OAKHURST – It’s a dough-down throwdown. Set aside some time soon for a perfect combo of fundraising, football and pizza, as once again, the community will “vote” on which restaurant bakes the most delicious slice in town. Sierra Oakhurst Kiwanis and the Coarsegold PTO are sponsoring the annual “Best Pizza in Oakhurst” contest at the Community Center on Sunday, Jan. ...

PASADENA — New Year’s Day is expected to be beautiful in Southern California this year, and anyone who watches the annual Rose Parade on television or in person on Friday, Jan. 1, will have a couple of chances to see foothill-area locals participate in the popular extravaganza, now celebrating its 127th year. The Rose Parade will be followed by the ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Dec. 20 through Dec. 27, 2015. North Fork burglary On Sunday, Dec. 20 at 8:47 a.m., a deputy was dispatched to the 60000 block of Happy Oak Lane regarding a burglary. Report written, evidence obtained, no arrests made, and case closed due to ...

OAKHURST – Gentle voices, simple songs, and sincere kindness with calm, focused bedside attention can bring ease and comfort to the dying, say organizers of Threshold Choir, a compassionate network of primarily women’s a cappella choirs whose members lift their voices in song for people in hospice and for others at the thresholds of life. An Oakhurst chapter is now ...

COARSEGOLD – At a time when indigenous languages are routinely threatened with extinction around the world, it’s reassuring to know that native speakers and cooperating scholars in this neighborhood are working together to preserve what precious words remain. One of those people is local educator Heather McGrew. Achieving a personal milestone that is bound to impact history, Heather received her ...

By Virginia Eaton — When my children were young, I saved my resolutions for September when they went back to school, when I could organize myself enough to begin thinking about making positive changes. Over the years I resolved all the usual things: to be more organized, lose weight, gain weight, cut coupons, learn French, learn Spanish, clean out the ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – A little bit of rain is likely in the Oakhurst area overnight, says the National Weather Service in Hanford, California, starting after 4 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 28, with a 60 percent chance of precipitation amounting to less than a tenth of an inch. Rain showers are predicted to turn to rain and snow showers, with fairly ...

OAKHURST – If you were one of the estimated eight-or-nine hundred people who came out on the first Saturday of December for the annual Oakhurst Community Christmas Tree lighting, then you already know it was a joyful night. It’s been nearly twenty days since then, and the 55-foot tall tree is still shining on the Talking Bear corner, now being ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning to take effect for the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to Kings Canyon, including Yosemite Valley, starting at 4 a.m. PST on Thursday, Dec. 24 and lasting through 4 a.m. PST on Friday, Dec. 25. Hanford says snow accumulations could reach 8 to 16 inches in some areas, ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – The first full day of winter was a wet one, and while a flash flood watch expired at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 22, area residents can look forward to just a little break in the rain on Wednesday, Dec. 23, before another system, colder but drier, moves in on Thursday, ending on Friday. According to the ...