Best-read: Uninvited black bear; Fresno City Council endorsements; 13YO dies on e-scooter
From a bear wandering a northwest Fresno neighborhood to the identification of a 13-year-old boy killed in a scooter crash, Fresno Bee subscribers gravitated toward stories shaping daily life in the region last week. Readers also followed business shake-ups, city council endorsements and the ongoing debate over a massive development plan.
These were some of the best-read stories among Fresno Bee subscribers last week.
Video: Bear spotted in Fresno neighborhood, near Herndon and West avenues — A brown bear was spotted early Thursday morning on Isla Avenue in northwest Fresno around 7:15 a.m. Councilman Mike Karbassi alerted the public after a resident in his district reported the animal “on the loose.” The California Department of Fish and Wildlife sent a team but could not locate the bear. Click here for full story.
What’s happening at West Coast Sourdough? Restaurants rebrand in Fresno, Clovis — Franchise owner Raj Singh began rebranding several West Coast Sourdough locations as Cali Rays Sourdough Deli in March, citing rising food costs, slowing sales and a lack of engagement from the company. The shift follows the 2024 departure of founder Kay Uppal, who filed suit in late February alleging his business partners breached fiduciary duties and diverted corporate assets. Affected restaurants include locations in Porterville, Visalia, Fresno and Clovis. Click here for full story.
ENDORSEMENTS: We’re endorsing fresh ideas in Fresno’s 4 historic city council races — The Fresno Bee Editorial Board endorsed candidates in four city council primaries, favoring fresh perspectives and leadership experience in districts 1, 3, 5 and 7. Only one incumbent, Brandon Vang, is running among the 20 candidates across the four races. Key issues guiding the endorsements include the anti-camping ordinance, High-Speed Rail, a proposed downtown soccer stadium and Fresno’s public image. Click here for full story.
Fresno’s megadevelopment plan a tough sell for rural homeowners. ‘We’ll be pushed out’ — Rural homeowners in the path of Mayor Jerry Dyer’s plan to build 45,000 homes on 9,000 acres of mostly farmland say the Southeast Development Area plan threatens their way of life and could cost them upward of $100,000 to connect to city utilities. The Fresno City Council voted 5-2 in December to send the plan back for revisions, citing concerns about financial viability and environmental impact. Opponents have organized under the Fresno Southeast Property Owners group. Click here for full story.
Update: Coroner ID’s 13-year-old Fresno boy killed in motorized scooter crash — The coroner identified Dominiq Puentes as the 13-year-old killed Friday night in a moped collision with a white truck at Palm and Bullard avenues around 10:40 p.m. A 12-year-old passenger remained in critical condition. Puentes was a student at Phoenix Secondary Academy who previously attended Tenaya Middle School. Click here for full story.
Original stories by Liliana Fannin, Joshua Tehee and Anthony Galaviz
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.
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