CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : MADERA : Armory Opened to Shelter Homeless

Triggered by overnight temperatures expected to dip below 40 degrees, the National Guard Armory in Madera was to be opened to the homeless Friday night for the first time this fall. This is the second year the armory will be used as a shelter on nights when the National Weather Service predicts lows in the 30s or when it rains and temperatures below 45 degrees are expected. A total of 285 people--mostly men and a few families--spent at least one night in the armory during the two months the Madera County Action Committee opened it last winter.