COARSEGOLD — The California Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, finding that the Governor’s approval for the proposed North Fork casino project in Madera County was invalid from the beginning. In its decision, the court concluded that the Governor’s 2012 concurrence for the project never had legal effect because California voters rejected it through Proposition 48 in 2014. The court rejected arguments that the issue was tech

Julian Ornelas/The Madera Tribune The class at Alpha Elementary poses after receiving hoodies from Cal-Pacific Supply. Cal-Pacific donated more than 600 hoodies to every student and staff member at Alpha. For the fifth year in a row, Cal-Pacific Supply owner Mike Alamari and Pacific Farm Management donated hoodies to every student and staff member at schools in Madera Unified with Alpha Elementary School getting this year’s donation. The donation comes just in time as colder

Madera Police Officers responded to the area of E. Kennedy Street and Tulare Street regarding a traffic collision involving a vehicle striking a pedestrian early Friday morning.  Officers and EMS arrived on scene and performed life-saving measures at the incident at about 6:45 a.m. Unfortunately, the pedestrian, a 60-year-old female, succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The involved driver remained on scene and was cooperative with the investigation.

For The Madera Tribune Former Madera South and Fresno State baseball standout prepares for a workout as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization this summer. Gray is getting himself ready for his first full professional baseball season, which will begin in February. Madera South standout and Fresno State Bulldog Murf Gray heard his name announced in the third round of last July’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Since then, it h

For The Madera Tribune Ryan Videgain. Madera County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Ryan Videgain has graduated as a member of the 296th session of the FBI National Academy.  The graduation took place at the National Academy in Quantico, Virginia on December 11. Nationally, fewer than one percent of law enforcement personnel have the opportunity to attend the prestigious program. Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy offers 10 weeks of advanced c

California Highway Patrol Madera Officer McCaslin made a traffic stop on a commercial vehicle on southbound State Route 99, at Madera Avenue. During the stop, Officer McCaslin noticed two license plates attached to the front of the semi, overlapping each other. The front license plate had a suspicious print on it. A closer look revealed the outer license plate was a printed copy of a real license plate, attached to a metal plate. It did not belong to the vehicle, and was cove

The holiday season can be dangerous for people on the roads. In December 2023 alone, 1,038 people were killed in the U.S. in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The Madera Police Department wants to remind the public of the dangers of driving impaired and to celebrate the holiday season responsibly by not driving under the influence. From December 14 through New Year’s Day, Madera Police Department will have addi

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune H.O.P.E. Ministry volunteers gather for a photo and show their enthusiasm during the annual Christmas Outreach Community event in Courthouse Park on Saturday. H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Eat) Ministries fed about 250 men, women and children this weekend for the holidays. Valley West Christian Church helped support the H.O.P.E. Ministries’ outreach initiative. H.O.P.E. Ministries is led by Mother Endora Avila.  In addition to the 250 meals H