[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":343},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fwestlands-board-skips-november-ballot-fresno-county-to-appoint-directors":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":331,"dateModified":331,"description":332,"extension":13,"meta":333,"navigation":21,"path":334,"rawbody":335,"seo":336,"sitemap":337,"stem":338,"tags":339,"__hash__":342},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fwestlands-board-skips-november-ballot-fresno-county-to-appoint-directors.md","Westlands board skips November ballot; Fresno County to appoint directors",false,"CVAI Agriculture Desk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":324},[242,246,250,263,267,270,273,276,280,283,286,290,293,296,311,314,318],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"westlands-board-skips-november-ballot-fresno-county-to-appoint-directors",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Westlands Water District seats won’t appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot due to uncontested races.",[254,258,259],{},"The Fresno County Board of Supervisors will appoint Westlands directors by early December 2026.",[254,261,262],{},"Water boards set rates and choose tech like meters, telemetry, and AI tools used for SGMA reporting.",[61,264,266],{"id":265},"which-races-you-wont-see","Which races you won’t see",[66,268,269],{},"$8.589 billion. That’s the 2023 gross value of Fresno County agriculture in the county’s crop report, and a reminder of how much turns on water decisions. Not all of the people making those calls will be on your ballot this fall.",[66,271,272],{},"Westlands Water District’s board seats up this cycle drew no challengers, so there won’t be a public vote. Under California water district law, and when contests don’t materialize, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors must seat directors. That has to happen by the first Friday in December 2026. Other small districts sometimes land in the same boat when nobody files.",[66,274,275],{},"Fresno Irrigation District also has divisions with terms rolling this year. If a division did draw more than one candidate, it appears on your ballot. If it didn’t, appointments follow county procedures. Paper ballots or not, the bills keep coming.",[61,277,279],{"id":278},"why-this-matters-in-the-orchards","Why this matters in the orchards",[66,281,282],{},"For growers, these boards set the water rate on the bill and decide how hard districts push on recharge, metering, and data. That includes automated flow meters, turnout telemetry, and the analytics some districts are testing to predict recharge windows and flag line losses. Those tools feed SGMA compliance and district portals, and they’re what your ranch foreman ends up checking before a night run on the drip line.",[66,284,285],{},"Rates are the front line. A two or three dollar swing per acre‑foot changes return per acre fast when almonds sit in the mid tier on price and grapes fight soft packout. The Fresno County crop report names the dollars. Directors you never voted on still approve capital plans that set whether rebates exist for soil‑moisture probes, or if your lateral gets a SCADA upgrade next summer.",[61,287,289],{"id":288},"key-dates-and-what-to-ask","Key dates and what to ask",[66,291,292],{},"Ballots start moving soon. Early voting at the County Clerk office begins October 5, and 11‑day vote centers open October 24 through Election Day, November 3. If your district race is on the ballot, ask candidates where they stand on recharge basins near your block, whether they support metering at all farm turnouts, and how they’ll pay for data systems growers actually use. If it is appointment‑only, call your supervisor and ask the same questions.",[66,294,295],{},"One grower told me this part plain: \"Rates, recharge, and whether the portal helps me plan a set. That’s what I need, not a brochure.\" A lime Jarritos sweated on his tailgate.",[66,297,298],{},[299,300,301,302,304,305,310],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,303,239],{}," team and developed by ",[306,307,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":308},[309],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[312,313],"hr",{},[61,315,317],{"id":316},"source","Source",[66,319,320],{},[306,321,322],{"href":322,"rel":323},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fresnobee.com\u002Fnews\u002Fpolitics-government\u002Felection\u002Flocal-election\u002Farticle317355269.html",[309],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":325},[326,327,328,329,330],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":265,"depth":11,"text":266},{"id":278,"depth":11,"text":279},{"id":288,"depth":11,"text":289},{"id":316,"depth":11,"text":317},"2026-09-27","Several Fresno County water board seats, including Westlands, won’t appear on the Nov. 3 ballot after uncontested filings. Growers say the stakes are rates, recharge, and data gear.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fwestlands-board-skips-november-ballot-fresno-county-to-appoint-directors","---\nauthor: CVAI Agriculture Desk\ndate: '2026-09-27'\ndateModified: '2026-09-27'\ndescription: Several Fresno County water board seats, including Westlands, won’t appear\n  on the Nov. 3 ballot after uncontested filings. Growers say the stakes are rates,\n  recharge, and data gear.\ntags:\n- water\n- fresno\n- elections\ntitle: Westlands board skips November ballot; Fresno County to appoint directors\n---\n\n# Westlands board skips November ballot; Fresno County to appoint directors\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Westlands Water District seats won’t appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot due to uncontested races.\n2. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors will appoint Westlands directors by early December 2026.\n3. Water boards set rates and choose tech like meters, telemetry, and AI tools used for SGMA reporting.\n\n## Which races you won’t see\n\n$8.589 billion. That’s the 2023 gross value of Fresno County agriculture in the county’s crop report, and a reminder of how much turns on water decisions. Not all of the people making those calls will be on your ballot this fall.\n\nWestlands Water District’s board seats up this cycle drew no challengers, so there won’t be a public vote. Under California water district law, and when contests don’t materialize, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors must seat directors. That has to happen by the first Friday in December 2026. Other small districts sometimes land in the same boat when nobody files.\n\nFresno Irrigation District also has divisions with terms rolling this year. If a division did draw more than one candidate, it appears on your ballot. If it didn’t, appointments follow county procedures. Paper ballots or not, the bills keep coming.\n\n## Why this matters in the orchards\n\nFor growers, these boards set the water rate on the bill and decide how hard districts push on recharge, metering, and data. That includes automated flow meters, turnout telemetry, and the analytics some districts are testing to predict recharge windows and flag line losses. Those tools feed SGMA compliance and district portals, and they’re what your ranch foreman ends up checking before a night run on the drip line.\n\nRates are the front line. A two or three dollar swing per acre‑foot changes return per acre fast when almonds sit in the mid tier on price and grapes fight soft packout. The Fresno County crop report names the dollars. Directors you never voted on still approve capital plans that set whether rebates exist for soil‑moisture probes, or if your lateral gets a SCADA upgrade next summer.\n\n## Key dates and what to ask\n\nBallots start moving soon. Early voting at the County Clerk office begins October 5, and 11‑day vote centers open October 24 through Election Day, November 3. If your district race is on the ballot, ask candidates where they stand on recharge basins near your block, whether they support metering at all farm turnouts, and how they’ll pay for data systems growers actually use. If it is appointment‑only, call your supervisor and ask the same questions.\n\nOne grower told me this part plain: \"Rates, recharge, and whether the portal helps me plan a set. That’s what I need, not a brochure.\" A lime Jarritos sweated on his tailgate.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Agriculture Desk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.fresnobee.com\u002Fnews\u002Fpolitics-government\u002Felection\u002Flocal-election\u002Farticle317355269.html\n",{"title":237,"description":332},{"loc":334},"news\u002Fwestlands-board-skips-november-ballot-fresno-county-to-appoint-directors",[340,121,341],"water","elections","rKZXydUhA14J84CxufDHIFVEEn1RVtVXX9e_62MmX_4",1790511535747]