In Case You Missed It. This week in Merced in Review
It was a long, busy news week nationally fueled by a U.S. missile strike in Syria, the naming of a new Supreme Court justice and an ongoing probe involving allegations of ties between the Trump campaign and Russia and the questionable use of possibly classified information by a San Joaquin Valley congressman.
Merced County made plenty of headlines too, from the high-profile visit to Merced by UC President Janet Napolitano and a house fire that displaced a family of six in Merced to a solemn ceremony honoring victims of local violence and an ongoing trial of a man charged with murder in the death of his infant son.
Here are five Merced County stories you may have missed in the wake of a heavy, hectic week in news.
Let’s start with one that should make you smile.
Bagging Groceries for a Good Cause
Officers and firefighters from around Merced County teamed with Special Olympic athletes and Save Mart on Tuesday to raise money for the Law Enforcement Torch Run and the Special Olympics.
The “Bagging for Bucks” event featured athletes and emergency responders bagging groceries and helping shoppers to their cars for “tips,” which were donated to the cause. See the video report here.
That wasn’t the only bit of good news you may not have heard enough about.
Merced County to receive relief funding approved by Trump
President Donald Trump this week approved more than half a billion in federal funding to help several regions in California repair recent flood damage and Merced County made the list.
The money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help fund repairs from storms in February that hit Merced County pretty hard.
Local emergency-response officials said the money will be used to help fix roads and levees and assist with debris removal in Merced County.
It wasn’t all good news, though.
Payless closes hundreds of stores, including one in Merced County
Payless Shoesource filed for bankruptcy and announced plans this week to close more than 400 stores, including its location in Los Banos.
Local stores included on a closure list include the location at the Los Banos Creek Shopping Center, the Ceres Plaza Shopping Center and three locations in Fresno: Manchester Center; Fulton Mall; and the store at 3235 N. First St., near Shields Avenue.
The list did not include either of the two locations in Merced or the store in the Applegate Ranch Shopping Center in Atwater.
Bridge work riles many Merced residents
In Merced, many residents were frustrated with bridge work over Bear Creek, saying the work would hammer their neighborhoods with backed up traffic.
The city is using $3.7 million in state grant funding for work to be done on the M Street and G Street bridges, which pass over Bear Creek.
Though neither road will be closed completely during peak commuting hours, drivers should look for alternate routes, city officials said.
The work is expected to continue through October, city officials said.
This story was originally published April 9, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "In Case You Missed It. This week in Merced in Review."