Adjoa Aikins

Writing Samples

KMPH •

New High-Speed Rail proposal raises concerns about Merced’s role in the project

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A new proposal from the California High-Speed Rail Authority is raising questions about the future of the project in the Central Valley, particularly in Merced County.At a board meeting last week, county management analyst Dalia Costa confronted authority members after learning of reports suggesting Merced might be excluded from the initial operating segment.“We are disappointed learning that Merced County is not being consistently included in the discussions tha...
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Fresno joins legal fight against federal grant changes to protect local project funds

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — The City of Fresno and several other California cities and counties are taking legal action to block new federal conditions on grant funding, saying the rules could put hundreds of millions of dollars in local projects at risk.The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, seeks a temporary restraining order to halt enforcement of Executive Orders the cities say change the rules on grants they rely on for housing, transportation, roads, and public safety. Other jurisdictions joining Fres...
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Former Visalia teacher convicted of attempted murder granted parole

VISALIA, Calif. (FOX26) — A former Visalia teacher convicted of attempted murder will soon be released from prison after a California parole board found her eligible for parole Wednesday, despite objections from Tulare County prosecutors.71-year-old Donna Andrews, has been behind bars since 2006, serving a sentence of 32 years to life at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. She was found guilty of shooting her daughter-in-law twice and hurting her husband during a family dinner...
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Agriculture giant AGCO expands to Visalia, boosting support for Western farmers

VISALIA, Calif. (FOX26) — A global leader in agricultural machinery and technology, AGCO, announced plans to open a new, expanded parts distribution center in Visalia as part of a multimillion-dollar investment to support farmers across the Western U.S.The new 115,000-square-foot facility, located less than three miles from the current center, will replace the existing site and feature advanced warehouse automation and increased stocking capacity. It aims to improve parts availability and delive...
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Fresno man charged for sexually exploiting minors

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A federal grand jury has indicted 28-year-old Miguel Dorantes, also known as Miguel Castro on multiple charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors. Dorantes faces three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. According to court documents, between November 2021 and May 2025, Dorantes used three minors to create sexually explicit material. [RELATED] Fresno man sentenced to 53 years to life for sex...
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Kings County ordered to pay $1.9 million in sexual harassment case involving former DA

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A Kings County jury has awarded $1.9 million to Alexandra Smith, a longtime secretary in the District Attorney’s Office, after finding the county liable in a sexual harassment and retaliation case involving former DA Keith Fagundes.The jury reached its verdict Wednesday, ruling in Smith’s favor on nearly all 16 counts. The award includes damages for past non-economic suffering.Smith said the outcome was not just for herself, but for “all of the women who felt oppr...
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California mother, 8-month-old daughter missing for more than 10 days

FRESNO, Cali. (KMPH) — A California mother and her 8-month-old daughter have been missing for more than 10 days, and their loved ones are pleading for the public’s help in finding them.Whisper Owen, 36, and her baby, Sandra, were last seen in Fresno on Tuesday, July 15, after a doctor’s appointment. Her family said she left the city around 5 p.m. that evening.Hours later, her silver 2006 Chevy Trailblazer—already damaged on the front driver’s side—was captured on surveillance cameras in Atwater....
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Iranian-American restaurant owner in Clovis fears for his family amid war

CLOVIS, Calif. (FOX26) — As war intensifies between Israel and Iran, an Iranian-American business owner in Clovis says the conflict hits close to home. Abdi Ghafari, owner of Tah Deeg Persian Cuisine, says the violence unfolding in the Middle East has him constantly worried for the safety of his loved ones still in Iran.While he stays in contact with them through social media, he says communication has become increasingly limited due to the political climate and media restrictions in the region...
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Superintendent Misty Her leads transformative push for Fresno Unified's academic success

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — The Fresno Unified School District now says it has launched itself into a comprehensive, new program designed to dramatically and measurably increase student academic performance over the next five years.There is no doubt the goals for the district's new goals and guardrails program are very ambitious, something that everyone would love to see the district achieve for its students and their parents.“We all decided that our district needed to go in a different, more trans...
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Man sentenced for 2023 DUI crash that killed 80-year-old man

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A man will now spend the next 15 years to life in state prison for a crash that killed an 80-year-old man in Fresno. Thursday, 57-year-old Shawn Davari, from Clovis, was sentenced for once county of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts of felony DUI causing great bodily injury to elderly victims. the Fresno Police Department says on July 4, 2023, just after 5:00 p.m., Davari was driving his Ford Fusion southbound on Armstrong Avenue approaching...
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Man arrested for deadly hit-and-run in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A man was arrested after hitting and killing a cyclist in Fresno. The victim was hit on May 11, just before 6:00 p.m., at Belmont Avenue and Thesta Street, and left lying on the roadway.Officers say the victim was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where they died. During an investigation, detectives received a tip about a person who had told a witness that he had hit someone in Fresno. The tip included a description of the vehicle the man left in, which matche...
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Huron Police asking for help solving 2017 murder

HURON, Calif. (FOX26) — Homicide detectives with Fresno County Sheriff's Office are asking for the public's help solving the 2017 murder of 68-year-old Francisco Acosta, who was shot and killed in Huron. Detectives say on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017, around 9:40 a.m., officers were called to a drive by shooting at a home on 14th Street, near O Street. Officers found Acosta inside the living room with a gunshot wound. He died at the scene. [RELATED] Clovis police investigate Fairmount shooting; homes...
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Three arrested after stabbing two men during a drug deal in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Three people have been arrested, accused of stabbing two men in central Fresno.The Fresno Police Department says on May 21, around 2:10 p.m., officers were called to Community Regional Medical Center for two men who were stabbed.Officers learned that the victims were meeting the suspects to buy marijuana, in the area of Hammond Avenue and Mariposa Street, when one of the suspects, Julian Carrillo approached one of the victims and stabbed him.Officers say Carrillo’s moth...
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Correctional officer attacked by inmate at California Medical Facility in Vacaville

