Business News

The 2026 cohort of the San Joaquin Political Academy concluded on Wednesday with a graduation ceremony at the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.

Six graduates were honored: Ethan Fierro, Samantha Forgey, Adam Gripenstraw, Vincent Trillo, Earl White and Jazzmine White.

Since its first graduating class in 2003, 130 students have completed SJPA, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in politics. Graduates have been elected at all levels of government: mayors, city councils, school boards, the State Assembly and even Congress.

It has been nearly two years since California’s workplace violence prevention standards took effect, and according to the California Chamber of Commerce, employers statewide are still grappling with the complexity of the law and what full compliance requires.

In fact, some employers have yet to implement a workplace violence prevention plan, which was to have taken effect for most California businesses by July 1, 2024.

Californians Against Retail and Residential Theft (CARRT) convened a townhall forum today at the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, bringing together local business leaders, law enforcement, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s office to examine retail theft and the impacts of Proposition 36, just over 500 days after its implementation.