By Faughn Health/Medical • New Developments 0 Comments

Madera hospital cuts the ribbon on new clinic

Madera Community Hospital celebrated the grand opening of its new Family Health Services Center on Tuesday.

The new clinic, located at 1210 E. Almond Ave., was developed in partnership with American Advanced Management Inc. — which operates the Madera hospital — and received support from state leaders, including Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, Sen. Anna Caballero and local leaders and residents who called for increased access to care.

The center, designed to serve the needs of rural communities, will include a range of services, including preventative screenings and wellness checkups, employment health and mental health services, pediatric and women’s health care, chronic disease management and specialty consultations and will aim to reduce the burden on emergency departments.

“This center is more than just a building — it’s a promise to our rural families that their health matters,” said Dr. Sony Sidhu, CEO. “We’re bringing care closer to home, and we’re doing it with compassion, expertise, and a deep commitment to community wellness.”

The center accepts all types of insurance, providing treatment for patients on MediCal and Medicare programs, as well as uninsured patients.

Attendees at the grand opening were treated to a community reception prior to the event, as well as a guided tour and opportunities to meet the care team at the new center.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/madera-hospital-cuts-the-ribbon-on-new-clinic/?mc_cid=6b862591a1

By Faughn Education • New Developments • Workforce 0 Comments

Tulare County WIB and College of the Sequoias launch Valley Build multi-craft apprenticeship readiness program

The Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County (WIB), in partnership with Valley Build, the Fresno Madera Kings Tulare Building Trades Council, and College of the Sequoias (COS), is proud to announce the expansion of the Valley Build MC3 Apprenticeship Readiness Program to Tulare County. Valley Build is a high-impact workforce initiative which prepares individuals for successful careers in the building and construction trades and has trained more than 50 cohorts over the last 16 years.

The Tulare Cohort is set to begin in January 2026, with the seven-week training program hosted at the COS campus. It will provide participants with industry-recognized certifications, essential hands-on training, and a pathway into union-supported registered apprenticeships. In addition to training, participants will receive a stipend during the program and have the opportunity to participate in paid work experiences aligned with their chosen construction-related careers.

This pre-apprenticeship utilizes the nationally recognized Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3), which includes training in:

  • Construction Math
  • OSHA-30 Safety Certification
  • CPR and First Aid
  • Forklift Operation Certification
  • Physical Conditioning and Aptitude Preparation
  • Soft Skills Development
  • Career Exploration across Building and Construction Trades

“This pre-apprenticeship initiative reflects our commitment to investing in high-quality training that leads to family-sustaining careers,” said Jennie Bautista, Interim Executive Director of the WIB. “By offering stipends and paid work experience, we’re lowering barriers and creating real opportunities for upward mobility in the skilled trades—advancing equity, economic opportunity, and long-term job success for our community.”

The expansion of the Valley Build MC3 Apprenticeship Readiness initiative to Tulare County is made possible by a collaborative effort between the Tulare WIB, College of the Sequoias, and Employment Connection.

Thanks to a generous award of $768,897, the initiative will train residents across Tulare County for in-demand jobs in partnership with a variety of trade unions. Participating trades include, but are not limited to:

  • Electricians
  • Ironworkers
  • Carpenters
  • Sheet Metal Workers
  • Bricklayers
  • Cement Masons
  • Roofers
  • Plumbers/Pipefitters
  • Painters

Seats are limited, and interested individuals are encouraged to register now at www.valleybuild.net to secure a spot in the January 2026 cohort.

This initiative is fully funded by the High Road Construction Careers (HRCC) Resilient Workforce Fund, as part of a broader $8.8 million statewide investment to advance equity and access in construction careers.

https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2025/11/06/tulare-county-wib-and-college-of-the-sequoias-launch-valley-build-multi-craft-apprenticeship-readiness-program/

By Faughn New Developments 0 Comments

Kings County celebrates 2 broadband expansion projects

AT&T and Comcast recently held two groundbreaking  ceremonies for their major broadband infrastructure project in Kettleman City and the Lemoore  area.

