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More than 100 employees have sought an early retirement incentive offered by Clovis Unified School District as officials try to wrestle with an expected budget gap of at least $16 million. The district board approved the retirement benefit without discussion Wednesday night. The board’s approval allows the district to let the employees know the retirement [...]

Reedley College’s Randy Whited was selected Coach of the Year and sophomore defensive back Dontea Smith the Defensive MVP on the All-Valley Conference football team. Other all-conference selections for the Tigers included offensive lineman Jared Nelson and Marquon Curry, running back Avery Horn (Hanford), defensive lineman Jimmy Daniels, linebacker Brandon Roberts, defensive back Trey Wolfe [...]

Quail Unlimited, an organization dedicated to preserving upland game birds, last week closed its national office and furloughed its remaining employees, leaving chapters like the one in Fresno uncertain of their future. “We’re in flux right now, but we don’t intend to fold our tent,” chapter Treasurer Oran McNeil said. “We’re a dedicated bunch.” The [...]

The task is daunting with the opponent formidable, but Clovis West High volleyball coach Rhonda DeRuiter has been in this situation before. In 1999, DeRuiter was in her first season as a head coach at Central Valley Christian. The Cavaliers had lost three regular-season matches to defending champion Immanuel, and, sure enough, ended up facing [...]

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL No. 2 seed and defending champ Clovis West marched into the Central Section Division I final, topping Centennial 25-15, 25-18, 25-22 behind Emily Jacobson’s 12 kills and Melody Mandelbaum’s 35 assists. Top-seeded Central Valley Christian had a few close calls but rolled on in D-IV, with Alexandra Paredes posting 12 kills and 19 [...]