By SARAH LIM Special to the Times The 7-Up sign by Marie’s Mexican Kitchen at 259 W. Main Street is a prominent landmark in Merced, though many residents are unaware of its intriguing past.  Although ...

By JILL CUNNINGHAM  Before there was a campus, before there were graduates, before there were traditions, there were people ...

After a long, vibrant and fulfilling life, Nancy Barton Holmes (born Nancy Keith Barton) passed peacefully on her 83rd birthday, surrounded by family. Her life story is as fabulous as she was. Nancy ...

June 8, 2026 Shirley Kirby peacefully turned toward the heavens and was called home on the evening of Monday, June 8, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Shirley was born on May 15, 1922.

A large crowd of passionate locals and distinguished guests last Saturday, July 11, for the official groundbreaking ceremony ...

Step inside Scotts Diner in Merced, and you will instantly feel right at home.  It is the kind of classic, hometown spot ...

By JONATHAN WHITAKER Merced city leaders and administrative staff have begun working on a public outreach effort to ...

Our Central Valley By STEVE NEWVINE This is a story about a life-saving piece of jewelry that got started just north of ...

Two hundred fifty years in the making, the legacy and heritage of the United States of America will be observed in full-throttled patriotic fashion Saturday during Atwater’s Independence Day ...

One of the Central Valley’s favorite Independence Day traditions returns as fireworks light up the skies over Lake McClure on Saturday, July 4. Tickets to Lights on the Lake should be purchased in ...

Almost exactly three years from the day a massive fire gutted their wood and tin building on Atwater Boulevard, completely destroying one of the city’s most beloved local businesses, the Fragulia ...