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Needy Valley Families Get Much Needed Boost

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Hundreds of volunteers gathered over the weekend to provide hope for thousands of needy valley families.

The Convoy Fresno was held at the Fresno Fairgrounds on Saturday. Free groceries were provided as well as community resources. There was also health and dental screenings, haircuts and family portraits.

"We're also offering many other services, the kids zone for kids. We're also offering prayer to people, and it's really just a day where people can experience a day of hope," says Bethany Von Steinbergs,

Convoy partners with cities and churches across the country for this free event.


Christmas Tree Lane Preps Already Underway

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As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations are already popping up across the valley.

On a stretch of Van Ness Avenue in Fresno, homeowners are hard at work turning it into Christmas Tree Lane.

KSEE 24's Jack Highberger has more on their early preparations.

It's not even Thanksgiving yet but as you can see on Van Ness Avenue, it is already starting to look a lot like Christmas.

"I'm setting up Christmas decorations for Christmas tree lane."

If you didn't know better you might think Christmas was right around the corner. But when the street you live on is better known as Christmas Tree Lane, the traditional timeline doesn't apply.

"We actually start out in September," says Dean Alexander, a volunteer coordinator at Christmas Tree Lane.

Alexander hopes to flip the switch on the valley tradition by December 3rd. This year over one hundred homes are taking part, marking the 91st year homes along Van Ness have transformed into a holiday spectacle.

"It's a grand event, very magical. It is all home grown," says Alexander.

For the past eighteen years homeowner Tom Hyatt has pulled out all the stops climbing to new heights in search of Christmas cheer.

"It is one of the most enjoyable traditions that we have. We really look forward to this every year," says Hyatt.

And he was far from alone. A few homes down, Bree Comstock and her kids set up reindeer, counting down the days until Christmas Tree Lane opens once more.

"You know it is really fantastic place to live and be," says Comstock.

Now the plan is that by December rolls around all the decorations will be in place.


Poverello House Gets Generous Donation

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A big donation to Fresno's Poverello House on Monday will help feed more families this Thanksgiving holiday as PG&E gave them a $5,000 dollar check.

The employees are also donating their time to help prep and serve food.

Each year Poverello feeds around 1200 people throughout Thanksgiving holiday and more than 450,000 people each year.

Missing Yosemite Hiker Found Alive

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Officials from Yosemite say that Missing hiker Ann Lory was found alive Monday morning.

Lory was found by a family member who was helping in the search effort. Officials say Lory had injuries and is currently in the hospital being treated. t

Lory was reported missing by her family on Saturday night with her last known location being in the Foresta area, a small community on the border of Yosemite National Park.

Approximately 70 people were involved in the search and rescue effort.

Missing Mariposa Woman Discovered Safe With Family

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A Mariposa woman missing since Friday was discovered alive and well at a relative's home on Monday.

The Mariposa County Sheriff's confirmed that 84 year old Mary Enebrad was located after more than three days missing. Enebrad left her home in Mariposa on Friday to drive to Modesto but she never arrived at her destination.

Deputies say she Enebrad suffers from medical conditions and were worried she became disoriented after departing her residence.  

Fresno Airman Seen Helping Direct Philippine Relief Efforts

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Relief continues to pour into the Phillipines after a deadly typhoon struck the area two weeks ago.

It's a struggle to survive for the millions of people impacted by the storm, fortunately organizations from all over the world are helping out, that includes the U.S. Navy.

Here's a photo of Airman Jessica Fulcher, a Fresno native, signaling a Sea Hawk Pilot from the deck of the USS George Washington.

The Nimitz class carrier is in the Philippine Sea airlifting life-saving aid to smaller islands impacted by the deadly storm.

Two Men Killed Execution Style in Merced County

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        Two men were killed in the town of Delhi. The men were found Saturday night.

        Detectives said the execution style murders happened and desolate area of Merced County surrounded by almond orchards.

        Sheriff Mark Pazin believes the killings maybe link to the Mexican drug cartel. Pazin said, "you get involved in that type of work and endeavor, if something happens, you only have yourself to blame."

