O’NEALS–After a night of high winds around the area, power outages are being reported and some schools are going to be closed today. The Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) outage center states crews are in the area and power is expected to be restored by 11:30AM. We will update this article when more information is available. A message went out ...

O’NEALS–The tiny town of O’Neals has had a post office since 1887. The town area of approximately 500 citizens is home to Spring Valley Elementary School, Minarets High School, including 2 Charter schools and Ponderosa Telephone.  Westbrook Wine Farm (a lovely boutique wine farm) and a handful of home businesses also call O’neals home. The local office for J. S. ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Every year, Soroptimist of The Sierras gives three cash awards for their Live Your Dream program to women completing their education. This year, at their award ceremony and spring tea luncheon, the applicants chosen to receive the $1,500 awards included Karen Wood, Sarah Howard, and Krystal Anderson. Live Your Dream Award recipients may use the cash award ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Yosemite High School won the 2023 Honorable Edward P. Moffat Madera County Mock Trial held on February 8, 9, 15, and 16, 2023. Yosemite High’s defense and Madera South High School’s prosecution teams competed in the championship round held on Thursday, February 16. Yosemite won the competition and will attend the State Mock Trial on behalf of ...

MADERA COUNTY — Jordan Franks will be charged with robbery and battery during this year’s Honorable Edward P. Moffat Madera County Mock Trial on February 8, 9, 15, and 16. The Mock Trial is a simulation of a court case with high school students acting as attorneys, witnesses, clerks and bailiffs.  This year students will try the fictional case People vs. ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Yosemite High School’s drumline team has been using the same equipment since 2005. It’s well past its life expectancy and they are in desperate need of financial support from the community in order to raise the funds needed for the purchase of new marching percussion equipment. Student numbers are growing but they cannot admit any new drumline ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — The Oakhurst Democratic Club has announced that five area seniors have received the 2022 Eleanor Roosevelt Service Award, which comes with $500 to help offset college and vocational school expenses. Student applications were evaluated primarily on their volunteer hours and activities within the community. Winners from Yosemite High School are Tessa Butcher, Makayla Jeffris, Sebastian Rosales-Valdez, and ...

OAKHURST — It was the day after Christmas 12-26-21, and our area had been receiving some much-needed snow. Families were very excited for the chance to play in the snow together, even though officials had been recommending against travel into the Sierra Nevada Mountains for the week leading up to Christmas, as we reported here. I had spent the day ...

By Janine Alven, student journalist for Minarets Press At Minarets, there is a wide variety of students so it’s only right for these students to have a variety of opinions on what is affecting them. Recently, the COVID-19 vaccine mandate has caused controversies among the students; some are for the vaccine mandate and others are against the mandate, while there ...

O’NEALS — The 49th annual Indian Fair Days and Pow Wow will be held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 3-4 at Minarets High. The popular community event, sponsored by the nonprofit Sierra Mono Museum, is the longest-running pow wow in Central California. North Fork and surrounding areas are home to many members of the Mono, a tribe who has lived in ...