MADERA COUNTY — In a vote of 5-0, the Madera County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution to raise the pay of Paid Call Firefighters (PCFs) to a base of $15/hour, and Paid Call Driver Operators to $18/hour, effective Jan. 1, 2017. PCFs, or volunteer firefighters, in Madera County are currently paid minimum wage, now set at $10.50/hour ...

MARIPOSA — The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office warns the public that they have located four credit card skimming machines at two local gas stations in the Mariposa Town area. These elaborate skimmers were located at the Stage Stop Gas Station and the Chevron Gas Station, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The sophisticated skimmers were equipped with blue tooth technology, allowing ...

YOSEMITE — Highway 41 from Wawona to Yosemite Valley has been reopened, according to an alert from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. The roadway was closed yesterday morning due to the large accumulation of snow, and plows have been working since to clear the road. Visitors to the park are reminded to always carry tire chains and be prepared to ...

BASS LAKE — This morning’s work did not go as planned for the drivers of two delivery trucks who bumped into each other on an icy road near The Pines, temporarily blocking one entrance to a popular Bass Lake resort. Just before 9 a.m., two delivery trucks were involved in a minor head-on near the Little Church in the Pines, ...

MADERA COUNTY — Highway 41 is closed north of Fresno between Children’s Blvd. and Avenue 12 due to a fatal crash. Just after 3 p.m., CHP was reportedly pursuing a vehicle that failed to yield, and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase north out of Fresno on Highway 41. CHP tells ABC30 that the officer disengaged in dense traffic ...

MARIPOSA — The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public that they have received three reports over the past week of residents receiving threatening scam phone calls demanding money in exchange for a family member or a friend’s life. “The calls are very aggressive in nature and in some cases a person yelling for help can be heard in ...

MARIPOSA — With mountain area residents experiencing power outages, some may decide to use alternate means to produce heat. Cal Fire reminds everyone that a bad choice can be deadly. You can’t see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, ...

CENTRAL SIERRA — A winter storm warning is now in effect for the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to Kings Canyon National Park, and the Tulare and Kings County mountains, until 8 p.m. this evening. The warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for areas above 3,000 feet, but heavy snow is falling at lower elevations, causing accidents and ...

OAKHURST — As of 9 a.m., Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is reporting 11 power outages in the Oakhurst/ Bass Lake area, affecting 3,881 customers. Heavy snow is bringing down trees and power lines across the area, blocking roads and causing major traffic problems. Chain control is in place over Deadwood on Highway 41 just south of Oakhurst. Restrictions are ...

YOSEMITE — The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has issues an alert advising that Highway 41 is temporarily closed between Wawona and Yosemite Valley due to snow accumulation. Yosemite West residents and visitors and advised not to leave during closure. The road between the south entrance and Wawona is reportedly open, and R2 chain restrictions are in place throughout the park. ...