        Deputies said two men in their 20's were found shot to death inside a pickup truck the shootings described as precise and calculated. Pazin said, the driver still have his foot on the parking brake the vehicle was in reverse.

        Randy Ramos manages the farmland where the murders happened. Ramos said, "it makes your skin crawl a little bit didn't know this kind of stuff was going on."

        Sheriff Pazin said the victims were traced to a home in Delhi, inside evidence pointed to illegal drug activity. Pazin said, this has all the tentacles of some type of sophisticated drug sales and distribution of illegal marijuana.

        Pazin said the drug and crime problem in general continues to get worse in Merced County there have been 27 murders this year alone.

        A trend that doesn't surprise long time resident sandra nabors. Nabors said, "it's not uncommon to hear gunshots every couple of days its a lot worse now than say 3 or 4 years ago."

Shooting in Planada Leaves on Man Dead

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        A man was shot in Planada. It happened Thursday night in the 93-hundred block of Bigler Drive.

        He was flown to a Modesto hospital where he died the next day.
        
        The victim's name has not been released.


Parolee Accused of Attacking a Woman with a Machete

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        A Selma man accused of beating a woman with a machete is in jail. 23-year old Roque Valencia Jr. was arrested Saturday.

        He was taken into custody after Police received a call involving a man with a machete. They found Valencia outside a house on Academy Avenue in Selma.

        His victim, a 36 year old female, was inside. The woman had been beaten, choked, and stabbed in the hand.

        Valencia was out on parole for burglary.

Curry Village Ice Rink Opens

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        The Curry Village ice rink is now open for the 2013 to 2014 season.
       
        The ice rink is located in the heart of Yosemite Valley.

        People can enjoy ice skating right in the middle of one of California's most spectacular winter landscapes.
        
        The ice rink will remain open through March 2nd.

Men Arrested In Fresno Robbery Series

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Three men are in custody, accused of a violent robbery spree in Fresno.

The suspects face serious charges.

Police say the ring leader has gang ties, but his motivation in this robbery
series was easy targets...and not getting caught.

Lemor Abrams explains from Fresno Police Headquarters.

Police say, in one week this November, three men robbed five women outside
their apartments.

A home invastion of this nature is rare in this city," said
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

Detectives say they didn't go after drugs, but jewelry and electronics.

"They were small items they could easily sell."

In one apartment complex, police say a man pointed a gun at a pregnant
woman's belly and took her purse.

Police say the accused ring leader was on the phone with 911 allegedly
reporting the crime.

Police say he used an app on his phone to listen to police scanners.

Another unusual measure to keep cops away... prompting this warning:

"Be very aware of your surroundings when you go outside-not paranoid but
aware," said Chief Dyer.

One victim, robbed this time last year, tells us the holiday season is the
best time of year for thieves.

"The neighbors are nice but anywhere you live, they're all going to have
problem here and there," said Ismael Figueroa of Southwest Fresno.

Mixed decision for High Speed Rail project

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Eyewitness News investigates the latest court decision surrounding High Speed Rail.  A Sacramento judge ruled against the sale of $8 billion in state bonds to help finance the project, but stopped short of halting current plans for construction.  The first leg is supposed to go from Madera County to downtown Fresno.

For now, the lead contractor is moving forward with plans to break ground next spring.  Meanwhile, businesses along the route don't know what to expect.  

Reverend Lary Arce of the Fresno Rescue Mission has been told for years that his facility on G Street in downtown Fresno will be wiped out by High Speed Rail.  A second shelter for women and children would also be impacted.  He says Monday's decision from a Sacramento Superior Court judge doesn't clarify the future of the rescue mission.

"If a decision could be made one way or another, if they say, 'yes it's going to go through,' we could expect that to happen. But if it's not, it really helps us to foresee the future for expansion, for growth," said Arce.

The ruling stops High Speed Rail Authority from selling $8 billion dollars in bonds to fund the $68 billion project, but falls short of halting progress, saying it can continue spending $3.4 billion in federal funds.  

"All systems are go.  Nobody is slowing down on anything, getting ready to mobilize and getting ready to construct," said Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea.

