Mid Valley Times 9-19-19 E-edition

Thursday, September 19, 2019
Vol. 1, No. 12
Never forget: 9/11
50 cents
Accident on Kings River leaves boy hospitalized
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
A Fresno County Sheriff's helicopter, known as Eagle 1, along with multiple fire and ems units could be seen near the Kings River on the after- noon of Sept. 15 after calls came in that an 8-year-old child had nearly drowned while on the water with his family.
"Our units were dispatched to the area of Clayton and Kings River Road about 4:30 p.m." said Robert Carey, a ser- geant with the sheriff's office. "The call came in as a child who was drowning and then taken out of the water to an island on the center of the river where CPR was being performed."
Carey said the group of family members were floating down the river on inner-tubes, all were wearing life vests, and all were tied together with rope.
"There were a total of four or five individuals including adults and children," he said. "Once they hit the east part of the river, they got caught up in some strainers at which point all the rafts except one punc- tured in the shrubbery."
"The child was suspended under the water," he continued. "He was caught in the shrub- bery with the over hanging branches about 8 feet off the
See RIVERonpageA12
M id Valley Times cities commemorated the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks at various ceremonies.
LOWER LEFT AND LEFT: Sanger Navy Junior ROTC mem- bers gathered around the flag at Sanger High School. First responders also paid their respects.
Photos by Dick Sheppard / Mid Valley Times
ABOVE: Reedley firefighters did a ceremonial stair climb at Reedley High School football stadium. More photos and story, Page A7.
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
BELOW:A wreath was on display at the Vietnam Veter- ans' hot dog-hamburger feed for first responders at the Dinuba patio. More photos are on Page A12.
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
Sanger mulls return to 4-year mayor terms
Miss Dinuba 2019
Katelyn Overvidez reacts after she was announced as Miss Dinuba 2019 during the 105th Miss Dinuba Pageant at Dinuba High School's Hellbaum Audi- torium on Sept. 14. Katelyn, 17, will be profiled during a recap of the event in the upcoming Mid Valley Times' Raisin Day special section. Another picture of Overvidez from the pageant is in Lifestyle, Page A7.
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
By Dick Sheppard
Mid Valley Times
The Sanger city council on Thursday, Sept. 19 will consider takings steps to attempt to turn back the clock and give future mayors a four-year instead of a two-year term of office.
When controversial Mea- sure L, the subject of a 2012 grand jury report, was passed by voters in 2010 it provided for four councilmembers to have four year terms and the mayor to have only a two-year term.
Even though several subse- quent councils have questioned the logic behind the difference in terms the present council is the first to try to change the length of the mayor's term back to the way it was before Measure L. That was when all five members of the council had four year terms and coun- cilmembers elected the mayor from within the council.
Measure L brought about
the at large
election of
the short
term may-
or even
though
the mayor
still had
no more
authority
than any
other coun-
cilmember.The council, at its 6 p.m. meeting in city hall, will try to decide whether to ask the staff to prepare a ballot measure resolution calling for a special election in March of next year or a measure to go on the regular November 3, 2020 municipal election.
The resolution would call for amending the mayor's term of office from two to four years.
There's considerable differ- ence in cost between taking the measure to the public in March
See MAYORonpageA11
Frank Gonzalez
Classifieds - B4-5 Directory - B6
Legals - B7-11
Sports - B1-2, B10
Lifestyle - A7-10
Lights & Sirens - A3 Obituaries - A2-3 Opinion - A4