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Tex McDonald to be released Friday

July 2, 2015, 4:49 pm
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Tex McDonald, one of the tribal members at the center of the fight for control of Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino will walk out of Madera County Jail a free man this Friday.

McDonald was arrested last year following an attempted takeover of the casino. In a rare move, Judge Dale Blea threw out Tex McDonald's two prior felonies making him ineligible for a third strike offense and a life sentence.

Applause in Madera County's courtroom as dozens of Tex McDonald's faithful supporters learn about his immanent release from jail via a plea deal. After spending 242 days in jail, McDonald will walk out a free man on Friday after a no-contest plea.

Without this plea deal McDonald would have faced a life sentence. In a phone conversation McDonald's attorney Antonio Alvarez says they could have taken this case to trial, but that could have meant more time in prison for McDonald.

"It would have been interesting to litigate this and I do think that he has a legitimate point where he could possibly prevail, but that would have taken time resource and would have meant Tex would have been in custody longer," Antonio Alvarez, McDonald's attorney, said. 

Legal analyst Charles Magill says not only has McDonald proven he has rehabilitated after his prior convictions. This recent charge of false imprisonment isn't a violent crime.

"I think the court looked behind the felony charge asked what the evidence was about that, and that's the reason why the court was willing to ignore the priors and basically give him credit for time served," Magill said. 

There were 15 people involved in the Chukchansi Casino take over. Most of which have already struck deals lowering their charges to misdemeanors.

Gaby Rodriguez reporting.
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Family Loses Son to Drunk Driver, Speaks Against It

July 2, 2015, 5:05 pm
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Flipping through the pages of a photo album, it feels like the tragedy happened just yesterday.A cute little boy, posing with the Easter bunny, family and friends. Nineteen years later, Ian Busby's memory lives on.

"I was able to hold him as he came into the world and I hold him as he left the world", says his mother Kathleen.

Kathleen Busby said she and her husband battled infertility for years and once they found out they were pregnant, they were overjoyed. Only to lose their little boy to a drunk driver just before his fifth birthday during a tragic crash in Visalia. "I flipped down the rear view mirror and he said I love you mommy and I said I love you Ian and the light turned, I drove through the intersection and we were broadsided at approximately 65 miles an hour", says Busby.

The woman driving the other vehicle had a blood alcohol level of .33 over four times the legal limit. It happened on a labor day weekend. "Ian's crash is Karen Martin verses the state of California and we are the first prosecution in California history for 2nd degree murder on drunk driving", says Busby.

Lt. Joe Gomez with the Fresno police department says that over the past few years dui arrests have continued to increase, especially during the holidays.

"Right now we're at 1493 arrests for dui in 2015 since January and a year ago, at the same time, we're 154 above that", says Lt. Gomez.

Ten additional Fresno police officers will be out specifically looking for those driving impaired.

Lt. Gomez says, "number one, you can hurt someone and you can never take that back, you can make that money up but who wants to do that, you could loose your license, you've got to go to classes all the time, it is not worth it at all".

"Please, please, make arrangements, stay safe, because the life you save could be yours or it could be somebody you love", says Busby.

The cost of a cab or Uber ride across town is nothing compared to getting a dui and potentially having to pay more than $10 thousand dollars in court costs.
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Witness in Fatal Officer Involved Shooting Says Deceased Man Was Innocent

July 2, 2015, 6:37 pm
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Eyewitness News investigates the officer involved shooting that killed a Madera County man.  62 year old Gilbert "Jake" Vanderburgh was killed last Thursday. Now, a woman who says she was inside of the home when Vanderburgh died wants to share what she believed happened.Amanda Sullivan told our investigative reporter not only was she inside of Vanderburgh's home, but she was the reason deputies were there, as one of the suspects in the stolen car that authorities were following.  She says she was hiding inside of Vanderburgh's home and says he was an innocent man who didn't deserve to die.

Amanda Sullivan, suspect in stolen car,  "We were running out of gas and we knew Jake."

"Jake", a man also known as Gilbert Jake Vanderburgh; a 62 year old man who was laid to rest Thursday morning - the man shot twice and killed by a Fresno County deputy one week ago.

