MILITARY BANS PUBLIC CEREMONIES FOR WAR DEAD — The Pentagon’s decision to scrub traditional public honors ceremonies for returning war dead has angered some members of the families of U.S. troops facing a bloody desert ground campaign. “We’re going to have death over there. That’s reality,” said Anna Goodwin, who has three sons with the 82nd U.S. Airborne, “but those boys and girls will be dying for their country, and they deserve to be honored.” Relatives may arrange burial privately or with the service member’s home base, under the new policy, but the honor guard and military band that have in the past attended the arrival of casualties will not be present. A Defense Department spokesman said, “We are not prepared to discuss anything beyond what the announcement says.”
RAMIREZ NAMED PRESIDENT OF LOCAL HISPANIC CHAMBER — Frank Ramirez has been named the new president of the Madera Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Newly elected officers include Carlos Padilla as vice president; Katie Rodriguez as secretary; Danny Garcia as sergeant-at-arms; and Marshall Padilla as treasurer. According to Ramirez, the MHCC hopes to double its membership by the end of this year, increasing it from 60 to 120 members. Events planned for the coming year include business seminars, regularly scheduled mixers, a formal, black tie scholarship dinner, and a general fundraiser during Cinco de Mayo. The MHCC is celebrating its first year as an organization.
J.C. PENNY, PAK ‘N SAVE WILL ANCHOR NEW SHOPPING CENTER — An anchor retailer will be leaving downtown Madera to join a rash of new growth at the north end of town, according to the developers of the Madera Marketplace shopping center on Cleveland Avenue. Later this year, Wal-Mart will have as a companion a 60,000-square-foot Pak ‘n Save discount food retailer, and early next spring an upgraded J.C. Penney department store. Penney’s will close its landmark Yosemite Avenue store and move to its new location with all of its current employees and 35 new hires. “The combination of Pak ‘n Save, Wal-Mart, and J.C. Penney will have a major impact on this market,” said Roseanne Morgiewicz, a spokesperson for the shopping center developer.
WOMAN CHARGED IN SHAKING DEATH OF 1-YEAR-OLD NIECE — A Chowchilla woman accused of killing her one-year-old niece when she shook the girl and severed her spinal cord will be arraigned Tuesday. Sheila Dianne Nkem, 27, has been charged in the Thursday death of Trivaughna Plummer. Nkem allegedly was caring for the child at her Chowchilla home when she shook the baby trying to get her to stop crying. The child was transported to Chowchilla Hospital and died a short time later. Sheriff Glenn Seymour said Nkem allegedly shook the baby so hard it severed her spinal cord from the base of her brain...