World Ag Expo will kick off its 46th annual show tomorrow, February 12, 2013 in Tulare, California.

Gates open at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, and the playing of the National Anthem will be followed by a two-plane flyover, expected shortly before 10:00 a.m.

The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo touts more than 1,400 exhibitors who display cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show grounds.

Fresno Pacific University and the University of California, Merced have entered into a partnership to help train and keep more highly-qualified teachers in the Central Valley.

The partnership, called the Central Valley Teacher Prep Partnership, provides a career pathway from undergraduate education at the University of California to professional preparation programs located Fresno Pacific University’s center in Merced.

The partnership builds on Fresno Pacific's expertise in teacher education and UC Merced’s pool of students who are interested in education and desire to stay local, coordinators for the program say.

The program is expected to launch this summer.

“I’m really proud of the work we’ve done,” said the chair of the Fresno Pacific's Division of Teacher Education Linda Hoff in a press release. “A public-private partnership is unusual; a partnership between the University of California and a small, faith-based institution is very unusual.”

A man died after he was severely beaten early Monday morning in Merced.

Police Officers responded to an assault call in the 300 block of East 15th Street around 3:45 a.m. where they discovered the man, whose identity is being withheld pending the notification of his next of kin.

The victim was transported to Mercy Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Seven to14 suspects approached the man and his adult son and began to harass them, according to statements given to police by witnesses. Both of them were in separate cars parked alongside the road.

The group, police said was heard yelling gang-related words prior to the assault. The son ran to the near-by homeless shelter and asked them to call the police.

Detectives have been assigned to the case and are working on any leads. If anyone has information about this homicide, they are strongly encouraged to call the police department.

This is the first homicide reported for this year.