FRESNO – The reality is that many businesses are not able to qualify for a traditional commercial loan from a bank. The Valley Small Business Development Corporation is hosting a workshop that will present strategies, options and alternative sources for you to consider in your pursuit of business financing. This workshop is designed for businesses that are up and running. ...

OAKHURST – Are you caring for an aging spouse, friend or relative? Valley Caregiver Resource Center is offering a free, 4-week series of classes designed to help.

MADERA COUNTY – District Attorney Michael Keitz has announced his plans to seek another four-year term. Keitz says he is optimistic about the future, although the recent recession, countywide budget cutbacks, and the early release of inmates through prison realignment has brought unprecedented challenges to his office. “Crime did not go down during the recent economic recession, in fact, it ...

OAKHURST – Vision Academy of the Arts invites the community to attend its most important fundraiser of the year, A Grand Night for the Arts, on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Golden Chain Theatre.

OAKHURST – The town’s pizza restaurants have gone head-to-head for the second year in a row, in a light-hearted competition to determine who makes the “Best Pizza in Oakhurst.” The fundraiser, sponsored by the Sierra Oakhurst Kiwanis, pits five of the areas favorite pizza joints against one another with the community at large paying for the chance to vote on ...

CLOVIS – The 2nd Annual Gilbert Marshall Memorial Team Branding will be held Saturday, Mar. 8, at the Blasingame Ranch. This is an annual event held for the purpose of raising money to give scholarships to graduating seniors in the surrounding mountain area pursuing an education in Agriculture and/or Forestry. The Gilbert Marshall Memorial Scholarship is made available in memory ...

OAKHURST – Reviews are in after Thursday night’s premiere of The Dating Game and the word is good. The show runs only two days, so Friday, Jan. 24 is the last night to get seats for what’s been called “the funniest show we’ve seen at school,” starting at 7 p.m. at the Yosemite High School Theater. The Dating Game is ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – Online registration is now open for Yosemite Girls Softball League (YGSL), and all girls ages 5 – 15 are invited to participate. No experience is required. The last day to register is Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014. The organization is also currently seeking volunteer coaches, and has a player clinic coming up soon. Interested players are encouraged to ...

FRESNO – Oakhurst resident and Fresno Police Sergeant Greg Noll was recently recognized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Committee of Fresno for his work in the community while working for the Fresno Police Department. The Unity Community has been a vital force at the grassroots level in organizing the Dr. King birthday celebrations every year in Fresno. Noll, ...

MADERA COUNTY – Mike Salvador, Undersheriff of Madera County, is looking to step into the shoes of his mentor, Sheriff John Anderson, who retires this year after four terms in office. Salvador has been a resident of Madera since making it his home in 1991, raising his family, building his career and donating time and service to a host of ...