaches at various stages of life emerged from the paper towel dispenser,' the report shelves were covered with the body parts of dead cockroach and their waste and live roaches were 'observed throughout facility.' The restaurant was ordered closed and had to undergo a full cleaning of cabinets, counters, equipment, utensils and shelving, along with a professional pest control treatment. It reopened June 25. Chalio's, a Mexican restaurant on Front Street in Selma, where a June 2 inspection found both live and dead cockroaches throughout the building, including several in the prep kitchen area. The restaurant was ordered to clean any contaminated areas and repair holes in a wall at behind a mop sink and another near a hand wash sink, where roaches were seen. It was allowed to reopen June 6, according to the health department records. The service bar at the Double Tree at the Fresno Convention Center, following its inspection on June 30. It remained closed into July, according to health department data. Pho Lau Vieng #2, a Lao and Vietnamese comfort food restaurant on Olive Avenue. It was also closed after failing a June 30 inspection due to 'cockroach and rodent infestation.' Birreria Mi Ranchito, at Butler and Orange Avenues. The Mexican restaurant was inspected on June 30 and remained closed into July. Coco's Produce, on Orange Avenue south of Butler. The facility was inspected July 17 and closed for at least two weeks. Cuquita Mexican Food truck, which was closed for a week following a June 3 inspection. Other inspection violations for June 2025 In all, a total of 11 restaurant/food businesses were temporarily closed following inspections in June. The others were: School House Restaurant & Tavern in Sanger, which was closed for two days following an alert from California State Water Resources Control Board. According to a report from the board, the restaurant's water supply system had been contaminated with E. Coli. The restaurant had to discard any food or drinks that could have been made with the contaminated water and 'disinfect food contact surfaces and food-handling utensils.' The Fosters Freeze in Reedley, which was closed to two weeks after inspectors found several sinks were not properly draining. El Taco Loco/Kerman Market on South Madera Avenue in Kerman. The market facility was partially closed following a June 2 inspection due to 'vermin activity,' according to health department data. El Taco Loco was closed due to lack of hot water. Typically, a lack of hot water is one of the more common (and easily fixed) violations. Last month, four restaurant were closed following routine inspections. That included a Fresno market that had what the health department described as a backroom chicken coop. On the year, 36 restaurants and food businesses have been temporarily closed (and allowed to reopen) by the health department. What inspectors look for The Fresno County Department of Public Health has about two dozen environmental health specialists who monitor almost 5,000 restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delicatessens and food vendors across the county and make unannounced visits several times a year. Restaurants also are inspected following fires, or in response to complaints or other concerns from the public, including when people report what they believe are health or sanitation issues at restaurants. When inspectors visit a restaurant or other food service business, there is a lengthy and detailed list of more than 50 things that draw their scrutiny. They include: Whether the manager and all employees have the required food safety or food-handling certificates. Hygiene of individual employees. Ways to keep cold food at or below 41 degrees and hot food above 135 degrees. Use of proper sterilization for counters, tables, utensils and cookware. Overall cleanliness. Proper drainage of sinks and floor drains. Restrooms stocked with supplies. Whether the business has the proper license or permit. Inspectors chronicle their findings in reports, which are made available to the public. In most instances, if an inspector finds a problem, it's something that can be fixed on the spot. This can include having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas, replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets. As shown this month, insect or vermin infestations are violations that can result in immediate closure of restaurants or food businesses when they are observed by health inspectors. Among other serious concerns are refrigerators that don't keep food cold enough or steam tables that don't keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth, or clogged sinks or drains that cause contaminated water to back up into kitchens. 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Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
unWired Broadband to Bring NextGen Fiber Internet to Wasco, CA
WASCO, Calif., June 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--unWired Broadband, a premier high-speed Internet provider in California, is proud to announce the launch of construction on its cutting-edge NextGen Fiber Internet network in Wasco, CA. This $10 million investment will deliver Internet speeds up to 5 Gbps to the entire City of Wasco, totaling nearly 6,000 addresses. Installations will begin in select neighborhoods in July 2025, with construction slated to be fully complete in February 2026. Based in Fresno, unWired has been bridging the digital divide across Central and Northern California since 2003. Its extensive fixed wireless Internet network boasts over 200 towers across 17 counties, including one tower already serving Wasco. They have fully deployed their NextGen Fiber Network in Coalinga, serving over 1,000 customers. Construction is also underway in Parlier and Gustine, with additional fiber projects planned in the near future. unWired is known throughout the region for its reliable service and strong community focus. Named Best Internet Service Provider by the Fresno Bee for four consecutive years, unWired has a proven track record of