Latest news with #TulareCounty
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tulare County Supervisors respond to grand jury election integrity report
Tulare County Board of Supervisors formally responded to the findings and recommendations in the 'Election Integrity' section of the "Tulare County Civil Grand Jury Final Report, 2024-2025" at a July 15 meeting. In its Election Integrity section, the Tulare County Civil Grand Jury found that, 'there is tremendous oversight and regulation from the offices of the secretary of state and the (Tulare County Registrar of Voters) related to the entire election process.' Supervisors previously responded to the findings and recommendations in the 'Homeless Shelters,' 'Special Districts,' and 'Library Book Machines' sections of the report at their June 3 meeting. Proposed responses to the grand jury report were presented at both meetings by Israel Sotelo, Jr., the board's chief of staff. Responses to grand jury reports are required by the California Penal Code. More: Tulare County supervisors respond to grand jury findings; here's what they said Tulare County Grand jury findings The grand jury found that, 'The checks and balances employed were found to minimize the chance of widespread fraud that would impact the results of an election, and provide clear evidence to debunk many of the claims of election fraud.' 'We agree with this finding,' responded supervisors, who also agreed with the grand jury that, 'There is a need to further inform the electorate of the process in place to ensure the election and to encourage them to volunteer to be involved with (Tulare County Registrar of Voters) during election season.' There was a mixed response to the grand jury's final finding, however. 'It is believed with personal identification requirements, residency addresses, and requirements to have email and phone numbers are a strong safeguard against registration of fraudulent individuals to vote,' stated the grand jury's report. 'We partially disagree with this finding,' supervisors responded. 'The board recognizes that voter identification requirements are a strong safeguard against registration of fraudulent individuals to vote. Title 52 of United States Code Section 21038, and California Elections Code Section 2150 require individuals registering to vote for the first time to provide their current and valid driver's license number, or state identification number on the affidavit of registration.' The supervisors' response stated that also requiring mail and phone numbers, 'add no value in safeguarding against the registration of fraudulent voters.' Grand jury recommendations The grand jury recommendations included actions based on its findings. The grand jury recommended that the registrar of voters and other county agencies fund and organize public awareness of the multiple procedures in place to eliminate the "misconceptions of deceased people voting, unregistered voters casting votes, individuals voting numerous times, and breaches of data from the voting machines.' More: Why Tulare County supervisors named themselves to the Tulare Cemetery District Board The recommendation hasn't been implemented but will by January 2026, ahead of the primary and general elections, supervisors said. 'The Tulare County Registrar of Voters will create a fact sheet encompassing all relevant topics to distribute to registered voters in order to dispel misconceptions of widespread voter fraud in Tulare County," supervisors stated. The registrar of voters is also being asked to create a "robust campaign "outlining the opportunities to become involved as a volunteer during the election season. 'This recommendation has been implemented,' supervisors stated. 'The Tulare County Registrar of Voters regularly attends community events such as job fairs and senior day in the park to encourage individuals to register to vote and volunteer as poll workers. The ROV also posts flyers at community centers, DMVs, post offices, libraries, and church bulletin boards encouraging individuals to volunteer their time at the polls, and will be reaching out to business that encourage employee participation in community service activities such as Target, Kohl's, Saputo Cheese, and Dutch Bros.' The final recommendation was that volunteer information 'could be distributed via fact sheet in monthly utility bills or presentations to churches or civic groups.' However, that recommendation will not be implemented, according to the board. 'The cost and relative benefit of including a flyer in monthly utility bills is unjustifiable as most individuals receive their bills electronically," supervisors stated. "Similarly, the cost in overtime wages associated with presenting to local churches during their weekly meeting is unjustifiable, and increased awareness about volunteer opportunities can be accomplished through existing practices.' Read the full report: Tulare County Civil Grand Jury Final Report, 2024-2025 by eroberts on Scribd Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Visalia Times Delta, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County Supervisors respond to grand jury about election integrity Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Tulare County supervisors named themselves to the Tulare Cemetery District Board
