Local

Top stories: Clovis road closure; substitute teacher arrest; looming Medicaid cuts

By Edited by Nick Fenley. Story produced with AI assistance.
The Central Unified School District administration office in Fresno.
The Central Unified School District administration office in Fresno. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com

The Bee’s Thursday coverage highlighted Clovis councilmembers’ recent decision to close a major road on Thanksgiving, a former substitute teacher arrested over allegations of lewd conduct with a minor and warnings from county leaders about a potential budget crisis tied to federal Medicaid cuts.

Top stories for Thursday:

Crowds meet up and peruse the vendor booths along Pollasky Avenue in Old Town Clovis for Big Hat Days on Saturday, June 12, 2021. After last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic, this year’s Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event was pushed from April to June as more and more businesses work toward a full reopening.
Crowds meet up and peruse the vendor booths along Pollasky Avenue in Old Town Clovis for Big Hat Days on Saturday, June 12, 2021. After last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic, this year’s Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event was pushed from April to June as more and more businesses work toward a full reopening. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
  • Road closure coming in Old Town Clovis for annual event. See when and where — Pollasky Avenue will close from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, for the third annual Clovis Turkey Day Run. The 5K event is expected to draw about 3,000 participants and will raise funds for the Central California Food Bank and Central Valley Blue Star Moms. Parking will be available at the rodeo grounds, and registration is open at ClovisTurkeyDayRun.com.
  • Former Fresno substitute teacher arrested on suspicion of lewd acts with minor — Christin David Flores, 47, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Fresno on suspicion of inappropriate contact with a child. He was charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, as well as arranging to meet with a minor with intent to engage in sexual contact. Central Unified confirmed Flores previously worked as a substitute for the district.
  • ‘We are ground zero.’ Fresno County faces tough decisions on ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ cuts — Fresno County could face a $40 million to $240 million shortfall next year under federal Medicaid cuts in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, Chief Administrative Officer Paul Nerland said. About 520,000 county residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, with 153,000 subject to new work requirements that could strip subsidies. Nerland warned public safety cuts may be unavoidable if the outlook does not improve.

Original stories by Leqi Zhong, Nick Fenley and Thaddeus Miller.

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.

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER