COARSEGOLD – The Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce has selected Dave Wolin as its 2015 president and named its new Board of Directors for 2015. The board consists of Wolin as President; Laura Young, vice president and president elect for 2016; Janet Stanovich, Secretary; and Deniece Busse, Treasurer. Additional directors are Diane Boland, Chrissy Buckles and Marty Owen.

MADERA COUNTY – Free income tax return preparation and electronic filing, for both state and federal returns, will be available again this year for mountain-area residents, offered by the AARP Tax-Aide program. Services are provided free of all costs and charges. Tax returns are prepared on site by specially trained and certified volunteers, and then electronically filed the same day.

MADERA COUNTY – State Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres) announced today he has hired John Anderson, retired Madera County Sheriff, to serve as the 12th district law enforcement liaison, and as a representative of the the Madera and Fresno communities. “I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with John for several years, and throughout that time, he has repeatedly ...

OAKHURST – District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler will host his first Town Hall meeting of 2015 on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Oakhurst Community Center. Firewise Coordinator Roger Maybee will discuss Firewise Communites, and Planning Division Deputy Director Matt Treber will talk about proposed plans for the Austin Quarry near Highways 41 and 145.

MARIPOSA COUNTY – When Linus the cat went missing last Friday off Harris Road in Ponderosa Basin, her owner Patrick looked everywhere for his beloved pet, but to no avail. Then, on Monday night he began hearing her cries, but in the dense fog, he was unable to locate where the sounds were coming from. Today, he was finally able ...

MADERA – An incident involving inmates at the Madera County Department of Corrections yesterday resulted in injuries to several prisoners, but was quickly brought under control by jail staff. On Monday, Jan. 12, at about 8:40 p.m., 11 inmates took advantage of their close proximity to rival gang members to launch an attack against each other.

MADERA COUNTY – Residents who qualify and are selected for a new clean-air program could earn between $1,000 to $2,500 for trading in old wood and pellet-burning stoves in favor of new devices designed to reduce environmental pollution. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is currently accepting applications for its Burn Cleaner Program. The program provides incentives to ...

NORTH FORK – For those who have had the pleasure and privilege of working with District Ranger Dave Martin, this is a rather a sad day – his last day on the Sierra National Forest Bass Lake Ranger District. Martin retires with 41 years of service, working first on the Inyo, then the Stanislaus, and finally the Sierra National Forest, ...

CLOVIS – As people move on from the Sierra National Forest, they take with them an inestimable amount of knowledge and experience gained through the years spent with the agency. In the past few weeks, several of those folks have moved on to the next chapter of their lives, leaving very big shoes to fill.

MADERA – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office will welcome newly elected Sheriff Jay Varney during a formal Change of Command ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 12:15 p.m, at the Sheriff’s Main Office, 14143 Road 28 in Madera. Tuesday’s ceremony, which includes an inspection and review of deputies, will be carried out by both Sheriff Varney and outgoing Sheriff John ...