excellence. The company was also recognized for Best Customer Service in 2024 & 2025. Soon, Wasco residents and businesses will have access to NextGen Fiber's symmetrical speeds, no data caps, and exceptional support from a local team that understands their needs. For commercial customers and multi-family properties, unWired's enterprise fiber specialists will provide customized solutions tailored to unique connectivity requirements. "Bringing fiber Internet to Wasco is more than just expanding our network. It's about investing in a community that deserves better connectivity," said Matt Murphy, CEO of unWired Broadband. "We've seen incredible results from our rollouts in Coalinga and beyond, and Wasco is next in line to experience cutting-edge fiber Internet." To celebrate this milestone, unWired Broadband will host a groundbreaking event in Wasco at a later date. Media details will be shared soon. For more information about the project, visit About unWired Broadband unWired Broadband is Central and Northern California's premier hybrid Internet provider, delivering cutting-edge fiber Internet alongside its expansive fixed wireless network of over 200 towers. Since 2003, unWired has connected communities often overlooked by traditional cable and fiber providers. With the launch of its fiber Internet service, unWired is bringing unmatched speed and reliability to more homes and businesses. Their growing suite of services also includes redundancy solutions and a secure data center, ensuring dependable connectivity across the region. View source version on Contacts CONTACT INFORMATION: Cherish Stockdalehello@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
unWired Broadband to Bring NextGen Fiber Internet to Wasco, CA
WASCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 24, 2025-- unWired Broadband, a premier high-speed Internet provider in California, is proud to announce the launch of construction on its cutting-edge NextGen Fiber Internet network in Wasco, CA. This $10 million investment will deliver Internet speeds up to 5 Gbps to the entire City of Wasco, totaling nearly 6,000 addresses. Installations will begin in select neighborhoods in July 2025, with construction slated to be fully complete in February 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: NextGen Fiber Internet is coming soon to Wasco, CA. Based in Fresno, unWired has been bridging the digital divide across Central and Northern California since 2003. Its extensive fixed wireless Internet network boasts over 200 towers across 17 counties, including one tower already serving Wasco. They have fully deployed their NextGen Fiber Network in Coalinga, serving over 1,000 customers. Construction is also underway in Parlier and Gustine, with additional fiber projects planned in the near future. unWired is known throughout the region for its reliable service and strong community focus. Named Best Internet Service Provider by the Fresno Bee for four consecutive years, unWired has a proven track record of excellence. The company was also recognized for Best Customer Service in 2024 & 2025. Soon, Wasco residents and businesses will have access to NextGen Fiber's symmetrical speeds, no data caps, and exceptional support from a local team that understands their needs. For commercial customers and multi-family properties, unWired's enterprise fiber specialists will provide customized solutions tailored to unique connectivity requirements. 'Bringing fiber Internet to Wasco is more than just expanding our network. It's about investing in a community that deserves better connectivity,' said Matt Murphy, CEO of unWired Broadband. 'We've seen incredible results from our rollouts in Coalinga and beyond, and Wasco is next in line to experience cutting-edge fiber Internet.' To celebrate this milestone, unWired Broadband will host a groundbreaking event in Wasco at a later date. Media details will be shared soon. For more information about the project, visit About unWired Broadband unWired Broadband is Central and Northern California's premier hybrid Internet provider, delivering cutting-edge fiber Internet alongside its expansive fixed wireless network of over 200 towers. Since 2003, unWired has connected communities often overlooked by traditional cable and fiber providers. With the launch of its fiber Internet service, unWired is bringing unmatched speed and reliability to more homes and businesses. Their growing suite of services also includes redundancy solutions and a secure data center, ensuring dependable connectivity across the region. View source version on CONTACT: CONTACT INFORMATION: Cherish Stockdale [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY INTERNET TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOURCE: unWired Broadband Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/24/2025 11:37 AM/DISC: 06/24/2025 11:36 AM
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Costco for Fresno now delayed beyond summer. Here's what's happening
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@ At a Fresno City Council meeting about 15 months ago, a representative for Costco Wholesale said the company would open a new store — one of its largest ever — at a fresh location in northeast Fresno by this summer. Today, the 22.4-acre plot of land remains empty. Its owner, Douglas Jensen, said he maintains control of the property at West Herndon Avenue and Riverside Drive. A list of new and upcoming locations on the Costco website does not include a Fresno store. A Costco spokesperson told The Fresno Bee that the company doesn't comment on new stores until two or three months before opening. At the center of the plans: an envisioned 219,000-square-foot warehouse store that would replace Costco's current 134,000-square-foot building at 4500 W. Shaw Ave. The site would also include a 32-pump gas station and automated car wash. Located diagonally from the Marketplace at El Paseo, the land was previously farmed as a fig orchard but has remained vacant for years. With future plans unclear, a group of Fresno residents has sued