"He wouldn't ever hurt anybody ever. What he was doing was defending his property; his land," says Sullivan.

Vanderburgh was also protecting Amanda Sullivan.

"I do feel as if it's my fault," says Sullivan.

The 25 year old says she was inside of the stolen truck driven by wanted parolee Kyle Snipes.  She says they had been followed for miles by Fresno County deputies last Thursday morning, until she says the truck ran out of house right in front of Vanderburgh's home.  Authorities say they don't believe the truck ran out of gas.

According to Sullivan, Vanderburgh was a long time family friend.  She says her mom even took care of him and brought him grocery shopping once a month.

Sullivan says after the truck stopped, she became scared by what she alleges deputies were shouting.

"They had said stop or we'll shot.  We'll shoot," says Sullivan.

But Sullivan ignored police, and says she jumped out of the car and ran down to Vanderburgh's front door, where she knocked and yelled for Vanderburgh to open up.  After no answer, Sullivan says she dove through the glass of this now boarded up window and told Vanderburgh what was going on.  For the next two hours, she says Vanderburgh lied to deputies, denying that anyone else was inside the home.

"They had asked him at one point if we go in there are they going to shoot us and he said yeah," says Sullivan.

After 20 minutes of silence, Sullivan says she and Vanderburgh, who were now both in his bedroom, thought deputies were gone.  She says Vanderburgh went to grab her a soda, using his rifle as a cane for a bad leg, and was shot and killed as he walked out of his bedroom.

Sullivan says, "He never pointed any gun.  He wasn't even involved in it."

According to authorities, Vanderburgh did brandish his weapon.

Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims says, "At one point he pointed the rifle outside the window at law enforcement and a deputy sheriff fired his rifle."

During our investigation, we called the Roseville Police Department and found that when snipes was arrested on Monday in that city, Amanda was with him and was also arrested for providing a false name.  We also went to the Fresno and Madera county courthouses to look up any criminal histories.

Snipes had an laundry list of offenses, and was a parole wanted on drug charges.

Sullivan had been convicted of DUI, vandalism, identity theft and burglary.

As for Vanderburgh, we were unable to find any criminal or even traffic infraction history that we  in either county.

Sullivan says she has remorse for putting who she calls an innocent man in a deadly situation.

"I know that had I not been in that house, this wouldn't have happened."

The Madera County Sheriff's office declined to speak about these claims due to a pending investigation.

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Rain's Risk To Crops

July 2, 2015, 6:39 pm
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Lightning Strikes Trees, Grass, Power Poles, and Houses; Leaving a Trail of Small Fires Along the Way

July 2, 2015, 7:40 pm
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Lightning lit up the skies in the Central Valley on Wednesday night, in turn, leaving many people associated with weather and fire very busy.

National Weather Service meteorologist David Spector, who works out of Hanford, said, "[There were] a lot of lightning, several hundred strikes were reported in the central and south San Joaquin Valley overnight during that period."

Spector said he and the Hanford NWS team were swamped Wednesday night, particularly around 10pm to 1am. It was the kind of lightning storm Spector said he hasn't seen in years.

"That's a discharge of electricity which occurs in the clouds. And it can be in cloud, cloud to cloud, and cloud to ground," said Spector.

Lightning that hits the ground that can start fires. Fresno County Cal Fire said 16 fires were ignited Wednesday night due to the lightning.

Captain Ryan Michaels said, "Most of which were relatively small. Some were isolated to just little spots because of the amount of rain and precipitation, where as others had very little rain and were able to get established."

Michaels said the fires consumed trees, dry grass, and power poles. One home in Chowchilla burned overnight. Neighbors report hearing fireworks and lightning before the fire started. And lightning hit a power pole in a mobile home complex in Visalia just before 1am Thursday morning. The Visalia Fire Department said the live wires fell onto a unit causing a small fire.

