Big Valley News
Central Valley's Independent News Source
MADERA - Former Madera Unified School District board of trustees president Dino Petrucci died January 4th, 2016 in Madera at the age of 85. Petrucci dedicated a life time to the support of agriculture.
Dino was born on a farm in Madera where his family still lives on the property his parents cultivated while he was growing up. He attended Howard Elementary School, graduated from Madera High School in 1947, and earned a college degree in Crop Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
MADERA - A sixty-five year old Madera man fell to his death Saturday afternoon in a horrible skydiving accident in front of thousands of spectators at the Madera Pomegranate Festival. According to witnesses at the scene, the victim was David Gilbert, the owner of the Madera Parachute Center.
He was jumping with his daughter, Sarah Gilbert, a member of the Bulldog Blitz, which has been featured during this Fresno State Football season at Bulldog Stadium. No other jumpers were injured during today's demonstration. However neither the Madera Police Department nor the Madera County Coroners Officer has confirmed the victim's identity as of the posting of this story. Mr. Gilbert was identified as the victim by the Madera County Coroner early Monday morning.
MADERA - Nite Lite is back! A safe and fun alternative to walking the streets “Trick or Treating”! Fifteen churches in the Madera Ministerial Association, four agencies in Madera and the Madera Police Department have partnered in conjunction with the “Love Madera” to bring Nite Lite back to the Madera Fairgrounds. 
MADERA - A Saturday afternoon trip to the grocery store turned out to be anything but fun for a Madera woman and her child. As the woman was checking out at the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market near the Madera Fairgrounds, a black male adult grabbed her purse, which include her wallet and cell phone, and ran out the door followed by two other individuals.
As the woman yelled to the band of criminals, "I only want my cell phone. You can have everything else", several customers started chasing down the crooks who ran to a waiting car in the Super 8 Motel parking lot. The three individuals jumped in a late 1990's beige or gold Nissan Pathfinder. According to the police the vehicle traveled west on Cleveland Avenue and turned north onto Schnoor Avenue.
VETERAN'S MEMORIAL PARKING LOT CLOSED TO COURT VISITORS
MADERA - A parking lot behind the Madera County Courthouse Museum dedicated to the fallen United States Military Veterans will no longer be available to the public visiting the new Madera County Superior Courthouse. Wednesday morning security officers from the County of Madera kept three disabled veterans from using the handicap parking while they had business at the new courthouse across the street.
The veterans, one who needed a walker to get around, were threatened with having their vehicles towed if they parked in the once public parking lot. New signs went up last week banning the public from parking in the only parking lot for the Madera County Courthouse Park if they are visiting the new superior court. Thursday afternoon after BVN asked the county administration about the incidents, later that day the Veteran's Memorial Parking lot sign was removed from the parking lot.
