Page 2 - Reedley Exponent 3-14-19

The Reedley Exponent A2 Thursday, March 14, 2019
Supervisors OK update to Fresno County voting system
Contributed
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors on March 12 approved Fresno County Clerk Brandi Orth’s recommendation to purchase a new election system.
The new system will replace the old one that began operating 20 years ago. According to Orth, the old system was outdated and replace- ment parts are no longer available.
Additionally, the system itself has recently been removed from the current list of approved systems for California. State and Federal funds are available to cover the cost of ac- quiring the new system.
In a separate action, the Board also voted to implement the Califor- nia Voter’s Choice Act in 2020, which will dramatically change how voting services are provided throughout the county. Under this new voting
model, Fresno County will have 50 Vote Centers, located strategically throughout the county. The vote centers will be open for four days, including Election Day, and 10 of the 50 centers will be open for 11 days, including Election Day.
In recent countywide elections, there have been 268 polling places open for one day only. Under the cur- rent system, a voter can receive their precinct specific ballot only at their
assigned polling place on Election Day or the Elections Office in down- town Fresno. The Voter’s Choice Act will allow any voter to vote at any of the 50 Vote Centers and receive their precinct-specific ballot which will be printed on demand. Additionally, under the Voter’s Choice Act model, all voters will receive a vote by mail ballot which may be returned to any Vote Center, to one of the additional 30 ballot drop off boxes, which will
be provided to voters, or via US mail. In recent countywide elections, 65 percent of ballots were cast using vote by mail ballots.
Orth had recommended this tran- sition to the Voter’s Choice Act model based on her research and analysis of the five counties, including neigh- boring Madera County that currently use this model.
See VOTING on page A6
Applications available for Fresno County grand jury
Rotary Auction on March 30
Contributed
The Fresno County Supe- rior Court now is accepting applications to serve on the grand jury for 2019-2020
The civil grand jury is a constitutionally-mandated judicial body charged to in- vestigate and monitor the performance of the county, city and other local govern- ment and to recommend ways to improve their ef- ficiency and effectiveness.
Every year, 19 citizen volun- teers are selected to join the civil grand jury – the only independent watchdog of local government services. Empowered by the judicial system, the grand jury op- erates independent of ad- ministrators, politicians and legislators, to provide impar- tial citizen oversight of local government.
The term is 1 year and
See GRAND JURY on page A3
Obituaries
Mary Alvarez
Mary Luisa Alvarez of Dinuba died March 6 in Di- nuba. She was 76.
Mrs. Alvarez was self- employed.
She is survived by her husband, three sons and two daughters.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. with a wake service at 6 p.m. Thurs- day, March 14, at Dopkins Funeral Chapel in Dinuba. Burial will be at Smith Mountain Cemetery in Di- nuba.
Ruth Banuelos
Ruth R. Banuelos of Parlier died March 6. She was 90.
Mrs. Banuelos was self-employed and a home- maker.
She is survived by one daughter, three sisters, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
A rosary was held March 10, at Wallin’s Fu- neral Home in Parlier. A funeral mass was held March 11 at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
in Parlier.
Greg Essman
Greg Essman of Squaw Valley died Feb. 27 at Clo- vis Community Hospital. He was 49.
Mr. Essman worked as a lineman for Pacific Bell. He is survived by his wife, one son, three daugh- ters, one step-brother and
one sister.
A memorial service
will be held at 11 a.m. Mon- day, March 18, at Reed- ley Mennonite Brethren Church.
Leland Hampton
Leland Leon Hampton of Fresno died March 8 in Fresno. He was 70.
Mr. Hampton worked for the U.S. Postal Service. He is survived by one
son and one sister. Visitation will be from
4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 22, at Dopkins Dinuba Fu- neral Chapel. A graveside service will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at Smith Mountain Cemetery in Dinuba.
Denny Mason / Photo Contributed
The 37th annual Reedley Rotary Auction and Dinner on Saturday, March 30, will have a special item to bid on. A one-of-a-kind 175 Honda Special Edition Electrolux Café Racer is one of the prized donated items to be auctioned off. Once again, the event will take place at the Reedley Community Center, 100 N. East Ave. Tickets now are on sale, check with Reedley Rotary Club members. Doors open at 5 p.m., and dinner will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. followed by the auction.
Head-on crash south of Parlier on March 11 kills 2
Staff Report
A man and a woman were killed March 11 when the ve- hicles they were driving col- lided head-on at Mendocino and Industrial avenues south of Parlier.
The county coroner’s of- fice on March 12 identified
the victims as 28-year-old Miriam Hernandez Palo- mares and 57-year-old James Steele Jr. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office didn’t have the hometowns of Palomares or Steele.