The first groundbreaking was held on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Kettleman City. This project  connects 363 unserved locations throughout Kettleman City. Per the California Public Utilities  Commission (CPUC), an estimated population of 1,400 will now have access to high-speed  internet. AT&T’s infrastructure buildout also includes areas surrounding Kettleman City, such as  south of Kettleman City near Highway 41 and Kettleman Station, southwest along Highway 41,  and east of Kettleman City off Racine Avenue.

Construction for this buildout is scheduled to begin in early 2026. At the ceremony, AT&T also donated $1,500 to Kings County Firefighters  Association for their continued support to the Kettleman City community. The expansion is made  possible by a $4.07 million Federal Funding Account grant AT&T received from the CPUC and  additional funding from AT&T.

The second groundbreaking was held on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, at Kings County Fire  Station 6, in the Island District. This buildout expands access to nearly 4,000 previously unserved  households and businesses in the Lemoore area and surrounding Island District. Construction  for this buildout is scheduled to begin late 2025 and be completed by late 2026. Comcast also  donated $10,000 to Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO) for their support to the Kings  County community, supporting their efforts to connect residents to crucial services.

This expansion was made possible by a $21 million Federal Funding Account grant Comcast received  from the CPUC and private funding by Comcast.

“We are thrilled that AT&T and Comcast are expanding its services to Kings County,” said Doug  Verboon, chairman of the Kings County Board of Supervisors (District 3). “These projects are a significant investment that will support local businesses and improve our residents’ quality of life.”

The County is excited to continue public-private partnerships aimed at expanding digital access and closing the digital divide for County residents.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/community/selma-kingsburg/news/kings-county-celebrates-2-broadband-expansion-projects/article_72fed228-32b5-425c-9e27-666a4062e73b.amp.html

By Faughn Energy 0 Comments

Celebrating Clean Energy in Dos Palos!

Celebrating Clean Energy in Dos Palos!
The Merced County Community and Economic Development Department was proud to attend the Dos Palos Clean Power Ribbon Cutting on Oct. 17th! This 3-megawatt solar project, developed by Renewable America in partnership with Peninsula Clean Energy’s Green Access Program, is now officially online.
This project will:
Provide a positive community impact
Deliver lower electricity pricing
Support income-qualified customers in the City of Los Banos with a 20% reduction on their electric bills
We are excited to see how this local project will continue to benefit our residents and contribute to a more sustainable future for Merced County.
By Faughn Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Solar-powered heat battery generates steam for oil production near Taft

Renewable and conventional energy are once again coming together in Kern County as a startup based in Alameda uses a “heat battery” to produce steam for enhanced oil production near Taft.

Rondo Energy’s partnership with local oil producer Holmes Western Oil Corp. uses electricity from an on-site photovoltaic solar array to heat a container of brick and iron to more than 1,800 degrees. The resulting thermal energy is then used to produce steam for injection around the clock in the Midway-Sunset Oil Field.

The 100 megawatt-hour thermal battery, believed to be the largest of its kind, is being replicated at three commercial operations in Europe that were looking for a technology that costs less than using natural gas and emits no greenhouse gases.

Rondo’s project is the latest innovation using renewable energy to aid in oil production. The company’s predecessor organization, GlassPoint Solar, used parabolic mirrors to focus sunlight on tubes of water that turned to steam for oil use in oil fields. The company ultimately ran into financial problems and was discontinued.

Separately, a local company is working to turn depleted oil reservoirs into long-term energy storage by investing renewable energy from the power grid to build up heat underground for eventual creation of steam. The vapor will drive turbines capable of creating energy for a period of months.

What’s especially valuable about Rondo’s heat battery is its potential for helping decarbonize industries that have historically put out large amounts of greenhouse gases. Activities such as cement and steel production require high heat that renewable energy hasn’t generally achieved.

Rondo founder John O’Donnell, who serves as the company’s chief innovation officer, noted the battery was structurally engineered and fabricated in Bakersfield.

