Fire destroyed one unit of an eight-unit apartment building Tuesday night in east-central Fresno.

A 25-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for a 2007 purse-snatching that ended when one woman was shot to death and a second woman, who was pregnant, was shot but survived.

Both sides in a long-running fight over the future of a southwest Fresno rendering plant made their final arguments in a yearlong lawsuit on Tuesday afternoon in Fresno County Superior Court. A decision from Judge Mark Snauffer is expected soon.

Seven separate grass fires believed to be arson were stoked by the wind Tuesday night and threatened several structures in Orange Cove, said Chief Ralph Michaels of the Orange Cove Fire Department.

A 23-year-old Madera man was convicted of attempted murder Tuesday and faces a possible sentence of 37 years to life in prison, the Madera County District Attorney's Office said.

A Visalia woman has been sentenced to 17 years and 4 months in prison for armed robbery and other crimes, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office said.

Luis Avilez, 25, accused in shooting two Visalia police officers last week, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer.

Antonio Reyes of Visalia has been appointed to a judgeship on the Tulare County Superior Court.

Three fires Tuesday afternoon spread the Fresno Fire Department staff so thin that medical aid calls were suspended for a hour, a spokesman said.

A classic fight between environmentalists and developers came down on the side of developers Tuesday with Fresno County supervisors agreeing to explore the potential for new restaurants, hotels and golf courses just north of the city of Fresno.

A court case for family members charged with helping convicted rapist Spencer Scarber is on hold for another month after a judge ruled Tuesday that husband-and-wife attorneys could not represent Scarber's mother and sister.

A head-on crash that happened when one vehicle was passing another killed a 71-year-old woman east of Coalinga on Tuesday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.

Sacramento lobbyists and others looking forward to attending a mixed-martial-arts fight in Las Vegas with Sen. Ricardo Lara on Saturday will have to find another way to enjoy the holiday weekend.

A day after Ryan Vogelsong broke a finger on his pitching hand, the Giants made a couple of moves to get through the days ahead.

A man who threatened to kill his girlfriend in front of two children is in custody after a tense overnight standoff in central Fresno.

An offer has been made to a candidate for Fresno State president, a source close to the California State University Board of Trustees confirmed Tuesday. The source didn't identify the candidate.

A 33-year-old Tulare County woman was arrested Monday after Tulare County deputies found two pounds of methamphetamine in a diaper bag, a spokeswoman for the department said.

A 9-year-old girl riding her scooter was struck by a slow-moving pickup while crossing a Hanford street Saturday afternoon, police said.

Police are searching for a 26-year-old man in connection with a May 14 crash into a southeast Fresno apartment that injured a 2-year-old child.

A dry cold front heading through the Central Coast Tuesday night will mean a cool down in the Valley, the National Weather Service says.

Seven schools in Cutler and Orosi have been recognized by the federal government for promoting nutrition, nutrition education and physical activity for students.

The key witness in the trial of the man convicted of killing former intern Chandra Levy had a previously undisclosed history as a government snitch, a court hearing revealed Tuesday.

Paramount Citrus, one of the state's leading suppliers of fruit sold under the Cuties brand, is changing the name of its easy-peeling fruit.

A Montana rock climber died Sunday afternoon while attempting to ascend El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, park officials said.

Two Fresno men were in custody on Monday after accidentally dialing 911 on a cellphone before breaking into a car, authorities said.

Joseph Randall Medcalf was sentenced Monday to six and a half years in federal prison for defrauding clients of more than $3.3 million. But for many of his victims, no time behind bars would have been long enough.

A 91-acre fire near Yosemite Lakes in Madera County was contained Monday afternoon after destroying one home, Cal Fire Capt. Sean Bowe said.

Fresno police are asking for help to find the man wanted for the stabbing death of his roommate at a Fresno motel west of Highway 99 on Sunday night.

Alcohol tanks at O'Neill Vintners and Distillers, west of Reedley, caught on fire Monday afternoon, sending black smoke into the sky and prompting the evacuation of a nearby school, a Cal Fire spokesman said late Monday afternoon.

Water and children will once again fill four central and south Fresno pools that have been closed for the past four summers because of budget cuts, city officials said Tuesday.

Update: Hanford Republican Andy Vidak will be the next state senator representing the 16th District after his main opponent, Bakersfield Democrat Leticia Perez, conceded the race.

A former Tulare County teacher was sentenced Monday to a year in jail for unlawful sex with a minor.

Federal and state regulators have given Central Valley Community Bancorp approval to move forward with its acquisition of Visalia Community Bank. The board of Fresno-based Central Valley Community announced the regulatory clearances.

A thief snatched an iPad and an iPhone from a woman sitting in a Starbucks shop Monday afternoon in northeast Fresno, police said.

Tulare County Sheriff's detectives are investigating a shooting that took place Sunday night in Orosi.

The California Senate passed a bill Monday that would shield pot shops following state guidelines for dispensing medical marijuana from prosecution for marijuana possession or sale.

The Fresno Regional Foundation is seeking organizations to apply for $500,000 in grants to prevent teen pregnancies and promote human services.

Federal investigators probing the hantavirus outbreak blamed for three deaths at Yosemite National Park recommended on Monday that design changes to tent cabins and other privately run lodging first be reviewed by National Park Service officials.

Fresno police are asking for help to find the man wanted for the stabbing death of his roommate at a Fresno motel west of Highway 99 on Sunday night.

A section of Highway 168 in Clovis was closed for about an hour Sunday evening because a woman was threatening to jump from the Willow Avenue overpass, Clovis police said.

A Fresno police officer shot at a gang member as he ran from officers in southwest Fresno on Saturday night, said Lt. Mark Salazar.

A Madera man ran five city blocks trying to flee from rival gang members before being hit by a car and shot in the foot on Sunday near 4th Street and Gateway Drive, police said.

The Fresno Sunrise Rotary Club donated $3,600 worth of iPads to the teachers at Rata High School. Teachers received their iPads in a ceremony Monday morning.

Firefighters are battling a 91-acre wildfire that burned one home and threatened other structures in Yosemite Lakes on Sunday afternoon.

The Tulare County Sheriff's Department is looking for a man wanted on suspicion of stabbing a restaurant worker in Strathmore on Sunday morning.

A 25-year-old Tulare woman is dead but her 3-year-old passenger is uninjured after she drove her car off Highway 99, north of Traver, early Saturday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.

A two-alarm commercial fire at La Tapatia Tortilleria in central Fresno late Sunday morning was contained quickly by Fresno firefighters, limiting the damage to less than $1,000, the Fresno Fire Department said.

A car reported underwater in Fancher Creek east of Fresno late Sunday morning was empty and could have been stolen before it ended up in the water, the California Highway Patrol said.

(strong>2:34 p.m.: Highway 33 just east of Coalinga has reopened to traffic, Caltrans reported.