\ud83d\udcb8Clovis wants more money: Clovis Unified\u2019s new board president says California should change its school funding formula to allow districts such as Clovis to receive more money. The Fresno Bee<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udd4eReflection: Dozens gathered at Fresno State before the final night of Hanukkah. ABC30<\/a><\/p>\n \u2744\ufe0fSnow: China Peak will remain open until Jan. 5. KMPH<\/a><\/p>\n 1. Contract talks under the microscope at State Center<\/p>\n State Center Community College District\u2019s faculty union wants double-digit raises, which, they say, should help them be \u201cthe best in the Valley.\u201d Meanwhile, calls for the immediate dismissal of the district\u2019s chancellor, Carole Goldsmith, and the union\u2019s recent no-confidence vote have heightened tensions.<\/p>\n Fresnoland\u2019s Julianna Moroano<\/a> spoke with union leaders who say the\u00a0 goal of the proposed raises, which would boost salaries for both part-time and full-time faculty by roughly 11% in its first year, is to stay competitive with College of the Sequoias in Visalia.<\/p>\n Goldsmith has led the district since 2022<\/a> and recently announced plans to retire next fall.<\/p>\n The union, however, wants her gone now.<\/p>\n They demanded Goldsmith step down immediately after passing a historic vote of no confidence last month.<\/p>\n 2. Politically-connected Fresno company sued for whistleblower retaliation<\/p>\n A community development company with ties to numerous high-profile, politically-connected leaders faces allegations of wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation in an unserved lawsuit filed in Fresno County Superior Court.<\/p>\n I spoke with the attorney representing the Central Valley New Market Tax Credit Fund<\/a>, who said the company \u2014 which didn\u2019t know about the unserved lawsuit until contacted for comment by Fresnoland \u2014 denies all alleged wrongdoing.<\/p>\n While the suit accuses company president Oliver Baines of whistleblower retaliation, neither he nor another company executive, Tom Richards, are listed as defendants in the lawsuit.<\/p>\n The ex-employee says Baines secretly gave himself more than $80,000 in secret bonus checks in the fall of 2020. Over the next few years, the complaint says, Baines ordered and reordered employees to reclassify the checks \u2014 at various times \u2014 as either wages or a loan, depending on who was asking about the money.<\/p>\n 3. Water rate cost increases coming for Clovis?<\/p>\n The City of Clovis is floating a residential water-rate hike for the first time in nearly 20 years, KMPH reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under the proposal, the city would end its tiered payment system, meaning each city customer would see different changes to their bill.<\/p>\n The plan, dubbed Proposition 218, would hike prices by 23% annually for three years starting in 2027.<\/p>\n A public meeting was held last week to discuss the proposal and will continue until the city council votes on the matter in early 2026.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/12162025_scft_goldsmith-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Chancellor Carole Goldsmith has led State Center Community College District since January 2022. The district\u2019s faculty union is calling for her immediate dismissal after a vote of no confidence. Julianna Morano | Fresnoland<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9660.jpg\")
<\/a>Oliver Baines credit: Omar Rashad | Fresnoland <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/pexels-water.jpg\")
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