PG&E said during Wednesday night's thunderstorm, more than three-thousand customers in Fresno experienced power outages. They said there are hundreds in the Central Valley still without power on Thursday.
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Why the Drought is Good for some Businesses

July 2, 2015, 7:47 pm
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Despite the ongoing drought some local companies are actually thriving.

Some have turned to cutting edge technology to actually expand their business during the drought. And that's good news for valley residents who are trying to save water, money and their landscaping.  

Turns out - the drought is good for business.. At least for some..

Blaine McQuown/ Owner Synlawn

Oh yea.. Very good for business...

For Blaine McQuown the owner of Synlawn - a brown lawn means green cash and water conservation....

We've been very blessed with the drought..

Blaine McQuown/ Owner Synlawn

And this year.. We're starting our sixth crew and booking out until September..

Costs vary.. But for some - like homeowner Jordan Hansen - spending thousands of dollars during the drought makes sense..

Jordan Hansen/ Homeowner

It really wasn't that much of a concern.. Because I see it as an investment on the property..

And speaking of investments.. For 30-cents a square foot some have turned to aqua cents. They're saving water, money and their lawns.....

Tom De Lany/ Inventor/CEO Aqua Cents

Which is low cost.. To keep your lawn green and drop your water use in half..


This strange looking machine - is actually an innovative patented technology - developed by local landscaper and businessman Tom Delany..

His invention injects - organic biodegradable polymers - mixed with kelp as a fertilizer - into the soil. It absorbs and hold 400 times its weight in water. The mixture traps and store the water for the grass.

It's a new option.. Its an option to look at ..

Back in June - Cindy Telesco saw her lawn was dying.

She decided to try it..

Cindy Telesco/Homeowner

Kind of be pro-active.. Instead of letting it go..

She says it works.

Her water bill is down 50%.

She's even removed half of her sprinklers - and her lawn is green again..

Cindy Telesco/Homeowner

I am very happy .. Very happy..

The treatment lasts between 5 and seven years.

Meanwhile, some are investing in drought tolerant plants..

Tommie Martinez/Homeowner

This one is called Arizona Sun.. So, its native to Arizona..

... It requires very very little water..

Tommie Martinez recently removed all of her turf and replace it with drought tolerant plants.

She likes the look.. The savings.. The lack of maintenance and how it makes her feel..

Tommie Martinez/Homeowner

Great.. Great.. I'm trying to do my part..

And so is the city of Fresno. They'll even pay you to tear out your turf.

Its such a good deal..

Nora Laikam water conservation supervisor for the city says qualified homeowners can earn up to $250 dollars to switch from turf to drought tolerant plants.

Nora says.. Start small.. Start slow..

Nora Laikam / Water Conservation City of Fresno

Maybe you want to do a side yard.. Maybe you want to do a park strip.. And get paid for it..

But where do you start?
What do you buy?
Tommie had fun with it ..

She planted things like

Arizona Sun, Butterfly Plants, Dwarf Little John or Bottle Brush. 

Her water saving yard even won an award for friendly landscaping.

.. Landscaping that she says is hearty...


So.. If it can make it in Fresno it can make it anywhere.. Haha..

I've heard that.. Haha..

Meanwhile more people are buying drought tolerant plants..

Sound cash register ringing up sale..


Despite the drought - business is good at the Evergreen Garden Center in Clovis ..

Enrique Mendoza/ Evergreen Garden Center

There is a really big upswing in selling more of the drought tolerant things..

Their sign even embraces the drought - because they've got the plants that can handle it.

These days Enrique Mendoza hears a lot of this ..

I need to take out my lawn.. What can I do?

And this...

.. Is it going to have to look like Arizona?

And the answer is..

No it does not..

His big sellers are..

Lantana's, Salvia, Desert Bird of Paradise and Succulents ...

He warns his new drought tolerant plant customers to be careful.
They can - in fact over water their new plants..

There is ways to make it work so it looks good and you use less water..

And others are buying low flow sprinklers to save water..

And there's not a lot of water coming out.. No no..

Veteran horticulturist John Aubin with Color for your Landscape says his customers are buying low flow sprinklers.

They can cut their water use in half - saving water, money and lawns.

