MERCED This week, Off the 99 is joined by Sheriff Mark Pazin, Merced police Chief Norm Andrade and former gang member Sam Rangel to talk about gangs, their prevalence in the Merced area and how to combat their influence on the community. This is part two of a two-part episode.
MERCED This week, Off the 99 sits down with Sheriff Mark Pazin, Merced police Chief Norm Andrade and former gang member Sam Rangel to discuss gangs and their prevalence in the Merced area. This is part one of a two-part episode on the issue.
This week, Off the 99 wraps up the June 5 primary election -- focusing on the Merced County Board of Supervisors race and the District 21 Assembly race. Victor Patton, city editor of the Merced Sun-Star, also drops in this week to recap some recent local news, including a Livingston teacher who was arrested on suspicion of having sexual relations with a student and a Merced man who was found dead in late May
This week, Off the 99 brings in two candidates vying for the District 1 seat on the Merced County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent John Pedrozo and his opponents, Jim Pacheco and Daniel Varela, share their views on where Merced County is and where it needs to go. Candidate Peggi Gioletti was unable to attend the interview.
This week, Off the 99 brings in two candidates vying for the District 2 seat on the Merced County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Hub Walsh and his opponent, Casey Steed, share their views on where Merced County is and where it needs to go.
This week, "Off the 99" takes a look at the upcoming Merced County Board of Supervisors election, with clips from the recent debate held by the League of Women Voters.
South Merced has been the subject of increased attention from the city of Merced in recent weeks. Merced Mayor Stan Thurston, Councilwoman Mary-Michal Rawling, Merced Organizing Project's Rev. Don Ramsey and Tamara Cobb and Police Chief Norm Andrade visited the Off the 99 studio to talk about issues in South Merced. The officials also discussed the road map for solving problems in South Merced after a special city council meeting last week between the council and South Merced residents.
Tom Price, organizer for this Saturday's MiddleState Independent Comedy Film Festival, joins "Off the 99" hosts Ameera Butt and Mike North to talk about the shows at the newly restored Merced Theatre. Other events on Saturday will include an immigration forum and a clean up day called "Love Merced."
Reporter Mike North also wraps up the top news of the week in Merced
Merced Sun-Star reporters Mike North, Ameera Butt, Yesenia Amaro, Joshua Emerson-Smith, photographer Marci Stenberg and editors Brandon Bowers and Victor Patton talk about recent news events in Merced.
This week Off the 99 turned the tables on former Sun-Star Executive Editor Mike Tharp and interviewed him about his career in journalism.
The interview includes Tharp's experiences covering overseas conflicts, how he got into journalism and some of his most prominent memories after years of working with newspapers.This week, "Off the 99" sits down with Livingston Councilman Gurpal Samra to talk about several recent topics, including a bar that was banned from moving into the downtown area, the city's new police chief and a soon-to-be-constructed affordable housing development.
Merced Sun-Star reporters Ameera Butt, Mike North and Joshua Emerson Smith and editors Victor Patton and Brandon Bowers discuss the week’s news in Merced County.
The viral video "Kony 2012," making the rounds on YouTube and Facebook this month, has generated calls for attention to Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan guerrilla group accused of ordering the abduction of children to become sex slaves and soldiers. In October 2005, Sun-Star photographer Bea Ahbeck photographed some of the rehabilitation centers in Uganda where child soldiers, many sustaining severe wounds, and others displaced by war, sought safe haven.
Part two: Merced city manager John Bramble and economic development director Frank Quintero visit with the Merced Sun-Star editorial board.
Merced city manager John Bramble and economic development director Frank Quintero visit with the Merced Sun-Star editorial board.
Merced's two state parks, McConnell and Hatfield state recreation areas, are in danger of closing because of state budget cuts. "Off the 99" talked with Cindy Lashbrook, who's part of an effort to raise money to keep McConnell and Hatfield open.
