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A 17-year-old boy accused of murdering an Empire man pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Stanislaus Superior Court Monday.

Nobody was injured — or apparently lost any sleep over — a fire that damaged an Empire home under renovation late Wednesday night.

Long before studios, hippies, method actors and reality-show wannabes headed out west, the Pacific Coast was a destination for farmers, miners, prospectors and other wagon-wheeling homesteaders who were looking for a new way of life.

When I was approached about taking over the news operation at the Merced Sun-Star, I jumped at the opportunity.

Sonya Harrigfeld's secret can't remain under wraps any longer: After nearly eight years of leading Stanislaus County's departments of environmental resources and parks and recreation, she's retiring.