OAKHURST — As part of his commitment to making communities safer, Madera County Vector Control District assistant biologist Trinidad Reyes will present a workshop at the Oakhurst Branch Library. The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, July 28 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Reyes will lead the workshop, with a presentation about the lifestyle and habitats of mosquitoes. The workshop will take place in ...

Submitted by Tony Misner — OAKHURST — Want to work hard, get dirty, and travel across the country in an exhilerating position that’s a meaningful career and not just a job? Here’s an opportunity to become a wildland firefighter — and the classes are free. Yosemite Adult School, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, will be offering two Wildland ...

MADERA COUNTY — Good news for those who were concerned about anticipated delays on Highway 41 and Highway 49 for the next several weeks — especially with the extended closure of Highway 140 near the El Portal entrance to Yosemite National Park, due to the Ferguson Fire. Caltrans has decided to postpone the previously scheduled paving project. Caltrans, in cooperation ...

I love to hike up the Mono Pass Trail. There is something about those views of Mono Pass, up Parker Pass and Kuna Crest that make me feel like I am on top of the world. But clouds make it extra special, casting shadows on those multi-colored mountains, changing the colors with every cloud. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 10.22 ...

YOSEMITE – Three Yosemite National Park employees were honored on July 4th by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke at the 73rd Honor Award Convocation Ceremony in Washington, D.C. Park Ranger Jesse McGahey, Park Ranger Philip N. Johnson, and Firefighter/Paramedic Nick Bliss received the Valor Award of the Department of the Interior for heroic actions, courage, and professionalism exhibited in ...

YOSEMITE — Compared to this week in 2017 (the lowest year on record for bear incidents), park rangers say bear incidents in 2018 are down by 63% and damage amounts (in dollars) are down by 39%. Compared to this week in 1998 (when incidents in the park peaked), bear incidents in 2018 are down by 99%, and damages are down ...

YOSEMITE — Rangers in Yosemite National Park say Porcupine Flat Campground is open as of Friday, July 6. Located in the northern area of the park along Tioga Road, Porcupine Flat is first come, first served and is $12 per night per site. There is no potable water at this campground. Trailers and recreational vehicles are not recommended. Please call ...

YOSEMITE — Rangers say Bridalveil Creek Campground opened Sunday, July 1. Bridalveil is first come, first served and is $18 per night for family sites. Bridalveil Creek’s three horse camp sites will not be opening at this time due to hazard tree removal. An opening date for horse camps will be announced as soon as they are habitable. Horse camp ...

YOSEMITE — With many people road-tripping to make the most out of the July 4th break and summer vacation, one option has emerged as the most popular and hassle-free way to visit some of the largest trees on earth. Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park recently reopened following three years of restoration. Amtrak San Joaquin train and ...

YOSEMITE — Thanks to the Yosemite Conservancy and the San Francisco Zoo, Yosemite National Park now has the makings of a robust population of California red-legged frogs in Yosemite Valley, after decades of absence. In the early 1950s American bullfrogs were introduced in Yosemite Valley. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, American bullfrogs were intentionally introduced into the western United States as a ...