YOSEMITE – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Highway Patrol re-opened State Route 140 in and near the Ferguson Fire burn scar just after 6:30 a.m. this morning. SR-140, which was shut down just after 7 p.m. last night, was closed for more than 11 hours. This was due to an ongoing storm that impacted the roadway. ...

YOSEMITE – The Wawona Road, El Portal Road and the Big Oak Flat Road will close no later than midnight tonight because of the expected winter storm, say park officials. The Wawona Road will be closed northbound at Chilnualna Falls Road, and southbound at Bridalveil Fall. The El Portal Road will be gated at the park line and at the ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is planning a pre-emptive closure of State Route 140 in and near the Ferguson Fire burn scar beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16. This is due to an ongoing storm that could impact the roadway, and the closure is scheduled for the sake of public safety, says Caltrans. The ...

MADERA – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office will hold a Promotional and Awards Ceremony at the Sheriff’s Headquarters in Madera on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend. The Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce the following internal promotions, effective Jan. 1, 2019: Tyson Pogue – Undersheriff Patrick Majeski – Commander Jason Clark – Lieutenant ...

MADERA – Brittany Dyer has been Madera County District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler’s Chief of Staff since Feb. 2014, and is now moving on to serve as California State Director for American Forests. American Forests is a 143-year-old national non-profit based out of Washington D.C. They have completed natural resource projects including reforestation for many years in California but due ...

MADERA – Madera County Department of Public Health WIC would like to assure the Madera Community members participating in our Supplemental Nutrition Program WIC of the following facts, as confirmed by State WIC: WIC state agencies have enough reserve funding to remain open during the shutdown if it does not become protracted. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has ...

SAN FRANCISCO – As Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) faces billions of dollars in claims over the California wildfires of 2017 and 2018, the company has announced that they intend to file for bankruptcy. In a statement released today, PG&E says they will file petitions to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on or about Jan. 29. ...

FRESNO – California Highway Patrol (CHP) Dispatch Centers is warning the public that they have have received several 911 calls since mid-November 2018 of suspicious people posing as disabled motorists in order to receive money from passing drivers. The vehicles have been described as dark colored SUVs, many of which have out of state license plates. If motorists don’t stop, ...

NORTH FORK – For the 40th year running, someone (or two) will join the ranks of past local luminaries when the town of North Fork bestows upon one of its own the title of “Citizen of the Year.” The North Fork Boosters are accepting nominations through Monday, Jan. 28. Anyone can submit a nomination, with a letter expounding the virtues ...

Personality plus! Prettiest girl alive! Human dynamo! That is how Mary Lou (Talbot) Finley – known to most of us as Lu Lu – is best remembered. A talkative and skinny-legged North Fork native, Lu Lu left her childhood home near Manzanita Lake when she earned silver wings from Western Airlines and began traveling the world as a charismatic flight ...