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Saigon Deli To Shut Fulton Mall Restaurant

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Despite customer efforts to save it, Downtown Fulton Mall restaurant Saigon Deli is preparing to close January 29th.

Manager Wayne Do says a lack of foot traffic and rising overhead are to blame for the demise of his family’s business.

“It’s upsetting because you know, when we first started here there was a lot of support for the downtown businesses, especially all the tenants, now it seems the road’s being put in and a lot of these tenants are being pushed out.” – Wayne Do, Manager, Saigon Deli.

saigon deli food

Saigon Deli opened nearly three years ago in the location that was once home to Tommy’s Hamburgers near Chukchansi Park.

Wayne Do says he doesn’t rule out a return to Downtown Fresno or even the Fulton Mall – but he says there are challenges being there as seen by Peeve’s Public House owner Craig Scharton, who called out for customers to save his business.

“He’s very well networker (sic) in the Downtown Fulton Mall area, so to see him struggling it’s very discouraging for any business to come down here.” -Wayne Do, Manager, Saigon Deli.

saigon deli outside

Meantime, Casa de Tamales is renovating the space right next door to Saigon Deli to add it’s second Fresno location.

 


Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Asking Relatives To Come Forward

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Dena Forsythe

The Fresno County Sheriffs Office is asking for the public’s help to identify a woman who died of natural causes.

On January 7th, a roommate found Dena Forsythe, who had passed away in her Fresno home on the 1100 block of E. Fountain Way.

She has no relatives on file, and in order to give her a proper burial the Coroner’s office needs for someone in her family to come forward so they can release the remains.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office (559) 600-3111 or the Coroner’s Office (559) 600-3400.

 

Hanford Cops Find Stolen AR-15 In Bathtub

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Colin DohertyGabriel Ferguson

FRESNO, (KMJ) – Two men are in custody in Hanford for stealing and shooting a rifle that was later located in a bathtub

Around 9:30p.m. on Monday, January 25th, police responded to the Shiloh Apartments on the 1000 block of Rodgers Road.

Witnesses told police that 27 year-old Colin Doherty (above left) and 33 year-old Gabriel Ferguson (above right) had fired 14 shots from an AR-15 rifle.

Police found the shell casings behind the complex.

Officers found the two men at a different location where they also discovered the rifle in a bath tub.

The rifle had been stolen from a home in the 100 block of Henderson Street, earlier in the day.

Both men were arrested on several charges including negligent discharge of a firearm, possession of stolen property, burglary, and possession of a controlled substance.

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Fresno Mayor Endorses District 6 Candidate Gary Bredefeld

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MAYOR AND BREDEFELD

Candidate Garry Bredefeld is running for city council’s district 6 seat, and on Tuesday, he received an endorsement from Fresno’s Mayor Ashley Swearengin.

“In my opinion, Gary Bredefeld has proven in serving on the Fresno City Council in the past, his priorities very much line-up with the priorities we’ve sought to pursue here in my time in office.” – Mayor Ashley Swearengin.

Bredefeld is campaigning for his old seat which he held between 1997 and 2001.

He says “as much as things change – they often stay the same. I came to City Hall in the late 90’s because we had a crime wave and I wanted to turn things around,” he says he promised to provide the same leadership to again turn things around – promising to address the vagrancy and panhandling problems that have been plaguing the city.

The Mayor says Bredefeld will also be focusing on parks, trails and green space, Downtown revitalization and that issue of publicsafety.

He’s up against Elvis impersonator Jeremy Pierce and communications business owner Holly Carter.

 

Millennials Engage In Risky Behavior With Their Money

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Money Photo

Bad news when it comes to Millennials and their money….

Acording to a study by Price-Waterhouse-Coopers and George Washington University – Millennials engage in very risky behavior with their money.

Of the Millennials surveyed, only 8% answered five out of five questions correctly and 24% answered three correctly.

The study analyzed the financial characteristics of more than 5,500 people born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s.

MILLENNIALS

4 out of 5 have major debts such as student loans.

