MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Monday, Dec. 19 to Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016: North Fork family disturbance On Monday, Dec. 19 at 5:40 a.m. deputies were dispatched to a family disturbance in the 31000 block of Road 222. Upon arrival, one adult female was arrested for being under ...

By Michael Vaughan — OAKHURST — Minarets boys soccer earned a hard fought 1-0 win at Yosemite on Thursday, Dec. 22. The physical game was knotted 0-0 at halftime with neither team able to capitalize in the final one-third of the field. In the second half, Minarets looked much more threatening. Junior captain Jacob Cullen, also the Mustangs’ Varsity quarterback, broke ...

SACRAMENTO — With the new year just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to inform the public of several new laws or changes to existing law that, unless otherwise noted, take effect on January 1, 2017. The following are summaries of some transportation-related laws taking effect, according to the DMV. Use of Electronic Wireless Devices ...

OAKHURST — Local thrift shop Cause 4 Paws invites the mountain community to attend a craft class on Friday, Dec. 30.  Participants in the class will create two decorative objects to be used at home. The first craft project will be a Puzzle Piece Picture Frame: each person in the class will decorate a plain picture frame with pieces from a jigsaw ...

OAKHURST — The motto at Yosemite Mortgage is, “your local hometown lender, doing more than others expect,” and the family company has been serving the mountain community with that in mind for decades, building relationships as a top priority. It all began with Roger Schneider, born and raised in Fresno, and a resident of the mountain area since the 1960s. ...

OAKHURST — When Anthony Gonzales’s truck was stolen from a local business on Halloween, he was forced to use his dirt bike for transportation, and it looked like Christmas might be tough this year. But an encounter with a Madera County Sheriff’s deputy at the gas station yesterday brought some Christmas cheer, rather than the feared citation for an expired ...

CENTRAL SIERRA – Anyone taking to the mountain highways over the weekend should avoid any unwanted delays by making sure there are traction devices in their vehicle. Chain control is now in place on Highway 41 about 3.5 miles north of Cedar Springs. The location could change as conditions warrant. Chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel-drives with snow tires ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — In the midst of the holiday season we’re sharing the stories of a dozen groups and nonprofit organizations whose members are making a difference in our communities. We’ve profiled education, art, community, theater, broadcast, wildlife, music and more. Now we turn to our feline and canine companions, and the local organization that has been steadfast in its efforts to ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — The National Weather Service has upgraded the winter storm watch to a winter storm warning for the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to Kings Canyon, beginning Friday, Dec. 23 at 10 a.m. The winter storm watch continues through 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24. According to the NWS, snow will begin above 6,000 feet in the Yosemite area ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — In the midst of the holiday season we want to share the stories of a dozen groups and nonprofit organizations whose members are making a difference in our communities. We’ve profiled education, art, community, theater, broadcast, wildlife, and more. Here’s a story about music. For our tenth day, we focus on the all-inclusive Oakhurst Community Concert Band. Day ...