Merced Daily, Merced, CA (2026)

06/22/2026

MERCED COUNTY HOMICIDE STILL UNSOLVED 40-YEARS-LATER, BROTHER OFFERS $25,000 REWARD

Stan Howard, a businessman and co-owner of Howard's Janitorial Services, was murdered when an intruder entered his home at 3:30 a.m. on E. Gerard Avenue. The assailant took a knife from Stan's kitchen and stabbed him once in the neck while he and his wife were asleep in bed.

After being stabbed, Stan reportedly had a scuffle with the suspect and chased the assailent, unaware of the severity of his injury, Stan collapsed due to his wound. During the investigation, nothing was reported missing from the house, and after four decades, the case remains unsolved.

In a recent interview with the Merced Daily, Brad, Stan's brother, said, "I always have hope every year. Even after forty years, I still have hope."

Brad continues to offer a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his brother's murderer.

If you have any information about this case, please contact Merced Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-855-725-2420 or the Merced County Sheriff's Investigation Bureau at 209-385-7972.

06/13/2026

ATWATER FEED & SUPPLY STORE TO HOLD GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY

Atwater Feed and Supply Store will hold its groundbreaking ceremony at 1222 Atwater Blvd on June 27, 2026. This groundbreaking event comes three years after the original location was destroyed by a fire.

The first 100 guests will receive a free gift bag.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place from 9 AM to 12 PM.

Atwater Feed

05/31/2026

WINTON TEEN GOES MISSING 29 YEARS AGO

29 years ago today, 15-year-old Vanessa Dawn Smith went missing near her home in Winton, CA.

Vanessa regularly walked with her mother for their evening walk outside their home on Winton Way, along Mercedes Avenue. They would walk along Mercedes Avenue and cut through an almond field leading back to their house, a route that usually took no more than five minutes.

On the day of her disappearance, May 31, 1997, Vanessa decided to go for her evening walk alone between 6-7pm.

When Vanessa did not return home, her parents contacted the authorities.

The following day, the Mennonite community, to which Vanessa belonged to, canceled church services to assist in the search for her. The Merced County Sheriff's Office also used air support and a Cadaver dog to assist in the search.

The only known piece of physical evidence found was Vanessa’s walking stick, which she used to fend off stray dogs. The walking stick was discovered during the search, not far from Vanessa's home.

29 years later, the case remains unsolved.

In a recent phone interview with Beverly Smith, Smith said she continues to search for her daughter and has trust in god.

Merced Daily reached out to Detective Daniel Ramirez of the Merced County Sheriff’s Department, who is currently handling the case of Vanessa Dawn Smith. Detective Ramirez stated, "The Vanessa Dawn Smith case remains an active investigation. We pursue every tip and every lead." Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Ramirez at 209-385-7472, ext. 4983.

05/08/2026

MERCED COUNTY ANNUAL HOMELESS COUNT 2026

The Point-in-Time Count report, which provides annual data on homelessness, was officially released this week. Volunteers conducted a count of individuals living in transistional housing, abandoned buildings, cars, parks, sidewalks, and emergency shelters.

In 2026, data revealed that there were 344 adults and 1 child under the age of 18 who were unsheltered in Merced County. In contrast, 346 adults and 57 children were sheltered, bringing the total count of individuals to 748.

Most notable UNSHELTERED count of 2026.

-Atwater experienced the largest increase, with 13 more unsheltered individuals.

- Livingston's numbers remained unchanged at 9.

- Los Banos saw a decrease of 8 unsheltered individuals.

- The City of Merced had a slight increase of just 4 unsheltered individuals.

- Winton had just nine, one less than last year.

Below is a summary of the data from cities and towns in Merced County:

04/13/2026

SCHOOL BUSINESS PROJECT FOOLS MERCED LOCALS

Last month, a social media post about a new business called DusktoDon opening in Merced gained significant attention online and was even featured by a newspaper and news stations. Unfortunately, DusktoDon is not a real business; it was merely a concept for a school project.

The social media post claimed that the business would open on April 12, 2026, and mentioned its location at the intersection of Yosemite and G streets, but did not provide a specific address. One of the posts announced that DusktoDon would offer a 20% discount for the first 100 customers. Additionally, the business referenced a Cash App payment option that was marked as "temporarily unavailable," and it used a phone number from out of state.

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