October 4, 2012 Class Action could qualify 825,000 property owners for a Fire Tax refund SACRAMENTO – Today the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association filed a class action lawsuit to provide relief to nearly one million California property owners who received bills from the State for a new “fire prevention fee” which the lawsuit claims is illegal.

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park conducted the third annual Yosemite Volunteer Awards Ceremony to recognize outstanding volunteers who have donated their time, talent, and skills to protect and preserve park resources and provide excellent service to park visitors. The ceremony was held on Saturday, Sept. 29, in Yosemite Valley.

The Half Dome Cables will be taken down for the season on Tuesday, October 9, 2012. The cables are taken down each October for the fall and winter season. They are proposed to be put back in place in the spring of 2013, as conditions permit. Visitors are strongly advised against attempting to summit Half Dome without the cables in ...

AHWAHNEE – Nathaniel Follette, 27, of Ahwahnee, is behind bars on felony charges following an alleged fight with his brother at a residence on Road 600. A 911 call to the Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to the home just before 11:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1.

OAKHURST – A call for service to handle a disturbance inside a building in Oakhurst ended with the arrest of two mountain area men – one wanted on a felony no bail warrant, the other later arrested by California Highway Patrol officers for DUI. Shane Jacob Casey, 19, of Oakhurst, and Adrian James Parker, 23, of Coarsegold were taken into ...

Having served almost three decades, Madera County Sheriff’s Detective Sergeant Dirk Kinkel is now adjusting his schedule from serving the citizens of Madera County to meeting the challenges that await him in retirement. Sergeant Kinkel joined the Sheriff’s Office on October 1, 1985, sworn in as Deputy Sheriff. In his 27 years of the Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Kinkel worked well ...

Free flu shots provided to members at Oakhurst Medical Office OAKHURST – Kaiser Permanente will be offering its adult and pediatric members free flu shots during a walk-in clinic this Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Oakhurst Medical Office, 40595 Westlake Drive in Oakhurst. The clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct 6th. Members should bring ...

MADERA – Thieves broke into Skinner’s Auto Wholesale in Madera sometime between Saturday night and early Sunday morning, stealing office equipment, vandalizing a Motor home, and making off with the owners Expedition. The auto dealership is situated in the highly visible strip mall off Highway 41, located north of Children’s Boulevard, between Avenue 10 ½ and Avenue 11. The Madera ...

MADERA — Two men were killed in the Madera area on Sunday, Sept. 30, in two separate accidents. Sabino Cardenas, 32, of Madera, was struck by a train as he tried to cross the tracks near the intersection of Cleveland and Gateway Avenues. The Madera Police Department is investigating. Miguel Ramirez, 24, of Fresno, died in a single-vehicle wreck near ...

Famous for their melodrama, GCT brings something different to the stage OAKHURST – Enjoy an evening of nostalgia and nearly-award-winning music at the Golden Chain. I Can’t Believe That Didn’t Win A Tony is musical review showcasing numbers from the Broadway shows that happened to miss winning the granddaddy of all musical awards, the Tony for Best Musical. With 28 ...