Mid Valley Times 11-18-21 E-edition

Thursday, November 18, 2021
Vol. 3, No. 20
Dinuba veterans ceremony
50 cents
Sanger
council to
vote on
deal with
SPOA
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The Sanger City Council is scheduled to discuss and vote this week on a recommended Memorandum of Understand- ing with the Sanger Police Of- ficers Association that would cover three years.
The proposed MOU and city manager authorization is on the agenda for the Thurs- day, Nov. 18 Sanger City Coun- cil regular meeting. The 6 p.m. meeting is open to the public at the Council Chambers, 1700 7th St., and also is available for public viewing and participa- tion through Zoom.
The council has eight items to discuss and possibly vote on in the department reports section of the meeting. In ad- dition to the MOU vote, the council also has scheduled dis- cussion and votes that include the following items:
• Approving a contract with Pinnacle Health Systems to implement a voluntary health/wellness program in the Sanger Fire Department.
• Adopt a resolution that updates compensation ranges for certain unclassified exec- utive management positions. The action would provide for longevity pay.
• Approval of a health plan provider amendment between the city and Anthem Blue Cross and Cal-Viva Health, along with an agreement re- garding transfer of public funds between the city and the California Department of Health Care Services.
More than 100 people attended the annual Veterans Day event at Smith Mountain Cemetery in Dinuba on Nov. 11. The event marked the 36th anniversary of the Avenue of Flags. The Dinuba High School band and Madrigals performed pa- triotic songs during the ceremony.
LEFT: David Meals saluted military veterans in the audience.
ABOVE LEFT: Members of a veterans firing squad, command- ed by Jacob Huerta, prepared to march in for the ceremony.
ABOVE RIGHT: Special speaker Justin Bond spoke about the "Our Heroes Dreams" program and the difficulties that re- turning veterans face.
RIGHT: Gary Barsoom, U.S. Army National Guard veteran, per- formed "Taps" near the end of the ceremony.
Photos by Jon Earnest / Mid Valley Times
Sanger man killed in Easton shooting
Reedley brothers
arrested in separate
homicide in Huron
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
A Sanger man was shot and killed in Easton last week, while in a separate case it was announced that two Reedley brothers were arrested in Mexico for a homicide that took place in April.
The Sanger man, identified as Alexis Lopez Gutierrez, 24, was shot and killed
in Easton on the night of Nov. 12. Inves- tigators with the Fresno County Sher- iff’s Office blocked off several streets near Frantz and Geneva in the town of Easton while they processed the crime scene. Police responded to the shots fired call that came in sometime around 7 p.m., and found Gutierrez lying in the road suffering from a gunshot wound. The investigation is ongoing.
Two Reedley brothers were arrested in Mexico this summer for the shooting death of a 19-year-old Coalinga man and transferred to Fresno on Nov. 5. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office an- nounced the arrests on Nov. 12.
Victor Cerna, 30, and Vincent Cerna, 32, were booked into the Fresno County Jail each facing murder charges with bail amounts set at $4.5 million for the shooting death of Jose Mendez Varela, who was working in a Huron vineyard.
Varela and two other men were shot sometime around 7:30 a.m. on April 16 following an argument with the Cerna brothers. The two other men at the scene survived their injuries.
Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office gathered information regarding the Cerna brothers involve-
See CRIMES on page A2
RC football brings 'The Pump' back to Reedley
Tigers build big lead, hold off Rams rally for 34-30 victory on Nov. 13
By Will Goldbeck
Contributed
Until after his team’s ex- citing 34-30 win over Fresno City College the evening of Nov. 13, Reedley College head football coach Rob Hartenfels didn’t realize how heavy “The Pump” was.
But he knows now.
Now he has to decide where the trophy that goes to the winner of the State Center Community College District football champion- ship between the Tigers and the Fresno City College Rams goes for at least the next year.
It’s the first time in 12 years that the Pump is located somewhere on the Reed Ave- nue campus.
Both teams will find out this Sunday, Nov. 21 where they will play in the postsea- son. Reedley will probably be on the road for a Dec. 4 bowl game. Fresno had already clinched a spot in the North- ern California playoffs, but fell into a tie with Modesto for the Central Valley Conference title with the loss. Fresno ad- vances, thanks to a 22-16 win over the Pirates on Oct. 30.
More details on the game can be found on page A16.
Fresno City College officials, left, return "The Pump" to Reedley College of- ficials moments after the Tigers football team defeated the Rams by a 34-30 score on Nov. 13 at Reedley High School stadium. With the victory, The Pump returns to the RC campus for the first time since 2009. More details on the victory can be found on page A16.
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
Classifieds - A10 Directory - A6 Legals - A11-15 Sports - A9, A16
Lifestyle - A7-8
Lights & Sirens - A3, A5
Obituaries - A2-3 Opinion - A4