NORTH FORK — The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has issued a per-evacuation advisory for the town of North Fork due to rising water levels in Bass Lake. There has been an increased discharge of water from the lake, which lies just above the town of North Fork, and with this information, the Sheriff’s Office is issuing a Pre-Evacuation Advisory for ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Free income tax return preparation and electronic filing, for both California state and federal returns, will be available again this year for mountain area residents, offered by the AARP Tax-Aide program. Services are provided free of all costs and charges, to low and moderate income taxpayers of all ages. Tax returns are prepared by specially trained and ...

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA – With a series of wet storms hitting Northern and Central California, now is the time to sign up for emergency alerts from the Sheriff’s Office. Residents are advised to do so now — it only takes a minute. In Madera County, MCAlert is used in the event of emergencies or natural disasters such as floods and severe weather, and ...

YOSEMITE — All roads leading into Yosemite Valley will close today at 5 p.m. in anticipation of a significant winter storm moving into the region early tomorrow morning, Saturday, Jan. 7. There will be no visitor services available throughout the storm. Visitors intending to visit Yosemite National Park are highly encouraged to monitor weather reports and check road conditions before ...

CALIFORNIA — Most people would not know what to do in the event of a vehicle accident that involves live power lines. Understanding the dangers and taking specific precautions could save your life. PG&E urges motorists who are in an accident involving power lines to follow these important instructions. If your vehicle comes into contact with a downed power line: ...

BASS LAKE — An Oakhurst woman who crashed her car off the side of a winding road at Bass Lake today has a group of tree workers to thank for rescuing her from the overturned vehicle. At 3:20 this afternoon, the 44-year-old woman was westbound along Road 432 “hurrying to get back to work,” according to her rescuers. As she ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Monday, Dec. 26, 2016 to Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017: Coarsegold assault On Monday, Dec. 26 at 2:38 a.m. a deputy was dispatched to the 31000 block of Apache Road regarding an assault. During the investigation a suspect was identified and a warrant was placed for ...

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA — A flash flood watch remains in effect from this afternoon through Thursday afternoon in the Mariposa, Madera and Fresno County Foothills from Yosemite to Kings Canyon, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) Hanford. Heavy rainfall is expected during this period resulting in rapid rises along small streams and rivers and the threat of flash flooding. Rainfall ...

This is the start of the fifth year for the History Mystery on Sierra News Online. We would like to thank SNO, our loyal readers, and all those who have submitted information regarding our History Mysteries. The six organizations that prepare these mysteries have gained much information that they can pass on to the public. We are all fortunate to ...

CALIFORNIA — We’ve covered laws from the DMV including those pertaining to use of wireless electronic devices, child car safety seats, motorcycle lane-splitting and related others in an earlier report that’s available for review at this link. Governor Jerry Brown signed over 800 California laws in 2016. Here are a handful that go into effect Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, unless otherwise noted: ...