Local News

Madera Community College Opens Student Food Pantry to Alleviate Food Insecurities

MADERA – Food insecurities are a major concern at our college campuses throughout California, with about one-third of all college students having experienced some sort of issue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture describes food insecurity as not having enough food to lead an active, healthy life. Without proper nutrition, students miss more classes and have lower grades, higher drop-out rates and more reports of physical and mental ailments, compared to their food-secure peers.

On Wednesday, the Madera Community College Center took its first steps aimed at alleviating student hunger issues on campus by opening the school's new food pantry. Here, students can drop in and either take home a bag of food for their families or just grab a snack between classes free of charge.

Madera County Supervisor Candidate Flees Scene of DUI Crash in Madere Ranchos

MADERA RANCHOS – Candidate for Madera County Supervisor District 4 Eddie Block (43) is facing a long list of vehicle crimes following his disastrous trek through the Madera Ranchos area of Avenue 12 in Madera County that left a city block of destruction and a couple of homeowners shaken up.

Homeowner Maria Macias was awakened to the loud sound of a violent collision that sent concrete flying onto Madera County’s Avenue 12 early Wednesday morning. When she got out to her front yard a Dodge pickup was up near her neighbor’s home and her concrete mailbox and concrete pillars next to her driveway were destroyed.

Fresno Man Found Guilty of Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in First Reported Fentanyl Overdose Deaths in Fresno and Madera Counties

FRESNO - On Friday, a federal jury found Darnell Pearson, 41, of Fresno, guilty of two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

“This defendant sold what his customers thought was cocaine that was, in fact, fentanyl and caused the deaths of two people and serious injury to two others,” U.S. Attorney Scott stated. “These two deaths were the first reported fentanyl overdose deaths in Fresno and in Madera. As they demonstrate, fentanyl is extremely dangerous and is a serious public health threat in our area and the nation as a whole. Even trace amounts of this drug can be lethal, and it poses serious risks to those who come into contact with it, including first responders. We will continue to work with our state and federal partners to target those who distribute this poison in our communities.”

Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin

FRESNO - Hacel Alfredo Alvarez, 35, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Alvarez admitted that he was storing for the purpose of distribution 21 pounds of methamphetamine and over 1 pound of heroin that officers found at his residence in Bakersfield during the execution of a search warrant. The officers also found $8,980 in cash under the mattress in his bedroom.

Two Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in Tulare County: 160 Pounds of Methamphetamine, 300 Fentanyl Pills Seized

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Saul Giovanni Solis Ontiveros, 24, of Pixley, and Eduardo Garcia, 20, of McFarland, charging them with conspiring to distribute over 160 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately 300 fentanyl pills, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, the defendants were stopped in a routine traffic stop in Pixley. Through the rear windows of the car, officers saw two buckets with a white crystalline substance on the rim of the lids. Eventually, further searches of the car and two residences located over 160 pounds of methamphetamine, over 200 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, and approximately 300 pills containing fentanyl. Inside both residences, law enforcement officers found active methamphetamine conversion laboratories.