Local briefs: Reward offered in Friant trout heist

The California Department of Fish and Game will give up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft of about 1,000 trophy-size trout from the San Joaquin Hatchery in Friant early Sunday.

The stolen trout weighed about three pounds each and were being raised for release into Shaver Lake. Also, about 70 large trout were killed during the heist.

The value of the fish and the cost of repairs to the hatchery are high enough to make the crime a felony, the department said.

Anyone with information can call the department’s 24-hour toll-free CalTIP hotline at (888) 334-2258.

Porterville man faces child porn charges

Law enforcement officers arrested a 24-year-old Porterville man Wednesday on suspicion of possessing, producing and distributing child pornography.

The man allegedly had files on his computer that depicted sexual acts involving children from ages 2 to 16, Porterville police said. The suspect also had taken and possessed nude pictures of a small girl, police said.

The man’s arrest culminated a two-month investigation.

He is being held in the Tulare County jail on $100,000 bail.

Madera man accused of molesting child

A 39-year-old Madera man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of sexually molesting a 10-year-old child, the Madera County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.

The abuse reportedly had occurred for more than a year before the victim came forward, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

The suspect and the alleged victim lived in the same house during the time of the abuse, the spokeswoman said.

The suspect is being held on $200,000 bail in the county’s Department of Corrections.

Man arrested in attempted break-in

A man out on bail is back in custody after he allegedly tried to break into a former sheriff’s substation in Oakhurst on Wednesday, Madera County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Erica Stuart said.

The man, 26, provided authorities with two addresses, one in Clovis and one in Coarsegold.

He was initially bailed out on charges of possession of a controlled substance. He was placed back in custody and bail was raised to $50,000.

Stuart said the man told deputies that he was looking for a container for gasoline because his car was out of fuel.

Deputies recovered a box of flares, she said.

Police arrest suspect in Chowchilla stickup

A 53-year-old Fontana man was taken into custody Wednesday night in Madera in connection with a robbery in Chowchilla the day before.

The man is accused of robbing a market and threatening to shoot the female clerk’s 7-month-old child.

Madera County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Erica Stuart said deputies got a tip that the man would be at Country Club Drive and Sherwood Way. They took him into custody as he walked out of a 99-cent store around 7:30 p.m.

Merced County ID’s murder-suicide pair

The suspect and victim in Tuesday’s murder-suicide have been identified as 23-year-old Jenny Moua and 22-year-old Shue Xiong, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff’s deputies said Xiong shot Moua after an argument, then drove to Fresno, informed a family member of what he’d done and fatally shot himself in the head.

Moua and Xiong had two children together.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the Merced County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Unit at (209) 385-7472.

DUI checkpoints set for Visalia, Fresno

Fresno and Visalia police will conduct checkpoints in their cities to screen drivers for drunk driving and valid drivers licenses.

Visalia police will conduct a checkpoint Friday.

Fresno police will conduct checkpoints Friday and Saturday beginning at 6 p.m.

Locations of the checkpoints were not announced.

Police seek tips in Fresno burglary

Fresno police are seeking the public’s help in identifying people suspected of breaking into a home in the 2500 block of South Sabre Avenue on Aug. 9. The suspects allegedly stole the owner’s 1993 Acura and $3,200 in jewelry, electronics and computer equipment.

Investigators said the suspects drove to Byrd and Roughrider avenues, where they loaded the stolen property into a red full-size, extended cab GMC or Chevrolet pickup with matching bed cover. The suspects were seen on a video surveillance tape.

Anyone with information about the case can call detective Doug Kirkorian at (559) 621-6334 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 621-7867.

Fire

Fire erupts in vacant home west of Fresno

An attic fire in a vacant house on Floyd Avenue south of Church Avenue west of Kearney Park was reported shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

The house is in the North Central Fire Protection District, but the area is served by the Fresno Fire Department through a consolidation contract.

There were no injuries. The extent of damage was not immediately known.

Health

Volunteers converge for garden project

A team of volunteers will plant, install irrigation equipment and enjoy a lunch at the West Fresno Boys and Girls Club Garden on Saturday.

Volunteers are asked to bring seeds, garden gloves and tools.

The garden party will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 930 Tulare St.

Fresno Monsters hockey team players and mascot Deke will be at the party.

The garden is a project of the Boys and Girls club, the West Fresno Health Care Coalition and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Grant aids kids’ health enrollment

Healthy Communities Access Partners in Fresno will use a $1.2 million federal grant to implement a Web-based one-step system to enroll children in Medi-Cal and other health-care programs.

The grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will bring the One-e-App system to Merced, Madera, Stanislaus and Kern counties – and will expand its availability in Fresno County.

The goal is to enroll an additional 15,000 children between Sept. 1 and Aug. 31, 2013.

Commission lauds health clinic quality

Clinica Sierra Vista has received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for accreditation for meeting national standards for health-care quality and safety in both ambulatory care and behavioral health.

Clinica operates health centers in Bakersfield and Fresno.

Also …

Irrigation district launches project

The Madera Irrigation District will hold a ceremony at 10 a.m. today at the eastern entrance to Madera Ranch on Avenue 9 1/2 west of Road 21 to launch the district’s Water Supply Enhancement Project.

The goal of the project is to improve groundwater supply in the region by percolating up to 55,000 acre-feet of flood-release water annually when available from the Fresno and San Joaquin rivers.

Orange Cove gets new city manager

Sam Escobar was appointed Orange Cove’s new city manager by the City Council on Wednesday night, Mayor Gabriel Jimenez said Thursday.

Escobar, 33, who was raised in Orange Cove, was the city’s project manager for two years before leaving to become Sanger’s assistant engineer, a position he has held for the past 41/2 years.

Escobar said his top priority will be attracting new businesses to the eastern Fresno County town.

He begins Sept. 8.

He replaces Alan Bengyel, who left the job earlier this year. Police Chief Frank Steenport has been serving as interim city manager.

Eagle Scout project seeks blood donors

A local Boy Scout is organizing a community blood drive Saturday for his Eagle Scout project.

Anthony Farnesi will be holding a blood drive with the Central California Blood Center at the Jenny Eller Donor Center, 4343 W. Herndon Ave., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Donors will receive a free lunch and a coupon to Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream.

To sign-up, call (559) 930-9519 or email afarnesi@comcast.net.

Verizon hosts quinceañera expo

Verizon Wireless is holding an expo in Fresno to plan and organize the perfect quinceañera and bringing a special guest to the Valley on Saturday.

Part of the company’s “My Fabulous Quince Planning Expo,” Verizon is holding the expo at the company’s store at 7723 N. Blackstone Ave. from noon to 4 p.m., Verizon spokeswoman Jessica Swain said.

Along with tips to plan a quinceañera, the expo in Fresno will feature Latin music star Prince Royce, Swain said. The star will have VIP meet-and-greet sessions with attendees at the expo.

To receive a VIP pass, attendees need to donate an old phone to HopeLine, Swain said.

The Fresno Bee