High local turnout for midterms
With about 68 percent turnout locally, California’s test run of a new election model in Madera County appears to have been a success, according to the Madera County Elections Department. This month’s voter turnout of 67.86 percent (38,933 votes as of Monday’s count) was higher than any midterm in the last 20 years, which is […]
Ballot error produces 183 invalid votes
The voter called election officials the Friday after election day, and the department notified the county’s contracted ballot printer immediately and investigated. They found about 400 voters in the Madera area had been sent ballots that included the extra race. “We were able to isolate most of the returned vote-by-mail ballots and correct the error. […]
High speed rail slammed in audit
The California High-Speed rail project, tracks for which are under construction in Madera County, has come in for blistering criticism from the California State Auditor’s Office. The California High-Speed Rail Authority made costly mistakes early that have increased by billions of dollars the cost of the nation’s first rail system, meant to carry travelers in […]
Toys for Tots to host marathon drive
Madera County Toys for Tots will host a Marathon Toy Drive and take sign ups and donations on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The toy giveaway will be on Saturday, Dec. 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Madera County Toys For Tots is an affiliate of the Marine Corps Reserves Foundation. […]
Madera Hall of Fame inducts seventh class
The Madera Foundation of Athletic Needs (F.A.N.) inducted its seventh class into the Madera Athletic Hall of Fame at the Peters Brother’s Banquet Hall. This year’s class featured 17 Valley Champions, including 13 members of the 1969 Madera Coyotes wrestling team and eight individual Valley Champions if you include Heidi Seibert’s four all-around championships in […]
Taking a look at turkey preparation — or, let’s get ready to gobble
First, Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and may your holiday be a good one. We may be getting a nice feast out of it, we may be helping our fellow Maderans by helping provide nice feasts to those who might not have the where-with-all to provide their own. Here are some suggestions to follow when […]
Gov. Jerry Brown’s mixed legacy
About a month from today, a new governor will sit in the state Capitol’s “horseshoe” suite and face some problems that not even the hyper-active and often contemptuous soon-to-be-ex-Gov. Jerry Brown could not solve. Those problems will obscure neither Brown’s achievements nor his failures. When Brown took office in early 2011 for the first term […]
Fresno Flats lost out to Oakhurst
John Robert Nichols has been given credit for being the first Anglo settler in the Fresno Flats area, arriving there in 1858. Located near the head of the Fresno River, White Ash trees abounded. Since most mountain meadows were known as flats, the spot became known as Fresno Flats, drawing upon the Spanish word for […]
Beverages to cheer up holiday parties
We tend to focus a lot on foods to serve during the holiday season, but what goes along with every meal? Beverages do, even in restaurants. I seem to be hooked on flavored sparkling water, but I do not like the ones that are sweetened. One thing I insist on is lots of ice. Sparkling […]
Rude on the road
When I was a child, after a visit with my grandmother, she would always tell us, “Drive safely and watch out for the other guy.” In her mind, it was always the other guy who caused the accidents. Spoken like a true, supportive grandmother. We do have to look out for other drivers, not because […]