News

MADERA - Excitement is building as the Madera District Fair, presented by Valley Children’s Healthcare, proudly unveils the line-up for the 2024 Table Mountain Concert Series, presented by Estrella Jalisco. This year's series promises to be an unforgettable musical experience for attendees of all ages, featuring an eclectic mix of top-tier artists.

The concert series has something for everyone, from Funk to Disco to up-and-coming country hits and Latin rhythms. What makes the concert series even more exceptional is that all entertainment is FREE with the price of paid gate admission.

MADERA - The Business and Education Committee of the Madera Chamber of Commerce are excited to announce that they will host their annual Salute to Education Reception and Awards Ceremony at the Madera District Fair on opening night, September 5, 2024. Admission to the fair on Thursday night is free to all ages, courtesy of Valley Children's Healthcare.

Over thirty-five educators from Madera schools will receive the Distinguished Teacher of the Year award for their outstanding efforts during the 2023-24 school year.

FRESNO -  An investigation into the death of a correctional officer led to the arrests of three defendants today who are charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute controlled substances and introducing narcotic drugs to an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, California, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between July 15, 2024, and Aug. 9, 2024, Jamar Jones, 35, an inmate at USP Atwater; Stephanie Ferreira, 35, of Evansville, Indiana; and Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri, conspired to introduce narcotics into USP Atwater for Jones to sell. As part of that scheme, Jones and Ferreira had Rudd mail a letter laced with narcotics to Jones that was fraudulently labeled as legal mail.

FRESNO -  The operator of a Reedley lab, indicted in November 2023, faces additional charges of conspiracy and wire fraud after a federal grand jury returned a 12-count superseding indictment today, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a citizen of China, was previously indicted for distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and making false statements to authorities about his identity and involvement with the biolabs. The superseding indictment also charges Zhu’s romantic and business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, 38, a citizen of China, who operated the Biolabs Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI) and Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI) in Fresno and Reedley along with Zhu. UMI and PBI distributed COVID-19, pregnancy, and other types of test kits.

CHOWCHILLA – On August 1, 2024, officers from the Chowchilla Police Department responded to a call for a sexual assault in the city. Upon arrival, officers contacted the juvenile, who had suffered injuries from the assault. Immediately, the victim was taken to Valley Children’s Hospital for treatment and underwent surgery due to the injuries sustained during this violent crime.

Through the investigation, CPD identified the suspect in this case. With the assistance of the Madera Sheriff’s Office, they had detectives watch the residence in Chowchilla, where the suspect resides. The suspect in the case, 40-year-old Arthur Dean Knapp of Chowchilla, was seen leaving the residence and was arrested by the detectives. He was interviewed and booked into the Madera County Jail for attempted murder and rape. He has a long history of violence and arrests. He is currently in the Madera County Jail for this violent and horrible crime.