John Aubin/ Color For Your Landscape

It makes sense ... To not see that water waste.. 

They have a unique spray pattern - it kind of rotates.

The multi stream low flow m.p. Rotor sprinkler head on the left - looks like your typical sprinkler head on the right... But its not.

It uses less water over a longer period - cutting water usage by up to 50%

John Aubin/ Color For Your Landscape

Allows the soil open up and saturate and allow that water to get down deeper

And so, whether it's low tech - sprinkler heads

Or a high tech - innovative lawn treatment like aqua cents...

Or switching to a drought tolerant garden...

Or even synthetic grass..

Many valley residents - like their landscapes are evolving and adapting to the new sights and sounds of drought.

And that's good for business.. At least for 'some' businesses..

Jordan Hansen/ Homeowner

My wife just said she fired her gardener.. And that's me.. And so now, I don't have to take care of the yard anymore.. Laughter..


For more information:

Tom De Lany/ Inventor/CEO Aqua Cents

http://aquacents.com/

Blaine McQuown/ Owner Synlawn

http://www.synlawn.com/

Nora Laikam / Water Conservation City of Fresno

http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/PublicUtilities/Watermanagement/rebatespermits.htm

Enrique Mendoza/ Evergreen Nursery

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evergreen-Garden-Center/182217145174726


John Aubin/ Color For Your Landscape

http://www.colorforyourlandscape.com/


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Crime Stoppers 7/2/15

July 2, 2015, 8:00 pm
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20 year old Richard Garcia was featured in Crime Stoppers.
Fresno police arrested him for assault with a deadly weapon.

Law enforcement is now looking for 31-year-old Azucena Deramos.
She is wanted for burglary, and may be hiding in the Reedley area.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 498-stop...
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Fun, Food, Fireworks! List of Weekend Events in the Valley

July 3, 2015, 9:32 am
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It's a packed fun-filled holiday weekend in the valley. Here's a look at some events happening to celebrate the Fourth of July.
 
-The first place Grizzlies are in town Saturday and they'll be celebrating the Fourth in a big way. You're invited to take part in a hot dog eating contest, then after the game against the Tacoma Rainiers enjoy a fireworks show.

-The Visalia Rawhide will also be in town taking on Lake Elsinore Storm. They'll be celebrating the Fourth a little early on Friday with a fireworks show after the game. Enjoy food, fun and fireworks in Fowler. Admission is free. It's being held at Fowler High School. Gates open at 6pm. Plenty of stadium seating is available.

-Madera's also hosting a Fourth of July celebration Saturday at the Madera Municipal Golf Course. The festivities begin at 5pm and include family games, music and food. The fireworks show begins around dusk. You're advised to arrive early, as roadways become congested. Roads and freeway exits will close prior to showtime.

-Beat the heat in Hanford by swimming in the afternoon and enjoying a fireworks show at night. The Annual Community Firework Celebration is being held Saturday at the Hanford High School Neighbor Bowl. The fireworks shows begins at 9pm.

-Cool off at Island Waterpark, as well. Enjoy a fun filled day at the park on the slides and in the river, then take in the fireworks show at night. The Fireworks Show Extravaganza is Friday and Saturday. 

-And if you're heading for the hills to enjoy the cooler mountain temperatures, don't forget Bass Lake is erring on the safety and showing a laser show instead of a fireworks show because of the fire danger. The show starts at dusk.

-Meantime, Shaver Lake's fireworks spectacular will go on as planned, also at dusk, but on Sunday.

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Why Carina Read a Certain Script So Sloooooowly

July 3, 2015, 9:41 am
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"Magic Mike XXL" tops this weekend's box office preview.

Channing Tatum returns to the stage for one last big show. This follow-up to the 2012 original has the "Kings of Tampa" looking to leave the stripper business with a bang. So they take a road trip for one last blow-out performance. 

Half way through reading the script on KSEE Sunrise, George Takata takes notice that Carina Corral is reading the script very slowly. 

