Visalia saw a jump in forcible rape in 2015. Yearly crime stats from the Visalia Police Department show homicides down in 2015 to 7 from 9 in 2014. But cases of forcible rape went from 30 in 2014 to 105 incidents in 2015. Robbery was down slightly as was assault. Burglary was up slightly.
Valero wants to build a new 3000ft convenience store with food drive thru and car wash at the NW corner of McAuliff and Houston, near Golden West.The company filed preliminary plans with the city.
Bueno Beverage – formerly Sequoia Beverage, will build a new 22,000 sf warehouse in the Visalia Industrial Park. The warehouse will handle the increase in shipments of Mexican beers.
Forever 21 will close its Hanford Mall store April 1 according to a notice filed with the State of California. Some 51 worker will be laid off says the WARN notice adding that the “closure is permanent.” The budget-priced, teen retailer has put their big 80,000sf Hanford Mall building up for sale last fall.
Azkara, which means “remember” in Hebrew. Azkara Clothing is a regional women’s apparel retailer who will open in May at the Visalia Mall. The new 2741sf store, in the space where Pacsun was, will offer head-to-toe fashion at reasonable prices, including apparel, accessories, shoes and purses.
R&N Market in Hanford will close in late March after 35 years in town Some 50 people will lose their jobs. The closing does not affect any other R&N locations.
Buffalo Wild Wings has taken out a $1.1 million permit to construct a new 4700sf restaurant to take the place of the former Dennys at the southeast corner of 12th an Lacey in Hanford.
Springville will get a 9100sf Dollar General store at Hwy 190 and Montgomery Dr as the applicant seeks a county use permit.
Tulare will get a new Downtown eatery in Tower Square as Mariscos Costa Azul (fish menu) seeks a permit from the city. It will be located at 200 N J St.
Midwest ethanol producer Flint Hills Resources with 7 plants has signed on with Visalia-based Edeniq to use their technology to make more ethanol from corn kernel fiber, otherwise a waste product, rather than the corn itself.The technology utilizes existing fermentation and distillation equipment to produce up to 2.5% cellulosic ethanol and a 7% increase in overall ethanol yield.
Plans have been filed for a 120 unit multi-family project near Ben Maddox and K St in southeast Visalia.