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Fresno – Former major league baseball star Gus Zernial died Thursday afternoon at the age of 87. In the 50’s he was a force at the plate in the American League winning the Triple Crown and smacking 237 dingers in his 11 year career. In the 70’s he was the sportscaster for KFSN Channel 30 in Fresno, then in retirement became a longtime ambassador for the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.  

MADERA - Investors were shocked to learn of the criminal past of head of the Yosemite Motor Speedway. Madera Online has uncovered forty-five pages of documents that show that the chairman of the racetrack's board of directors faced seventeen counts of fraud, two counts of racketeering and two attempted 3rd degree felonies in New Mexico less than ten years ago.

After a mistrial and a hung jury, Jerry Lowrie agreed to a plea-bargain deal in which he plead guilty to two counts of fraud. Both counts came with an 18-month prison sentence which was to be served consecutively and one year of state parole.

Thomas Ray Whitaker (69) was one in a million and loved by all who knew him. Surrounded by his family, on the evening of November 12, 2024, Jesus came and escorted him home to Heaven. Tom was born on February 4, 1955, to Ray and Joyce Whitaker at Dearborn Hospital in Madera, CA. A lifelong resident of Madera, Tom attended local schools and graduated from Madera High with the Class of 1973.
 
He attended Fresno City College before working full-time at the family dismantling business, Whitaker’s Auto Wrecking. In 1988, Whitaker’s Auto Wrecking split, and Tom became the owner of Whitaker’s 4x4 Heaven, specializing in pick-ups, vans, 4x4s, and Jeeps. Later, when the shop closed in 2003, he decided on his second career as a school bus driver for Madera Unified, where he stayed until his retirement in 2017 after almost 15 years.

MADERA - With great sadness, we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Joseph Paul Jackan, 41, of Madera, California, on November 2, 2024. Joe was born in Bellevue, WA, grew up in North Bend and Mukilteo, WA, and at age 10 moved to St. Charles, IL. He graduated from Central High School in 2001 and received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from the University of Illinois in 2006.

Joe attended the University of Iowa and received a Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2014. On his first day of pharmacy school, Joe met the love of his life, Angela Sze. After graduation, they moved to Santa Rosa, CA, to begin their careers as Pharmacists, where CVS and Target Pharmacies employed Joe. Joe married his soulmate, Angela (Sze), on August 18, 2020.

Barbara Anne Brown Manrriquez (76) was born May 21, 1948, to the union of Shaffer and Mayola Brown of Madera, California. Barbara attended local schools. She married her first husband, Gene Brewer, in 1965 while attending high school. She graduated in June 1967. This marriage was blessed with four children: Tyra, Shawn, Gene Jr., and Donson.

She worked as a selector at Madera Glass Plant for 32 years, retiring in 2008. While working at the glass plant, Barbara met and married her second husband, Ted Manrriquez. Ted and Barbara were very happily married; she called Ted her best friend.

MADERA - On October 21st, 2024, Doris Potter passed away surrounded by her loving family at 91 years of age. Heaven not only received the kindest of souls, but God also called home a wife, a mother, an “Nana”, and a beacon of light to all whom she came across. Everyone lucky enough to enjoy her company felt her charisma, gentleness, compassion, and warmth.

A native to Madera, Doris was born December 28th, 1932, to Jake & Connie Jacobson. Growing up in a rural country, she loved riding horses and helping her father work on cars.