Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Community members join hands to sing “We Shall Overcome” at the conclusion of Sunday’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Local Host Committee put together a program for the annual MLK celebration that was superb, according to many who attended. Alejandro Juarez, Principal of Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School served as emcee for the afternoon. The nearly 250 attendees were welcomed by Donald Holley, presiden

For The Madera Tribune The first Lucca’s restaurant in Madera. An inferno of flames stabbed at the darkness on Monday, Sept. 10, 1973. Lucca’s restaurant was ablaze, and according to retired Fire Chief, Alden Potter, it was the worst fire in town since the Madera Theater burned in 1941.  Losses from the restaurant fire were estimated at $250,000. Bystanders could hardly believe their eyes. There had been a Lucca’s on the corner of Third and Gateway since 1934, when Giorgio an

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune A section of Yosemite Avenue is closed westbound at Tozer Street due to an ongoing construction project along Yosemite Avenue. Construction and upgrades to key elements of Madera’s water system are underway as part of a broad effort to ensure safe, dependable service for residents and businesses now and in the future. The City’s water system relies exclusively on local groundwater. Madera operates 18 municipal wells that each produce between

As I remember times in my past, I often think of things I said that I wish I hadn’t said, and things I did I wish I hadn’t done. I suppose we all have some regrets like that. I remember a time when I was in the sixth grade. Our class had put together a surprise for the teacher, and we were sworn to secrecy. Each of us had vowed not to tell a soul what the surprise was going to be. I honestly do not remember what the surprise was, but I do remember this incident. A group of ki

The State of California probably has more laws than any other state. I don’t know that for a fact, but it stands to reason because, although we don’t have more legislators than any other state, our elected officials at the state level keep their jobs by having their names attached to a senate or assembly bill that is eventually signed into law by the governor. So, each January the state adds more laws to the books. And 2026 is no exception. Members of the Assembly and State S

California Highway Patrol Madera officers responded to a two-vehicle traffic crash, on Road 28 1/2, north of Harper Boulevard on January 9 at about 12:15 a.m. A 21-year-old man from Madera was driving a 2026 Toyota Corolla, southbound on Road 28 1/2. A 41-year-old woman from Fresno was driving a 2011 Nissan Altima, southbound on Road 28 1/2, and made a U-turn from the right shoulder, directly in front of the Toyota’s path. As a result of the Nissan making the U-turn, the fron

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Torres’ Elihanna Gallegos battles for possession during Tuesday’s match.  The Matilda Torres Toros continue their reign through Madera with a convincing 3-0 victory over the Madera South Stallions.  The Toros scored a goal eight minutes into the game and added two more in the second half for the victory.  The Toros, who are based in Div. IV, are looking for a second Central Section title, and came away with a solid victory over the Stallions

For The Madera Tribune Jane Doe. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying an unidentified female victim from an unsolved 1989 homicide. New advances using Familial Genetic Genealogy indicate Jane Doe’s maternal lineage is of Avelar descent, with family roots in Nochistlán and Zacatecas, Mexico.  A new facial reconstruction by forensic artist PJ Puterbaugh is believed to closely resemble her appearance. A notable identifying feature is a m