News

Sheriff's Deputies Rescue 8 Year-old Boy in Kings River Near Parlier

PARLIER - An eight-year-old boy is listed in critical condition at Valley Children’s Hospital after nearly drowning in a portion of the Kings River in Parlier. Around 4:30 pm on September 15th, Fresno County Sheriff dispatchers took a 911 call for a report of a child drowning in the Kings River.

Patrol deputies, members of the Boating Unit and Air Support were dispatched to the call near the intersection of E. Lincoln and S. Lac Jac Avenues. It was the EAGLE One helicopter crew who was first to arrive in the area. They spotted family members on a small island in the middle of the river and landed there. The deputy working as a Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) got out, ran over to the boy and carried him back to the helicopter.

Councilman Santos Garcia Found in Violation of Government Code and Fined by the State

MADERA – As we reported multiple times earlier in the year, despite receiving several late notices from Madera County Clerk Rebecca Martinez, Madera City Councilman Santos Garcia failed to file his California Form 460 (Campaign disclosures) for the period of October 21, 2018, to December 31, 2018, when it was due on January 31, 2019. In fact, the councilman was six months late in filing his disclosures which tell voters where the money, in this case nearly $18,000, for his campaign came from.

Madera County Elections Division Manager Stephanie Sibley indicated a $100 fine was in the process of being generated if the candidate does not file his disclosures. According to Madera County Clerk Martinez, since the candidate eventually did file and this was his first offense, she waved the fine this time as she has in the past for other first time candidates. However, the state of California wasn’t so forgiving.

Max Rodriguez Named Grand Marshal of 2019 Old Timers’ Day Parade

MADERA – Madera Sunrise Rotary in collaboration with the Madera Downtown Association has selected Max Rodriguez as this year’s Grand Marshal for the 88th Annual Old Timers’ Day Parade. Rodriguez is a lifetime resident of Madera and four-term Supervisor representing Madera County’s 4th District which primarily encompasses the east-side of the City of Madera and the unincorporated communities of Parkwood and Parksdale.

“I feel very humbled and honored to have been selected by the committee for this prestigious honor,” Rodriguez said. “But more importantly, I’m just glad to see the Old Timers’ Day Parade and the tradition continues thanks to good people of Madera Sunrise Rotary and Madera Downtown Association.”

Former MC Supervisor Gordon Kennedy Appointed to Fill Vacant MUSD Trustee Position

MADERA - The Madera Unified School District Board of Trustee’s appointed former Madera County Supervisor J. Gordon Kennedy to fill the Board vacancy created by the resignation of Trustee Ricardo Arredondo Tuesday evening. Trustee Arredondo’s resignation was filed with the Madera County Superintendent of Schools on August 2, 2019, and was effective on that date.

Mr. Kennedy will hold office until the next regularly scheduled election for District board members, which will occur on November 3, 2020. The newly appointed trustee said he would only serve in the interim and would most likely not run for office in 2020.

California Senate Votes to Block Face Recognition on Police Body Cameras

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Senate passed AB 1215: The Body Camera Accountability Act, legislation to block law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition surveillance against Californians on officer-worn body cameras. Introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), AB 1215 passed the Senate just weeks after the ACLU released test results showing that facial recognition software incorrectly “matched” 26 California state lawmakers with mugshot photos from an arrestee database.

“Face-scanning police body cameras have no place on our streets, where they can be used for dragnet surveillance of Californians, our locations, and our personal associations,” said Matt Cagle, Technology and Civil Liberties Attorney for the ACLU of Northern California. “AB 1215 helps ensure Californians don’t become test subjects for an invasive and dangerous tracking technology that undermines our most fundamental civil liberties and human rights.”

Kern Valley State Prison Investigating Inmate Death as a Homicide

DELANO – Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) officials are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide. At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, staff observed two inmates attacking a third inmate on the Facility D middle yard. Officers ordered the inmates to stop but the men continued their assault.

Less-than-lethal force options were used to stop the attack. Staff immediately performed CPR on Enrique Hernandez and transported him to a medical unit inside the prison. He was pronounced deceased at 11:13 a.m.

Guatemalan Man Charged with Marijuana Cultivation Operation in National Forest in Tulare County

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Oscar Alfredo Castanaza-Ortega, 34, of Guatemala, charging him with conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, damaging public lands and natural resources, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers located 2,864 marijuana plants in the Twin Springs area of the Sequoia National Forest in Tulare County. Castanaza was found in the grow site with a loaded .38-caliber firearm and a box of .38-caliber ammunition.