30% have overdrawn their checking accounts,

Nearly half have used pawnshops, auto title loans or payday loans.

Millennials represent 80 million shoppers, and researchers say it’s important to the economy that the Millennials really get their act together from a financial literacy standpoint.

Millennials’ heavy debt burdens are causing them to compromise their future security.

Some 17% of those with a retirement account took loans against it in the past year, while 14% took out a “hardship” withdrawal.

 

Shooting Triggers Lock Down in South Fresno

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greenberg lockdown

(KMJ) – A South Fresno Elementary was locked down Tuesday morning after a nearby shooting.

It started at 10:00a.m., when three men were shot at by a black sedan at Willow and Fillmore.

Bullets hit a woman’s car but she was not injured.

Police Lt. Joe Gomez says the three men rook off running — one split from the group and was taken into custody for questioning by the Walmart near Kings Canyon.

The other two men ran off, toward Greenberg Elementary, on Lane.

The school was locked down as a precaution while police searched for the men.

One man entered the school’s office but then got scared and ran off.

Police took Greenberg Elementary off lock-down about an hour later, when they secured the campus.

The motive for the shooting was not yet known.

 

 

FBI Releases New Info About Faisal Mohammad -UC Merced Attacker

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MERCED1

The FBI releases new information about Faisal Mohammad – the 18 year old who attacked U.C. Merced students, last year.

Every indication is that Mohammad acted on his own.

In November of 2015, Mohammad had entered a classroom where he stabbed a fellow student.

He proceeded to attack three other people as he fled the classroom and moved across the campus.

Mohammad was shot and killed by a UC Merced police officer at the scene.

At the time of the stabbings, Mohammad was carrying a backpack which contained a two-page, hand-written plan detailing his intentions to include taking hostages and killing students and police officers.

Investigators also found a photocopy of an ISIL flag and a list of items he thought he would need for an attack such as zip ties, glass breaker, and a knife among his belongings.

The FBI saying that Mohammad had no ties to terrorist organizations, but investigators developed information that he may have self-radicalized and drawn inspiration from terrorist propaganda.

The FBI immediately opened an investigation after the attack, conducting extensive interviews and thoroughly examining Mohammad’s electronic media.

The FBI uncovered information that indicated Mohammad began his preparations for the attack at least one week prior to the assault.

During this investigation no information has been developed that Mohammad was working with, or directed by, anyone in conducting this attack.

Mohammad had been visiting extremist websites.

His laptop contained pro-ISIL propaganda, and he had visited ISIL and other extremist websites in the weeks prior to his attack.

“Investigators found a print out of an image of an Islamic state flag in his possessions.” – Michelle Morgante, Merced Sun Star Managing Editor.

Every indication is that Mohammad acted on his own; however, the FBI finds that it may never be possible to definitively determine why he chose to attack people on the UC Merced campus

Evidence Of Coliform In North Fork Water –‘Boil Order’ Remains In Place

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WATER BOILING

(KMJ) – A ‘boil order’ is still in place in the Madera County Community of North Fork.

Five tests were run on the ‘Maintenance District 8 water supply, and the results came back Friday afternoon.

These tests showed evidence of coliform — but no “e-coli in the water (as seen in the report released below on Friday March 18th, 2016).

Work continues to fix the issue according to Tom Wheeler, Madera County Supervisor District 5; ‘They put chlorine and other chemicals in the water, they put it right down in the well, and the tank, and after they do that they got to let it set for while and they will flush it all.”

After the chlorine is added, more tests will be run today and those results will be back, Saturday.

In the meantime, residents are advised to continue boiling their water – private wells are not affected.

COLIFORM IN WATER

Update to MD 8: Special District received results from their five repeat samples that were taken on Thursday; only one test came back positive for total coliform at the well, but no E.Coli was detected.  The boil water order is still in effect as a precautionary measure until we get passing sample results that were taken today on Saturday.  If results come back negative on Saturday we will lift the boil water order. 

