This is a collection of local news concisely presented to provide a quick overview of what you might otherwise have missed.
Lindsay woman wins $3M at casino
A Lindsay woman won $3.1 million by making a $3 bet in a Mega Bucks slot machine at Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville. This is reportedly the largest single jackpot won in any casino in the Central Valley so far this year. According to casino employees, the woman was making her first visit to the casino, just hoping to make some extra money for groceries.
Raising Cane’s opens second Visalia location
The restaurant located at 542 W. Riggin Ave., will open its doors on July 1. Raising Cane’s is one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains with more than 900 locations in the U.S., and plans to open more than 100 new restaurants in 2025. The opening will include drawings, a DJ, appearances by the mascots of Fresno State University, the Visalia Rawhide, and College of the Sequoias, and a check presentation ceremony with the Visalia Little League.
Prescribed burn at Big Stump East
The 2025 Big Stump East Prescribed Burn ended on June 24 at Kings Canyon National Park. The prescribed burn treated approximately 126 acres from the entrance station of the park, past the Big Stump Picnic Area, to the intersection of Highway 180 and the Generals Highway.
Comment period opens for expansion of Central Valley oil drilling
On June 23, the Bureau of Land Management announced 30-day comment periods for massive expansions of oil drilling on federal lands in the Central Valley and Central Coast of California. The potential expansions are part of President Donald Trump’s aggressive “Unleashing American Energy” agenda. More than 400,000 acres of public land across Tulare and seven other counties are being considered for oil and gas leasing and development.
Tulare County confirms first West Nile virus death in 2025
On June 23, Tulare County Public Health confirmed that a human case of West Nile virus (WNV) caused the death of a Tulare County man.
“Due to this increased activity and this reported case, we strongly encourage residents to use safeguards to reduce their risk of contracting both West Nile Virus and SLEV (St. Louis encephalitis virus ) through mosquito bites,” said Tulare County Public Health Officer Dr. Asma Tariq in a press release.
Additionally, because of the abundance of mosquitoes and the presence of West Nile virus in mosquito samples in the northwest part of Tulare County, Delta Mosquito & Vector Control District has started treating adult mosquitoes by truck-mounted ultra-low volume sprayings in Visalia and Farmersville. Maps showing areas that have been sprayed are on the district website. (Scroll down and click on “Social Media Feed.”)
Services for Education and Employment will end
Services for Education and Employment (SEE), a program of the Tulare County Office of Education, will end its 60-year run and closed its doors on June 30.
SEE began in 1965 as a Neighborhood Youth Program, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. SEE provided young adults in the county with work-readiness training, soft skills, and job placement, which helped prepare them to enter the workforce.
Documentary film crew visits Tulare County District Attorney’s Office
A documentary film crew from the Korean Broadcasting System visited the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office in June to film a multi-episode series about the Park family.
On Nov. 8, 2024, Sophia Park, a law clerk at the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, became the youngest person to pass the California Bar Exam. At the age of 17 years and 8 months, she beat the record that had been briefly held by her brother, Peter, who was 17 years, 11 months old when he passed the exam.
Farmersville CVS to shutter
The CVS Pharmacy at 1710 N. Farmersville Blvd. in Farmersville, which had survived eight rounds of company closures, did not survive the closures announced on June 20. CVS has now shuttered 947 stores since May.
UC Merced publishes controversial farmland study
A new study led by UC Merced professors, published in Communications Earth & Environment, found that that idle farmland is a factor in almost 90% of major dust events in the state, and that the dust results in “health and climate consequences for millions of people.”
Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh called the study “another non-peer-reviewed, unfounded attack on agriculture, from the very university that destroyed prime farmland for its creation.” Marie-Odile Fortier, assistant professor of Sustainability in Arid Lands at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, said that the study was indeed peer-reviewed.
Local Airbnbs featured in online article
Two Tulare County Airbnbs were in featured in the “Five Spectacularly Kid-Friendly Airbnbs in California for an Unforgettable Family Experience” article posted at PureWow.com. Gamer’s Paradise in Visalia, with its jumbotron, full-sized arcade, gaming lounge, themed bedrooms and backyard, was in the third spot, while Farm Experience and Animal Sanctuary in Exeter, which has farm animals, a petting zoo, swing sets, life-size games, baby gear and a smart TV, was fifth.
Four students earn appointments to U.S. Service Academy
Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) announced four high school students from his district earned appointments to a United States Service Academy, including Joanna Lee, 18, who attended El Diamante High School in Visalia. She will be attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. “Nominating remarkable students from our region for admission to our United States service academies is one of the greatest honors I’m afforded as a U.S. Representative,” Fong said.
Experience California Agriculture launches new website
Experience California Agriculture is a new website that spotlights the state’s diverse and dynamic agritourism offerings. Designed for travelers, educators, and food lovers, the site offers interactive maps, regional guides, and curated directories for farm stands, farm stores, u-pick farms, family-friendly destinations and educational programs.
12 physicians graduate Adventist Health Graduate Medical Education Residency program
Adventist Health Central California Network announced that after three years of training, 12 physicians graduated from its Graduate Medical Education Residency program.
The residents were honored at a ceremony at the Visalia Convention Center on June 24. Six of them spent their residencies at Tulare Family Medicine: Shareefa Begum, MD; Mandeep Kaur, MD; Patrick Matian, DO; Otito Odiakosa, MD; Yiuing Pinches, MD; and Oliver Sabalboro, MD. The other six were residents at Hanford Family Medicine.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: In Brief: Oil drilling, West Nile virus death, film crew visits, Lindsay woman wins $3M
Reporting by Steve Pastis, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
