Merced Daily

Home
United States
Merced, CA
Merced Daily

Merced Daily is the next-generation of leading news and innovative, media services.

12/18/2025

ATWATER BMX TRACK TO RETURN AFTER YEARS OF NEGLECT

After a 13-year hiatus, the BMX track at Veterans Park in Atwater is set to reopen, according to Joe Hoffar, the Executive Director of the Police Activities League (PAL).

Hoffar, a retired Atwater police officer, is revitalizing PAL, which closed in 2021 due to the pandemic. The organization's goal is to strengthen relationships between youth and law enforcement.

In April 2025, Hoffar reached out to the Atwater Police Department to explore ways to support community policing. The department suggested restarting PAL, and Hoffar agreed to move forward with the idea.

Shortly after the conversation with Atwater Police, the former track operators reached out to Hoffar about reopening the BMX track through PAL. Both parties agreed, and plans are now underway.

When the BMX track opens, the youth between 5-17 in Merced County will have the opportunity to ride BMX bikes for free on two Mondays each month, with bikes and helmets provided, there will be competitive track races featuring people from all over who want to come to Atwater to compete on non-free days.

Information on the new PAL and BMX track will be updated when more information is provided.

11/25/2025

MERCED ARTIST FEATURED IN KOBE BRYANT BOOK

A local artist from Merced, Chrisian Aguilar, is featured in Vanessa Bryant's new book, "Mamba and Mambacita Forever," which honors her late husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

Aguilar, 33, was contacted by Vanessa Bryant's team this month and asked if they could use his artwork in the book. As a longtime fan of Kobe Bryant, Aguilar said yes.

Aguilar shared a memorable experience from a game where he had the chance to meet Kobe in person. Aguilar recalled that he saw Kobe live and greeted him with a handshake. On another occasion, he sat right behind Kobe during a Warriors game. At one point, when the Lakers were down by 15 points in the fourth quarter, Aguilar yelled out, "You got to remember who you are! You're the Black Mamba, you're Kobe, you're going to kill these guys!" Aguilar said that both Kobe and Pau Gasol turned to look at him, and Kobe nodded in acknowledgment. Remarkably, the Lakers managed to tie the game, eventually taking it to overtime and winning.

You can find Christian Aguilar's original painting on Main Street in downtown Merced, and you can find the book "Mamba and Mambacita Forever" at Target, Amazon, and any bookstores.

10/30/2025

ATWATER MAN STILL MISSING THIRTY YEARS LATER, SISTER SEEKS TO REUNITE WITH BROTHER

On October 29, 1995, 18-year-old Anthony Bass told his family he was going on a fishing trip with a friend, but he unfortunately never returned home.

Authorties investigated the incident, interviewing family, friends, and witnesses with details regarding Anthony Bass, according to a police report.

Detectives also interviewed a driver mentioned in various social media posts, but this individual will be not be publicly named, as he is not considered a publicly known suspect by the Atwater Police Department. The driver fully cooperated with authorities during the investigation.

Details in the police report considered why Anthony may have went missing as authorities gathered information from people who knew Anthony.

According to a recent call to the Atwater Police Department, all missing person cases are considered active, and therefore, Anthony's case remains open. Only minimal information is provided in this post to protect the investigation.

Anthony's mother, who passed away in 2021, dedicated many years to searching for him, even going so far as to rent a helicopter to aid in the search, according to his sister Delores Aguirre.

After Anthony's mother passed away, Aguirre continues the search for her brother who she hasn’t seen in thirty years. "If anyone has any information wheather it's little or not call the Atwater Police Department,” said Aguirre.

If you have any information on this case, please contact the Atwater Police Department at 209-357-6384.

10/28/2025

WINTON CEMETERY TO HONOR DAY OF THE DEAD WITH OFRENDA

The Winton Cemetery will be offering an ofrenda in the chapel for the public to use in remembrance of their loved ones from October 31st to November 3rd. Photo frames should not be larger than 5x7 inches.

Please avoid including glass or flammable materials. All items must be removed by November 4, 2025. For further information, you can contact the Winton Cemetery District office at (209) 358-3703.

10/24/2025

Here’s a list of some haunted house displays, which some will feature live scare actors. If you know of a good haunted house display, please add it in the comment section. The first four houses are near each other.

*Anderson’s Halloween House
1669 Oregon Drive, Merced, CA

*Haunted HELM House of Merced
3490 Cascade Creek Ave, Merced, CA (live actors)

*The Haunted Garden Of Merced
2861 El Camino Real, Merced, CA (will feature a live zombie actor every Friday)

*The House of Giants*
2858 El Camino Real, Merced,Ca- (across from The Haunted Garden of Merced which will also have the same live zombie scare actor).