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted to temporarily serve as the board of trustees of the Tulare Public Cemetery District. The decision, which was made at its July 1 meeting, follows years of complaints about the management of the district, accusations of financial irregularities, and the condition of the two district cemeteries. Israel Sotelo, Jr., chief of staff for the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, outlined the board's options, before the meeting was opened to public comments. 'The health and safety code requires no other options other than the county supervisors to replace all the board members,' said Steve Presant, Tulare Cemetery Board chairman. 'If they take this option, which I hope they do, they'll actually inherit a fantastic group of employees who actually work very hard, and feel that their job is not just cutting grass and digging holes, but there is a ministry to them, to people in the Tulare community,' he added. Charlie Ramos, cemetery district vice chairman, said that he was also supportive of supervisors taking over the cemetery district. 'It's just something that needs to be done for the simple fact that we just can't get business done,' he explained. 'The rhetoric has gone to a point where the meetings are unable to happen at all.' Anna Limon also called for the cemetery board to be dismantled, but added, 'I have to disagree with Mr. Presant as far as the employees, specifically the manager, remaining there as an employee.' She complained about having to pay fees to the cemetery district that she said should not have been district fees. 'They're cheating the public, and they're not being disclosing of the contracts,' she said. Mary Sepada was critical of Presant as well as of the district manager, and called for an investigation. 'The main thing is start looking at finances,' she said. 'Where is this money going? Where is it being spent? How much of it is being spent? What account to pay? You know, Peter paying Paul, robbing from one account to another to pay the bills.' Xavier Avila, district trustee, introduced himself as one of two board members still serving on the board. 'And I'm not going to resign,' he said. 'I'm not going to stop from doing my duty.' He said, however, that he supported the supervisors becoming cemetery trustees. 'I support it because we can't lose insurance,' he said. 'Without insurance, you can't operate the cemetery. And the cemetery is a very vital function. We have to bury people.' 'The problem is a lack of accountability, a lack of transparency, the misuse of public funds, and that's the tip of the iceberg' said Alberto Aguilar, who also agreed that supervisors should temporarily run the district. 'You have to conduct an investigation,' he said. 'And if you want documentation, I'd be more than happy to provide it to you. The records are there for you to look at or to have somebody look at. 'We need to have a board that the public can trust and respect,' he added. 'You cannot trust and respect a manager who deliberately and intentionally falsifies financial records and is not held accountable.' County supervisors then discussed their options. 'I just think this is really shameful that this is going on,' said Supervisor Amy Shuklian. 'I'd be embarrassed if I was a member of this cemetery district. I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's power, ego, or ignorance, but something's going on. 'I have a really, a big fear of setting a precedent by taking over the cemetery district because we've had districts in trouble before, water districts, cemetery districts, memorial districts, but we haven't had to come in and take them over,' she continued. 'I'm very hesitant to do this, but for the folks and the families who are grieving, or who may have to place a family member in the cemetery in the future, I may decide to go ahead and do this so we can get in there. 'And yes, we will go in there and make sure things are being done correctly,' she added. 'Seat a new board, obviously, maybe a board that doesn't have the power trip or the ego trip or the ignorance, to do this job.' 'It's very important for the community of Tulare, which is the only reason we are even considering this, to have a cemetery so that their loved ones and community members can be buried, and so that they can also have a place to grieve respectfully,' said Board of Supervisors Chair Pete Vander Poel. 'It's unfortunate that we are in this position, however, there are several factors that have led us to this point,' he said. 'I do know that the district has received notification that if a governance change is not made, there will no longer be any insurance for the cemetery, and that will cease operations altogether.' He added that there was no choice about what actions needed to be taken 'if we want to continue to have an operating cemetery in the community of Tulare. 'If we do take this action, it's our duty as a board to make sure that we don't set this up for failure going forward,' Vander Poel said. 'We are going to seat ourselves as trustees. We're going to conduct public meetings in a way that members of the public can come and provide their input, and can see the way that the county does business. 