BENABENTE NAMED TOP LAWMAN — A Madera police officer named lawman of the Year by the Madera Exchange Club Friday dedicated the award to a fellow police officer who died last week. Fabian Benabente dedicated the honor to John Schmidt, a Madera police officer who died in an off-duty traffic accident in Fresno last week. Visibly choked up at receiving the honor, Benabente also thanked his parents in accepting the annual award. Assemblyman Jim Costa noted Benabente’s strong family ties and said he should be proud of his accomplishments in dealing with drugs and gangs. A five-year veteran of the Madera department, Benabente is currently assigned to the Madera Unified School District’s Drug Suppression program.
OWNERS DIVIDED OVER UC LAND DONATION — Two property owners in the Table Mountain area told Madera County’s University of California Task Force Thursday night they have not been able to unite with other landowners to donate a piece of land for a campus and urged the task force to seek alternative sources of funding for land acquisition. Dennis Coombs told task force members they might try to secure money from government sources and alumni because not all owners in the area feel the same way he does about donating land. University officials said, “If a land offer is not forthcoming by March 15, the site will not be rated as high on availability. It is as simple as that.”
LENGTHY JURY SELECTION EXPECTED TO TAKE TWO MORE WEEKS — The longest jury selection process in the history of Madera County began nearly a month ago and is expected to take at least two more weeks. The jury is being chosen for the double murder trial of Anthony Letrice Townsel, which will take place in Department 2 of Superior Court Judge Paul Martin. Court personnel vacations are being postponed and other legal matters to be heard by Martin are being squeezed in as efficiently as possible. Martin has been the only superior court judge available. The other two superior court judges, Edward Moffat and John DeGroot have been out of town attending a conference. The process began Jan. 29 when 600 Madera County residents were sworn in at Hatfield Hall.
MADERA COUNTY FARMER GETS $10,000 IN GET WELL WISHES — It is always nice to receive get well cards when you are in the hospital but one Madera County farmer got $10,000 worth of good wishes Wednesday. Jack Rudolf was recovering from surgery when several friends, Bob and Lona Prosperi and Bob and Phyllis James sent him cards filled with Lotto scratchers they had purchased from Monty’s Liquors. With his daughter, Karen Schoettler, doing most of the scratching, Rudolf saw the winning card in disbelief. “I wasn’t sure if it was right or not,” he said, so he called Monty’s, and they verified it. Rudolf says he plans to buy a big dinner for his friends who bought the tickets...