MADERA — The 47-year-old North Fork man accused of killing prominent Mono tribal elder Gaylen Lee made an appearance in Madera County Superior Court on Wednesday morning. Robert Moye has been held in Madera County DOC on a $3.75 million bond since his arrest July 6 immediately following the shooting, which occurred near Lee’s home in North Fork. In addition ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — The Briceburg Fire has grown to 2,235 acres and is still just 10 percent contained, according to the latest updates issued Tuesday afternoon. Earlier Tuesday morning, CAL FIRE reported the fire’s size at 800 acres, with 10 percent containment. Fire officials in cooperation with the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol will be hosting a ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — As dawn broke Tuesday, the news was guardedly optimistic for nearly 1,000 firefighters battling the so-called Briceburg Fire. The blaze, which started as a 50-acre brush fire, has now increased to 800 acres, according to Cal Fire, with 10 percent containment as of 8 a.m. Tuesday. The fire grew overnight from 550 acres to 800 acres, in ...

NORTH FORK — Local lumberjack Nate Hodges will compete next month in the 2019 Stihl Timbersports World Championships. The event, which takes place Nov. 1-2 in Prague, Czech Republic, brings together more than 100 of the world’s best timbersport athletes from nearly two dozen countries. Hodges, 35, is a local lumberjack legend who has won the North Fork Loggers Jamboree ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Sierra Art Trails 2019 is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the Yosemite foothills this weekend to celebrate art — and the local artists working throughout the area. The three-day event takes place Friday through Sunday (Oct. 4-6) and is one of the highlights of the year for the mountain area art community. Exhibits are underway ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — In 2018, more than 13,000 individuals donated over 132,500 hours to “help” at Yosemite National Park with a wide variety of volunteer projects. Dozens of those generous, community-minded volunteers were recognized late last month when park officials hosted the 2019 Volunteers of the Year Awards at a special ceremony held in Yosemite Valley on Sept. 28. ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five Yosemite National Park employees and two members of the public were honored by Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt at the 74th Honor Award Convocation Ceremony in Washington, D.C. for heroic actions, courage and professionalism in the line of duty. For their actions taken during three separate rescue operations, Park Ranger Aaron Smith, Park Ranger Jack ...

MADERA — County Agricultural Commissioner Stephanie “Stevie” McNeill presented the 2018 Madera County Crop and Livestock report to the Madera County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (October 1) — and the final tally on last year’s overall ag output was impressive. In 2018, the gross value of agricultural production in Madera County was $2,058,474,000 — an increase of $85,025,000 — ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — A new web site — Virtual Yosemite — is now offering a virtual reality (VR) tour of Yosemite National Park and its surrounding areas. The new site, which went live this summer, provides high resolution, 360-degree panoramic views from over 200 locations throughout the sprawling park. Virtual Yosemite was created and photographed by pioneering VR photographer ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — An extensive, park-wide yearly clean-up event — known as a “Facelift” — will take place here beginning later this week. Yosemite National Park and the Yosemite Climbing Association, which sponsor the event, invite the public to participate in the 16th Annual Yosemite Facelift, held each fall to remove litter from around the park after the busy ...