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Stay in the loop with what's happening in Merced

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.

🌱 Need a hot shower or want to help Merced’s homeless?

Good morning Merced! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Need a hot shower or want to help Merced’s homeless?
  • Could this new UC Merced summer program change your teen’s future?
  • How detectives finally made an arrest in the 2022 Beachwood double homicide

Also on today's calendar: Winter ClayCamp Session A and 5 more events.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Merced? Post it to Merced photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Wednesday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 56 and low of 47 degrees.
  • Thursday: Sunshine and some clouds, temps: high: 60, low: 45.
  • Friday: Cloudy with a passing shower, with a high of 58 and low of 48 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Merced ministry provides free showers for the homeless. Here's where and when (mercedsunstar.com) — If you or someone you know needs a hot shower in Merced, Love INC of Greater Merced offers free showers, clean clothes, and a meal at The Salvation Army on Thursdays and St. Matthew Baptist Church on Saturdays. The ministry also urgently needs donations of men’s clothing, blankets, and coats to keep the program going.
   

2. UC Merced Selected to Host Prestigious COSMOS STEM Program, Opening Doors for Central Valley Students (losbanosenterprise.com) — UC Merced will host the prestigious COSMOS residential STEM program starting July 5, 2026, giving Central Valley high schoolers a top-tier science experience without leaving the region. Highly competitive and four weeks long, the program offers hands-on research with UC faculty, themed clusters like AI and quantum materials, and financial aid so cost doesn’t block talented local students.
   

3. Merced County sheriff announces arrest in double homicide from 2022 (mercedsunstar.com) — Merced County residents are learning that deputies have arrested a 30-year-old Las Vegas man in connection with a 2022 double homicide in the Beachwood area near Atwater. Investigators say the arrest follows a three-year probe into a shooting on Franklin Road and Santa Fe Drive that killed two young men and injured a woman.
   

4. State Recognition Puts Downtown Merced on California's Cultural Map (losbanosenterprise.com) — Downtown Merced has just been named one of California’s newest Cultural Districts, bringing $10,000 in state grant funding plus marketing and technical support to boost local arts and tourism. State officials praised Merced’s dense mix of cultural venues and community programming, putting the city alongside just nine other communities honored in this latest round.
   

5. UC Merced Community Honors Hanukkah, Pays Tribute to Australian Shooting Victims (losbanosenterprise.com) — Students, faculty, and Merced residents gathered on the UC Merced campus for a Hanukkah menorah lighting that also honored victims of a recent mass shooting in Sydney, Australia. The ceremony blended tradition, reflection on antisemitism, and heightened security coordinated with local law enforcement to keep attendees safe.
   

📸 Around Merced

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Merced

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📣 Merced Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Please share & repost to help reunite this stray dog!
    FOUND on December 15, 2025 in Merced, CA 95341 near C Street Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact the finder, view this… (Nextdoor South Merced)
  • Happy Chanukkah!
    We are looking forward to the Menorah lighting and Chanukkah celebration today at UC Merced. Our hearts are heavy as we process the devastating news… (Nextdoor Pacific Park)
  • City of Merced California posted a job opening for Temporary Recreation Leader - Zoo in Merced. Apply here.
  • Merced County Office Of Education posted a job opening for Certified Sign Language Interpreter (Full Time), Itinerant Merced County (Merced Home Base) Special Education Department 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: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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Stay in the loop with what's happening in Merced

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.

Stay in the loop with what's happening in Merced

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.