OAKHURST — Just before noon today, Jennifer Christenson was traveling south on Highway 41, leaving Oakhurst and heading up Deadwood toward Coarsegold. Just south of Victoria Lane, she saw what none of us ever wants to see. “There was a big plume of smoke and I thought, ‘Gosh what an idiot! Who’s doing the burn pile right now?” Jennifer was about ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — A cold front is expected to move onshore into the Pacific Northwest this evening as a strengthening upper-level trough approaches the West Coast, according to the National Weather Service.  An active fall storm pattern brings areas of heavy rain and high elevation snow, they say, while Northern California will benefit from rainfall this week, aiding the firefighting effort ...

MADERA COUNTY — Stand by homeowners, property owners and others, as secured property tax bills for 2017-18 are currently being dolled up and doled out, according to officials. “It’s that time of year again,” reports Tracy Kennedy, Madera County Treasurer-Tax Collector.  “We have just begun the 2017-18 tax season by printing and mailing our property tax bills.” Over 56,000 tax ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Monday, Oct. 9  to Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. Coarsegold danger to self On Monday, Oct. 9 at 5:19 a.m. a deputy was dispatched to regarding a person possibly in need of a mental health evaluation hold. Upon contact the subject was determined to ...

OAKHURST — A vegetation fire on Deadwood between Oakhurst and Coarsegold caused the temporary closure of Highway 41 Sunday night. At about 9:17 p.m on Sunday, Oct. 15, firefighters were called out to respond to what the reporting party referred to as a “very large fire” on Highway 41 near Road 425C. The first engine on scene reported the grass ...

By Keiana Cramblett, Club Reporter COARSEGOLD — As October rolls on, my mom and I are getting ready for farrowing season. Farrowing is the act of a sow giving birth to a litter of piglets. A sow is a female pig who has farrowed a litter. A pig’s gestation period is 114 days (3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days). ...

COARSEGOLD – Hairy legs? Perfect! You’re ready for arachnid races races, costume parades, hairy legs contest, pizza eating, pumpkin cake, poetry, and crafts, as the Tarantula Festival creeps back into Coarsegold Historic Village this month for its 20th incarnation. Also known as the Tarantula Awareness Festival, it’s a very special day with family fun for all ages in a great community ...

COARSEGOLD — An accident on Highway 41 involving a school bus slowed traffic for well over an hour this afternoon. Today at about 1:50 p.m., a Yosemite School District bus was southbound on Highway 41 and was stopped, waiting for traffic to clear to make a left turn onto Mecca Lane. According to CHP, traffic on northbound Highway 41 was ...

The Animal Compassion Team (ACT) foster and adoption program has a new Dog of the Week for Sierra News Online. Here’s what she has to say. “Hi, my name is Daisy! I am an adorable three-month-old Shepherd and Lab mix! I am about 15-20 pounds now and will be about 45-60 pounds when full grown. “I am a very quiet ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Educational options are changing across the nation and some of those flexible choices are being offered locally, says Chawanakee Principal Rhonda Corippo. “Chawanakee Academy and Minarets High School have chosen to strengthen and support the option for students to customize their high school experience,” says Corippo. Through concurrent enrollment, students can now choose independent study/home school classes, ...