YOSEMITE – The cables to the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park will be in place this Saturday, May 2 and available for hikers. This opening date is three weeks earlier than previously scheduled due to the low snowpack. Day hikers wishing to ascend the cables between May 2 and May 22 must apply for a two-day-in-advance permit ...

SACRAMENTO – Nine CAL FIRE firefighters recently received the prestigious State of California Governor’s Medal of Valor award for acts of heroism extending above and beyond the normal call of duty, and one of the honored recipients is a local firefighter with the Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit.

OAKHURST – Yosemite High School Graduation is quickly approaching and it’s time for the Safe and Sober Grad Party for the Class of 2015. Organizers rely on the generosity of the people, businesses and service organizations in our community to make the night one to remember, and right now, they need help.

AHWAHNEE – Thinking about some early education or know a little someone who wants to be a Wildcat? Wasuma Elementary is holding its Kindergarten Round-up Thursday, Apr. 30 at 8:30 a.m. for all kindergarten students interested in attending Wasuma during the 2015-16 school year.

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA – On April 25, two managers from Nacionalni Park Una (Una National Park), Bosnia i Herzegovina in eastern Europe, began a study tour to visit national forests and national parks of the western United States. The goal for the study tour is to increase the knowledge base, skills, and capacity for the Director and Assistant Director of Una ...

MARIPOSA – Art, wine, food and smooth jazz will be the order of the day as the Mariposa Yosemite Rotary Club presents the 11th annual Art & Wine Festival on Saturday, May 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. . The 2015 Festival blends fine art and wines of the Sierra Foothills near Yosemite. This year the setting returns to ...

OAKHURST – Spring Saturdays are full of creative offerings in the foothills, and this Saturday, Apr. 25, anyone looking for the perfect handmade token or souvenir will want to check out the Woodcarver’s Craft Fair at the Oakhurst Community Center, starting at 10 a.m.

COUNTY – Reader Sondra Costa wrote in to let the community know there’s a very good chance a regional bike park could win $100,000 to build an extreme downhill mountain bike trail as part of the already open Exchequer Bike Park.

COARSEGOLD – Local community organizers are anticipating a big turnout for the Coarsegold Business Expo at the Community Center on Thursday, Apr. 30. The Expo runs from 4 – 7 p.m. and is sponsored by the Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce. Members and others look forward to a relaxed and informative environment for making new contacts and running into old friends. ...

OAKHURST – Tongues and tails will be wagging as the Oakhurst Mountain Lions Club sponsors an event to benefit our four-legged friends and the Eastern Madera County SPCA (EMC SPCA). It’s time for the annual Oakminster Dog Show, now in its third year, scheduled for Sunday, Apr. 26 at Oakhurst Community Park. All dogs and their humans are cordially invited, ...