OAKHURST – The success of Airbnb and other home-sharing websites has created “a serious shortage” of long-term rental properties in Eastern Madera County, say those familiar with the rental market. On a scale of one to ten, Rhonda Salisbury, CEO at Visit Yosemite | Madera County, thinks the problem is “at least a seven or eight.” “But we’re not unique,” ...

MADERA – The Madera County Board of Supervisors will decide at their regular meeting Tuesday whether to approve a $1.97-million dollar contract to build Madera County’s first public roundabout in North Fork at the intersection of Roads 225 and 274. The controversial project has been in the planning stages for nearly three years and would be funded, in large part, ...

OAKHURST – An Oakhurst acupuncturist who also makes Chinese herbal formulas used to treat thoroughbred race horses felt a personal connection to Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. While Gloria Garland spent most of Saturday clearing brush at Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park, she still found time to watch the 145th running of the Derby. “Wow, what an amazing and contentious race!” she said ...

OAKHURST – Camarena Health remains on track to open its new urgent care clinic in Oakhurst soon. The “community-based” healthcare provider is currently in the process of remodeling the old Sierra Star building on Road 426 and will open the new clinic when the renovation work is complete, Camarena CEO Paulo Soares said Monday. “We are very excited to expand ...

OAKHURST – Vietnam veteran Floyd Barnett didn’t mind driving two hours from Visalia to Oakhurst Saturday to take part in the Veterans Stand Down. “The folks that run this are terrific and always help me out,” Barnett says. “And it’s a great place to meet my brothers and sisters. Sometimes I don’t get to see them at the VA. So ...

COARSEGOLD — A “fun run” and lively Cornhole competition were just two of the highlights of this weekend’s “Hootenanny” at the Coarsegold Rodeo Grounds. The second-annual event is a fundraiser for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF). Event organizer Erin Capuchino said this year’s hootenanny was expected to draw more than 200 attendees. Last year’s inaugural event raised about $7,000 for ...

NORTH FORK — A plan to build a new water treatment facility to service the North Fork area continues to flow forward. “We’ve been making pretty good progress,” says Ray Gutierrez, an engineer in Madera County’s Public Works Department, which is overseeing the project known as the North Fork Consolidation Plan. A joint venture between the Chawanakee Unified School District ...

MADERA – April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and the two-legged folks at the Madera Animal Shelter are saving the lives of more four-legged creatures than at any other time in the organization’s 50-year history. Innovative new programs supported by a large volunteer base have helped the shelter to make dramatic improvements in its “live release” rates in ...

NORTH FORK — Supervisors are expected to vote next month on a plan to create Madera County’s first public roundabout. The circular intersection in which traffic flows in one direction around a central island could be built at the junction of Roads 225 and 274 in North Fork. The project has been the subject of many presentations and public meetings ...

COARSEGOLD — The pending sale of an apartment complex called the Grandmother’s Village has upended the lives of dozens of local seniors. The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians confirmed this week the tribe is buying the 40-acre property located on Oonay Nation Road. The real estate deal closes escrow May 1. “The property will provide low-income housing for tribal members ...