Perea is optimistic.  He says the High Speed Rail needs to update its business and funding plan, then take it back to court. 

"If it doesn't take that long to update the plan, we could be on parallel tracks to update the plan, present it back to the courts for approval, and still be on time to start construction," said Perea.

Tutor Perini was awarded a $1 billion contract in August to build the first 30 mile stretch from Madera County to downtown Fresno.  Arce feels paralyzed by the unknown. 

"We have a lot of land and property here on this location that we can expand and grow and meet the needs of folks that are in poverty or homelessness," said Arce.

Congressman David Valadao said this about Friday's court decision: "This ruling is further evidence that California High Speed Rail has been a mismanaged project from the beginning. My constituents, and individuals across the State, continue to voice their concerns regarding the project every day. The proposed High Speed Rail project will affect every person in California as it diverts billions of dollars away from essential services like public safety and education. I will continue to fight against this wasteful project and the detrimental consequences it will have on my constituents."

Assemblyman Andy Vidak issued this statement about the decision: "I am pleased to see that the judge upheld the requirement that the voters of California mandated when they voted for High-Speed Rail in 2008.  This ruling continues to show that the High-Speed Rail project is on the wrong track.  I will introduce legislation in January to allow the voters of California to revote on this project during the November 2014 election."

Congressman Devin Nunes issued this statement about the decision: "We already know that the unnecessary, poorly planned high-speed rail project will cost tens of billions of dollars more than projected. Neither California nor the federal government can afford this boondoggle, which should be scrapped immediately."   

Military Brothers Killed

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A family in Merced is making funeral plans for twin brothers killed in a car crash.  Robert Anderson was a Marine and Michael Anderson was a member of the U.S. Army.  They were graduates of Merced  High School.

The 23-year old men died along with their friend during an early morning wreck over the weekend.  It happened in Elk Grove, just outside of Sacramento, on Highway 99 at Calvine Road.

"I think god is doing this for a reason and I don't know what the reason is," said Lorraine Anderson, mother of the victims.

Lorraine Anderson is extremely composed after just losing her twin sons Robert and Michael who died a few days before their 24th birthdays.  Lorraine turns to her religious faith and military  background during this difficult time.

"It's a very sad event.  I have wept just like anyone else would weep, but i guess it's the soldier in me.  They were soldiers, I'm a soldier.  You learn things.  You learn things and it makes you  stronger," said Anderson.

Robert was a recruiter with the Marine Corps.  He was also a husband and father of two boys.  One five years old and the other just three weeks old.  Michael was an active reserve of the Army  National Guard.

"They became men.  They became good men.  And they were on their way toward becoming great men," said Anderson.

Both survived tours of duty in Afghanistan, but they could not walk away from a car crash on Highway 99 in Elk Grove.  The Calfornia Highway Patrol says the Andersons were passengers.  Their friend,  Sean Guerrero, was driving.  He was reportedly intoxicated and traveling between 80 and 100 mph.  Guerrero died as well.

"I hold them all responsible for what happened.  Maybe when i cross over I'll find out the real deal.  Maybe the investigator can find out a few more clues, but I don't hold any bitterness against  anybody.  It's not worth it," said Anderson.

Stratford Evans Funeral Home is tentatively handling funeral services.  Nothing has been finalized, but Lorraine says the services will be held in Merced and likely happen sometime early next week.  



















CBS47's Collection Drive Kicks Off

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The Fresno Rescue Mission and Catholic Charities need your help  to feed and clothe Valley families.
One in four people across the Central Valley are food insecure, meaning they don't know where their next meal is coming from.
You can drop off any food items along with clothing right outside of the CBS47 Eyewitness News Studios.
We're located at 5035 E. McKinley on Gateway near the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
We'll be outside collecting items until 7PM on Tuesday.

Valley Bank Manager Arrested for Embezzlement

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A south valley woman has been arrested on embezzlement charges.

Kathleen Welte is accused of taking $300,000 from Wells Fargo Bank on the 400 block of West Main Street in Visalia. She was a branch supervisor at the bank.

Police say she was stealing money for several years before bank managers noticed.

