Welcome to the second Local News Digest of November from Monica Franks, a weekly look at Merced County news this week: the community stories, business milestones, and development updates shaping life across Merced, Atwater, Turlock, Chowchilla, Mariposa, and the wider Central Valley. This week's edition leads with retail momentum and community pride. Dunkin' opened its first Merced store at Gateway Marketplace, Merced High won a fourth straight football title, and Veterans Day observances are underway across the county.
The most notable Merced County news this week is the November 6 opening of Dunkin' at Gateway Marketplace, and the energy carries through the rest of the digest: Merced High claimed the Santa Fe Bowl over Atwater, Merced College's Field of Honor returned with the Run for the Fallen, UC Merced women's soccer made school history, and the Mariposa County Library is set to mark a century of service. Every story below links to the original reporting so you can read the full details.
Merced County News This Week: Five Stories Worth Sharing
Dunkin' opens its first Merced location at Gateway Marketplace
Dunkin' opened its first Merced location on November 6 at the Gateway Marketplace shopping center off Highway 99 near Campus Parkway, serving coffee, doughnuts, breakfast, and holiday drink flavors. The opening adds a familiar national name to Merced's fastest-growing retail corridor and joins the wave of new tenants announced for Gateway Marketplace, giving Merced residents another everyday dining option close to home.
Merced High claims a fourth straight CCC title with Santa Fe Bowl win over Atwater
Merced High School beat Atwater 45-13 in the Santa Fe Bowl on November 7 to claim its fourth consecutive Central California Conference football championship in front of a home crowd at Dave Honey Stadium. The win closes an unbeaten 5-0 league season and sends Merced into the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs with momentum, a point of pride for students, alumni, and the wider Atwater and Merced communities that followed the rivalry all fall.
Merced College's Field of Honor returns with the Run for the Fallen
Merced College's Field of Honor returned to the campus front lawn at 3600 M Street from November 7 to 14, with about 2,200 American and service flags honoring veterans, active-duty personnel, and first responders, hosted by the Merced Sunrise Rotary Club with Merced College and the 1st Lt. Peter J. Gallo Veterans Resource Center. The display, paired with the free Run for the Fallen 5K and 10K on November 8, gives Merced County residents a meaningful, close-to-home way to honor service members in the days before Veterans Day.
UC Merced women's soccer reaches the CCAA title game and earns the school's first NCAA berth
UC Merced's women's soccer team upset top-seeded Cal Poly Pomona on November 5 to reach the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship game, the deepest postseason run in the program's first year of NCAA Division II eligibility. Days later the Bobcats earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Division II tournament, the first for any UC Merced team, a historic milestone for the university and the Merced community that has watched the program grow.
Mariposa County Library celebrates 100 years with a community party
The Mariposa County Library will celebrate its 100th birthday on November 13 with a free, 1920s-themed party from 4 to 7 p.m. featuring activities, food, and a library-card design contest, presented with the Mariposa Friends of the Library. The centennial marks a century of library service to Mariposa since the county library system was established in 1926, and the evening is a welcoming celebration for readers of all ages.
That is the week in Merced County. If you spot a story from your part of the Valley that deserves wider attention, a new shop worth celebrating in Livingston or Chowchilla, a milestone at a Winton school, or a development update in Catheys Valley or McSwain, please send it over. Tell your local agent, and your tip could make the next digest.
Past Digests
Missed an earlier edition? Read the Local News Digest: November Week 1, covering the countywide 911 nurse navigation launch, Tequileros Taqueria's planned Atwater arrival, the Liberty Tree planting in Courthouse Park, Chowchilla High's undefeated run, and Stanislaus State's Day of the Dead celebration. Go back further to the Local News Digest: October Week 4, covering more than 20 new businesses slated to open in Merced, Turlock's inaugural Central Valley Stationery Fest, Chowchilla's $17,000 Asterisk Open, the reopening of the South Fork Merced River Trail, and Halloween events across the region. Earlier editions cover the Local News Digest: October Week 3, with the Costco move to Gateway Marketplace, Turlock's John Lazar Park grand opening, the Mariposa Yosemite Symphony Orchestra's 25th season, and Atwater's Castle AirFest, the Local News Digest: October Week 2, with Merced's Mercy Village groundbreaking, Turlock's remodeled Walmart, and UC Merced's mobile agtech trailers, and the Local News Digest: October Week 1, with Merced College's new South Merced Center and bestselling author Katherine Center's Turlock library event.
More Local Reading
For the numbers behind the Gateway Marketplace boom and Merced's wider market, read the City Development Tracker: November 2026 for the latest projects and council decisions, and the New Business Openings: October 2026 roundup for the retail wave leading up to Dunkin'. For the countywide housing picture, the November 2026 Merced real estate market update covers median prices, days on market, and inventory. With Veterans Day and its observances ahead, the Free This Weekend guide for November 14 to 15 plans your next few days out. You can explore the Merced, Atwater, Livingston, and Mariposa service area pages for a closer look at each community.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Local News Digest
What is the Merced County Local News Digest?
It is a weekly roundup from Monica Franks, The Seller's Agent, covering top community, business, and development stories across Merced, Atwater, Turlock, Livingston, Winton, Chowchilla, Catheys Valley, Mariposa, and nearby Central Valley communities. Each digest links to the original reporting and focuses on positive, broadly useful news.
How are the stories in the digest chosen?
Each week's stories are selected from reputable local outlets, city and county pages, school districts, and community organizations, and every story is checked against the original source before it is published. Crime reports and politically divisive topics are left out so the digest stays useful and uplifting.
I have a local story to share. How do I suggest it?
Send it to Monica through the contact page or call (209) 345-3836. Local business milestones, school and nonprofit news, development updates, and community events from anywhere in Merced County are always welcome.
The Seller's Agent. Monica combines deep Merced County market knowledge with a polished, confident approach that gets results for home sellers across the Central Valley. Serving Merced, Atwater, McSwain, Livingston, Turlock, Winton, Chowchilla, Catheys Valley, and Mariposa. Learn more about Monica's approach on her about page.
See a story worth sharing? Tell your local agent.
Monica is always happy to hear what is happening in your neighborhood, and she is ready to talk about your home whenever you are. Call (209) 345-3836 or use the form below for a free, no-obligation consultation.
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