Top Merced County stories this week. New dance class, election update and more

Merced County saw major developments this week across education, public safety and community life. From a $3 million Gates Foundation grant to a fugitive arrest, here’s a roundup of the news shaping the region.

Here are key takeaways:

• Steps Dance Studio in Atwater is launching its first “Inclusive Movement Summer Series” for neurodivergent kids ages 4 to 18, with four classes in July costing $65 total.
• Ana Boyenga clinched the second spot in the November runoff for Merced County superintendent of schools with 11,996 votes, and will face Richard Lopez, who led with 12,680 votes.
• Merced is hosting a full lineup of Pride Month events throughout June, including a free Zine Fest at Merced Main Library on June 13 and a Central Valley Pride double event at the Merced Theatre on June 28.
• A fugitive suspected of killing his 2-year-old son was apprehended in Merced County after deputies tracked him using Flock cameras, ending a manhunt that began in San Juan Bautista.
• UC Merced received a $3 million grant from the Gates Foundation to expand educational pathways and dual enrollment for high school students across the Central Valley.
• Local law enforcement is reminding families that riders under 18 must wear helmets on e-bikes and e-scooters, as Valley Children’s Hospital treated 41 injury cases in 2025 and 22 more in the first four months of 2026.
• King’s Asian Cuisine Sushi & Cocktail Lounge received an “unsatisfactory” health inspection rating with 20 violation points during a June 4 inspection by the county Division of Environmental Health.
• A California Highway Patrol graveyard shift in Merced led to the arrest of an impaired driver and the recovery of a stolen vehicle and handgun near Highway 140 and on Winton Way.