Clovis road closure, teacher arrest and Medicaid cuts worry Fresno County

Pollasky Avenue in Old Town Clovis will close between Sierra Avenue and Shaw Avenue from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, for the third annual Clovis Turkey Day Run. Registration is open for the Thanksgiving race, which is intended to support the Central California Food Bank and Central Valley Blue Star Moms.

The closure lands in a downtown district that draws about 500,000 visitors a year through its mix of events.

A former Fresno Unified substitute teacher, Carlos Gonzalez, 43, of Fresno, was arrested on suspicion of lewd acts with a minor. Detectives with the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations took part in the case. In a related child-sex case, Gonzalez was arrested for sending harmful matter to a child and attempting to meet a minor for the purpose of sexual activity.

Federal Medicaid and Medi-Cal cuts could strain the county budget and force hard choices on core services. One analysis estimated at least $15 million in lost revenue and another $5 million in higher care costs as a conservative estimate tied to the changes.

County officials are evaluating options to support long-term fiscal sustainability and keep essential services in place, but administrators have also warned that slower revenues and rising costs could push the county toward service reductions. If the gap widens, residents could see slower response times and fewer resources in the years ahead.