Incumbent Jim Qualls has served on the board for 25 years, Joy Naylor was an educator for 35 @TheSunGazette VISALIA – One challenger and one incumbent bring decades of experience to the Area 3 seat on the Visalia Unified School District Board of Trustees. Jim Qualls is a 59-year-old retired inspector for the Tulare County […]

City Council votes to sell Main Street Theater forcing Enchanted Playhouse to enter a new stage By Reggie Ellis @Reggie_SGN VISALIA – The City of Visalia bowed out of the theater business last week, forcing a children’s theater group to move on to a new stage in its organization. At its Oct. 15 meeting, the […]

Visalia Chamber, Sun-Gazette, League of Women Voters host Visalia candidates’ forum @TheSunGazette VISALIA – Beyond campaign signs and slogans, what makes a candidate the best choice for the job? An upcoming candidate’s forum is the best way to find out. The Visalia Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with The Sun-Gazette newspaper and the League of […]

Candidates campaign on roads, jobs, affordable housing in District 3 race By Reggie Ellis @Reggie_SGN VISALIA – Two unopposed incumbents have already been appointed in lieu of election and a third incumbent chose not to seek re-election, leaving just one seat on the Visalia City Council undecided on this year’s ballot. Mayor Warren Gubler’s decision […]

Enchanted Playhouse agrees to pay $12,500 in back rent, vacate Main Street Theatre by Jan. 31, 2019 but contends any sale to another entity would be illegal By Reggie Ellis @Reggie_SGN VISALIA – A children’s theater company and the City of Visalia almost ended a 10-month struggle over downtown’s Main Street Theater last week. And […]

City spends at least $1.8 mil per year; County HHSA, Homeless Alliance spend $2.8 million, $750,000 per year in Visalia By Reggie Elllis @Reggie_SGN VISALIA – The human cost of homelessness far outweighs the monetary cost of dealing with its side effects on city services. The seriousness of the condition can be measured by the […]

Biologists say they are two years away from breeding a new line of pests that don’t transmit HLB to trees By Reggie Ellis @Reggie_SGN VISALIA – Last week’s California Citrus Conference marked a major milestone for growers, and it wasn’t just the 50th anniversary of the Visalia-based Citrus Research Board (CRB). It was a resounding […]

City, County, Cal Fire departments hold new event for National Fire Prevention Week @TheSunGazette VISALIA – Guys like trucks. Girls like guys with big trucks. Kids like Monster trucks. Trucks are the unofficial vehicle of rural America and there are two kinds that everyone likes – fire trucks and food trucks. Put them together, and […]

Moose Dog Brewery will begin selling beer in stores, restaurants in the next few weeks By Reggie Ellis @Reggie_SGN VISALIA – The next time you go into a store to buy a bottle of craft beer, you might see the words “Brewed in Visalia” on the label. Moose Dog Brewing owner Jeff Wimp said his […]

Backyard storage shed shields family from shots fired by gun toting, drug dealing neighbors @TheSunGazette VISALIA – Storage sheds are often considered a nuisance because homeowners fill them with things they don’t need. But in the case of one Visalia home, their backyard shed may have saved their family’s lives. At 2:08 a.m. on Oct. […]