'I do not want this to be a forever thing where we're going to come in and we're going to be permanently the Tulare Public Cemetery District board members,' he said. 'I want this to be for a period of time to get the policies and procedures implemented, and the proper training given to the right people so that we set this up for success when a new board is seated at some point in the hopefully not-so-distant future. 'I don't like the potential of setting a precedent, but I also do know that when we are elected officials at this level, we have a duty to the public to make sure that when there is a situation like this that we do step in and make sure that something that is a public need is continued,' he added. 'I echo the sentiments of my colleagues and I think people have lost sight of who this impacts,' said Supervisor Eddie Valero. 'It's the grieving families who seek comfort and care during and after burial. I too was a bit hesitant, but I support my colleagues in the decision to make things right moving forward for this special district.' Supervisor Larry Micari moved to appoint the Tulare County Board of Supervisors as the board of trustees for the Tulare Public Cemetery District. 'However, I'd like to add that I agree with Supervisor Shuklian that we should not be in this business,' he said, before adding conditions to his motion. 'Number one is the cemetery district is to accept all liability past, present, and future – not the county,' Micari said. 'They need to retain their insurance and if there's anything that comes up, this cemetery district is the one that needs to accept the liability. 'The district is to reimburse the county also for all staff and time incurred and costs,' he said. 'Our staff is busy, we're working, we're doing everything we can. We now have additional responsibilities and the district needs to reimburse the county for time and any costs.' He added that an ad hoc committee be formed to select new cemetery board members and that Vander Poel be on that committee because the cemetery district is in his supervisorial district. 'And that no board member who has served in the last five years on the Tulare Cemetery District is to ever, and I repeat ever, be reappointed again,' Micari said. 'And I want that note put in the file for the cemetery district so 10 years down the road if their name comes up, it'll be on record they're to never be appointed again.' He added that county counsel is to become the legal counsel for the district. 'I want a 90-day update with some type of plan or update, as to what staff has discovered and find out what the real issues and concerns are so we can have a plan, start moving forward, and get this turned around,' he said. 'And it's my understanding, and I don't have a lot of details, but I was briefed at the last meeting there were people out there harassing (cemetery) staff,' he said. 'I'm not pointing any fingers, however, I want us to take the same stance we would to protect our (county) staff. If anybody out there is a harasser, I want a law enforcement called and I want us to get county counsel on board to get restraining orders against those people to keep them away from harassing staff. 'So, that is my motion,' Micari added. 'I think that's the most complex motion we've ever heard,' Vander Poel commented. Shuklian offered a very brief second to the motion, which passed unanimously with a 5-0 vote. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Visalia Times Delta, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County Supervisors become Tulare Cemetery District Board
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Homes in Tulare County sold for lower prices recently: See how much here
Newly released data from for April shows that potential buyers and sellers in Tulare County saw slightly lower home sale prices than the previous month's median of $372,750. The median home sold for $370,000, an analysis of data from shows. That means April, the most recent month for which figures are available, was slightly down from March. Compared to April 2024, the median home sales price was slightly lower compared to $372,000. sources sales data from real estate deeds, resulting in a few months' delay in the data. The statistics don't include homes currently listed for sale and aren't directly comparable to listings data. Information on your local housing market, along with other useful community data, is available at Here is a breakdown on median sale prices: Looking only at single-family homes, the $369,000 median selling price in Tulare County was down 1% in April from $372,750 the month prior. Since April 2024, the sales price of single-family homes was slightly down from a median of $370, single family homes sold for $1 million or more during the month, compared to five recorded transactions of at least $1 million in April 2024. In April, the number of recorded sales in Tulare County dropped by 1.5% since April 2024 — from 329 to 324. All residential home sales totaled $133.7 million. Across California, homes sold at a median of $760,156 during April, up 1.4% from $750,000 in March. There were 27,874 recorded sales across the state during April, down 2.6% from 28,615 recorded sales in April 2024. Here's a breakdown for the full state: The total value of recorded residential home sales in California increased by 19.5% from $29.6 