SOLANO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — An inmate at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville is now facing additional charges after being accused of attacking a correctional officer. 38-year-old Dannunzio Patron, is accused of attacking a correctional officer with an improved weapon during a cell cell extraction, on Wednesday, May 21, around 10:10 a.m. When nearby officers tried helping, one officer suffered cuts to his left arm from the weapon, and two responding staff members reported knee pain....
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Congressman Valadao reintroduces bill to improve Central Valley roads

KERN COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) is reintroducing the Farm to Market Road Improvement Act, in hopes of improving Central Valley Roads. Congressman Valadao led Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Vince Fong (CA-20), and Jim Costa (CA-21) in reintroducing the Act. He says in major regions like the Central Valley, local roads and bridges are traveled often by heavy trucks hauling up to 80,000 pounds of agricultural freight. This constant strain leads to serious...
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Fresno County Sheriff's office reminds boaters of ID Card requirement to avoid fines

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is sending out a reminder that community members are required to have a California Boater Card when operating a motorized vessel. Officials say if you are stopped by law enforcement on a a waterway and do not have a card, you may get an infraction citation. If convicted, you may face a fine of up to $100. Further violations can could lead to fines up to $500.Beginning in 2018, California required Boater ID Cards for specific age...
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Gang member arrested after social media video shows him with illegal gun in Lemoore

LEMOORE, Calif. (FOX26) — The Lemoore Police Department has arrested a known gang member following the release of a video showing him with a gun and an illegal high-capacity magazine.Police learned the video was streamed on social media on Tuesday, May 20. They were able to identify the suspect as 25-year-old Nicholas Pinon, from Lemoore.Patrol officers found him on Linda Lane, near Sycamore Lane.When they tried to approaching him, he ran from a vehicle has was in and into a nearby home.[RELATE...
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California adds second C-130 airtanker to firefighting fleet ahead of peak fire season

SACRAMENTO, Calif (FOX26) — Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state’s second airtanker is now ready for firefighting operations, with peak fire season on the horizon.The state’s second C-130 Hercules airtanker will strengthen California’s ability to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, adding to the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world.Last year, California became the first state in the nation to own, operate, and deploy a C-130H airtanker for wildfire suppre...
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Fresno Yosemite airport unveils expanded security checkpoint and public art program

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Millions of future travelers going through Fresno Yosemite International Airport will now have a smoother experience.Wednesday FAT celebrated a FATForward Terminal Expansion Program milestone with the opening of an expanded security checkpoint and public art program unveiling.Passengers traveling through FAT will now experience improved security queueing within a 13,000 square feet facility.Displayed just steps from security screening, is a stunning floor-to-ceiling mur...
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Gov. Newsom accepts clemency plea in 2009 Tulare County gang killing

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — Governor Gavin Newsom has granted clemency to 39-year-old Richard Garcia, convicted in a 2009 gang-related murder near Orosi.On April 18, 2025, Gov. Newsom accepted a plea for clemency and commuted the sentence of Garcia, who was convicted in 2011 for the death of an 18-year-old man.During his trial in 2011, a Tulare County jury found Garcia guilty of murder in the second degree and conspiracy, along with the special allegations of principal use of a firearm in a...
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Misty Her selected as the next Fresno Unified School District superintendent

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Fresno Unified School District trustees Wednesday have chosen Misty Her to be the district’s next superintendent.The board voted in a private session.“Misty Her has spent her career dedicated to the students and families of Fresno Unified, building support within our staff and families because of her unmatched integrity and expertise. As an immigrant who came to this country as a child, she understands the reality of so many of our students who must overcome language an...
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Man hospitalized following crash near Fresno airport

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A man is in the hospital Friday after getting into a crash near Fresno Yosemite International Airport.Fresno Police say a white Mazda Miata convertible and Toyota Camry were traveling southbound on Clovis Avenue near the Fresno Airport, when the Mazda crashed into the Toyota, lifting the car up onto the front end of the Mazda.The driver of the Mazda was slightly hurt.He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center.Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in t...
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Flight Level Aviation expanding services at Fresno Chandler Executive Airport

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Flight Level Aviation is expanding its presence at Fresno Chandler Executive Airport (FCH) becoming the exclusive Fixed Based Operator (FBO) at FCH. Operating since 2019, Flight Level Aviation is the premier provider of FBO services supporting private, corporate, and general aviation aircraft operations.As the exclusive Fixed Base Operator at FCH, Flight Level Aviation is responsible for managing ramp activities such as directing transient aircraft to parking areas and...
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Tachi Palace Casino Resort sends warning to the public about fraudulent online ads

LEMOORE, Calif. (FOX26) — Tachi Palace Casino Resort is warning the public about a series of fraudulent online advertisements falsely claiming that the casino now offers online gaming and downloadable apps with large welcome bonuses.Casino officials say these deceptive ads, often appearing on Facebook and Instagram, misuse Tachi Palace’s name, logo and imagery to lure people into providing personal or financial information.“These scam ads are not affiliated with us in any way,” said Rojelio Mo...
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