“People talk about Kern County as being kind of an all-of-the-above energy leader, and we’re excited to be part of that story,” he said. “We think we can extend that story really dramatically.”

Although he declined to disclose the unit’s price, he said the brick used in the battery costs is inexpensive, resulting in a total system cost that amounts to one-third to one-quarter of the cost of a lithium battery system.

According to the company, the operation has run for 10 weeks meeting all performance expectations without any safety incidents.

O’Donnell said the technology has many benefits: It fixes costs instead of relying on fuels whose prices fluctuate, requires no air permit because there are no emissions, earns credits under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and cuts expenses related to the state’s Cap-and Invest program.

Rondo added in a news release Thursday that the batteries can’t catch fire, explode or leak toxic materials.

The company said it is working on several continents to deploy its heat batteries in applications such as chemical manufacturing, biofuels production, cement making and beverage and food operations.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/solar-powered-heat-battery-generates-steam-for-oil-production-near-taft/article_2f37c976-c89c-4b67-9c5d-bd8b2b43554c.html

By Faughn Manufacturing • Workforce 0 Comments

$42M manufacturing facility keeps Coast Aluminum — and its workers — rooted in Fresno

Coast Aluminum, Inc, a Hayward-based aluminum supplier, will break ground on a 163,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Fresno, marking a major expansion for the longtime metals supplier and helping secure its future workforce in the region. The ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 5255 E. Home Ave, near the Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (FAT). The project represents a $42 million investment, including land, development, construction and equipment, according to Coast Aluminum.

It’s slated to open in 2026.

Coast Aluminum has 16 locations across the Western U.S. and Northern Mexico, according to its website. Coast Aluminum, Inc has a current location at 1360 E North Ave in South Fresno, which has sentimental value to Tom Clark, founder and owner of Coast Aluminum, Inc.

“This project is especially meaningful to me,” Clark said Tom Clark, founder and owner of Coast Aluminum, Inc. “We started our company in Hayward, California, in 1982, and Fresno became our very first branch in 1993. It was also the first building I ever owned and developed back in 1996 — the same one we’ll soon be moving from into this brand-new facility. This expansion represents not only growth, but a continued investment in our people, our customers, and the Fresno community that’s been part of our story from the beginning.”

Clark said the expansion reflects “a continued investment in our people, our customers, and the Fresno community that’s been part of our story from the beginning.”

Boise, Idaho-based Adler Industrial, LLC will be developing the project. They specialize in Class “A” Industrial properties across the Western United States.

Michael Adler, CEO of development firm Adler Industrial, said the company is “honored to be trusted with bringing their Fresno project to life.” After developing Coast Aluminum’s Boise facility in 2024, Adler said the renewed partnership “reflects the strength of our relationship and our shared commitment to quality, innovation, and community investment.”

Builder JB Steel Construction is based out of Oregon and specializes in commercial and industrial construction.

Russ Batzer, president of JB Steel Construction, said the design balances “efficiency, quality, and flexibility — everything we strive for in modern industrial design.”

He added that partnering with local subcontractors helps strengthen the local workforce. Ethan Smith, a commercial real estate broker with Newmark Pearson, represented the seller of the land and said the project represents a breakthrough in bringing shovel-ready industrial space to Fresno.  Smith said the project began three and a half years ago, with the landowner taking on the upfront entitlement risk. That preparation allowed Adler to start construction within weeks of closing escrow — a first-of-its-kind scenario in the Fresno industrial market, he said.

Smith added that without the site, Coast Aluminum potentially could have had to relocate out of the city, but the property gives the company future growth potential and operational flexibility.

He said the approach of having developers and landowners complete the entitlement process for construction before selling the land is a step in the right direction.

“I think it’s a path forward in the city to get more projects out of the ground with developers being willing to go through this process,” Smith said.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/42m-manufacturing-facility-keeps-coast-aluminum-and-its-workers-rooted-in-fresno/