SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 – A 63-year-old man died when the prune harvester he was operating was rear-ended by another harvester in Orland, authorities said. J. Refugio Veloz Serrano of Willows was part of a caravan of six prune harvesters that were traveling from a farm in Hamilton City to one on County Road P, according [...]

AUGUST 27, 2009 – A Salinas electrical contractor was found partially responsible for a work-related accident that killed a man four years ago, an attorney for the plaintiffs said. A Monterey County jury awarded the children of the victim $5.3 million in damages. The verdict was announced Wednesday. Daniel Raya, 49, of Los Angeles was [...]

AUGUST 12, 2009 – A 13-year-old died after he became trapped in a trailer that was emptying grain at a feed store in Sonoma County, authorities said. David Yenni was helping his father, Norman Yenni, outside Hunt and Behrens on Lakeville Road, according to Petaluma police. The father was emptying a trailer full of grain when his [...]

AUGUST 11, 2009 – The California Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that killed a 66-year-old Sanger man east of Clovis, authorities said. The unidentified victim was driving a 1999 Cadillac east on Shaw Avenue about 9 p.m. when he collided with the back end of an eastbound tractor just east of Amber Avenue, according [...]

AUGUST 8, 2009 – Health officials in three states have reported that at least 28 people have become ill after consuming ground beef that may be tainted with salmonella. On Thursday, Fresno-based Beef Packers, Inc. recalled nearly 826,000 pounds of ground beef produced from June 5-23. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection [...]

AUGUST 6, 2009 – Concerns over an outbreak of salmonella has prompted a Fresno-based company to recall a massive amount of ground beef products, it was announced Wednesday. Beef Packers, Inc is recalling 825,769 pounds of ground beef that was produced between June 5, 2009 and June 23, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s [...]

AUGUST 5, 2009 – The driver of a pickup truck suffered major injuries when he collided with a farm tractor hauling hay near Lemoore, authorities said. The collision happened just before 8:15 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 41 and Fremont Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. The accident left all lanes blocked. The [...]

AUGUST 3, 2009 – Four occupants of an older-model Honda were killed when a tractor-trailer hauling tomatoes slammed into their vehicle in Huron, authorities said. The Fresno County coroner identified the dead men as Jose Menjivar, 25, the driver of the Honda, Angel Nunez, 39, his brother Nelson Nunez and Wilfredo Lopez, all of Chowchilla. No [...]

JULY 30, 2009 – The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed a lawsuit in state court in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, charging farmworkers’ lives are routinely put in jeopardy by inadequate protection from the heat, according to the ACLU. The suit was filed on behalf of five workers. It alleges the state [...]

JULY 29, 2009 – A 50-year-old man died when the bin carrier he was driving struck a tree in a Linda peach orchard, authorities said. Jose Pinon of Yuba City was found unresponsive by co-workers about 8 a.m. in the orchard on Dantoni Road near Marysville and called emergency personnel. Linda Fire Fighters and Bi-County [...]