*The Creepy Doll House*
1708 E Alexander Ave Merced, Ca

*Nightmare on Nutmeg
110 Nutmeg Avenue, Atwater, CA

No Michael Myers-themed house this year, but the Auer family still embraced their Halloween spirit at their home located at 3131 Chablis Ln, Atwater, CA.

*The Carnevil of Livingston 1445 First Street, Livingston, CA (expected to have live clown actors at 7 PM)

Follow their social media pages for updates.

10/21/2025

MERCED'S FIRST FILIPINO FOOD TRAILER TO DEBUT IN MERCED

Merced's only Filipino food trailer, Kapwa Eats, will be opening soon, according to co-owners Tammy and Danilo.

The two owners moved to Merced two years ago and are both food enthusiasts. They wanted to introduce a different flavor profile to the Merced community.

Once the trailer opens, Kapwa Eats will offer a build-your-own combo featuring skewers, chicken adobo, garlic steamed rice, three types of lumpia, turon, Asian-inspired drinks, and more.

Currently, the owners plan to focus on serving the city of Merced, but they intend to travel outside the city in the near future.

Location announcements will be shared on their social media pages.

Kapwa Eats

10/18/2025

THREE HALLOWEEN HOUSE DISPLAYS WILL HOST SENSORY NIGHT FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN MERCED

The Hubbell family began decorating their home for Halloween three years ago after being inspired by their neighbors down the street, the Anderson family, whose house is well-known among Merced residents.

Recently, the Hubbell family introduced a unique Sensory-Friendly Night, which will take place every Wednesday from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. This event is designed for children and adults with special needs.

Nick and Sandra Hubbell came up with the idea for Sensory-Friendly Night because they have a child with special needs and understand that bright lights, loud sounds, and motion effects can be overwhelming for some individuals.

In addition to the Hubbell family hosting Sensory-Friendly Night outside their home at 2861 El Camino Real , their neighbors across the street, and the their neighbors down street, the Anderson family at 1669 Oregon Drive, will also hold a Sensory-Friendly Night every Wednesday.

For more updates, follow their page The Haunted Garden Of Merced

10/15/2025

FUN CITY COMING TO ATWATER

Fun City, an indoor entertainment adventure park, will be coming to 1089 Bellevue Rd in Atwater.

Fun city will have trampolines, foam pits, ninja warrior courses, climbing walls, and more.

Opening date will be announced soon.

10/14/2025

ATWATER TO HAVE HALLOWEEN MOVIE NIGHT

The City of Atwater will host a Halloween Movie Night on October 17, 2025, at 1020 Cedar Avenue, outside the Bloss Mansion.

The featured movie will be Disney's "Hocus Pocus," which will start at sunset, according to the City of Atwater flyer.

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

10/11/2025

MERCED FAMILY TURN HEADS WITH FLOATING GIRL AMONG EXTREME HALLOWEEN HOME DISPLAY

The Haunted Helm House is what a Merced family is calling their seasonally decorated home for Halloween.

Since moving to Merced in 2020, the family has decorated for Halloween each year and has increased the number of props on display. Most of these decorations are made by the family themselves.

This year, they planned to have a Halloween walkthrough; however, concerns regarding homeowners' insurance prevented them from doing so due to the large number of people expected.

Last year, over 2,000 candy bags were distributed, and the Helms ran out of candy. Although they will not be hosting an actual walkthrough haunt this year, the Helms informed Merced Daily that they are considering future plans to rent or collaborate with existing businesses to create a haunting attraction for the Merced community.

You can visit the Haunted Helm House in North Merced at 3490 Cascade Creek Ave.

10/09/2025

NEW RESTAURANT OPENING IN ATWATER

A new food bar, Casa Victoria's Bar & Grill, is set to open in Atwater at the former location of Bella Nita's restaurant, located at 2684 Shaffer Rd.

Owners Jose Godinez and Rosa Mendoza chose Atwater for their new location because they believe it is an excellent spot, and as residents of the city, they have a personal connection to the community. Both previously owned a restaurant called Costa near Bellevue Rd.

The owners mentioned that 14 to 15 people will be employed at the Atwater location, and they are currently undergoing training at another restaurant they own called La Hacienda Mexican Grill on 16th Street in Merced.

Casa Victoria's Bar & Grill is scheduled to open Thursday at 10 AM.

09/19/2025

MAN LEFT FOR DEAD AFTER HIT-AND RUN IN WINTON

The Merced California Highway Patrol responded to a report of a man laying by the roadside on Santa Fe near Shaffer Road in Winton at 6:26 AM.

According to the CHP, first responders attempted CPR on the adult male, but he was ultimately pronounced deceased at the scene.

The investigation revealed that the man was riding his bicycle when he was struck by a driver. However, the exact time of the incident is still unknown. Evidence of a hit-and-run was present, as vehicle parts were discovered in the area.

If you have any information, please call the Merced CHP at 209-356-6600.

Address

Merced, CA

Website

https://merceddaily.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Merced Daily posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.