Top stories: $3.5B contract for HSR; 69 arrests in sweep; 5 Fresno projects explained

Top stories from Monday included a major contract approval that moves California’s high-speed rail project closer to laying its first tracks, a multi-agency gang sweep that resulted in dozens of arrests, the identification of a teen killed at a Visalia graduation party and a look at five active construction projects reshaping Fresno neighborhoods.

We assemble this list each day, so you can get caught up on the top Fresno Bee stories

• CA High-Speed Rail OKs $3.5B contract that puts laying first tracks on new timeline — The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s board on Monday awarded a track and systems construction contract of up to $3.5 billion to a joint venture of Kiewit, Stacy Witbeck and Herzog. Work on the first 22 miles of track between the Shafter area and the Tulare-Kern County line is expected to begin by Nov. 30 and be completed by June of next year. The rail authority is focused on completing a 171-mile Merced-to-Bakersfield route by 2033 for $34.76 billion on the low end. Click here for full story.
• 69 gang members arrested, 73 guns seized after two-month Central California operation — A multi-agency investigation called Operation Hands Down yielded 69 gang-related arrests across five Central Valley counties, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni announced Monday. Authorities seized 73 firearms, about $156,000 in cash, 55 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of cocaine and 10 grams of powdered fentanyl. Those arrested are accused of being Sureño gang members with ties to the Mexican Mafia, including juveniles as young as 14 years old. Click here for full story.
• Teen killed at Visalia graduation party identified. He was about to graduate — Antonio Monroe, 18, of Visalia, was identified Monday as the teen killed in a shooting at a graduation party over the weekend. The shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. Saturday in Visalia, where Monroe was shot multiple times and died at a nearby hospital shortly before his high school graduation. Three other victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and no arrests have been made. Click here for full story.
• What’s that new construction in Fresno? We have answers for 5 spots — Five active construction sites in downtown and southeast Fresno are taking shape, including a storage building replacement at 2950 Ventura Ave. next to Al’s Ricos Tacos and a planned dentist office on Backer Avenue tied to Unique Orthodontics. Kuppa Joy is opening a drive-thru location at Belmont and Fowler avenues in about three months, while a Dutch Bros Coffee near the former Javier’s restaurant is targeting a late summer or early fall opening. A new Bank of America full-service branch near Winery Avenue is scheduled to open between October and December, replacing two nearby locations slated to close. Click here for full story.

Original stories by Erik Galicia, Nick Fenley and Bethany Clough

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