By Joseph Langley Minarets Press OAKHURST — The Minarets Football team recently won their game against Mariposa, and are moving forward into one of the biggest games of the year! This Friday (Sept. 6) at 5 p.m, the Mustangs are heading to the Yosemite High School stadium to play in one of the biggest games of the season against our ...

OAKHURST — Mountain Area Patriot Day 2019 will give area residents a chance to salute military veterans as well as active duty personnel and emergency responders from around Madera County. The star-spangled event takes place Wednesday — September 11 — at the Mountain Christian Center Auditorium, located at 40299 Hwy 49. The program, which begins at 9 a.m., is billed ...

OAKHURST — Pastry Brasil bakery in Junction Plaza has closed just four months after bringing exotic treats like chocottone and brigadeiros to the heart of Oakhurst. Owner Mary Moreira Holt announced the bakery’s impending end on the business’s Facebook page earlier this week, although that post — and the page itself — has since been taken down. In a now-deleted ...

OAKHURST — In preparation for the 32nd-annual Smokey Bear Run/Walk, a group of participants gathered Wednesday afternoon at Cal Fire Station #12 for a pre-race photo op. This year’s Smokey Bear Run/Walk will take place at Bass Lake on Sept. 21. The event, which kicks off at 7:45 a.m., includes a 10K run, a two-mile run/walk for adults and children ...

OAKHURST — Laurie Thiessen and her three children, Rebekah, Bryce and Ginny, have been named 2019 ‘Volunteers of the Year’ at Fresno Flats Historical Park. For their years of service to the park, the Thiessens will be honored in the Mountain Heritage Day Parade, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 21 in Oakhurst. The Thiessen family began volunteering at ...

BASS LAKE — California American Water has entered into an agreement to acquire Bass Lake Water Company’s potable water distribution system, which serves approximately 1,000 customer connections in the Bass Lake community. The deal, which was announced Tuesday (Sept. 3), has been in the works for some time, according to officials from both companies. “When we agreed to sell we ...

COARSEGOLD — Sunny blue skies and a relatively mild weather forecast were expected to help draw at least 4,000 or 5,000 people over the long weekend to the annual Labor Day Peddlers Fair at Coarsegold’s Historic Village. The event provides an opportunity for vendors specializing in antiques and collectibles to display and “peddle” their exotic wares. There’s also plenty of ...

MADERA — Camarena Health and Kern Family Farm each received a Crystal Tower Award this week at the 16th Annual Business and Education Shareholders’ Luncheon, which hosted by the Madera County Compact. The two businesses were recognized for their partnerships with Madera County schools in front of more than 160 business and community leaders at the Aug. 27 event. The ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — In preparation for a busy Labor Day weekend — and to boost protection for bears and other park wildlife — Yosemite National Park has designated several new ‘Wildlife Protection Zones.’ The zones are located on stretches of roadway throughout the park where bears and other animals have previously been struck by vehicles. Visitors driving in the ...

OAKHURST — Sharon Fitzgerald, board president of EMC SPCA, shared a progress report this week regarding the organization’s new no-kill animal shelter off Highway 49 in Ahwahnee. Fitzgerald, the organization’s driving force for nearly 30 years, is the owner of The Cat’s Meow in Oakhurst. She also operates the EMC SPCA Thrift Shop next door to her store. The 2,000-square-foot ...