For The Madera Tribune Sue First and Bert Roper on their Valentine’s Day wedding in 2009. Bert Roper and Sue First were married on Valentine’s Day in 2009. For the past 17 years, they have remained blissfully happy, and they continue to enjoy the blessings of life. Bert is a United Methodist pastor, who was appointed to the Madera church in 2016, and retired in Madera. He is temporarily serving as an interim pastor in the Mariposa church. Sue is a school teacher, also retired

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune James Taubert Park, a new neighborhood recreation site, at the corner of Olive Avenue and Knox Street, is currently under construction. Construction is officially underway on James Taubert Park, a new neighborhood recreation site at the corner of Olive Avenue and Knox Street. The project will bring an approximately $2.3 million investment to the surrounding neighborhood, according to City officials. The park is being developed on land that b

For The Madera Tribune The Glacier High School Charter Academic Decathlon team, with their coach Katie Kelly, celebrates its fifth straight Madera County Academic Decathlon title last week. Glacier High School Charter prevailed, again to win the 44th Madera County Academic Decathlon championship for the fifth straight year. Glacier High will advance to the state competition on March 19-22. They earned a score of 34,466.4, and will advance to the California Academic Decathlon

Madera Police officers responded to Granada Drive and Cleveland Avenue regarding a vehicle versus pedestrian collision in the afternoon on February 7. The investigation determined that the vehicle made a southbound turn from Cleveland, and struck three pedestrians as they were walking in the crosswalk. The pedestrians, a 9-year-old female, a 10-year-old female and 72-year-old female, were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment.

Nancy Simpson/The Madera Tribune File Photo His Little Feet’s Performance will be held at Valley West Christian Center, 101 W. Adell Street, on Wednesday, beginning at 6 p.m. Valley West Christian Center welcomes His Little Feet International Children’s Choir, again. The 21 children that make up this current choir come from Kenya, Uganda and India. This choir is directed by Mike and Christa Hahn, who have visited Valley West Christian Center before, and after an almost decade

With the wrestling teams battling for Divisional titles this weekend, winter sports is entering the Central Section playoff stages. Madera wrestling battles in the Div. II championship at Clovis East while Madera South and Matilda Torres wrestle at Edison for the Div. III title. Liberty wrestles at Reedley for the Div. IV title. Boys Basketball All four Madera-area school secured spots in the Central Section basketball championships, which began Friday.

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune Matilda Torres’ J’Lynn Mitchell drives to the lane in Wednesday’s loss to Hoover. FRESNO — The Matilda Torres Toros girls basketball team closed out the regular season with a tough 54-50 loss to the Hoover Patriots. The Toros’ regular season standing and playoff seedings was already set for the game, but got a good battle with the playoffs beginning today. The Toros scored the first nine points of the game, but the Patriots scored the next 10 a