Edward Smith, GV Wire Journalist Profile

Articles

Former MLB All-Star Breaks Ground on BMW/Porsche/Audi Dealership in Clovis

1 week ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

Former Major League Baseball pitcher C.J. Wilson, a two-time All-Star, broke ground Wednesday on his new Audi, BMW, and Porsche dealership in Clovis. The 15-acre luxury auto campus at the southwest corner of Clovis and Herndon avenues will allow for a state-of-the-art showroom, expanded service center, and the possibility of future brands, Wilson said in a news release. “We are excited to bridge our passion for luxury automobiles to the Clovis community,” Wilson said. “Expanding is essential.
Fresno Teachers Call for Probe After Superintendent Orders Up Dossier Against Union

1 week ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

Fresno Unified administration, led by new Superintendent Misty Her, presented the Fresno Teachers Association with a document this month citing every instance that union leadership criticized Her in a “inflammatory, unprofessional, or dismissive way,” a document acquired by GV Wire shows. However, there was one huge problem.
The Artist Tree Set to Open Second Fresno Cannabis Location

2 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

One of Fresno’s first cannabis companies to open a dispensary will soon unveil a second location. The Artist Tree will open near Shaw and Marty avenues on June 27, according to a news release from the company. This will mark the brand’s 10th store overall. “We’re so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to open a second location in the city of Fresno,” said The Artist Tree founder Lauren Fontein.
Fresno Affordable Housing Takes a Huge Hit. State Kills City's 'Pro-Housing' Status

2 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

Mayor Jerry Dyer said at Thursday’s city council meeting that Fresno has lost a state designation allowing it to apply for grant money for affordable housing projects. “We’ve not done enough in their eyes to accelerate housing within our city. In fact, we’re the only city awarded the designation that missed the deadline. I’m ashamed of that as the mayor of this city.” — Fresno Mayor Jerry DyerDyer announced that after two years, the city had lost its Pro-Housing Designation.
Attorney: Fresno Unified Needs to Find 'Nearest Exit' in Defamation Lawsuit

2 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

With a video showing a Fresno Unified trustee denying she said a Bullard football coach called her son the N-word, a Fresno attorney says the district should be looking for the “nearest exit.”Veteran attorney Roger Bonakdar appeared on GV Wire’s “Unfiltered” podcast Tuesday to discuss a deposition video showing trustee Keshia Thomas saying she never said Bullard teacher and coach Don Arax called her son the N-word during a football practice.
Fresno Supervisors Go After Catalytic Converter Thieves With New Ordinance

2 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

A new Fresno County ordinance allows law enforcement to arrest anyone caught with an unattached catalytic converter. Even though catalytic converter thefts have dropped significantly since highs in 2023, insurers still reported more than 2,000 claims in California for the first half of 2024, according to a January article from State Farm. California consistently has the highest theft rates in the nation.
Fresno Families Can't Get Sell Their Gold Fast Enough: Jewelers

2 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

Gold’s record prices have Fresno County families digging through their drawers and cashing in, local jewelers tell GV Wire. Stephanie Foster-Mullins, marketing director for the Fresno Coin Gallery, said the shop hasn’t seen a rush like this since 2012 when gold first topped $2,000. “People are coming in — a lot of people are thinking about recycling old jewelry that they’ve had for a long time or they don’t care for, or maybe they inherited,” said Foster-Mullins.
Fresno Families Can't Sell Their Gold Fast Enough: Jewelers

2 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

Gold’s record prices have Fresno County families digging through their drawers and cashing in, local jewelers tell GV Wire. Stephanie Foster-Mullins, marketing director for the Fresno Coin Gallery, said the shop hasn’t seen a rush like this since 2012 when gold first topped $2,000. “People are coming in — a lot of people are thinking about recycling old jewelry that they’ve had for a long time or they don’t care for, or maybe they inherited,” said Foster-Mullins.
New Affordable Downtown Fresno Housing Project Cuts Typical Costs in Half

2 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

Housing developers broke ground on a new $4.7 million motel rehabilitation in downtown Fresno for workforce housing. What sets this project apart though is cost per unit, said Michael Duarte, CEO of Better Opportunities Builder and chief real estate officer of Fresno Housing. Better Opportunities will turn the long vacant Econo Inn on Broadway Street into 25 units of workforce housing, designed for people who make 60% to 80% of the area’s median income.
Trump Cuts Could Leave 5,500 Fresno County Families Homeless

3 weeks ago | gvwire.com | Edward Smith

Saying President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to housing programs could leave 5,500 Fresno County households homeless, Tyrone Roderick Williams, president and CEO of Fresno Housing, called on the federal government to preserve funding. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget proposed $32.9 billion in cuts to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs on May 2.