Free Republic

Porterville Unified school buses are getting quieter. That's because they're slowly shifting away from diesel and moving to electric. Assistant superintendent Brad Rohrbach says that transition is now accelerating thanks to a $13.8 million award from the Environmental Protection Agency's 'Clean School Bus Program'. "It's really the next step in our endeavor to sustain and move forward on our sustainability and energy efforts at the district," Rohrbach said. Director of Transportation and Sustainability Richard Tree says the 35 electric buses they will purchase with the money will help reduce the district's carbon footprint and create a model for others in...

The small business owners in Porterville are tired of being closed and they displayed their frustrations in the form of a protest on Tuesday afternoon in front of City Hall on Main Street. Around 11:30 a.m., a small group of locals had gathered at Centennial Park to begin the protest. But as time went by, swarms of people joined in to call out Porterville’s City Council, demanding they allow small businesses to reopen. By noon, more than 200 people were outside of City Hall, lining the street and sidewalk with protest signs, whistles and a megaphone. Handling the megaphone was...

Kamhen "Omar" Saleh in suit and tie. Two years ago, a 20 year old California man withdrew $44,000 from the bank for the family business.  He placed the money in a backpack in his vehicle.  He also had a 9mm pistol in the vehicle.  Two men attempted to steal the money; he saw one in his SUV and confronted him; ultimately shooting both men.  In the confrontation they had occupied another vehicle, taking the backpack and money with them.  From From abc30.com: At only 22-years-old he says he shot and killed two robbers in self-defense. Police say those two...

Extreme drought conditions have become so harsh for the Central Valley community of East Porterville, many of its residents dependent on their own wells have run out of water.. Roughly 300 homes have received a three-week supply of bottled water after Tulare County officials discovered their wells had gone dry. In all, county officials distributed 15,552 1-gallon bottles of water, and have been filling a 2,500-gallon tank with nonpotable water so residents can flush toilets and bathe.

A Central California mayor’s remarks that bullying victims should toughen up and defend themselves has sparked anger among some city officials and gay rights advocates. At a recent City Council meeting, Porterville Mayor Cameron Hamilton said he opposes bullying but thinks it is too often blamed for the world’s problems. Hamilton said some people need to “grow a pair.” The mayor was responding to a student program proposing safe zones around town with signs directing children to places where they could seek refuge from bullies. Porterville is a community of 55,000 residents 70 miles southeast of Fresno. …

Porterville, a small Central Valley town, was the only city in California to formally endorse Proposition 8, the measure that banned gay marriage in California. But now, some residents want the City Council to reverse course, arguing the endorsement has inflamed tension in Porterville. The mayor isn't backing down, and it's possible Porterville will take a stand if gay marriage supporters place a measure on the ballot attempting to repeal. According to ABC30, residents spoke out at a council meeting this week: The Porterville City Council got an earful from residents who said the council's public support of Prop 8,...

Aug 03, 2006 - Workers at a Porterville jewelry store were trapped in a dangerous situation Wednesday, when an armed man walked into the store with a gun demanding money and jewelry. The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. at Crescent Jewelers in Central Porterville, and police were quick on the scene.