She has a good reason for it. Or does she?
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Bevmo! on Sunrise with Festive Beverage Ideas

July 3, 2015, 10:04 am
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On KSEE24 Sunrise, we're giving viewers all ideas on how to prepare for their Fourth of July get togethers.

Yesterday, was easy, do-it-youself centerpieces. Today it's festive drinks! 

Troy Pope from Bevmo! stopped by with some beverage ideas for outdoor fun in the heat.

He recommends Ballast Point's Grapefruit IPA that's "bitter but also citrusy." He also recommends adding orange juice to it for a morning "beer-mosa." Ace's Pineapple Cider is another refreshing drink.

For a drink with an extra kick he made a "Fire Extinguisher." It's an ounce of Jack Daniel's  Tennessee Fire, a cinnamon-flavored whiskey, added to a glass of Angry Orchard's Apple Cider. 

And of course, drink responsibly. 
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Let Famous Dave's do the BBQing this Fourth of July

July 3, 2015, 12:12 pm
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If you're hosting a Fourth of July party, let Famous Dave's BBQ in Fresno do the cooking.

Famous Alex Zaragosa stopped by the KSEE24 studios this morning to show us what they have to offer. 

Take it from us, you can't go wrong! 

Watch the video to see their delicious feast.

Click here to place your order.
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Mobile home destroyed in fire last night

July 3, 2015, 4:32 pm
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Crews are trying to figure out how a fire started that destroyed a mobile home last night.

It happened in the area of Lincoln and Del Rey Avenues. Firefighters say no one was home when the fire started. Crews from Sanger, Fresno County and a Cal-Fire unit were called out after a person driving-by called 9-1-1.

The mobile home is a total loss.
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Tex McDonald has been released from jail

July 3, 2015, 4:41 pm
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One of the men who led a takeover attempt at the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino is out of jail today.

Tex McDonald made a deal after spending 242 days in jail. He was arrested last year after he led a group of armed men into the casino. It ultimately led to the casino being shut down by federal regulators. It remains closed today.

In court yesterday, McDonald pleaded no contest to a felony. The judge then threw out McDonald's two prior felonies from the 90's. Legal analyst Charles Magill says this recent charge is not a violent crime.

"I think the court looked behind the felony charge asked what the evidence was about that, and that's the reason why the court was willing to ignore the priors and basically give him credit for time served," Magill said.

Fifteen people were involved in the Chukchansi Casino take over. Most have already struck deals lowering their charges to misdemeanors. 
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Safety in Mind for Many at Bass Lake, Following Two Deadly Boating Accidents in One Week

July 3, 2015, 5:05 pm
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Bass Lake has been hit with two fatal boating accidents this week, and as we go into the very busy Fourth of July holiday weekend, many are hoping to have fun, keeping safety as the first priority.
 
Two days ago, the Madera County Sheriff's Office said a 14-year-old boy was killed after he hit a pontoon boat and was ejected into the water. This comes after another incident last Saturday, when a jet ski hit two teens swimming near a boat. One of those victims died.
 
Quinn Hubertz traveled from San Francisco to Bass Lake to spend the holiday weekend on a boat.
 
"I grew up around the lake. I got my boater safety when I was younger and I know how important it is and how it's an outrageously dangerous recreation when you don't know what you're doing," said Hubertz on Friday.
 
Hubertz said he's aware of the two recent fatal accidents. He said everyone is on high alert to stay cautious of their surroundings.
 
Hubertz commented, "We've got about 14 of us hoppin' on a 16 person, 26-foot pontoon boat. So obviously safety's a huge concern, especially Fourth of July weekend is going to be pretty high traffic."
 
Hubertz and his friends rented their boat from Bass Lake Water Sports near the Pines Resort at Bass Lake. Tom Tuso is the manager of Bass Lake Water Sports and said on Friday that there is extensive process to rent a jet ski or boat from them.
 
"They sign a contract which tells them about the rules of the lake, liabilities and so forth. And then at Bass Lake Watersports, we give them a personal one-on-one explanation of the lake rules and the operations of the craft with a full scale map so they can reference it as we're speaking," said Tuso.
 
