NORTH FORK – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has received reports that at least five residences in the Cascadel Woods subdivision were burglarized during the mandatory evacuation due to the Willow Fire. The burglaries reported so far have involved houses on Vista Drive and most of them were discovered in the late evening hours on Sunday as residents were returning ...

NORTH FORK – The Willow Fire is now estimated at 5,502 acres and is 70 percent contained. Fire crews will continue mopping up hot spots and improving finelines. Smoke can still be seen within the fire as interior islands and heavy down material smolder. While 450 structures were threatened, not a single one was lost. Six minor injuries have been ...

OAKHURST – UPDATE Monday, Aug. 3, 2015: After 63 days hand-cycling across the United States, former Marine and YHS grad Toran “Chance” Gaal has made it to Arlington. That was his goal. For a complete update on Toran’s journey, check out USA Today. And now, here’s the story we told a month ago: A Yosemite High School graduate and former ...

COUNTY – Two wildfires, Willow Fire in Madera County and Cabin Fire in Tulare County, have prompted local air officials to issue a health cautionary statement for smoke impacts throughout the eight-county air basin: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the Valley portion of Kern counties. As any local resident can attest, currently smoke impacts are concentrated ...

Click here for more Willow Fire photos from Saturday through Tuesday (Facebook)

COARSEGOLD – Local instructor Don Cirillo will offer a free one hour demonstration of Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese method of harmonizing body and mind. The workshop is set for Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 10 – 11 a.m. at the Coarsegold Community Center. There is no charge for this demo class. The introductory program will explain Tai Chi and its ...

SACRAMENTO – With wildfires burning across the state being continually exacerbated by severe drought conditions and extreme weather, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today declared a state of emergency in California to help mobilize additional firefighting and disaster response resources. “California’s severe drought and extreme weather have turned much of the state into a tinderbox,” said Governor Brown. “Our courageous ...

OAKHURST – The Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the selection of a new Executive Director, Joelle V. Leder, who is set to begin her new position on Monday, Aug. 17. With more than ten years’ experience in sales, marketing, public relations, social media and as an Operations Director, the Chamber looks forward to Leder providing knowledge ...

MARIPOSA – Cousin Jack’s Mariposa Evenings – brought to you by The Mariposa County Arts Council and its many fine sponsors – continues into its tenth weekend of thirteen, presenting, live in concert, Bagby Station on Friday, August 7, and Todd Novak & The Benny Hillbilleez on Saturday, August 8. Denise Ludington, leader and songwriter of Bagby Station, is a ...

EARTH – You know that phrase, “once in a blue moon,” that people say when something comes around infrequently? Well, do whatever it is you’ve been putting off, because that blue moon — the second full moon in a single month — is happening on Friday, July  31 at 3:44 a.m. PST. That’s basically tonight, or tomorrow morning, depending on ...