YOSEMITE — El Portal Road (Highway 140) inside Yosemite National Park has reopened after being closed overnight due to what was described as a “small debris flow.” Motorists are warned to watch for debris on all park roads as the first significant rains of the season pass through. Check road conditions by calling 209-372-0200 (press 1, then 1 again).

YOSEMITE — El Portal Road (Highway 140) inside Yosemite National Park is closed from the park boundary to its junction with Big Oak Flat Road due to small debris flows. No estimated time has been given for reopening. More details will follow as we have more information. UPDATE: El Portal Road has reopened as of 7:30 am on Friday, November ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Just before 3 a.m. this morning, firefighters responded to reports of a vegetation fire on Road 600 south of Ahwahnee. As firefighters were working to contain the “600 Fire” near the intersection of Road 810 (Acton Grade), another report came in at 3:27 p.m. from a sheriff’s deputy of another fire about 1/2 mile south at Leland ...

BASS LAKE — Exactly one year to the day that Mary O’Keefe was arrested for the murder of North Fork resident Bonnie Hale, she will stand trial on the charges. O’Keefe, 65, of North Fork, has been in custody since her arrest on Dec. 18, 2016, charged with first degree murder with an elder abuse enhancement. She pleaded not guilty ...

MADERA COUNTY — Sheriff Jay Varney announced today that one of the suspects from the robbery and murder at the Tackle Box in Madera on Monday has been arrested. Armitraj Singh Athwal, 22, of Modesto, was arrested near Kerman by Fresno County Sheriff deputies on an unrelated offense, about 40 minutes after the robbery of the Tackle Box and the ...

OAKHURST — One man was taken to the hospital and traffic was reduced to one lane after a collision just north of Oakhurst late this afternoon. CHP, Cal Fire and Madera County Fire responded to reports of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 49 just north of Rio del Vista Drive, blocking the roadway. Initial reports were of a car into ...

COARSEGOLD — Two separate accidents slowed traffic through the Coarsegold area this afternoon, one on the north end of town and another at Road 417. Just before 2 p.m., CHP, Cal Fire and Madera County Fire responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 41 and Road 417. A woman from Simi Valley was northbound and waiting at ...

MADERA COUNTY — Connor Lusk is a 13-year-old member of Coarsegold 4-H who put his money where his heart is – donating nearly $1,500 to the Madera County Sheriff’s Citizens on Patrol (COPs) where his dad has served for the past 18 months. Lloyd Green is not Connor’s biological dad, but “loves Connor with every breath and would do anything ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Doug Binnewies has announced that he will run for re-election to the office of Mariposa County Sheriff-Coroner. Sheriff Binnewies released this statement yesterday, announcing his intention to seek a third term: I’m very humbled to share that both the Mariposa County Sheriffs’ Management Association and the Mariposa County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association have endorsed my pursuit to be ...

NORTH FORK — A structure fire in North Fork this morning destroyed a home just south of town. Just after 8 a.m., firefighters were called out to reports of a fire at the end of To-Nobi Way. Cal Fire Engine 4255 out of Rancheria Station was first on scene, and reported a residential mobile home fully engulfed with threat to ...