WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The WEA portion of the test commences at 11:18 a.m., and the EAS portion follows at 11:20 a.m. The test will assess the ...

Written by Scarlett Bullock – MARIPOSA – The Yosemite Area Audubon Association (YAAS) invites the public to attend their next meeting on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Mariposa. Beth Pratt, California’s Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, will be presenting a program on how Los Angeles residents embraced living with the ...

SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today shared the progress it has made in partnership with customers, community leaders and first responders to reduce wildfire risks and improve safety following the 2017 statewide wildfires and in response to the ever-growing wildfire threat in California. Launched in late March 2018, the company’s Community Wildfire Safety Program has developed ...

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE – The Harvest Moon will rise on the nights of Monday, Sept. 24 and Tuesday, Sept. 25, — it’s traditionally the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox of Sept. 22. The moon is precisely full at 7:52 p.m. PST on Monday, Sept. 24 and should look round and bright for both nights. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, around this time ...

YOSEMITE – Though the firefight has ended on the nearly 97,000-acre Ferguson Fire and only a few smokes remain throughout the interior, the work of repair and restoration continues. On a recent trip to Yosemite West, I was escorted by Anne Grandy, retired from the Bass Lake Ranger District and now serving as a PIO on the South Central Sierra ...

MARIPOSA — Join the Upper Merced River Watershed Council and friends as they celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in El Portal on Saturday night, Oct. 6, with a special showing of 10 films showcasing frontline activism and stunning cinematography. Featured will be a collection of 10 films from this year’s Wild ...

First responders of all stripes are being recognized with a new commemorative stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service. The stamp features an image in red, white and blue of a firefighter, a paramedic and a police officer. “Fires, medical emergencies, accidents, and violent crimes require us to look to those who possess the training and knowledge to treat the ...

MARIPOSA — The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has upgraded their Emergency Alert System from Nixle to the parent company of Everbridge, the worldwide leader in unified critical communications, “to keep residents, staff and emergency personnel safe and informed with quick and reliable emergency notifications and public service announcements.” The Sheriff’s Office will begin using the newly named “Mariposa County Sheriff ...

YOSEMITE  – In honor of National Public Lands Day, the entrance fee to Yosemite National Park is being waived, and transportation to the park is free that day, as well. Saturday, Sept. 22 is a fee-free day at Yosemite National Park, as are three other days this year, through the National Park Service. The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not ...

MARIPOSA – The Mariposa Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will be hosting a moderated Election Forum for Mariposa County featuring 3rd District School Board candidates and Measure M, the proposed 2 percent increase in the Transit Occupancy Tax. The purpose of this two-part non-partisan forum is to facilitate an exchange between the community and School Board ...