For The Madera Tribune James A. Barsotti. Remembering the life of James A. "Jim" Barsotti, a man whose generosity and commitment to his community left an indelible mark on the city of Madera, California, and all who knew him. Born on Jan. 24, 1938, in the heart of Madera, Jim was a lifelong resident of the city he loved so dearly. It is with a heavy heart that we announce his passing on Jan.1, 2026, in Fresno, California. Jim's journey was one of dedication, service, and joy.

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Sections of an orchard along Road 23 has standing water from recent rains. While most people were inside celebrating Christmas and New Year’s, farmers could be seen rejoicing with the amount of rain that fell over the past two weeks. “It’s always a good time to have it, whether it was the holidays,” said Jay Mahil, President of Creekside Farming and Madera County Farm Bureau board members. “Farmers took time off to spend with their families

Madera has launched a $1.9 million upgrade to one of its most heavily used wastewater facilities, a project city officials say is part of a long-term effort to modernize core infrastructure and maintain dependable service for residents and businesses. The Fairgrounds Lift Station, south of Cleveland Avenue near the Madera Fairgrounds, moves about 30 percent of the city’s sewer flows. Much of the existing equipment dates back several decades, and the planned improvements will

For The Madera Tribune A Honda CRV sits upside down in an orchard after the driver failed to stop at a stop sign on Avenue 13 on New Year’s Eve. The car crashed into a tractor-trailer, and overturned. Two passengers, who were not wearing their seat belts, died after being ejected from the vehicle. California Highway Patrol Madera Officers responded to a two-vehicle traffic crash with multiple ejections, on Avenue 13 at Road 23 on January 31 before 11 a.m. At the intersection,

For The Madera Tribune Timothy Santoro is the new CHP Commander. CHP welcomed Lieutenant Commander Timothy Santoro as the new Commander of the CHP Madera Area, beginning January 1. Lieutenant Commander Santoro brings more than 26 years of dedicated service with the California Highway Patrol. He graduated from the CHP Academy in May 1999, and began his career at the Hayward Area.  In 2000, he transferred to Los Banos, followed by an assignment to the Fresno Area in 2002. From

Madera County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) crews responded to a report of a vehicle stuck in mud above Sugar Pine in the Sierra National Forest on Friday.  A family of four had been driving on a Forest Service Road when they attempted to cross a large, muddy section of the road. Their vehicle could not go through the section of road and the driver called 911 requesting assistance. SAR crews responded and, using specialized equipment, freed the vehicle from the mud

A driver in a black Mercedes sedan fled from a Fresno PD officer as he attempted to pull the vehicle over on Shaw Avenue in Fresno on December 30. The officer discontinued pursuing the vehicle due to the reckless behavior exhibited by the driver and danger to the public. While the driver managed to get away that day, the incident didn’t end there. Through coordination between agencies and a court-authorized vehicle seizure order, CHP Oakhurst was notified to be on the lookout