Hundreds come out to Livingston for annual kite festival – BY MONICA VELEZ – APRIL 08, 2018 08:02 PM
They marched in Livingston for immigrants, farm workers and Dreamers – BY MONICA VELEZ – Merced Sun Star – APRIL 08, 2018 – People in Livingston took to the streets Sunday to honor Cesar Chavez and support farm workers, immigrants and Dreamers around the Central Valley and state. – More than 100 people chanted and waved United Farm Workers of America flags or flags from Latin America, like Mexico and El Salvador (many of the workers have Latino backgrounds). They marched from St. Jude’s Church on Franci Street to Livingston Memorial Park on Main Street.
Here’s what Merced County DA-elect pledges to voters – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Stat – June 06, 2018 04:35 PM – Updated June 07, 2018 07:21 AM – Merced County’s district attorney-elect said Wednesday she was grateful for the decisive victory at the polls on Election Day, and she looks forward to bringing “greater transparency” to the office….Kimberly Helms Lewis, a veteran government attorney and prosecutor, secured 65.7 percent of the vote compared with incumbent Larry Morse II’s tally of 34.1 percent, according to the unofficial numbers from the Merced County Elections Office. With 11,171 votes, Helms Lewis outpaced Morse by 5,377 votes.
Merced County elections show significant leads in three seats -BY THADDEUS MILLER Merced Sun Star – June 06, 2018 05:07 Pm – All three of Merced County’s races for elected office may be wrapped up sooner than later with top vote-getters holding significant leads and two of the races already have been conceded…The elections for Merced County District 5 supervisor, District Attorney and superintendent of schools each showed leads of more than 53 percent in contests that require only 50 percent plus one vote. Any race that did not have a clear winner would go to a runoff between the top two in November.
This Merced County town opposes ‘are you a citizen’ question on 2020 Census – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – July 08, 2018 02:47 PM – Updated July 09, 2018 06:28 AM – Livingston recently took a stand against including a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census, which has not asked about immigration status since 1950….The City Council approved a resolution with a 4-0 vote to oppose the question because it could put a damper on getting an accurate count, city leaders said. The count is used to determine federal funding in communities, among other purposes.
Here’s who is running for city council in Merced County cities – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – August 19, 2018 03:04 PM Updated August 29, 2018 03:29 PM – Livingston’s Mayor Jim Soria did not file for re-election, according to records, so the seat has no incumbent. Three councilmembers, Juan Aguilar Jr., Alex McCabe and Gurpal Samra, will compete for the top seat on the council. Retired federal employee Mario Luera is also running….The most crowded race in the whole election is for Livingston City Council. The city does not have a district map, so councilmembers are elected by a citywide vote….The nine candidates include retired correctional officer Jay Abrams, planning commissioner Jason Roth, truck driver Gagandeep Kang, truck driver Mucio Vera Jr., veteran Elias Jesus Maldonado III, office consultant Garry Gurpreet Singh, Sheriff’s Deputy Raul T. Garcia, technician Roberto Godinez and teacher Maria Baptista-Soto.
Jury trial set for Merced County supervisor charged with battery – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – October 15, 2018 03:32 PM – The Merced County supervisor charged with a crime related to the unwanted touching of a woman is set to go to a jury trial next month….Supervisor Rodrigo Espinoza’s attorney and prosecutors waived any pre-trial hearings on Monday and set a jury trial for Nov. 27. Espinoza has pleaded not guilty to a single count of battery…A woman who was looking for the elected official’s support related to issues with undocumented immigrants told police Espinoza held her hands without consent, tried to kiss her and, when she turned her face away from him, smelled her hair.
Gray wins big, Atwater gets new mayor & a Merced race that’s still too close to call – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – November 06, 2018 08:35 PM – Updated November 08, 2018 04:46 PM – Three sitting councilmembers and a retiree are facing off for the mayor’s seat. Gurpal Samra (36.04 percent) had a significant lead over Alex McCabe (27.92 percent) and Juan Aguilar Jr. (28.05 percent). Retiree Mario Luera rounded out the race with 8 percent….Hopefuls for one of the three seats were separated by few votes in a crowded ballot. The candidates: Gagandeep Kang had 16.36 percent; Raul Garcia had 15.73 percent; Garry Gurpreet Singh had 9.86 percent; Maria Baptista Soto had 14.78 percent; Jason Roth had 8.38 percent; Elias Jesus Maldonado III had 10.85 percent; Jay Abrams had 6.56 percent; and Mucio Vera Jr. had 7.68 and Roberto Godinez had 9.56.
Merced County voter turnout was up significantly, registrar says. Here’s why – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – November 09, 2018 02:54 PM – Updated November 09, 2018 03:00 PM – While thousands of mail and provisional ballots remain to be counted, it appears that a significantly higher number of people voted this week in Merced County than the last gubernatorial ballot, according to the registrar of voters office…About 55 percent of the registered population of Merced County cast ballots for the election, Registrar Barbara Levey said. That’s compared to 40.5 percent four years ago.
Elections: Merced race still close. Atwater race is tied, new numbers say – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – November 15, 2018 03:50 PM – Livingston…In the mayoral race, Gurpal Samra (896) still outpaces Juan Aguilar Jr. (733), Alex McCabe (713) and Mario Luera (170)….Hopefuls for one of the three seats were separated by a few hundred votes, which is significant on the crowded ballot. The top three candidates were Raul Garcia with 836 votes; Gagandeep Kang with 828; and Maria Baptista Soto with 797. The fourth-place finisher was more than 215 votes behind, and the distance continued to grow for the other five candidates.
Trial begins for Merced County supe accused of inappropriate touching – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – November 29, 2018 06:00 AM – The woman who accused Merced County Supervisor Rodrigo Espinoza of unwanted touching told a jury Wednesday she felt violated by the person she once thought of as a mentor. Charged with battery, Espinoza’s trial began in Merced County Superior Court before Judge Steven K. Slocum. A jury of eight men and four women heard Espinoza’s accuser describe an uncomfortable meeting with the elected official on April 27….In a phone call the woman made that was recorded by police without Espinoza’s knowledge, the supervisor told the woman he felt “led on” for years. Espinoza’s defense attorney, John Garcia, said the woman’s account of the events are convoluted and vague. He also noted the supervisor holds no power over her. “Mr. Espinoza is not her supervisor, is not her boss, is not her co-worker,” Garcia told the jury. “He doesn’t maintain a position of authority over her.”
Jurors reach verdict in Merced County supervisor’s unwanted touching case – BY THADDEUS MILLER – Merced Sun Star – NOVEMBER 30, 2018 – A Merced County jury of eight men and four women returned a “not guilty” verdict Friday in the misdemeanor battery case against Supervisor Rodrigo Espinoza. – After about two hours of deliberation, the jury said Espinoza should not be punished for the alleged unwanted touching of a woman who he had known for more than a decade. The 50-year-old married father admitted to making advances at the woman, saying he believed she also wanted to pursue a romantic relationship.
The Gardening Snail 2 