MADERA COUNTY – The man accused of causing the death of a young boy on Bass Lake on June 27, and causing traumatic injuries to a teenage girl in the same jet ski incident, will soon be formally arraigned on charges including misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter. Phat Chau, 55, is expected to appear in Madera Superior Court at Bass Lake on ...

YOSEMITE – A historic rededication ceremony on the Tioga Road, conducted exactly 100 years after the original dedication ceremony, was held in Yosemite National Park yesterday. Former First Lady Laura Bush, Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher, and Yosemite Conservancy Vice President Jerry Edelbrock participated in the reenactment ceremony. Highlights of the event included a rechristening of the road, a ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – The Bass Lake Farmer’s Market is still scheduled for today despite the Willow Fire. Show the folks at Bass Lake your support and see what delicacies they have today. BASS LAKE FARMER’S MARKET is held every Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Pines Village at Bass Lake. The Bass Lake Farmer’s Market is sponsored by ...

AHWAHNEE – Juniors and beginners can learn to golf for free at Sierra Meadows in the next month, as organizers plan to host a series golf clinics so locals and visitors can get a taste of what’s great about the sport. The two-hour workshops will be offered to the public at no charge by local golf pros Mike Best and Roger Lyon. The sessions ...

MADERA COUNTY – Charges have been filed against a San Jose man in connection with the death of a young boy on Bass Lake on June 27. The boy died after being run over by a wave runner, reportedly operated by Phat Chau. Chau, 55, has been charged with misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter after allegedly running over 13-year-old David Flores of ...

NORTH FORK – A fast moving fire burning on the Sierra National Forest between North Fork and Bass Lake started today at about 2 p.m. Residents are lining Road 274 taking photos and video of the huge tower of smoke rising about the Willow Creek drainage. Road 274 between Old Central Camp Road and Central Camp Road is closed, along ...

COARSEGOLD – Local resident Sandra McCart has been writing since she was a teenager, and now, more than sixty years later, the newly-crowned octogenarian author has published her first novel. According to Sandra, who writes under the name Sandra Masters, it’s worth the wait. Her new book is called, “Once Upon A Duke,” and it’s the first of a series. ...

OAKHURST – The public is invited once again to Gaze and Graze at Timberline Gallery’s Celebration of Tasteful Art. The show is in its second week, and this Saturday, July 25, from 2 – 4 p.m., there’s a reception featuring a selection of delightful local restaurants serving treats alongside the fabulous renderings of their fine foods. Tasteful Art is a ...

OAKHURST – A tractor-trailer rig that hit the embankment on Deadwood this morning caused traffic back-up for over four hours. Kevin Schroeder, 30, of Sacramento, was southbound out of Oakhurst at 6:35 a.m. in a Freightliner pulling a 53-foot trailer when, for unknown reasons, he struck the embankment on the right side of the road. The tractor-trailer came to rest ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – The local chapter affiliate of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) team is up and running and participated in their first disasters beginning on June 18, during the Sky Fire in Oakhurst and the Corrine Fire in North Fork, aiding the evacuees in two shelter locations in Oakhurst. The Calvin Crest camp counselors came out with only ...