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The City of Visalia, seen here from the sky above Highway 198, saw a drop in commercial permits in 2024. Adobe Stock image The Nov. 29 print edition of The Business Journal included economic forecasts for each of the four counties we cover. We will be sharing them throughout the week. Tulare County experienced diverse economic growth this year, with the agriculture, logistics and public infrastructure sectors enjoying success despite national and regional economic challenges. Trailing only Fresno County in national agricultural sales, Tulare County once again thrived in its ability to produce in 2023. Despite the recent bird flu scare with the dairy and poultry industry, the sector continues to lead the county economy by a wide margin. The county also saw growth in retail appeal this year as well as housing and infrastructure. The addition of a bus rapid transit system in 2025 will expand the county’s accessibility and potential for continued growth. Tulare County continued to see growth in urban sectors, with the three major population centers in the area experiencing growth in both business opportunity and community development, but also through local support initiatives to bolster existing businesses. The City of Tulare saw the construction of several new retail spaces at its Highway 99 and Cartmill Avenue interchange, including the construction of a Maverick Travel Center and Chick-fil-A restaurant. Tulare Outlets also saw the introduction of Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Ann Taylor, while the City of Visalia saw growth and development in single- and multi-unit housing, a trend dating back to 2022. Despite a 9 percent drop in 2024 for commercial permits, Visalia Mayor Brian Poochigian said that the 2025 outlook for the city is bright, with next year marking the start of a rapid transit system between Lindsay and Porterville, the Lemoore Naval Air Station and Tulare. Additionally, Poochigian said 2025 looks to be an active year with permitted activity already on the rise and an increase in interest in the city’s industrial park. “Retail development will continue as well and generally, Visalia will be primed as a solid investment opportunity for interested parties considering Central California or California as a whole,” Poochigian told The Business Journal. The City of Tulare will start fresh in 2025 with a brand new city logo and branding campaign. The concept will seek to integrate the city’s investors, developers, e-commerce warehousing, housing and retail/commercial industries. During recent elections, Tulare also retained all of its city council members, allowing the council to maintain its focus on economic growth uninterrupted. “Tulare City Council and management will continue to lay the groundwork for ongoing success in business attraction and retention, downtown revitalization, diversity in our housing stock and improvement of the overall quality of life for Tulare citizens,” said Tulare City Manager Marc Mondell and Economic Development Manager Traci Myers. To the southeast, Porterville continued its recruiting and business expansion efforts, collaborating with the Porterville Chamber of Commerce to launch the second year of the Porterville Shop Local Campaign, urging locals to support small businesses. In 2024, 50 small businesses participated in the campaign inviting locals to visit local businesses for a chance to win prizes. “Additionally, the City is in the process of updating the Porterville Development Ordinance to further streamline and facilitate commercial and residential development throughout the city,” said Porterville Deputy City Manager Jason Ridenour. With Tulare County maintaining its leadership as one of the nation’s top agricultural producers in 2023 with a gross agricultural production valued at more than $7.5 billion — down from its gross record of $8.6 billion reached in 2022 — this year emphasized the county’s focus on agricultural innovation, sustainable energy projects and expansion into manufacturing. The City of Tulare continued development in the area surrounding the International Agri-Center thanks to $4 million in funds secured by Rep. David Valadao this March. The project aimed to increase safety and reduce congestion in the area, which sees more than 100,000 visitors over a three-day period in February during the World Ag Expo. The area has availability for both agricultural and e-commerce use, allowing for not only growth for the city, but also serving as attractive opportunities for the Agri-Center, which sits just off Highway 99 south of Tulare. The county also continued its exploration into green energy, embarking on methane-harvesting initiatives, linking the industry with clean energy innovation. The region’s food processing aims to reduce its carbon footprint through the use of anaerobic digesters, transforming greenhouse gases into clean, reusable energy. Tulare County leads the nation in not only dairy production but also the development of new clean energy technologies, according to the Tulare County Economic Development Corp. The Nov. 29 print edition of The Business Journal included Sanger is now a bit sweeter with the recent expansion After a four-year hiatus, Des Washington and her father Brian After five tension-filled years for the development community, the FresnoLucknow, Nov 24 (PTI) A day after by-election results for nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly constituencies were declared, political accusations flared on Sunday as opposition leaders from the BSP and SP alleged electoral malpractice, a charge vehemently denied by the ruling BJP. The BJP and its ally RLD secured seven of the nine seats and the SP grabbed the other two. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) failed to make any mark. Both BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav have now raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, accusing the ruling party of irregularities. Yadav accused the BJP of "electronic booth capturing". Calling for a forensic examination of the EVMs used, Yadav claimed that discrepancies in voting patterns would reveal widespread fraud. "Voters were prevented from casting their votes, yet the booths recorded high turnout. This indicates that someone else voted on their behalf," he alleged. Yadav also accused the administration and police of removing SP booth agents and intimidating voters. Referring specifically to the Kundarki constituency, where BJP candidate Ramveer Singh won by around 1.45 lakh votes, Yadav alleged that his party's candidate Haji Rizwan faced severe electoral malpractices. "This is the new-age electronic booth capturing," Yadav said, demanding that the Election Commission review booth records and voter turnout data. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, BSP president Mayawati alleged that "fake voting" marred the bypolls. She claimed that malpractices, once prevalent during the ballot-paper era, are now being conducted through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). She added that such irregularities are more prevalent during by-elections than the general election. Citing this issue, Mayawati announced her party's decision to abstain from contesting by-elections across the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, unless the EC implements strict measures to prevent fraudulent voting. However, she said that the BSP would continue to contest general elections with full preparation. Responding to the opposition's accusations, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak launched a sharp counterattack. Maurya said Yadav was claiming that the SP would win all nine seats, but they were confined to just two. "They had demanded the cancellation of elections on three seats -- Kundarki, Shishamau, and Mirapur. Out of these, the Shishamau seat has been won by the Samajwadi Party," he added. "I have received information that the BJP candidate from Kundarki won by a margin of approximately 1.5 lakh votes, which has clearly frustrated Akhilesh Yadav," Maurya told PTI Videos. "In the future, everyone will puncture the Samajwadi Party's cycle, and Akhilesh Yadav, who dreams of coming to power in 2027, will not be seen anywhere near power not just in 2027 but even in 2047," he added. Pathak too accused Yadav of being unable to accept defeat and dismissed his allegations as baseless. "The SP has lost its ground, and Akhilesh Yadav cannot come to terms with this defeat. Their allegations of rigging are a mere attempt to cover up their failure," he said during a press conference. Pathak accused the SP of fostering hooliganism and lawlessness. Referring to incidents in Kannauj, Ayodhya, and Karhal, he said SP leaders have been involved in atrocities against Dalits and OBC women, yet Akhilesh Yadav remains silent. He further alleged that SP leaders focus on mafia, illegal property acquisitions and endangering the dignity and safety of women. He also slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) for allegedly misleading voters with false promises and pointed out that even in postal ballots, the BJP maintained a significant lead over SP candidates. Pathak added that the SP's biggest anguish is not just losing elections but also losing their core voter base. "Backward classes, Dalits, and even Muslims have distanced themselves from the SP. For the SP, Muslims are merely voters, not partners," he said. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in coup plot, police report alleges
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