MadTown Robotics honored at State Senate
SACRAMENTO — MadTown Robotics Team 1323 from Madera Unified School District was celebrated at the California State Senate. Senator Anna Caballero recognized the three-time World Champions, including their current world championship win, for their innovation, leadership, and dedication, highlighting the accomplishments of students from rural communities. In 2025, the team went undefeated at the Silicon […]
King Husein School set to open in 2026
The countdown is on for Madera Unified’s newest TK through 8th-grade campus, King Husein School, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in August 2026. The school will be located on the south side of Cleveland Avenue, west of Westberry Boulevard, and will serve up to 1,000 students. The project was made possible […]
Ginger Latimer receives Crystal Tower Award
Ginger Latimer received the Crystal Tower Award last week at the annual Business and Education Shareholders’ Luncheon, hosted by the Madera County Compact. Each year the Crystal Tower Award is given to a business or individual that has displayed exemplary partnerships with schools in Madera County. Latimer was recognized for her partnerships with Madera Unified […]
Remembering Hurricane Katrina
Twenty years ago, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, I went home to visit my family. At this time, I had already been a Maderan for 10 years, but my immediate family still lived in my hometown of Ponchatoula, Louisiana. After my trip, I wrote a series of stories for The Madera Tribune on what I saw, […]
Book Talk: Scottoline, ‘Running from the Law’
Aside from being a great read, Lisa Scottoline’s “Running from the Law” (2022, 448 pages in hardback format) is an excellent guide on how to play the card game, Poker. Rita Morrone, the protagonist, is a defense lawyer, and a poker player who usually beats her father and his cronies. She’s been learning the about […]
Don’t clam up
The day before writing this was my mom’s 96th birthday. She wanted to go out for some clams and linguine, her favorite dish to order in a restaurant. So, that’s what we did. Her birthday celebration caught like wildfire in the dining area, with strangers wishing her a happy birthday and people generally being amazed […]
Madera’s pioneer merchant died in 1950
W.C. Tighe, Madera’s oldest merchant died on April 11, 1950, after a lingering illness. He was 82 years old. Tighe was known to at least two generations of Maderans as the proprietor of Tighe’s Department Store on Yosemite Avenue between C and D Streets. The news passed quickly from one Maderan to another on that […]
Obituary: Patricia “Patty” Annette Mandrell
Patricia “Patty” Annette Mandrell, 78, unexpectedly went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in Merced, CA, while surrounded by her family. Patty was born on Jan. 26, 1947, in Madera, CA, to William and Ruby Walker. Her family soon included a little sister: Beverly. She grew up in […]