//podcastplus.net/feed/calif-exec-pleads-guilty-in-huge-tomato-price-fixing-scheme~e3b7c8ef Frederick Scott Salyer, 56, has pleaded guilty in a massive tomato price fixing scheme that investigators say affected almost every American home. Salyer, the former chief executive officer of SK Foods LP, said he bribed purchasers and fixed prices for the sale of his tomato products to McCain Foods USA Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc. and Kraft Foods Inc. The AP reports: "He also admitted that SK Foods routinely falsified lab test results for its tomato paste and that he ordered former employees to falsify information including the product's mold content and whether it qualified as "organic," the U.S. attorney's office said. "'Salyer and his co-conspirators manipulated prices on millions of pounds of processed tomatoes and improperly influenced supermarkets and big food companies into buying substandard tomato products put into brands found in almost every American home,' said Rick Goss, the assistant special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service's criminal investigations unit. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:26:29 +0000 https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kvpr/audio/2021/03/sh_web_fresno_unified_3-2-21.mp3 The Fresno Unified School District announced a potential reopening plan Tuesday for in-person learning. The new agreement between the district and the Fresno Teachers Association outlines a return to a hybrid model that includes in-person instruction by April 6th. Superintendent Bob Nelson says the increased ability to vaccinate all district employees changed the conversation. “This time last week, I could not have reasonably said we were going to vaccinate everybody by March. Today I can and that’s a huge change,” he said. The district has partnered with Valley Children’s Healthcare and United Health Centers to provide thousands of weekly vaccines. All Fresno Unified employees are expected to have access to at least their first dose by the end of March. Families who don’t want their students to return to campus can still opt for distance learning. The superintendent says the district must first assess how many want to be back on campus. “We’ll take everybody’s registration, figure out Wed, 03 Mar 2021 01:29:46 +0000 https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kvpr/audio/2021/03/sh_web_fresno_unified_3-2-21.mp3 https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kvpr/audio/2021/01/mb-flooding-1-27-21.mp3 Local State Of Emergency Continues In Madera County Due To Substantial Rainfall The Madera County Sheriff’s Department declared a local state of emergency Wednesday due to worsening weather conditions. It also issued an evacuation warning for residents above Road 225 and Cascadel Road, near the Creek Fire burn scar area. The county, which previously dealt with the Creek Fire, is now bracing for another potential natural disaster. National Weather Service Meteorologist Scott Row says flood warnings have been placed on Madera county as well as neighboring Fresno and Merced counties. “There’s a potential, again because of the degree of heavy rainfall, that could result in flash flooding and debris flow,” Row said. He said residents can prepare by following law enforcement recommendations and heeding evacuation orders if necessary. “And just be weather ready and weather aware,” he added. “Have a plan in place in case you do have to leave at a moment's notice.” As of Thursday, the Madera Fri, 29 Jan 2021 01:02:13 +0000 https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kvpr/audio/2021/01/mb-flooding-1-27-21.mp3