Top stories: Rising boxer mourned; Clovis hosting state track meet; serial killer gets life
The Fresno Bee published several top stories on May 8, 2026, covering the tragic death of a rising boxer, local SEDA battles, a high-profile sports event returning amid controversy, and a major criminal sentencing, among others.
We assemble this list each evening, so you can get caught up on the top Fresno Bee stories of the day
Central Valley mourns boxer killed in murder-suicide — Hundreds gathered Wednesday night at Hanford Civic Park for a candlelight vigil honoring 25-year-old boxer Adrian Valdovinos, who was killed Sunday morning in a murder-suicide. Police say 33-year-old Vincent Diaz forced his way into a home on University Avenue and shot Valdovinos, who was dating Diaz’s ex-wife, before killing himself. Valdovinos held a professional record of 10-2 and trained in the Hanford PAL program. Click here for full story.
Clovis West, Fort Washington Elementary lockdown lifted after hoax call — A lockdown at Clovis West High School and Fort Washington Elementary School was lifted after officials determined a suspicious phone call was a hoax. Fresno police responded just after 11:30 a.m. Friday and canvassed the campus for any potential danger. Clovis Unified said it will continue working with law enforcement to identify and prosecute anyone responsible for the disruption. Click here for full story.
Rural homeowners push back on Fresno mega-development: Mayor Jerry Dyer’s plan to build 45,000 homes on 9,000 acres of mostly farmland faces fierce opposition from rural property owners who could face $100,000 to connect to city utilities. The Fresno City Council voted 5-2 in December to send the SEDA plan back for revisions over financial and environmental concerns. Click here for full story.
State track meet returns to Clovis amid transgender athlete debate: The California state high school track and field championships return to Clovis on May 29-30, a year after local conservative leaders protested a transgender athlete’s participation. The athlete is ranked in the state’s top 10 in all three of her events and is set to compete again, with the city having spent $21,000 on police overtime during last year’s event. Click here for full story.
Fresno County serial killer gets life without parole: Buford King, 40, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for murdering Donnie Lee, Aleksey Shelest and Alberto Contreras. King pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges after prosecutors removed the death penalty from consideration, with detectives saying he killed his victims based on a belief they had hurt women or children. Click here for full story.
Original stories by Maris G. Ortiz-Briones, Anthony Galaviz, Liliana Fannin, Leqi Zhong and Robert Rodriguez
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 8:17 PM.
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