MADERA COUNTY — The County of Madera has established the following locations in the mountain area as Cooling Centers during times of extreme heat. The Centers will be open the days and times of the week as indicated on the list provided below. Other Centers may be opened on an “as needed” basis and will be announced through the Sheriff’s ...

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has issued a warning to taxpayers about bogus phone calls from IRS impersonators demanding payment for a non-existent tax, the “Federal Student Tax.” Even though the tax deadline has come and gone, scammers continue to use varied strategies to trick people, in this first case — students. In this newest twist, they try to ...

OAKHURST — Oakhurst Area CHP implemented a Driver’s License/DUI checkpoint near McDonalds on southbound Highway 41 last Saturday night, with 514 vehicles passing through over the five-hour operation. To keep things running smoothly, officers were positioned along the center divide, and as drivers pulled up, three to four cars at a time were screened. If the backup got too long, ...

MADERA COUNTY — With the June 7th election fast approaching, and the desire to participate at record highs across the state, some residents are still awaiting the arrival of their absentee ballots, which have yet to show up in their mailboxes. A call to the Madera County Elections Division shed some light on the issue, and offered solutions for those ...

NORTH FORK — For 40 years, one dedicated World War II veteran has been honoring those who served by placing flags at each of their graves in the North Fork Cemetery on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. This year, after the community lost this stalwart soldier to cancer, there was a changing of the guard. George Priest passed away in ...

Written by Ronnie Sweeting — MARIPOSA — Now in it’s 25th year, the free summer concert series, Music on the Green kicks off the 2016 season with a weekend of electric blues, presenting Soul Galaxy on Friday, June 3, and on Saturday, June 4, it’s Steve Johnson & Those BobTones. The series is brought to you by The Mariposa County ...

O’NEALS — An estimated 39 acres were burned and several structures lost when what started as a vegetation fire closed Road 211 in the O’Neals area this afternoon. Just before 3 p.m., Vanessa Sammons was checking on her cows at an address between Hildreth Road and Sierra Oaks Lane when she saw a fire burning near the house on the ...

YOSEMITE — California red-legged frogs and Western pond turtles will be restored to Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park after a 50 year absence. The reintroduction is part of a collaborative effort by the National Park Service, the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, Yosemite Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish & Wildlife and NatureBridge. The federally ...

YOSEMITE — As folks head for Yosemite National Park this weekend, they’re wanting to know about road closures, so we made the call. As of 10 p.m. on Thursday evening, May 26, we can report that all roads in the park are open without restrictions, according to the NPS website, with the exception of the Mariposa Grove Road, which is ...

RAYMOND — Firefighters and aircraft responded to reports of a fire caused by a non-injury motor vehicle accident in the Raymond area today. At about 10:15 a.m., a Saturn Vue crashed off the roadway, igniting a vegetation fire on Road 400 near Road 406 just south of Hensley Lake. Engines were dispatched, along with a water tender, dozer, two crews ...