According to the Cali- fornia Highway Patrol, a Dodge 3500 pickup truck
driven north on Mendocino by Steele crashed head-on into a southbound Dodge Caravan driven by Palo- mares near the intersection of Industria;. That’s about a mile-and-a-half south of Manning Avenue, west of Reedley.
Both drivers were pro- nounced dead at the scene, and the CHP said the two were the only occupants in their vehicles.
If was unclear if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash, according to the CHP. Mendocino Avenue was closed for an undetermined about of time after the acci- dent, the CHP said.
The March 11 accident was the latest in a series of crashes in the region that involved multiple vehicles and death or major injuries. On March 4, a 19-year-old man from Citrus Heights in Southern California was charged with DUi after set- ting off a chain-reaction
crash on Highway 180 north of Sanger.
That was little more than a week after a Feb. 25 crash at the rural intersection of Rose and Bethel avenues killed 8-year-old Maverick Martzen of Selma. Karmjit Singh, 35, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and ve- hicular manslaughter after his vehicle broadsided the car carrying Maverick and his parents, both of who suf- fered major injuries.
On Feb. 4, a head-on crash on Highway 180 just west of McCall Avenue north of Sanger killed two people including 48-year-old Phia Vang, a 26-year veteran Fres- no police officer.
Also killed was 33-year- old Cameron Pryor, a Fresno resident who had a realty business in Sanger. Pryor re- portedly was driving errati- cally east on the highway and eventually went into west- bound lanes where the fatal collision occurred.
Justin Garza
Justin Garza was taken from us suddenly by an act of violence on March 3, 2019 at the age of 23.
Loving and only child of Joe and Sarah Garza of Reedley.
Justin attended Reedley
schools and was a 2013 graduate of Clovis West High School.
He loved baseball and staying t was a lifestyle for him.
Celebration of life services will take place on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at Living Word Fellowship, 105 Westgate Way, Dinuba Ca 93618 at 12:00pm Floral tributes may be sent.
Graveside to follow at Reedley Cemetery, 2185 S. Reed Ave.
Wallin’s Parlier
Funeral Home
Serving our families with integrity and compassion since 1964
7942 S. Mendocino FD 1662
Parlier, CA
Prepayment Plans Available • Se Habla Espanol • We Offer Cremation Services
Parlier Package...........................................$3,774.00
Mendocino Package...................................$4,989.00
NEW! Reedley Special...............................$4,989.00 Casket included in all packages! Does not include cash advances.
(559) 646-6685
info@wallinfuneralhomes.com
HEADSTONES - MONUMENTS - GRANITE - BRONZE
1314 9th
Street
Sanger (behind Sonic)
641 10th Avenue Kingsburg
Se Habla Espanol • Payment Plans Available
Est. 1946
Sanger: 559-546-5184 • KingSburg: 559-897-2110
website: www.beermonumentworks.com
“Prime Time”
FRED HALL ............................................................................. Publisher JON EARNEST............................................................... Editor / Sports JUANITA ADAME ...................................................Panorama Editor DEBRA LEAK........................................................................Marketing JANIE LUCIO.....................................................................Advertising DUBY TREVINO..............................................................Graphic Artist CLINTON ANTONIO......................................................Graphic Artist TOM MONTIJO..............................................................Graphic Artist KATE ISAAK................................................................ Classified Sales STACY HAWKINS .............................................................Accounting ROSEMARY OCHOA........................................................Accounting
The Reedley Exponent (USPS 458-860) is published weekly on Thursdays for $20 a year, $24.50 other areas and $26.50 out-of-state by Mid-Valley Publishing Inc., 1130 G St., Reedley, CA 93654. Periodicals postage paid at Sanger, CA 93657. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Reedley Exponent, 1130 G St., Reedley, CA 93654
The Reedley Exponent is one of Fresno County’s oldest newspapers. It was established in March, 1891, in the Knauer residence on the corner of what now is F and 11th streets. In about 1893, it moved to the building where it is still located. The newspaper’s office is at 1130 G St, Reedley, CA 93654, Phone (559) 638-2244.
Friday Nights! Proudly featuring U.S.D.A. Choice
“PRIME RIB” From 4:30 p.m. till it lasts!
Open 6 a.m.to 10 p.m. 910 North Alta, Dinuba • 591-2122
Respect ~ Honor ~ Remember
Cairns Funeral
Home
Serving Families for Generations
Complete Funeral Services
• Cremation Services • Preplanning Services • Monument Sales
~ Serving all Faiths ~
On call 24 hours (559) 638-2233
940 F Street • Reedley Lic.#FD626
015704
5018
02327