billion in March to $35.4 billion this April. Out of all residential home sales in California, 34.32% of homes sold for at least $1 million in April, up from 33.22% in April 2024. Sales prices of single-family homes across California increased by 1.8% from a median of $758,055 in March to $772,001 in April. Since April 2024, the sales price of single-family homes across the state was up 2.9% from $750,000. Across the state, the sales price of condominiums and townhomes slightly rose from a median of $725,119 in March to $731,080 during April. The median sales price of condominiums and townhomes is down 1.2% from the median of $740,054 in April 2024. The median home sales price used in this report represents the midway point of all the houses or units listed over the given period of time. The median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average sales price, which would mean taking the sum of all sales prices then dividing by the number of homes sold. The average can be skewed by one particularly low or high sale. The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu. Our News Automation and AI team would like to hear from you. Take this survey and share your thoughts with us. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Homes in Tulare County sold for lower prices recently: See how much here
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
Fines, jail possible for illegal Fourth of July fireworks users in Tulare County
As the Fourth of July approaches, fire departments across Tulare County are once again reminding people that only 'Safe and Sane Fireworks' are legal and that anyone caught using illegal fireworks will face fines and potential jail time. Nine fire departments in the county issued a joint press release on June 17 to announce this year's countywide public safety campaign, 'Think Twice. Light Illegal Fireworks, Pay the Price.' The release stated that anyone caught using illegal fireworks could 'face fines starting at $1,000 or more and could also face jail time.' Fines for using illegal fireworks in the city of Tulare are even higher. 'The fine structure for the city of Tulare is the first offense is $2,000, a second offense is $3,000, and the third offense is $4,000,' Tulare Fire Marshal Ryan Leonardo said. 'That is on a three-year window, so if you have multiple violations in a three-year window, then you are subject to having the increased fine amounts assessed towards you.' Illegal fireworks include mortars, bottle rockets, firecrackers and multi-shot devices, which fire departments also refer to as 'cakes.' 'It's the big boxes,' Leonardo said. 'You light one fuse and it may have 25 shots, 50 shots, over 100. Once you light one fuse, you can't stop it and that firework just continues to fire.' While most people enjoy celebrating Independence Day, to fire department officials the holiday is always a challenge. 'Every year, we are a very busy department,' Tulare County Fire Chief Charlie Norman said. 'It seems like from 8 p.m. to about 2 a.m., we run between 55 and 60 calls for service on the Fourth of July, with most of those being fireworks-related fires – grass fires, vegetation fires, and structure fires.' 'Our resources get taxed very quickly around this time of year because of the heavy fire danger and fire potential that comes from not only illegal fireworks, but safe and sane fireworks,' Visalia Fire Marshal Corbin Reed said. 'Last year, we had four separate fire calls with active fires at the same time, with five structures involved at those fires. 'It really puts a tax on our department, especially when typically one structure fire can deplete most of our resources throughout the community, so we end up having to call in additional resources from neighboring jurisdictions, which then places a big burden on them because those resources then aren't available in their communities,' he added. 'During those fires, other types of calls don't just stop,' he said. 'Just because we have a structure fire going on doesn't mean that heart attack calls don't happen or vehicle accidents don't happen. 'If we have all of our resources tied up on a grass fire caused by misuse of legal or illegal fireworks and somebody's having a heart attack, whoever caused that fire is taking those resources away from somebody that actually needs our help,' he said. Norman added that veterans and pets also suffer undue stress during the Fourth of July holiday. 'We have a couple of dogs and cats and usually I look under the furniture to find them on July 5,' he said. Fire departments in the county expect to increase their use of drones this year to help stop the use of illegal fireworks. 'We're always exploring new ways of combating them in our community,' Reed said. 'We're partnering once again with the Visalia Police Department. We're exploring heavier use of drones throughout the community. There's several communities around that have been successful with drone usage, so we're starting to explore that once again as well. There will also be teams of fire and police staff patrolling the streets to spot illegal fireworks, according to Reed. 'We have plans to utilize drones as well,' Leonardo said about the Tulare City Fire Department. 'We will try to use whatever available technology we have available to the city.' Tulare County Fire Department may also use drones. 