FRESNO STATE — Jesus Gutierrez Plascencia’s parents decided to move from Guadalajara, Mexico, to the Central Valley in 2013 so their children would have better educational opportunities. It had been eight years since the California native had returned to the United States. When Plascencia and his family presented their documents to an officer to cross the border, he heard his ...

George Waldemar Oja 1924 – 2022 George Waldemar Oja passed away on January 18, 2022, after a short illness. He was born in rural Maine on February 17, 1924, to Finnish immigrants Valentin and Tynne Oja. It was a difficult childhood. The family dealt with continuing poverty, losing their home and all their belongings to a fire when George was ...