Local News

Pending Home Sales Stumble 4.7 Percent in January

WASHINGTON DC - After seeing a modest three-month rise in activity, pending home sales cooled considerably in January to their lowest level in over three years, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All major regions experienced monthly and annual declines in contract signings last month.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, fell 4.7 percent to 104.6 in January from a downwardly revised 109.8 in December 2017. After last month's retreat, the index is now 3.8 percent below a year ago and at its lowest level since October 2014 (104.1).

Fresno Weekend DUI Saturation Patrol Nets 12 DUI Arrests

FRESNO - The Police Department Traffic Unit of the Fresno Police Department conducted a DUI Saturation Patrol on February 24, 2018, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. High Visibility Enforcement efforts like this have a deterrent effect, lowering the incidents of impaired driving.

In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. Fresno PD supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

High Speed Pursuit Leads to CHP Officer Involved Shooting

MADERA – The Madera County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating a California Highway Patrol officer involved shooting following a multiple-freeway high speed chase involving several officers an lasting over twenty minutes.

Early Saturday morning California Highway Patrol Officers initiated a vehicle stop for speeding on Highway 152 just West of Freeway 99. The vehicle failed to yield, increased its speed, and continued travelling southbound on Highway 99.

California Correctional Institution Investigating Inmate Death as a Homicide

TEHACHAPI – California Correctional Institution (CCI) officials are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide. At 11:26 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16, staff conducting the institutional count on a Facility A housing unit discovered inmate Joshua Powers, 29, actively striking his cellmate Kevin Mansfield, 37, who was face down on the floor and appeared unconscious.

Staff ordered Powers to stop his assault and used pepper spray when he ignored commands. When Powers continued to strike Mansfield, staff made emergency entry into the cell and used batons and physical force to remove Powers from the cell and place him in restraints.

Six More Defendants Indicted in Multi-Agency Investigation into Coordinated Criminal Activity Centered in Woodland

SACRAMENTO - A federal grand jury returned five indictments today against six additional defendants arrested as part of last week’s multi-agency coordinated series of searches and arrests throughout Northern California, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

These new indictments arise from a multi-agency law enforcement investigation focused on Woodland, but which spread to multiple counties in Northern California and to two additional states.