the city to reverse previous approvals and demand the city more thoroughly consider alternative options. The current lease for the West Shaw Avenue store expires in September, said real estate consultant Tom Mahoney in March 2024. A Costco spokesperson did not answer questions from The Bee about future plans for the project. City Council unanimously approved Costco's relocation in April 2024. The finalized plan incorporated several 'traffic-calming' measures around the site while regulating the movement of Costco-related trucks and adding accessible parking spaces. The new design included four-way stops at West Spruce and North Hayes avenues, as well as two refuge islands along West Spruce. These changes came after two councilmembers warned about the potential for traffic congestion, including now-President Mike Karbassi, whose District 2 contains the current and planned Costco locations in northwest Fresno. 'It's going to be hard for me to support this without any mitigation or traffic calming in place,' he said at the meeting. 'My biggest concern out of everything I've read is the impact of traffic flow in the area.' The council delayed its initial vote so company consultants and city officials could provide more information about impacts on the land and traffic. Karbassi told The Bee in a statement this week that the new Costco location would 'preserve and create good paying jobs with benefits in Fresno,' while helping the city 'capture a strong tax base and offer expanded services for local consumers.' According to the plan, Costco would keep 12 gas pumps on West Shaw and work with the landlord there to find a new tenant. A group of residents sued the city in May 2024 as the Herndon-Riverside Coalition for Responsible Planning and Development, an unincorporated nonprofit organization. The group aimed to revoke approvals for the new Costco store. The coalition argued that the project violated the California Environmental Quality Act. Among other points, the group said an environmental impact report for the project did not sufficiently address vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions or consider feasible alternative locations. The report listed environmental impacts from vehicular greenhouse gas emissions as 'significant and unavoidable,' calling it 'infeasible' for Costco to mitigate the number of vehicle miles traveled by shoppers. 'Here's the Costco. Of course it generates a lot of emissions, and the fact that there's so very little (greenhouse gas-related) mitigation measures just kind of boggles the mind,' said Babak Naficy, lead counsel for the coalition. Daniel Brannick, an environmental attorney supporting the coalition, said he is not against a retail company setting up shop on the vacant land, and he recognizes the local demand for a Costco store. For Brannick, alternative locations on Veterans Boulevard could have helped the city reduce safety risks tied to traffic congestion. Brannick said a ruling in favor of the city would lead to further projects being approved even if they may harm the environment. 'What does that do with our ability to practically do stuff about climate change, emissions reduction?' he said. Attorneys for Fresno and Costco objected to criticisms of their greenhouse gas-related analyses, with City of Fresno counsel Anthony Taylor saying the city considered factors beyond a single site's greenhouse gas emissions in determining a location. 'There has to be deference to the city's analysis,' Taylor said. Under the environmental impact report for the project, Costco would institute a mandatory Commuter Reduction Program for employees, affecting less than 2% of trips. An additional technical report concluded that the Costco project would fulfill the city's overall goals for greenhouse gas reductions. Anna Shimko, a real estate attorney for the company, defended the city's analyses of alternative locations. Multiple sites included land that Costco would have to acquire, she said. According to the project's environmental impact report, one spot championed by the residents would only be accessible through North Riverside Drive, because Veterans Boulevard would block traffic elsewhere. 'The city's findings are well supported by the evidence and should be upheld,' she said.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cherry Market Gets Shut Down for Backroom Chicken Coop
This isn't something you hear every day. A local market in Fresno, CA, was temporarily shut down for a bizarre reason. The Cherry Market along Cherry Avenue was accused of having a chicken coop in the back and a potential issue with chicken feces. An adult hen and three young chickens compounded the issue, according to an inspection report. The inspection report, dated May 12 but first reported on June 7, alleges that the inspector 'observed chicken coop constructed in the backroom adjacent to the bathroom." But that's not all. "The coop held three young chickens, and signs of bird feces were present. In the room across from the bathroom was an incubation device for eggs and a large adult hen. The food facility shall be free of animals and vermin," the inspection report says. The market also did not have hot water at the time of the inspection, the report adds. The facility was "ordered to close" until the issues were fixed, the report says. The Fresno Bee first reported on the coop. The violations were fixed quickly, and the closure was thus only temporary, the newspaper reported. According to the Bee, the market's temporary closure was just one of several to result from May inspections. The Google reviews for the market, which is described as a flea market, are generally positive. "Love coming here and finding some deals on new or used items," a customer wrote. According to Antique Ace, the market describes itself as "not just a convenience store; it's a local flea market hub with a variety of sellers offering Mexican products, second-hand items, and knick-knacks."Cherry Market Gets Shut Down for Backroom Chicken Coop first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
