Community Corner
🌱 Merced police investigate fatal scooter and medical transport collision
Also, don't miss Merced County Pride Festival | Downtown Merced, CA on the Merced Patch calendar
Good morning Merced! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- Merced police investigate fatal scooter and medical transport collision
- Will Merced lose its downtown high-speed rail station after years planning?
- How to enjoy this weekend's Lao Boat Racing Festival at Lake Yosemite
Also on today's calendar: Figure Drawing Saturdays — The MAC and 3 more events.
Today's riddle: What do you get when you cross an angry cow with an angry sheep? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Thursday: Hot, with a high of 103 and low of 66 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Friday: Sunny and toasty conditions, temps: high: 99, low: 59.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny and not as hot, with a high of 89 and low of 55 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. 70-year-old scooter rider killed in collision with medical transport vehicle in Merced (losbanosenterprise.com) — A 70-year-old man riding a scooter died after being struck by a medical transport vehicle near G and 21st streets in Merced, prompting a temporary closure of G Street for investigation. Police say drugs and alcohol are not suspected, and they're still working to understand why the man entered the roadway before the collision. 
2. Central Valley cities are complaining about High-Speed Rail (hanfordsentinel.com) — Merced leaders are pushing back against a proposal to move the city's planned high-speed rail station from downtown to a site near Mission Avenue and Highway 99 outside city limits, saying it would undo years of local planning. They're demanding a binding agreement that mitigates the impacts before any law is changed, and want rail officials to explain the plan directly to Merced residents. Other Central Valley cities, including Shafter and Fresno, are also clashing with the rail authority over routes and tax revenue.
3. Boat races return to Lake Yosemite. What makes the event special (fresnobee.com) — Lake Yosemite, just outside Merced, will host the Lao Boat Racing Festival on Saturday, bringing boat races, live music, dance performances, and food vendors from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Organized by the Vatthanatham Lao Foundation, the event aims to share Lao culture with the broader Merced community. Expect vehicle admission fees, walking-in for free, lake closures to boating, and a Floating Lantern Festival on Friday night.
4. CHP Clocks Driver at 112 MPH on Highway 99 Near Plainsburg Road (losbanosenterprise.com) — A driver was pulled over in Merced County after being clocked at 112 mph on southbound Highway 99 near Plainsburg Road, just outside Merced. CHP is using the incident to highlight the FAST program, which can trigger DMV license reviews for anyone cited above 100 mph. Local drivers are urged to slow down and understand the serious consequences of extreme speeding.
5. UC Merced expands guaranteed admissions program (edsource.org) — UC Merced is broadening its guaranteed admissions program, now partnering with Shasta County school districts so eligible students can secure a spot and receive up to $3,000 annually in scholarships. The expansion is part of a wider statewide push, including CSU and Fresno Pacific initiatives, to create clearer college pathways and keep more graduates in the Central Valley.
📸 Around Merced
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Merced
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Merced County Pride Festival | Downtown Merced, CA →
DOWNTOWN PLAZA, 333 W 18th St, Merced
2:00 pm
Saturday September 12
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Figure Drawing Saturdays — The MAC →
Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 W Main St, Merced
11:30 am - Bear Creek Ukulele Society — The MAC →
Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 W Main St, Merced
11:30 am - Flicks of Flight: "Dr. Strangelove" →
Castle Air Museum, 5050 Santa Fe Dr, City of Atwater
6:30 pm - Gateway to Yosemite 5k/10k →
Merced CA - Aspire Fall 2026 - Merced, CA →
Summit Church, 500 Buena Vista Dr, Merced
7:00 pm
Saturday September 19
Sunday September 20
Friday October 2
📣 Merced Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Bio & Ag Bio Collab
Yosemite High (Continuation) Merced, CA 95340
8:30 am - Boys/Girls Water Polo vs. Madera South
Golden Valley High Merced, CA 95344
4:00 pm - Soccer & Volleyball @ Le Grand
Le Grand Union Elementary School District Le Grand, CA 95333
4:00 pm - Frosh Football
Golden Valley High Merced, CA 95344
4:00 pm - JV Volleyball @ Waterford
Le Grand High School Le Grand, CA 95333
5:00 pm - Back to School Night
Sequoia High Merced, CA 95340
5:00 pm
Thursday September 10
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Hi everyone!
I'm a single mom looking for local cleaning work. I offer deep cleaning, light tidy-ups, and home organization at reasonable rates. I'm trustworthy,… (Nextdoor North Merced Duplexes) - Hi, my name is Mark Glaeser, I live in the Ragsdale neighborhood.
I'm disabled various health conditions. One of them is essential tremor and I can't walk very far before it gets to the point with the shaking… (Nextdoor Ragsdale)
- Boot Barn posted a job opening for Inventory Control Associate (Seasonal) in Merced. Apply here.
- Government Jobs posted a job opening for Police Records Clerk I/II in Merced. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Merced here.
Ok Merced! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: An animal that's in a baaaaad mooood! (Thank you Lisa A. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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