Welte will be in court on December 18th to face the charges.


Fresno State To Open Enrollment for More Students in 2014

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Come next year Fresno State will be able to accommodate hundreds more students.

The state university system granted Fresno State an additional 400 full-time student enrollment spots for 2014-15.

President Joseph Castro had requested funding for 800 new spots following a record-high fall enrollment. Castro says the additional 400 spots will allow the university to meet the demands from valley students and beyond.

Getting Pregnant Past 40 Not As Easy as it Seems

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Trying to get pregnant after 40 can be downright impossible. To do it, many women seek the help of the doctors at the Women's Specialty and Fertility Clinic in Clovis. It's the only facility of its kind here in the valley and its changing lives for many local families.

Pregnancy after 40. Hollywood might make it seem like no big deal but in reality there's nothing simple about having a baby past a certain age.

At 43, Athena is trying to have her second child. Although it was anything but easy to have her son Rocco six years ago, it's been extremely challenging to get pregnant again.

"I had no idea id be on this road, I thought I'd be popping 'em out, 2 or 3 already," she said.

Instead of leaving things up to chance, Athena and her husband came here to the Women's Specialty and Fertility Clinic in Clovis. It's the only fertility facility of its kind from Bakersfield to Sacramento.

Doctor Carlos Sueldo built the practice from the ground up back in 1983. He says patients like Athena make up roughly 20 to 30 percent of his practice.

"They are a real challenge cause the peak of fertility in females you hit somewhere around age 24-25 so there are some really minor changes until about age 34, then after 35 we begin to see a much more pronounced decline in fertility," says Sueldo.

According to recent statistics:

-Infertility affects nearly 12 percent of reproductive-age women in the U.S.

-One in five now has her first child after age 35, an eight-fold increase compared with a generation ago.

-Birthrates for women ages 40 to 44 have hit their highest point since 1967.

But actually getting pregnant naturally in your 40's is pretty difficult according to Sueldo. By age 43 your chances drop to just about 2 percent, a surprising dose of reality for many women.

Says Sueldo, "They didn't think it was that low, they knew it was low, but they didn't think it was that low."

At that point, In Vitro Fertilization is the best chance for making the dream of a child a reality.

"I was so surprised and as you get older the quality of your eggs aren't getting any better either, chances for down syndrome increase. There's a lot of scares going on," says Athena.

Egg quality is a major factor in getting and staying pregnant says Dr. Sueldo.

For that very reason some women going through IVF choose to use donor eggs or their own eggs they had frozen earlier in life.

"Those eggs can be fertilized during a procedure we use everyday in the lab and the embyos are very successful in terms of implanting," says Sueldo.

Athena and her husband opted to do IVF with her own eggs. She says they'd done everything else and knew time wasn't on their side. "I'm 43, I can't wait anymore, you cant wait anymore, this is our last shot so we got a loan from the bank and did it."

The cost for IVF starts at roughly $9,000 and can skyrocket from there depending on how many times its done. Not including medications needed for the procedure.

The financial strain though sometimes pales in comparison to the emotional toll the process can take.

IVF is anything but quick and involves way more than just a few office visits. But all of it, the time, the money, the heartbreak, its all worth it when Athena thinks of another opportunity to raise a child.

And at the end of the day she says she wishes more people would talk about their struggles with infertility and in the process perhaps make this difficult journey a little bit easier. "Cause if you don't talk about it, you're gonna feel alone," says Athena.

Doctors say many times insurance doesn't cover the cost of infertility treatments. A handful of states, not including California, mandate fertility care but don't cover IVF, egg donation, or other pricier procedures.

Valley Meets Key Ozone Standards for First Time

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Some good news for our air quality as the Central Valley has met a key Ozone standard.

For the first time the valley didn't violate a one-hour ozone standard during the warm months.

Joining CBS 47 on Monday is Jaime Holt with the Valley Air District to explain what all of this means.

Big Honors for Our Parent Company Nexstar.

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        Big honors for our parent company, Nexstar. CEO Perry Sook rang the opening bell at Nasdaq.

        The company is marking its 10th anniversary as a publicly-traded company. It has grown into one of the top 15-broadcasting companies in the country.