'We do have some drones, but normally most of the stuff we see and we engage in are in-progress calls, so there really isn't a need for drones,' Norman said. 'Obviously, if we have something that we need to take a look at, we can do that, but most of the things that we're having in the evening are in-progress calls.' Fire departments always have more people on duty for the holiday. 'We will have increased patrol and enforcement during the holiday weekend,' Leonardo said. 'We have a great partnership with the Tulare Police Department, so we will be partnering with Tulare PD with increased enforcement during that holiday weekend.' More: California police round up illegal fireworks by the ton ahead of Independence Day 'We want the same things,' Norman said. 'We want you to have a good time, but we want to make sure you're safe in the process.' Leonardo and Reed agreed. 'We just want to remind everybody to celebrate safely, use only safe and sane fireworks, and to dispose of them properly,' Reed said. 'At least one of our fires last year was caused by improper disposal of fireworks where they took fireworks that had just been ignited, they threw them in their trash can, and then it burned the trash can which was up against the house. 'Those types of things don't need to happen if people would soak their fireworks for 24 hours in a bucket after they've used them before they throw them away, then make sure that they're nice and cool and fully extinguished before throwing them away,' he added. Leonardo encouraged residents to support local clubs and nonprofits that sell legal fireworks. There are 16 firework booths in Tulare. 'All of the booths are run by nonprofit organizations that benefit the community of Tulare so we would encourage folks to go to those booths," he said. "You know that if you're buying from the booth, you are getting California legal, safe and sane fireworks." There is another even safer way to celebrate the holiday, according to Norman. 'The best thing from the fire department standpoint is go to a public show,' he said. 'Most of our injuries from fireworks-related stuff are to children,' Reed said. 'Making sure that your kids are well supervised by an adult who is keeping an eye on them is crucial. The last thing we want to see is a kid trying to enjoy their sparklers burn their hands. 'Another thing that we always try to point out to people is make sure you're supervising your kids, not allowing them to be reckless with fireworks,' he said. 'Teach them safety so they don't get hurt.' One child has already been seriously hurt this year. The Tulare County Sheriff's Department reported that on June 23 at about 6:30 p.m., a 12-year-old boy suffered major injuries that may result in the loss of his right hand after lighting an illegal firework. The boy's mother now faces multiple charges, including child endangerment. To report illegal fireworks in unincorporated parts of the county, call the Tulare County Sheriff's Department at (559) 733-6218. The Visalia Fire Department's dedicated illegal fireworks reporting line is (559) 513-8080. The city of Tulare advises people to call 911 to report any illegal fireworks usage. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Visalia Times Delta, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Fines, jail possible for illegal fireworks users in Tulare County
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Looking for a Central Valley July 4 fireworks show? Here's when, where they are happening
With firework stands popping up all over the Central Valley, it's a reminder that soon the skies and streets will be filled with bright and patriotic light displays. Friday, July 4 is around the corner, and family-friendly events are planned throughout the Central Valley to celebrate Independence Day. Here's a list of what festive options are available: Where: Kingsburg High School Football Stadium, 1900 18th Ave. When: Thursday, July 3; gates open at 6 p.m.; Fireworks after sunset. Details: Admission is $5 and parking is $5. Where: Riverway Sports Park, 3611 N. Dinuba Blvd. When: Thursday, July 3 at 6-10:30 p.m. Details: Free. Live entertainment, food, music and drone show. More: Fines, jail possible for illegal Fourth of July fireworks users in Tulare County Where: Tulare County Fairgrounds, 620 S. K St., Tulare When: Thursday, July 3; gates open at 6 p.m.; fireworks show will begin at dusk Details: Admission is $5, and children under five are free with a paid adult. The event includes food, live music and activities for kids. Where: Exeter Lions Stadium/Dobson Field When: Thursday, July 3 (Mini Brewfest Beer Garden from 6-9 p.m. Drone show and fireworks start at 9:15 p.m.) Details: Free Admission; VIP Parking $25; Beer Garden $30; Passes available at Where: Woodlake City Park, 160 N. Magnolia St., Woodlake When: Thursday, July 3 at 5 p.m. Details: Free. Firework show and Frank Ray concert. Where: 17225 Jersey Ave., Lemoore When: Friday, July 4; entertainment begins at 6 p.m.; fireworks start at 9:15 p.m. Details: Free. Bring lawn chairs or bleachers will be available. No alcohol allowed. Music and food vendors. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Fourth of July 2025: Celebrate Independence Day at these fireworks shows