In the meantime EH staffs are heading up to NF to inform the five closed food facilities that they are allowed to open as long as they perform precautionary measures like checking tap water for chlorine before washing produce or washing utensil, serving bottle water for consumption, boiling water for cooking, and stop the use of the soda and ice machine.

Special District is working in the meantime to install a chlorinating system and investigating all possible contamination points. – Dexter Marr, REHS, Interim Deputy Director Madera County Community and Economic Development / Environmental Health Division.

 

 

 


Accidental Overdoses Send 160 Kids To ER Daily

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OVERDOSES IN KIDS

Accidental overdoses send 160 kids to the emergency room, every day.

The non-profit “Safe Kids Worldwide” from Washington D.C. finds 60,000 young children were seen in ERS across the country in 2013.

It happens after ingesting pain relievers, prescription drugs or vitamins that adults left either on the ground, in cabinets, pill organizers, a purse or diaper bag, or on countertops.

23 percent of kids got into medicine from a pill box.

Dr. Mansi Desai, Chief Resident, UCSF Fresno Pediatrics has advice.

“As a parent you want to keep track of all your pills, keep them really high up so that none of your kids can reach them, and you want to make sure that everything is labeled.” -Dr. Mansi Desai, Chief Resident, UCSF Fresno Pediatrics.

The report finds 23% of children got into medicine from a pill box.

Pill boxes and organizers often don’t succeed in keeping children out.

 

Police Look For Shooting Suspect In Southwest Fresno

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(KMJ)  – A man is shot in Southwest Fresno, around 10:00A.M. Monday morning.

Fresno Police say the 34 year old victim was standing with other men outside a duplex at California and Pottle, when a man came out from an ally and sprayed gunfire – hitting the victim in the thigh.

Fresno Police Lieutenant Joe Gomez says they are looking for the shooter.

“He’s described as an African-American male in his late teens or early twenties, about 5’6″ with a medium build and he was last seen wearing a grey sweatshirt.” – Lt. Joe Gomez.

The shooting may be gang related.

Police say if you have any tips, call Crimestoppers at 498-STOP.

 

 

 

Correctional Officer Stabbed At Fresno County Jail

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JAIL

 

(KMJ) Fresno  – A corrections officer is ambushed by an inmate in the Fresno County Jail.

It was on Saturday, March 19th, just after 6:00 at night as they were passing out meals in the jail when the inmate attacked the guard.

“The inmate rushed out – he had a jail-made stabbing weapon, and he started stabbing the correction officer untill he was subdued and the other officers arrived to help out.” -Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.

Charlie Smith 01

Sheriff Mims says the officer was stabbed several times in the back and head, by 33 year old Charlie Smith.

“He’s been in prison for carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, as well as for robberies.” -Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims.

Smith was already due to go to prison, now he is looking at more time tacked on by the District Attorney for attempted homicide.

As for the corrections officer…

“The officer is doing very well, I talked with him on the phone, he has a great attitude.” – Sheriff Mims.

 

Fresno Police: Bank Robber Nabbed After Being Spotted By Citizen

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A Fresno bank robber is nabbed after being spotted by a citizen.

Fresno Police say 57 year-old David Sheridan robbed two banks in Downtown Fresno.

Police Lieutenant Joe Gomez says it was around 10:00a.m. when Sheridan first hit City Bank on Fresno Street.

“What happened is he went into City Bank first, he tried to rob it – passed a note saying ‘this is a robbery’ and the teller got scared and went in the back and activated the alarm, so he left, then he went right to Bank of the West told her ‘this is a robbery.'” -Lt. Joe Gomez.

Lt Gomez says the teller gave him money, then he walked to bus shelter and changed his clothes, and that’s when a citizen spotted him.

Officers were already in the area investigating the first robbery and arrested him.

Sheridan will be charged with robbery and attempted robbery.

 

 

Skeletal Remains Found In Debbie Hawk Missing Person Case

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New details about the Debbie Hawk case coming out of Kings County.

The skeletal remains of the 47 year old South Valley woman — who’s been missing since 2006 — have reportedly been discovered in a field near Road 16 and Laurel in Kings County, as confirmed by the Kings County Sheriff’s Office.