‘ Reporters Ameera Butt and Mike North are joined by Gateway Community Church Pastor Al Schaap and Prop. 8 opponent Jamie Shaw for a look at the most recent developments regarding California’s controversial gay marriage law.
Crimes trends are changing in Merced, Livingston and Atwater. Merced Police Chief Norm Andrade visited the Off the 99 studio to talk about how crime in Merced was up by 5 percent in 2011 with an increase in property crimes robberies auto burglaries and incidents of arson.
The Livingston City council is in the process of a possible annexation of 340 acres owned by the Gallo Family. Proponents think the plan could bring much-needed jobs to the area when it develops, but critics think traffic congestion and the cost of providing services could be a detriment to the city.
This week, "Off the 99 reporters" Ameera Butt and Mike North sat down with the rest of the Sun-Star's news staff for a roundtable discussion on the biggest stories on their beats in the new year.
This week Off the 99 reporters Mike North and Ameera Butt spoke to Rachel Bourbois who set up an anti-bullying website along with her husband Junior after their first grader was being bullied in school. The website, www.Im-not-alone.com, puts together people who may have issues with bullying and creates a dialogue and provides resources.
What's the future of CalFire in Atwater? The statewide emergency services organization had its contract with Atwater expire several months ago, but some city officials think re-introducing a city-run fire department would bring savings to the city. This week on "Off the 99," we explore the issue and reporter Mike North obtained audio from Monday's heated city council meeting.
This week, Off the 99 continues its discussion with Matthew Fisher, a foreign correspondent for Postmedia News in Canada. During the interview, Fisher gives insight on overseas conflict, his own experiences covering war zones and how he got involved in foreign correspondence.
This is part two of a two part episode with Fisher.This week, Off the 99 talks with Matthew Fisher, a foreign correspondent for Postmedia News in Canada. During the interview, Fisher gives insight on overseas conflict, his own experiences covering war zones and how he got involved in foreign correspondence.
This is part one of a two part episode with Fisher.This week, Off the 99 went spooky. Reporters Ameera Butt and Mike North visited Frightmare Farms, located on East Gillette Road in Merced County, where more than 2,000 people have been through the haunted attractions. Reporter Yesenia Amaro and photographer Marci Stenberg joined them as they screamed their way through the Barnyard Slaughter and a haunted hayride. Ameera and Mike also read from some scary stories and poems to celebrate Halloween.
Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse II came by the Sun-Star's "Off the 99" studio earlier this month to talk to reporters Ameera Butt and Mike North about the high school dropout rate in the city and county. Merced's dropout rate is 18 percent. To that end, Morse backs Senate Bill 547, introduced by Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg. In an op-ed Morse wrote in the Sun-Star he said bill replaces the standardized, test-driven Academic Performance Index with a new, more comprehensive school and district performance measurement called the Education Quality Index. The EQI would hold schools accountable for graduation and grade promotion, college and career preparedness, in addition to student testing data.
However, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the reform bill.We focus on the mosquito population in Merced County and the prevalence of West Nile Virus in the area. This week, Allan Inman, manager of the Merced County Mosquito Abatement District, joins "Off the 99" to talk about the trends of mosquitoes in Merced County.
Meet Pakistani journalist Javaria Tareen. She's visiting Merced and the Sun-Star this month as part of an exchange program through the International Center for Journalists based in Washington, DC. She and other Pakistani journalists have come to the US for one month to various newsrooms to see how American media works and reports. Javaria is from Quetta, a city in southwestern Balochistan, which is the largest province in Pakistan.
"Off the 99" takes a look at the often contentious issue of California High Speed rail. Reporters Ameera Butt and Mike North brought in advocates for high speed rail and others who thought the rail is a good idea in theory, but implementation of the project was an issue.
City Council candidates Mike Murphy, Alex Gallardo Jr. and Tony Dossetti joined Merced Sun-Star reporters Ameera Butt and Mike North to talk about the upcoming election. Council hopeful Carl Pollard did not respond to requests for an interview.
