MADERA — A trial date is expected to be set next week for Robert Moye, the North Fork man charged with murder in the July 2019 shooting death of prominent Mono tribal elder Gaylen Lee. Moye has been jailed on a $3.75 million bond since his arrest shortly after the shooting. His trial confirmation hearing is scheduled to take place ...

MADERA — Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) officials reported 82 more cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, raising the total number of cases countywide to 1136. For the second day in a row, county health officials also reported another COVID-related death, raising the county’s death toll to 11 since the pandemic began in March.As of 4 p.m. Thursday, MCDPH ...

BASS LAKE — The Madera Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Public Workshop regarding the Bass Lake/North Fork Municipal Service Review that was scheduled to be held on Thursday, July 23 at 4 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers in Madera and at the Pines Resort at Bass Lake has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special to Sierra News Online OAKHURST – As the great bard once said — “All the world’s a stage.” While this holds true in the metaphor of life, in March, due to COVID-19, the physical stage of Oakhurst’s Golden Chain Theatre went dark for the first time in 54 years. Now local patrons of the arts are needed more than ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — The Ben Fire south of Mariposa has charred 48 acres and is 55 percent contained, according to the latest update from CAL FIRE, issued at 7 a.m. Thursday.The fire started Wednesday afternoon off Ben Hur and Buckeye roads, prompting a mandatory evacuation for residents with odd number addresses on Ben Hur Road from Green Hills to Silver ...

WALNUT CREEK – Phoenix Energy, the company building a new 2-MW biomass-fueled power plant in North Fork, has responded publicly to a lawsuit filed against the company late last week by a Tennessee firm claiming patent infringement. Greg Stangl, Phoenix Energy’s CEO, called the lawsuit filed by Aries Clean Energy “meritless” and “totally bogus.”“Phoenix Energy remains puzzled about the lawsuit ...

MADERA — Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) officials reported 51 more cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, boosting the total number of cases countywide to 1054. County health officials also reported another COVID-related death, raising the county’s death toll to 10 since the pandemic began in March.As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, MCDPH was reporting 477 active cases — and ...

MARIPOSA — A mandatory evacuation order was issued by the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office after a vegetation fire sparked Wednesday afternoon off Ben Hur and Buckeye roads south of Mariposa. CAL FIRE, which has dubbed the blaze the “Ben” Fire, says that so far the fire has burned about 30 acres and is 0 percent contained. The fire has prompted ...

MADERA — The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has issued a brief update regarding allegations that surfaced earlier this year regarding a former employee at the Department of Social Services who had not been properly forwarding “hotline” reports of potential child abuse for follow up investigation.“On the morning of November 7, 2019, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office received a telephonic report ...

NORTH FORK – A 62-year-old North Fork man died Tuesday in a single-vehicle traffic accident on Road 221 south of Road 226.According to CHP, the victim, identified as Robert Bates, was driving a 1991 Toyota sedan southbound on Road 221 at approximately 50 mph when he made “an unsafe right turn.”The Toyota veered off the left edge of the road, ...