        "We really are a collection of local businesses that support local communities in 20 states all over the United States. So at our heart, we are a local service businesses and we happen to be publicly-traded," said Sook. 

        Nexstar employs 3,000 people nationwide.

Former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson Commits to Making Adoption Easier

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        November is National Adoption Month. California has more than 33,000 children and youth in Foster Care. There's a desperate need for families willing to adopt.

        "Baby girl" is a beautiful and happy 2-year-old. While friends know her as "Faith, "legally, her name is "baby girl."

         "She doesn't have a name. She doesn't have a birth certificate. She doesn't even have a social security number," says Jessica Criner. D.J. And Jessica Criner have fostered little Faith from the moment she was born. D.J. is pastor at Saint Rest Baptist Church in Fresno.

        Faith will one day learn her life began right inside the church walls. Two years ago Pastor Criner and members of his congregation were ministering in Tent City near Downtown Fresno.

        "We came across a young lady who was using a crack pipe. And my wife and a lady called Tamara Morgan, they noticed that she was pregnant, so we prayed over her and asked her if she would like to come to church the next day," says D.J. Criner.

        The woman accepted and the next day she was at church. "In the middle of church service she went into labor. And she fell out in the middle of the aisle and was having severe contractions and water broke and everything in the middle of church service," says D.J. Criner. They rushed her to a hospital and two days later she gave birth.

        "The doctors didn't think that faith would be able to live. they said that her lungs were not developed because of all the cocaine," says D.J. Criner. But miraculously, Faith did very well. "When she was in her mother's womb, it was almost like a cocoon came around you know the womb, to block her from all the exposure," says D.J. Criner. Faith's birth mother surrendered her baby at the hospital as part of the Calfornia law that allows anyone to safely surrender a newborn, no questions asked.

        "They were going to take her into the system and my wife she said no," says D.J. Criner. "I actually got to see her birth. I got to see her, I was the first one to hold her, touch her, feed her, talk to her, sing to her," said Jessica Criner.

        The need for foster and adoptive parents like the Criners is big. On any given day there are about 400,000 children in Foster Care in the US. California alone has 33,000 children and youth in the system. But becoming foster or adoptive parents is hard.

        "The paperwork was not fun. it's a lot of paperwork. You have to really be, I'm gonna do this," said Sharon Patterson.

        Jim and Sharon Patterson know first hand both the struggles and joy of adoption. Their three adult children are all adopted.
Patterson, the former Fresno city mayor and current california legislator, is trying to make it easier to adopt.

        "The first bill we passed was unanimous, sailed through both houses, the Governor signed it quickly and it does help Foster families and adoption families to have their adoptions quicker, less expensive. We can shorten the time and make it much more predictable and the legislation also makes it much less expensive." Jim Patterson.

        The Patterson's oldest son B.J. was 16 months old when he was adopted. "The minute we brought him he was ours. It's hard to explain unless you've experienced it," said Sharon Patterson.

        B.J.'s first memory as a child is a good one. "I just knew I was where I was supposed to be at," said B.J.

        B.J. is proud of his history, and proud to be adopted. "We were hand picked, by our parents, and they said, this is our child. It makes me feel really special."

        Jim Patterson says adoption will be a priority his entire political career. "We invite the adoptive families to write the legislation. What would you do if you were me and how would you fix the circumstances that you have found?"

        The Patterson's and Criners share a very similar story. Like most all adoptive families everyone can remember the day their adoptions became final.

        The Criners were joined by much of their church family when they officially welcome Faith into their family.

        No longer is the sweet child known as "baby girl," she is now Faith Mia Criner and her family, including baby sister Jeselle, couldn't be happier to continue their life together.


        "There are a lot of children that are just sitting there stuck in the system waiting for someone to love them, someone to grab them, someone to bring them home. Take a chance on a child. It's a blessing to be able to adopt a child. And we are honored. She's been more of a blessing to us then i think we have been to her," said D.J. Criner.

For more information on becoming a foster or adoptive parent:
Fresno County Foster Care Services
Infant of Prague Adoption Services

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