In 2014, a Merced County Deputy Sheriff earned a base salary of $64,916.80. In 2025, that same role earns $99,840, a 54 percent increase in just over a decade (this percentage includes all rank and file deputies and the Sheriff’s leadership team, sergeants, lieutenants, captains and under-sheriff. On the surface, that kind of growth…

Editor’s note: This op-ed was originally published in the Merced County Times print edition on June 26, 2025. When I was first elected to…

Recently, Assembly Bill 1441 passed out of the Assembly and currently is in the Senate awaiting committee hearings.  This bill proposes the creation…

Every year, on the Fourth of July, communities across the country gather to celebrate America’s independence with parades, picnics, and fireworks. Here in Atwater, we do more than celebrate, we demonstrate who we are. For more than six decades, Atwater’s Independence Day celebration has grown from a grassroots parade into one of…

The problem with a one-size-fits-all approach is that it leads to unintended consequences where only one side — Big Business — comes out the winner.…

Another graduation season has come and gone at Merced College, and our students continue to inspire us. Last month, we celebrated with joy the…

For far too long, the people of California – especially those of us in the agriculturally vital San Joaquin Valley – have been presented with a false choice: fish or farms. That narrative is not only tired; it’s untrue. In reality, California’s water must serve multiple needs: clean drinking water, productive agriculture,…

When Luke Bryan brought his Farm Tour to Castle Airport, he didn’t just play a concert, he made history in Merced County. With over 20,000 people in…

This past December, 826 Merced County residents took part in a survey conducted by Data for Social Good, sending a clear message: Boys & Girls…

By Ian Choudri When I accepted the CEO role at the California High-Speed Rail Authority, I understood the challenges ahead. Yet, the significance of this endeavor—the nation’s first true high-speed rail system—extends beyond trains and tracks. It's about delivering opportunity and economic empowerment to communities throughout California.…