Mary Ellen DuPertuis knew Merced when the population was just 18,000, not the more than 80,000 today. She knew Merced when there were close to no specialty doctors and when … Click to Continue »
Read More »Bettencourt sentenced to 8 years, 4 months for child sex crimes
“I was 16 the first time Gary Bettencourt molested me,” a victim of the former Los Banos High Schoolteacher said during an impact statement delivered at a sentencing hearing Friday. … Click to Continue »
Read More »Merced man gets 26 years to life in prison for slaying of young mother
A 31-year-old Merced man was sentenced to prison Thursday for stabbing a young mother to death last year in what authorities have described as a “completely senseless” slaying. Oscar Saenz … Click to Continue »
Read More »County budget closer to peak years before recession
The Merced County Board of Supervisors passed a balanced budget of $ 591.4 million on Tuesday that includes long-term safety nets and focuses on public safety and mental health. The budget … Click to Continue »
Read More »Merced man sentenced to 51 years to life in sexual assaults on 7 women
A 27-year-old Merced man was sentenced Tuesday to 51 years to life in prison for sexually attacking more than half a dozen women during a three-year period. After more than … Click to Continue »
Read More »Kelsey’s proposal for sheriff’s substation two years too late
With Merced County budget hearings coming up at the end of the month, District 4 Supervisor Deidre Kelsey proposed on Tuesday that the sheriff’s substation in Delhi be opened full … Click to Continue »
Read More »Yosemite announces biggest expansion in 70 years, adding new meadows and forestland
In its biggest expansion in decades, Yosemite National Park on Wednesday broadened its western boundary by adding 400 acres of lush meadowlands edged with cedars and ponderosa pines that provide habitat for some of California’s most threatened wildlife. … Click to Continue »
Read More »Merced fire chief retires after 25 years
Merced Fire Department’s chief abruptly retired Thursday, according to officials. Merced Fire Chief Shawn Henry has 25 years of firefighting experience with the city of Merced, according to a news … Click to Continue »
Read More »Golden Valley founder honored for 45 years of service
After being part of Golden Valley Health Centers for 45 years, Alicia L. Dicochea attended her final board meeting last week, reflecting on the years of service she has provided … Click to Continue »
Read More »Dos Palos gang member sentenced to nine years in homicide case
Defendant Sysco L. Lopez may have been defending himself Luis David Leon, 17, was shot and killed Feb. 15, 2015, in Dos Palos Witnesses refused to cooperate with investigators, authorities say … Click to Continue »
Read More »Spending on jails outpaced spending on schools by three times over the last 30 years
Spending on jails and prisons increased by 324 percent Texas hiked incarceration spending by 850 percent More than two thirds of state prison inmates are high school dropouts … Click to Continue »
Read More »Diggin’ In: A couple’s passion for gardening spans more than 40 years
Gardening is an addiction – the more you fail and succeed, the more passionate you become about plants and the wildlife that comes with them. … Click to Continue »
Read More »Man reunites with siblings 34 years after adoption
Jorick Soriano was adopted through family friends days after his birth Mirasol Espinesen found her baby brother after more than 20 years of searching Middle sibling Kirk Patience hosted reunion in Fresno … Click to Continue »
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