Obituary: Maggie Mata
Maggie Mata, 87, of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away peacefully on Nov. 19, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born on July, 30, 1938, in Madera, California, to Thomas and Grace Medellin. Maggie met and married Gilbert Mata on June 19, 1952. They had three children: Gilbert […]
Baseball star readies for first season
Madera South standout and Fresno State Bulldog Murf Gray heard his name announced in the third round of last July’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since then, it has been a whirlwind tour for Gray. He will next prepare for Spring Training in February for his first full professional baseball […]
Turnovers hurt Coyotes in loss
SANGER — The Madera Coyotes girls basketball team committed 25 turnovers in the first half that led to a 27-6 Sanger Apache halftime lead in a non-conference loss. The Coyotes did better in the second half, but still turned the ball over 40 times in a 63-35 loss Thursday evening. After scoring six points in […]
Book Talk: Thomas Perry, ‘A Small Town’
Imagine living in a small, quiet community that is just a few miles from a minimum-security prison. Well actually it used to be minimum security, but an escalating crime rate, overly-full prisons for serious offenders, and some administrative slight of hand has changed the prison population considerably. The facility now houses some of the most […]
Some holiday main dishes
A lot of people stick with family traditions for holiday meals, but I am noticing a willingness to explore beyond, and perhaps add something new. You never know when something will be a big hit and become a new tradition. I think I am right about in the middle, as I like to do both. […]
Madera enters the 20th century
The mood of the crowd was festive. Hundreds had gathered along West Yosemite Avenue to witness the historic occasion and to enjoy a community barbecue. Women in Victorian era dresses and men in suits clustered around the crane, which was setting the cornerstone. The date was Oct. 29, 1900, and in what seemed the quintessential […]