2013 Top Story Archive Stories

Looking at the numbers, the annual International Punjabi American Festival has been a success during its 19 years of existence. The annual event sponsored by the Punjabi American Heritage Society of Yuba City drew about 3,000 people its first year in 1995. Now, some 9,000 to 10,000 people attend the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds festival each

It's an extravaganza. It's a celebration. It's a colorful Yuba-Sutter tradition — and there is money on the line. The 80th annual Marysville Stampede returns this weekend to Marysville with all the flash and flamboyance that has made Cotton Rosser's Flying U Rodeo famous. "It's the only professional sporting event that come

Excitable popcorn, Mr. G and hard-nosed, wood-bat baseball is back. The 2013 Marysville Gold Sox season kicks off on Thursday at Appeal-Democrat Park, where manager Jack Johnson and his collegiate baseball players from around the country will play host to the San Mateo Rounders. The festivities, however, have already begun.

Marysville motorists won't be the only ones having to negotiate an ever-changing series of detours while Caltrans completes its $48 million two-year roadway reconstruction project. Fire engines, ambulances and law enforcement vehicles will have to closely monitor traffic flows in responding to any emergencies that might occur in or aroun

Yuba City resident Paul Hughes wiped tears away from his eyes on Sunday as he listened to the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony for the Freedom's Heroes War on Terror Memorial. For Hughes, a wounded Vietnam War veteran, hearing about someone else's fight with post-traumatic stress disorder hit close to home. "In our hearts, we're s

Homelessness is on the minds of several Yuba-Sutter agencies and individuals this month with the recent seventh annual Homeless Summit and the Homeless One Stop planned for Friday. More than 800 people in the area are reported as homeless, said John Floe, prevention services coordinator for Sutter-Yuba Mental Health Services. Of those, 1

Yuba Community College graduate Jeni Alcantar has one thing on her mind now. "Jobs, jobs, jobs," the 25-year-old Radiological Technology alumnus said. "I want to get that first paycheck." Alcantar, a Chico native, was one of more than 200 Yuba College students who graduated Friday at a ceremony on the campus football field. A tot

Live music will fill the air on Plumas Street on Saturday as 10 bands are set to perform during a free 10-hour concert. "It is a thank you to the community for the support we've had the last five years," said Terri Tomlinson, co-chairwoman of the Sutter Performing Arts Association. "It is also a chance to showcase some great local talent

A Dobbins woman remained behind bars without bail Thursday after pleading not guilty to killing her boyfriend with a sword. Joanne Cardoza, 49, denied guilt on Wednesday in connection with the death of 43-year-old Buck Day. The couple had been living separately after a five year relationship and were arguing throughout Sunday int

Rice farmers are running about a week ahead of schedule this year because of dry conditions this spring. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that so far this year, about 75 percent of California's rice fields have been planted. That number was only 14 percent in mid-May 2012. "It's been a great season to be a rice farmer.

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board recommended Tuesday that states lower their threshold for drunken driving with the goal of reducing alcohol-related fatal crashes, which have held steady for much of the past 15 years. The board voted 5-0 to encourage states to change the minimum blood alcohol concentration from

No one seemed to be positively sure whether this weekend's annual Jim Watson Youth Fishing Derby is really the 60th anniversary of the popular event. Hundreds of youth and their families are expected to be on hand for the Saturday derby at Ellis Lake — one of the last community events still held at Marysville's centerpiece lake. Th

Sixty-two years later, Bill Sliger can still hear the "ping" as bullets ricocheted off the tank he was taking cover under. "With the Chinese coming down on both sides of the hill, I didn't feel too good about my chances," Sliger said. On April 22, 1951, he and more than 1,000 other Marines were sent 13 miles north beyond the fron

It's a sight that hasn't been seen in more than a half-dozen years in Yuba County — rows of wood-framed homes under construction with workers pounding nails into roofs and beams. "It brings you back to the way things were before 2006," said Kevin Mallen, director of Yuba County's Community Development and Services Agency. "There ar

A Beale Air Force Base airman killed in an airplane crash in Afghanistan last month returned home Friday. About 70 family and community members watched as an airplane landed at Beale, carrying the remains of Staff Sgt. Richard Dickson, 24, of Rancho Cordova. "Staff Sgt. Dickson's sacrifice brings sadness," said Lt. Col. Robb (las

Kathy Sedler bared her body and soul at Art-O-Culture last month, standing topless and obstructed by screens, her chest decorated in body art. "(It was) hard. But it wasn't about me, it's sharing with other people," she said, adding the artwork's message is about someone who has been through a challenging time. The sentiment of p

Motorists traveling on state highways through Marysville will soon begin facing traffic disruptions and detours as Caltrans starts work on a $48 million, two-year roadway renovation project. Work is planned to begin the first week of June on what will be Marysville's largest highway reconstruction project in decades. Once the project is

Two days before his arrest, several parishioners confronted Baptist Pastor Brian Clay Gray about his relationship with a 16-year-old girl, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday. Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor described the allegations against Gray as “devastating to the community.” “It&rsqu

Beckwourth Riverfront Park is owned by the city of Marysville, but you would never know it isn't the personal backyard of Caroline Nott and her family. After all, most mornings Nott is toiling away cleaning, trimming, planting or watering in the long-neglected boat dock area of the sprawling park on the Feather River. "This is a

Two Beale Air Force Base airmen were among four honored during a memorial service on Monday attended by hundreds in a base hangar. The four were killed when their MC-12 Liberty aircraft crashed on April 27 in Zabul province, about 110 miles northeast of Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. The two Beale airmen were Staff Sgt. Richar

It seemed everyone enjoyed something at the annual Cinco de Mayo parade and festival on Sunday, but what excited 7-year-old Elias Maldonado the most were the horses ridden by Charros. Good food was a close second. The experience, however, meant something deeper for Elias' dad, Mario, who was born in Mexico and lives in Yuba City.

CalFire has responded to more than 850 wildfires in California this year — a 60 percent increase over an average year. "It is very disconcerting that we are this dry, this early," CalFire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. "We are seeing conditions that we would usually see in June or early July." The Panther fire burning in Te

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries Friday when fire consumed a portion of a Yuba City gymnasium, causing about $1.5 million in damage. Neither firefighter was seriously hurt, said John Limas, a Yuba City Fire Department battalion chief. "Helmets are designed to take impact," Limas said. "Firefighters were wearing their prot

A Marysville City Council member says things are looking cleaner and a whole lot more inviting at Ellis Lake. Councilman Dale Whitmore maintains that volunteer cleanup efforts and changes in the way fresh water is pumped into the lake should be changing public perception of the city landmark. "In 2010, the lake was in bad shape i

A Caltrans employee who worked the vast majority of his career in Marysville was killed this morning on southbound Highway 99 at Riego Road, the California Highway Patrol said. Dean Patton, 51, of Grass Valley was riding his 2005 Harley-Davidson with other motorcyclists on their way to a Caltrans memorial at the State Capitol in Sacramen