Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune File Photo Members of MadTown Robotics enter Fresno Yosemite International Airport while receiving a hero’s welcome after winning the program’s third World Championship in April. Three-time World Champions, MadTown Robotics and Madera Unified School District will host the 16th annual FIRST® Robotics Competition, “Madtown Throwdown” on Saturday and Sunday at Matilda Torres High School. The free community event will welcome 30 robotics teams fro

For The Madera Tribune The Madera County government building in Oakhurst is illuminated in green to honor veterans during Operation Green Light this week. Madera County is turning green this week in honor of all veterans. Since its inception, the Board of Supervisors has passed an annual resolution to illuminate the Government Centers in Madera, Oakhurst, along with the Department of Social Services green. This marks the fifth year of the national initiative called Operatio

For The Madera Tribune Jay Mahil. MERCED — The UC Merced Foundation has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees — Stephanie Gallo, chief marketing officer at GALLO, and Creekside Company co-owner Jay Mahil. A fourth-generation farmer and the first in his family born in the United States, Mahil grew up in Lodi and is a longtime Fresno resident. After graduating from Lodi High School and Fresno State, he joined his family’s farming business, playi

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Crews from Tosted Asphalt work on improvements to Lions Town and Country Park. Construction has started on a long-planned trail improvement project at Lions Town and Country Park in Madera. The project will reconstruct nearly one mile of existing pathways, replacing weathered decomposed granite surfaces with new asphalt trails featuring defined edging and striping. Once complete, the upgrades will provide safer and more accessible routes fo

California Highway Patrol Madera officers responded to a solo vehicle crash on Avenue 14, west of Road 9 on Saturday at about 6 a.m. A preliminary investigation indicates a 79-year-old man from Fresno, was driving a silver 2011 Toyota Camry, westbound on Avenue 14, west of Road 9, at an undetermined speed. For reasons still under investigation, the driver failed to recognize the end of the roadway, and continued onto a dirt access road leading to a metal gate and concrete ba

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune A flag with the name of former Maderan Oliver Ralph Hill, who served in the army in Vietnam hangs in Courthouse Park during the Veterans Day service. The Madera American Legion Post 11 is trying to find veteran families to give their flag back to them. Although Madera’s American Legion Post 11 closed its doors, they aren’t totally out of commission. While cleaning up the facility, members came across numerous casket flags donated by familie

The government shutdown will start to have a direct impact on Madera County families who receive CalFresh benefits. CalFresh is a federally funded program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The November CalFresh benefits distributed monthly to 16,621 households or 33,832 people in Madera County will be delayed. It’s unclear how soon the benefits will be restored to EBT cards once the government reopens. CalFresh benefits are issued through

For The Madera Tribune Joshua David Kemper. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division has concluded a months-long investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving a 15-year-old female victim and a local pastor, identified as Joshua David Kemper, 47, of Coarsegold. The investigation began on July 28, after a report was filed by church officials in Coarsegold. Detectives learned that Kemper, who served as a pastor at the church, had been engaging in ina