Debbie Hawk was reported missing nearly ten years ago, and investigators discovered blood inside her ransacked home and car.

Her three children were the first to see the house – then 15 year old Conrad, his sisters Chelsa, 14, and Savannah, 10.

david hawk

Hanford Police treated the case as a murder, and Hawk’s husband David was later convicted — and sentenced to life in prison.

Investigators at the time say it appeared that she was dragged out of the house, against her will.

“It looked like a staged crime scene. Her jewelry in her bedroom neatly laid out just where she had put it. Nothing was missing but her and her van.” – Police investigator Daren Matteson.

Now, Public Information Officer Lt. George Hernandez, from the Hanford Police Department says more will be revealed on Wednesday, March 23rd.

“The details will be released tomorrow at 11:00am in a joint press conference between the DA’s Office, the (Kings County) Sheriff’s Department and the Hanford Police Department.” – Lt. George Hernandez, Public Information Officer, Hanford Police Department.

 

Carter Campaign Rebuffs Allegations of Campaign Finance Law Violations

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holly carter

 

(KMJ) Fresno – Allegations of campaign finance law violations — filed against Fresno City Council Candidate Holly Carter.

The complaint — filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission by conservative activist Tal Cloud — claim that Carter paid her company — and made unlawful reimbursements — totaling more than $10,000.

Carter Campaign Treasurer Jerry Duncan tells KMJ News: “There’s nothing to this, it just a poor political ploy by one of our competitors. I don’t know if it’s completely settled but its certainly, everything we did was fine and allowable. Our company that did our paperwork checked with the FCC and said that everything we did was fine and allowable.”

Carter is running for the District 6 seat — against Jeremy Pearce and Garry Bredefeld.

 

Fresno PD Chief Responds To Lawsuit “Officers Justified In Using Deadly Force”

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DYER ON CENTENO 2

 

Fresno Police responds to a lawsuit by the family of a man who was killed during an officer-involved shooting, last year.

“I have watched this video a minimum of 25 times, both in my office and on a large screen and each and every time I”ve watched this video whether in real time or in freeze frame, I believe he was armed with a handgun.” – Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer went over the details of the incident when Freddy Centeno was shot in August of 2015 and played the 911 tape that was broadcast to the two officers in the field who were responding to the call.

Chief Dyer also played the body camera footage that showed Centeno reaching into his pants and pulling out what looked like a weapon, but turned out to be a dark water sprayer.

 

DYER ON CENTENO

In the footage, police officers pull up to the home, get out and see Centeno approach them, then shout at him to drop the weapon and “get on the ground, get on the ground!”

He doesn’t comply and in a split second, officers pulled their weapons and shot five rounds, with seven bullets hitting Centeno.

The family said Centeno had mental issues and is suing the police department.

“That attorney is mistaken – when an officer fears for their safety then they are justified for using deadly force.” -Chief Dyer.

Dyer says the City of Fresno’s Office of Independent Review determined the officers were justified, and it was a solid example of the use of body cameras.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


OIS Shooting Details Revealed From Fresno Police Body Cam

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RAYMOND GONZALEZ SHOOTING

(KMJ) Fresno – Investigators have reviewed body camera worn by Fresno Police in Wednesday’s officer involved shooting to breakdown the events leading up to shots being fired.

Undercover officers were watching two suspicious men near Scotty’s Liquor store on Blackstone and Yale, on March 23rd.

When questioned, the two men took off running, and repeatedly ignored police orders to stop.

RAYMOND GONZALEZ

One of the men, who was armed, then ran down an alley, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says 34 year-old Raymond Gonzalez threw a backpack to the ground – which contained a pieces of an AR-15 weapon.

RAYMOND GONZALEZ  GUN

Chief Dyer says during the chase, Gonzalez pulled out an object: “Gonzalez suddenly turned toward the officers, had actually a black object in this hand, we don’t know what that is at this point, and the officer felt that a second weapon was being pulled from the waistband and the officer fired one round.

Gonzalez later died at CRMC.

