Nancy Simpson/The Madera Tribune More than 360 people attend the Madera Prayer Breakfast at Hatfield Hall on Thursday. National Day of Prayer is observed each year on the first Thursday of May. The Madera Ministerial Association, in conjunction with Madera Chamber of Commerce, held its annual Prayer Breakfast at Hatfield Hall at the Madera Fairgrounds. There were about 360 people in attendance. Lois Leonard, Chair of the Madera Ministerial Association, welcomed all in atten

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Representatives from both Doors of Hope and the Madera Rescue Mission gather with Madera Mayor Cece Gallegos for a photo during a Doors of Hope’s 23rd Anniversary Celebration on May 2. Doors of Hope Parenting & Pregnancy Resource Center held an anniversary event outside their facility on May 2 to celebrate 23 years of service to the community of Madera and surrounding areas. Founded in May 2005 by Linda Garner, the non-profit, life affirmin

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Although he didn’t get the win, Matilda Torres Kevin Osuna kept his team in the game. He went 5 1/3 innings with four hits and allowed three runs, two earned, with three strikeouts and two walks. The Matilda Torres Toros baseball team honored its seniors before a game with the Madera South Stallions and its seniors came through to walk it off. The Toros entered the bottom of the seventh inning trailing by a run. They quickly tied the score

California’s energy reality: fewer refineries, more imported oil, and some of the highest fuel taxes in America are driving the cost at the pump. Every time tensions rise in the Middle East, many Californians assume that global conflict is the main reason gasoline prices spike at home. While world events can influence oil markets, the reality is that California’s gasoline prices are driven far more by the state’s own energy structure and policies than by events overseas. Cali

When I was growing up, there were many automobile manufacturers in the United States, some of their names will not be familiar to most people who are reading this column. But even those of us who were not raised in a car culture knew that the “Big Three” were General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Over the years, smaller companies like Nash, Packard, Studebaker, Kaiser-Frazer, and American Motors folded their tents and disappeared. It was probably around 1955 when I first saw a

For The Madera Tribune Madera South High School FCCLA. Madera Unified School District Family Career and Community Leaders of America clubs from Madera, Madera South and Matilda Torres high schools excelled at the State Conference last month. Madera High School Madera High FCCLA had an outstanding showing at the State Conference, continuing a strong tradition of excellence and leadership. A major highlight was junior Samantha Riché being elected as a National Officer Candidat

For The Madera Tribune Carles and Georgia Beckett on their wedding day. It was four in the morning, July 17, 1954, when the woman crumpled to the floor. Her sobbing woke her four children; in an instant they joined her, brokenhearted and weeping uncontrollably. The policeman standing over them watched helplessly. He had just told the Beckett family that their father and husband would not be coming home. He had been killed earlier that day in an automobile crash. The grieving,

For The Madera Tribune Vern Edwin Cochran. Vern Edwin Cochran, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on April 22, 2026, in Fresno, California, surrounded by his family. Born on Oct. 17, 1954, in Madera, California, Vern was a lifelong resident of Madera County. He was known for his love of fishing, gold panning, cultivating cannabis, and for being a masterful storyteller whose presence brought warmth and laughter to those around him. He is