Merced County moved out of the state's most restrictive COVID tier on Wednesday after California health officials corrected for delayed reporting of coronavirus test results. A sudden surge of case reports from a testing laboratory kept Merced County from moving into a less restrictive reopening tier last week, county officials...
Merced CHP K9 Sniffs Out 18-Pound Cache of Crystal Meth
The driver of a 2011 Nissan pickup truck was pulled over by the Merced California Highway Patrol for tinted windows on Tuesday, the department wrote in a Facebook post. The CHP officer took note of several factors and hints that led him to suspect the occupant was engaged in narcotics trafficking....
Self-Driving Vehicle Testing to Expand in Valley Under Agreement with Ohio Research Firm
Merced County's self-driving vehicle testing complex adjacent to Castle Airport in Atwater will soon be "taken to the next level." That's according to Mark J. Hendrickson, Merced County’s Director of Community and Economic Development after a new management agreement for the facility was announced Tuesday. The Transportation Research Center Inc.,...
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Aircraft Coming to Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum in Atwater has been designated as one of a handful of aviation museums in the nation that will be home to a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter-bomber jet, the museum announced on Facebook. According to Air Force officials, the jet should be delivered to Castle sometime in...
As COVID Vaccine Supplies Dwindle, Clinics in Fresno, Tulare, and Madera Counties Hit Pause
The messages about COVID-19 vaccine availability on public health websites up and down the Valley speak for themselves. Fresno County says, "All appointment times have been filled." Kings County says, "There are currently no vaccine appointments available." Tulare County says, "All Vaccine appointments at Tulare County Public Health Clinics are FULL." "We're...
$5,000 Rewards for Info Leading to Arrests of Merced Escapees
The Merced County Sheriff’s Office is working with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to catch six men who escaped from the county's downtown Merced jail. The U.S. Marshals Service set up a tip line and is offering rewards of up to $5,000 per escapee for information leading to...
Six Inmates, Including Accused Murderer, Escape From Merced Jail
A manhunt is underway for six inmates who used a “homemade rope” to escape from the Merced County Jail, sheriff's officials said Sunday. All six escapees should be considered armed and dangerous, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Staff noticed late Saturday that the six inmates...
3rd Fresno Foster Farms Employee Dies From COVID-19. Cal/OSHA Investigating.
Cal/OSHA was notified on Monday that an employee at the Foster Farms facility on Cherry Avenue in Fresno died from complications related to a COVID-19 infection. In an email to GV Wire℠, Cal/OSHA spokesman Frank Polizzi says the department has opened an 'inspection' as a result. In addition to this latest...
Merced Residents Urged to Get Frequent COVID-19 Tests as County Fears Fallback
Merced County officials are concerned about falling back to the most restrictive tier on California's COVID-19 roadmap. So all residents are being urged to get tested frequently. “We are asking all County residents to assist by getting tested every 14 days if possible. Increasing our county’s surveillance testing will allow...
Local Businesses Face Closures Again Next Week if COVID Numbers Don’t Improve
Fresno County could be moved back into the state's most restrictive "purple" tier for business operations as early as next week if local COVID-19 numbers don't improve, officials said Tuesday. According to new state data, Fresno County now has a 5.3% test positivity rate (up from 4.8% last week), and...