Jonah Seth Mackenzie Thomas, 22, of Mariposa passed away on Sept. 28, 2018. Jonah was born and raised in Turlock. He was a hardworking devoted family man, known for his big heart and a personality that would brighten any room. Jonah is survived by his fiancé Ailene Nicole Hogan of Mariposa, their two daughters, Aaliyah and Jaycee and baby number ...

SACRAMENTO – Today’s home fires burn faster than ever, says Cal Fire, and it’s time to Look, Listen and Learn during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 7-13. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Knowing how to use that time takes planning and ...

O’NEALS – Two drivers are under arrest for DUI this evening after both crashed their trucks near Minarets High School during a failed passing maneuver. Just before 7 p.m., Elijah Johnson, 27, of Coarsegold was eastbound in a GMC pickup on Road 200 about a mile east of Highway 41. Right behind him, in a Chevy pickup, was Bo Lewis, ...

Maxine Louise Brogdon – March 19, 1929 – October 3, 2018 Maxine Louise Brogdon, nee Kindall, was born in Ontario, Oregon on March 19, 1929 to parents John Thomas Kindall and Lucile May Kindall. She was the second child, born one year and one day after her brother Harold. She passed away peacefully at the home of her son and ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park has announced the 2018 recipients of the park’s Volunteer of the Year awards. These prestigious awards are bestowed annually to outstanding volunteers in nine different categories for exemplary service to Yosemite National Park. In 2017, Yosemite National Park hosted over 10,734 volunteers who donated over 139,500 hours to help with a wide variety of volunteer ...

VALLEJO — U.S. Forest Service investigators have determined the cause of the Ferguson Fire to be vehicle-related. Specifically, investigators believe superheated pieces of a catalytic converter came into contact with dry, roadside vegetation, igniting the fire. The Ferguson Fire started on the evening of Friday, July 13, along eastbound Highway 140 near Savage Trading Post at 8:30 p.m. (South Fork ...

SACRAMENTO –  The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has announced the availability of up to $155 million for Fire Prevention and Forest Health projects. Cal Fire is soliciting applications for projects that will “help prevent catastrophic wildfires and restore forest health while also sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” Cal Fire’s Fire Prevention Grants Program ...

PRATHER – Residents in Eastern Madera County may see smoke from prescribed burning over the next few months as the High Sierra Ranger District implements their fall/winter prescribed burn program, set to be completed before the end of the year as cooler weather and moisture arrives across the area. Fire activity throughout the state and across the country has moderated, ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – Caltrans crews have cleared the roadway on SR-140 in Mariposa County and it is now open. Crews will continue to patrol for any obstacles that may fall into the roadway, especially in areas that have recently burned during wildfires. Motorists should slow down and use extreme especially in curvy areas where whatever is around the next corner ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is planning a preemptive closure of State Route 140 into Yosemite National Park to protect public safety in the Ferguson Fire burn scar area due to a storm event that they say is likely to impact the roadway. The National Weather Service is forecasting 1-3 inches of rain in a one-hour ...