Best-read: County worker top pay; Fresno under construction; Spicy J’s redo; paraglider tragedy
Fresno Bee readers gravitated toward stories about money, change and tragedy over the past week. The best-read stories among subscribers covered the eye-popping compensation of Fresno County’s top public employees, a peek inside the city’s priciest homes on the market, answers about mystery construction sites popping up around town, a popular Chinese restaurant’s reinvention at River Park, a fatal paragliding accident on a remote mountain and a milestone contract that finally clears the way for California High-Speed Rail to lay its first tracks.
Here are the best-read stories among Fresno Bee subscribers last week
Highest paid Fresno County employees rack up OT and benefits. The top 50 list
Fresno County CAO Paul Nerland topped the county compensation list at $534,191, including pay, benefits and his defined benefits plan contribution. Several deputies and correctional officers earned more in overtime than in regular pay — Deputy Darren Bounlutay collected $152,157 in overtime on top of $104,074 in regular pay. The packages of the top 50 employees far exceed Fresno County’s median household income of $74,201.
See the 5 most expensive homes nestled in Fresno neighborhoods currently for sale
The most expensive home currently for sale in Fresno is listed at $5,295,000 — a gut-renovated RL Davidson residence reimagined by AD100 designer Billy Cotton along the San Joaquin River. The other four homes on the list run between roughly $2.4 million and $3.1 million, with several inside the gated Villa Alicante community near Copper River Country Club. Buyers would need a gross annual income of at least $500,000, and potentially $1 million, to finance most of these properties.
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 with new businesses and rebuilds. Local coffee shop Kuppa Joy plans to open a “Joy Thru” drive-thru at Belmont and Fowler avenues in about three months, and a Dutch Bros Coffee with drive-thru and walk-up window is targeting a late summer or early fall opening. Other sites include a storage building replacement on Ventura Avenue, a future Unique Orthodontics office and a new Bank of America branch that will replace two nearby locations.
Popular restaurant in Fresno’s River Park making changes — menu updating, too
Spicy J’s Specialty Chinese Cuisine in Fresno’s River Park is celebrating a re-grand opening this week with new dishware, new staff uniforms and updated hospitality standards. Owner Jason Lin is adding dishes from his hometown of Fuzhou, China, including a changle bing fan dessert made with sticky rice, boba and watermelon, plus a sizzling crab fried rice finished tableside. Favorites such as orange chicken remain on the menu, and June discounts are available through the restaurant’s Instagram page.
Paraglider dies after apparent in-flight emergency crash on Fresno County mountain
A paraglider died Sunday after an apparent in-flight emergency shortly after takeoff near Tollhouse Road in eastern Fresno County. The crash happened at 11:19 a.m. on Burrough Mountain, sending the pilot into a heavily vegetated area where first responders had to use hand tools and chainsaws to cut a path to the victim. Authorities have not determined what caused the pilot to lose control.
CA High-Speed Rail OKs $3.5B contract that puts laying first tracks on new timeline
The California High-Speed Rail Authority board on Monday awarded a track and systems 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 wrap 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.
Original stories by Thaddeus Miller, B.J. Anteola, Bethany Clough, Anthony Galaviz and Erik Galicia
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 11:43 AM.
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