Stories from here.

Editorial stories

• A Fresh Start for Merced County Events

  We revamped Merced County Events to make it easier to discover local events, explore places to eat, and connect with the people and businesses that make our county special. Here’s what we’re building and how you can be part of it.

• The Family Press Co.: custom apparel with Merced roots. — Merced

  Meet a family-run Merced business making custom apparel and branded gear for teams, schools, businesses, and community gatherings.

• Write for Merced County Events

  Local neighbors, writers, and people with firsthand knowledge of their communities can pitch stories that help Merced County readers understand the people and places around them.

• Merced Mentions from Torme’ to Seuss-References in music and bedtime stories

  Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book is filled with the expected rhymes and alliteration the author is famous for including in his work. This column is about references to Merced in popular culture including a Dr. Seuss book.…

• A New Day and a New Way for Main Street-Parade Marks the End of Long Realignment Project

  City Council Member Darin Dupont rides on top of the City Fire Department’s ladder truck at the Main Street Reopening Cruise.…

• Chowchilla Memorial

  Plaque Honors Bus Driver in 1976 Kidnapping This four-foot-high monument honors Ed Ray, the driver of the school bus that was hijacked with twenty-six children in Chowchilla, Madera County on July 15, 1976.…

• Cars and People of Every Kind-

  Classic Autos and the Folks Who Love Them All kinds of classic automobiles are on display at the monthly Cars nd Coffee show in the Merced Mall parking lot.…

• “Timber!” for the Palm and Pine-

  Iconic Trees Going Down Highway 99 near the Avenue 12 exit south of Madera and the iconic palm and pine trees. Those trees will be removed later this year as part of a major overhaul of that section of the road.…

• Farewell to Fort Sun Star-

  Ex-Staffers Remember the Former Home of the Merced Sun Star As of mid-May, only the sign in front of the former Sun Star building remained, as the building had been demolished and the debris had been moved to a landfill…

• A Hero for the Ages-

  Former Air Base Namesake Frederick Castle’s Story of Bravery Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle, namesake for the former Castle Air Force Base.…

• Buck, Merle and the Valley Music Pioneers -

  Inside the Bakersfield Sound Exhibit at the Kern County Museum This wall display welcomes visitors to the Kern County Museum’s Bakersfield Sound exhibit.…

• Recognition Overdue-

  Medal of Honor Museum Salutes Recipients, Including Merced County Soldier The recently opened Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas. (R) Sergeant Jon Cavaiani.…

• Building Up Merced-

  Several Construction Projects Underway Throughout the City UC Merced Medical Education Building under construction. Photo: Steve Newvine. Drive around in Merced and you may notice a building renaissance.…

• Celebrating Merle’s Music-

  Kern Museum Preserves Haggard’s Memory and his Boxcar Home The Merle Haggard Boxcar house on the grounds of the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield.…

• Old and New at the World Ag Expo-

  Tulare Event Now in 57th Year This steer from the Beefmasters breed was among the animals featured at the Cattle Auction held in conjunction with the 2025 World Ag Expo in Tulare.…

• A Timely Reminder: Click It-

  Local Agencies Show Unity in Telling the Public that Seat Belts Save Lives Merced Police Chief Steve Stanfield, CHP captain Tony Domiguez , and County Sheriff Verne Warnke stand behind a gurney with their reminder of…

• Help On The Way-

  Local Agencies Pitching in to Help in Los Angeles Fires Aftermath Within days of the news about the intensity of the Los Angeles wildfires, departments from all over the state have been sending crews to help.…

• Hall of Fame Barber-

  Cel Palayo Wraps up 53 Years as the Merced Mall Barber If there was a barber hall of fame, these three belong there: (L-R) Floyd from the Andy Griffith Show, Eddie from the Barbershop movies, and Cel Pelayo.…

• 2024- A Year Like No Other-

  Looking back on the special columns from the past year (left) The turkey farmer who helped Ronald Reagan get over his fear of flying and (right) one of several mules cared for by 3Mules.com. Photo montage: George H.W.…

• Jumpstarting the Holiday Season-

  Merced Area Activities Abound The Merced Baroque Sinfonia performs at the Christmas Open House at the Merced Courthouse Museum.…

• A New Book:  Jack & Johnny-

  A preview of the book detailing the friendship between Jack Benny and Johnny Carson Jack & Johnny- Benny, Carson and a Friendship Made for Television.…

• A Soldier’s Service-

  Photograph Helps Tell a Story of World War II Private First Class Charlie Dean in a photo believed to be from a liberated Italy at the end of World War II.…

• Benny and the (Army Air Force) Jets-

  Former Central Valley Airfield Connects to Hollywood Comedian Jack Benny, shown here at a different show for a military audience, performed his weekly radio broadcast from Gardner Field near Taft, California in Kern…

• First on the FM Dial-

  Christian Radio Station KAMB on FM in Merced Since 1967 The main studio for KAMB Celebration Radio, 101.5 FM in Merced.…