Tulare County Fairgrounds will get $11 million boost

The Tulare County Fairgrounds received a significant boost with a $11 million grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) through the Fairgrounds Resilience Centers Program. 

This funding is part of a larger $89 million grant pool aimed at supporting communities during disasters, such as evacuations due to flooding.

The grant will be used to enhance the Tulare County Fairgrounds' emergency preparedness by upgrading an existing building and demolishing and reconstructing two other buildings on the site. These upgrades are intended to provide emergency sheltering, kitchen and sanitation facilities, showers, and other improvements to protect and comfort people and families in times of need.

These improvements will also benefit the community outside of emergencies. The fairgrounds are envisioned to serve as year-round hubs of community engagement, hosting civic, social, educational, and economic development activities. Some potential uses include business incubation centers, satellite college campus facilities, and telemedicine centers, all contributing to the growth of local communities.

Tulare police help arrest felons in possession of firearms

Tulare police helped a taskforce arrest two convicted felons in possession of firearms.

The arrests were made by the Tulare County Agencies Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Team Task Force (TARGET), with the assistance of the Tulare Police Department Crimes Specific Unit. The arrest took place around 6:45 p.m. in the 900 block of West Inyo Avenue in Tulare, involving two individuals: 38-year-old Jazmine Dailey and 38-year-old Darrell Dillihunt.

Darrell Dillihunt, identified as a convicted felon known for carrying firearms, was apprehended for being a felon in possession of a firearm, ammunition, and an assault weapon. His arrest record includes assault with a deadly weapon with the use of a firearm on a peace officer. Jazmine Dailey was arrested for two active felony warrants and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, ammunition, and an assault weapon.

During the investigation, detectives searched the suspects' vehicle and discovered a loaded assault weapon. Additionally, the TARGET Task Force and the Special Enforcement Unit Officers from the Visalia Police Department obtained and served a search warrant at the home of Dillihunt and Dailey, where they seized over 50 rounds of live ammunition.

Both individuals were booked at the Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial Detention Facility.

Tulare woman sentenced to life for husband's murder

Pennie Henson Ince, a 54-year-old woman from Tulare has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her 65-year-old husband. This sentence was handed down by the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center.

The case details reveal a chilling narrative. Ince was found guilty of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait and using a firearm. The incident, which occurred on March 6, 2022, involved Ince ambushing and killing her husband with a shotgun in a cold-blooded execution.

Following the murder, Ince engaged in further criminal activity. She took her husband’s ATM card and withdrew $900 from his account. Subsequently, she fled to Fresno, where she was found at a bar. However, she managed to evade capture at that time.

Her arrest came on March 8, 2022, marking the end of a brief but intense manhunt. The severity of her actions and the methodical nature of the crime significantly influenced the court's decision to impose a life sentence without the possibility of parole.