Tuso said renters hear the lake rules and operational procedures a second time when they go down to the dock. He said if you rent from him, you have to be 16 and older to ride a jet ski solo, and 18 and over for a boat. Tuso said he expected hundreds of boats to be on the lake through the weekend, and thousands of guests. He said the Madera County Sheriff's patrol will be on extra alert this weekend as well.
 
Tuso ended, "I hope that us as well as all businesses have a safe Fourth of July, a prosperous one that brings these businesses from the red into the black."
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Fresno Fire Sees Increase in Fire Calls

July 3, 2015, 5:17 pm
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"It's going to be a record year as far as fire response", says Tony Escobedo, fire battalion chief for fire station 11.

Battalion chief Tony Escobedo works at fire station 11 on the north end of town, he says that crews are extremely busy this summer and year.

"In Fresno we're one of the 5th busiest departments and a matter of fact, some years, including this one, if we were the size of Los Angeles, we'd be busier than they are", says Chief Escobedo.

Last year Fresno crews responded to about 25 hundred fire calls, this year they have already seen more than 14 hundred.

Eric Orong is working his first shift for the department after graduating from the academy, he says that it's been a busy 48 hours.

"It's been pretty busy, we've ran 17 calls in the last 30 or so hours, majority of them were medical aids and we had a large residential fire last night", says Orong.

With the increase in calls crews sirens are constantly sounding.

"The reliability of the system really suffers when you have calls that continue to occur in the same area because you continue to pull from where ever", says fire captain Carl Delap.

The department has also made more that 12,000 thousand ems calls and worked more than 133 fires.

"Obviously the drought, pour maintenance of our homes and we do have a good amount of arsonists in the city as far as copycats or they are just doing it on their own, we have a high level of arsonists in the city and it keeps us rather busy", says Chief Escobedo.

"For some people lighting fires is one way to get their excitement but in the long story it makes our job a little more difficult", says Orong.

If you're going to be setting off fireworks on your street or near your home tomorrow night, crews say you should try watering your lawn before, just in case.


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One injured in accident on Bass Lake this afternoon

July 3, 2015, 6:12 pm
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One injured in accident on Bass Lake this afternoon.


At 4 p.m. Friday, July 3rd, a woman in her 20s was riding on the front of a boat when she fell off and was pulled under. She was airlifted to CRMC with an injury to her leg. 

More info to come. 
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A Veteran's Special Promise

July 3, 2015, 8:07 pm
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During the 7th Central Valley Honor Flight 65 California War Heroes shared countless stories that could captivate any audience, but for one veteran, his trip was inspired by love.
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1 Firefighter, 2 Inmates Injured Fighting Fire in Tulare County

July 3, 2015, 9:08 pm
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Three people were injured, including a Tulare County Cal Fire firefighter, while fighting a fire near the community of Three Rivers. 

Cal Fire officials say the three people were fighting a 2- to 3-acre fire on Case Mountain when a tree fell on them.

The firefighter sustained major injuries and was airlifted to a Fresno hospital. 

The inmates suffered minor injuries including a concussion and cuts. 

No other information on their conditions has been released at this time. 

Cal Fire officials say they will begin an investigation into the incident at "first light."



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Yosemite Park Ranger Inspires Co-workers, Greets Visitors

July 3, 2015, 10:50 pm
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Glenn Gibbons mans the west entrance to Yosemite National Park, and he does it always with a smile. This year, Gibbons' co-workers voted him as the recipient of the Barry Hance Memorial Award, the park's highest honor.

KSEE24's Evan Onstot put a microphone on Gibbons as he greeted and said goodbye to park guests, and talked to him about how he approaches his job in one of the prettiest places on Earth.
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Couple Reunited With Engagement Photos

July 3, 2015, 11:15 pm
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Tyler Cook and Yvette Mendez of Chowchilla got engaged at the end of June at River Park in Fresno. Tyler popped the question inside the photo booth just outside the movie theater, but the couple walked off without some of their pictures.

Luckily, a young boy found the pictures and gave them to his mother. She used social media to track down the couple and on Friday in Madera Tyler and Yvette got their pictures back.

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