Chief Dyer says the other suspect remains at large.

This is the fourth officer involved shooting for the Fresno Police Department, this year.

 

Easter Safety Tips For Pet Owners

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EASTER CAT EGGS

(KMJ) Fresno – Easter means candy and that can be bad for your pets….

 

CHOCOLATE

Chocolate can be fatal to your dog or cat — The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is. Chocolate contains a caffeine-like stimulant substance that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased pulse, and even seizures. In addition, the fat content in candy and chocolate can cause harm to a pet’s pancreas.

LILLIES CATS

Easter Lilies – can be poisonous or fatal especially to cats. Many plants and flowers are poisonous to pets. Prior to giving flowers to anyone that has pets, please check the ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants / flowers first, http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants.

EASTER TINSEL

Decorations – plastic grass, the Easter tinsel, and Styrofoam eggs can get stuck in the digestive tract, and lead to vomiting and dehydration.

BUNNY

Gifting Animals – like rabbits and baby chicks — should not be given as Easter gifts as they require specialized care. All animals need permanent homes. They are not disposable, should not be re-gifted, and may not be returnable. Holidays should be a celebration that does not lead to further animal abandonment after the holiday novelty wears off.

STUFFED ANIMAL

Stuffed Animals – Pets love toys and they can’t always understand which ones are only for humans. Eyes and other items on stuffed animals can lead to choking or blockages if ingested, so keep human only appropriate stuffed animals in a safe place.

PET WATER

Fresh Water – Make sure your pet always has fresh water. When there is excitement in the air during holiday celebrations, they may feel the excitement too and may be more active than usual. Keep them safe and hydrated.

 

Healthcare Employees Spreading Easter Cheer

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Bonnie Williams, a mother of four, was in the process of a divorce and lost her mother when her financial advisor died of a heart attack, leaving her without access to her accounts for over two weeks.

(KMJ) Fresno – UnitedHealthcare Employees Spreading Easter Cheer…

More than 1,500 Easter baskets will be delivered by UnitedHealthcare employees and local volunteers this week to children at nine nonprofit organizations across California.

80 Easter baskets are being handed out in Pinedale to the Boys&Girls Clubs of Fresno County.

Sandra Chaney is the Director of Community Relations for the Boys and Girls Club of Fresno County – who is helping to spearhead the operation to bring Easter to disadvantaged kids.

“They go to the stores and they see the Easter aisles, they see the candy, the Easter baskets, the stuffed animals, and they know they can’t have them, and United Healthcare coming through for the Boys & Girls Club means a lot and seeing the smiles on their faces is priceless.” -Sandra Chaney, Director of Community Relations.

It’s the eleventh year that UnitedHealthcare employees have come together to donate, assemble and decorate the baskets.

Inside each basket are items such as healthy snacks, treats, books, art supplies, gift cards, toys and games.

 

 

Valley Blood Supply Down Below 3% – Donors Needed ASAP

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(KMJ) Fresno  – Recently, KMJ reported that the Central California Blood Center was low on supply – about 9% – now on this Good Friday, it’s dropped below 3%.

Ongoing trauma and emergency room use up-and-down the valley caused the demand for blood to spike.

So, all donors are needed as soon as possible.

Central California Blood center is asking all blood donors, to please give blood today at donor centers in Visalia and Fresno.

Go to donateblood.org for details.

 

Wired & Tired – Smartphone Burnout

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WIRED AND TIRED 2

Wired & Tired: After hours work emails causing employee burnout

These days, we are more connected than ever. You want to order a pizza? Just tweet about it. You want to buy movie tickets? Open up an app.

Smartphones have made telecommuting easy, but it can be a bad idea to have your work email so accessible on your phone.

Checking work emails after hours can lead to undue stress and anxiety.

WIRED AND TIRED

If your company requires you to be accessible via email on your phone, then see if you can set some boundaries.

Set a designated timeframe when you’ll check emails, and then don’t check them again after that.

Skim through your emails during that designated time and only reply to the ones that have to have immediate responses.

 

 

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