Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune File Photo Volunteers for the Madera Artist Friends group make paper out of recycled material with attendees during last year’s Arts Fest hosted by Madera County Schools Foundation and Madera County Superintendent of Schools and sponsored by EECU. Families are invited to attend the 13th annual Madera County ArtsFest on May 2 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This free community event celebrates art and creativity in Madera County with a fun, carnival-lik

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding suspected possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material occurring in Madera County. Detectives identified 77-year-old Madera Resident William Mark Gann, as a suspect in this case. On Wednesday, detectives with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with detectives from the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force

For The Madera Tribune Madera County Sheriff’s Office deputies found a car that was stuck in standing water after Tuesday’s storm, and found 50 2.5 gallon containers of ag chemicals in the car, worth approximately $10,000. The suspect, who later returned to the scene, was arrested. During storms, people are told to not drive through standing water, but for once the Madera County Sheiff’s Office is grateful someone didn’t listen. On Tuesday, after the storm passed through, MC

Earlier this month, a concerned motorist reported a big rig driving recklessly on northbound SR-99 near 4th Street in Madera. At one point, the big rig collided with an overpass and continued driving. CHP Madera officers quickly located the vehicle and made an enforcement stop. During the investigation, the driver was suspected to be under the influence of drugs and was placed under arrest.

The Madera Irrigation District’s (MID or District) water season will begin May 4, depending on location. At a meeting on April 21, the rate was set to $110 per acre foot for Original District landowners, and $220 per acre foot for Subordinate landowners. These rates may be reviewed and adjusted as conditions change throughout the year. With a current allocation of 100 percent Class 1 water, MID expects a full water season, hopefully continuing into the beginning of August.

CHOWCHILLA — The Chowchilla Madera County Fair and Spring Festival are proud to announce an exciting new partnership as the community prepares to celebrate an incredible milestone: 80 years of Family, Fun, and Farming. This year’s celebration promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a special focus on expanding participation in the beloved deep pit barbecue. Organizers are setting ambitious goals to make 2026 a record-breaking year for BBQ ticket sales, inviting the c

For The Madera Tribune From left are Rotary president Gordon Kennedy, Cindy Hernandez Jeronimo of Desmond Middle School, and Rotarian Joe Vived. Three middle school students were honored for the month of March by Madera Sunrise Rotary. These students were recognized for following the Rotarian motto of “Service Above Self,” and the emphasis was on Citizenship. Each month teachers select a Student of the Month at all Madera Unified middle schools. The counselors and administrat

Courtesy of Brian Montano Madera FFA members show off their awards from the State FFA Conference. Back row, from left, are Mathew Machado, Fernando Bobadilla, Christopher Tornero, Mason Medley, and Adrian Sánchez Venegas. Front row, from left are Karina Venegas and Saray Madriz Alcaraz. Six students were named State Proficiency Winners for their agricultural projects, while Fernando Bobadilla earned Regional Star honors in Agribusiness. The California FFA State Association he