MERCED The Merced County Board of Supervisors will meet today to consider giving final approval to an ordinance allowing fireworks in unincorporated parts of the county.
MERCED The mother of Maria Teresa Ceja Robles, a woman accused of murder and kidnapping, took the stand Thursday at her daughter's homicide trial. Ceja Robles and defendant Jose Augustine Velarde are accused of killing Ana Lila Diaz DeCeja, on Dec. 2, 2010, and kidnapping her 2-month-old son, Anthony Ceja.
MERCED The push to fund services for at-risk youth took center stage at the Merced City Council's final budget planning session this week, with advocates pleading for more resources. Nearly a dozen speakers appealed to the council, calling for the city to allocate 3 percent of general fund spending, or about $283,000, to youth services.
MERCED Beverly Smith always accompanied her 15-year-old daughter, Vanessa, on short walks through their Winton neighborhood each day. The only evening Beverly didn't join her, May 31, 1997, her worst nightmare came true. Vanessa vanished while walking on Mercedes Avenue and hasn't been seen since.
PLANADA A juvenile was arrested Tuesday after leading a sheriff's deputy on a high-speed chase for about 10 minutes before crashing, said Deputy Delray Shelton, Merced County sheriff's spokesman.
MERCED A jail escapee was arrested Tuesday after authorities found him hiding inside a Merced motel room, said Deputy Delray Shelton, Merced County sheriff's spokesman. James Michael Kyreacos, 36, was discovered missing from the John Latorraca Correctional Center on Sandy Mush Road during a routine check about 11:45 p.m. Monday.
MERCED COUNTY It can be a homeowner's worst nightmare: Hiring someone to paint or remodel your home, only to find out he or she is unlicensed. Or worse — the fake contractor takes the money and disappears.
A one-day sting operation in Merced County uncovered a dozen people working as contractors without a license.
MEMORIAL Memorial Day is often associated with barbecues, camping and other outdoor activities, but the holiday is about much more than that.
Atwater Castle Air Museum will open the doors of its historic aircraft on Sunday for an intimate viewing event that happens only twice a year.
Merced County elected officials on Thursday got a more detailed explanation of an outside consultant's recommendations to reduce the amount of equipment at the county's landfills.
MERCED COUNTY Merced County will save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year after refinancing a county-operated juvenile hall, officials said.
MERCED More than a dozen jobs might be eliminated at Merced County's two landfills because of a decrease in waste tonnage, but some elected officials said they weren't made aware of the severity of the problem. "I'm not saying that there weren't any issues, but at the MCAG meetings they kept saying that tonnage was steady or at an increase," said Supervisor John Pedrozo.
Yoda the dog has a loyal legion of tiny fans. Every week, they pour into the Merced County Library to read to the furry Chihuahua as part of the "Read to a Tail-Wagging Tutor" program.
ATWATER A wanted parolee was taken into custody during the weekend, but not before a handful of family members tried to stop his arrest, police reported Sunday.
MERCED A statewide program aimed at spurring job growth in Merced County may soon be on the chopping block. The Enterprise Zone Program, which offers tax incentives to businesses that hire disadvantaged employees within a designated area, might be reformed under a state Senate bill that's on the table.
SACRAMENTO A plan to reshape the face of the UC Merced campus by developing more buildings on less acreage through partnerships with private firms won approval Tuesday of the Board of Regents.
MERCED A Merced man was shot multiple times Tuesday evening while sitting on a bench near the Willowbrook Apartments, police reported. About 9:30 p.m., police received several calls from neighboring homes in the 1600 block of Willowbrook Drive.
MERCED Bright red poppies were popping up everywhere in Merced this week. It was all part of the American Legion Auxiliary's annual fund-raiser to benefit disabled veterans throughout California.
A Merced motorcyclist is in critical condition after a head-on collision with a car during the weekend, the California Highway Patrol reported Tuesday.
One of five men accused in the robbery of the California State Mining and Mineral Museum entered a not guilty plea Tuesday, according to his attorney.
