MADERA COUNTY – Officer of the Year Deputy Sheriff Richard Gonzales is recovering from an injury he sustained while chasing a fugitive on foot, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Saturday night, Aug. 10, shortly before 9 p.m., Deputy Gonzales was attempting to locate a fugitive at a home in Oakhurst. Cody Crossman, 29, currently on probation and wanted ...

OAKHURST – Girl Scouts will be gathering in Oakhurst on Saturday, Aug. 10, to make a traditional treat in a non-traditional way – they will be roasting marshmallows in solar funnel cookers and making S’Mores in a solar pizza box oven. This is just one of the many activities the girls will experience at Girl Scouts of Central California South’s ...

On Sunday, June 30, at 11 a.m., the leader of a climbing club staying at Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley contacted the Yosemite Emergency Communications Center, reporting that two members of his club were overdue. The two hiker-climbers, one male and one female, had started their journey on Saturday, June 29, with the intention of hiking, scrambling, and down-climbing through ...

Written & Photographed by Don Grove – We arrived at the Berkeley Marina on Saturday morning looking forward to spending time with old friends and learning about kites. These are not the ordinary paper kites you used to buy at the local variety store. These highly efficient kites can soar, dive, stop abruptly in mid-air, and then make a 90 ...

There will be a Congressonal Field Hearing on Tuesday, August 6, at the Sonora Fairgrounds at 2 pm. This event is hosted by Defend Rural America and Devin Nunez and Tom McClintock will be there. This is about the designation of two million acres of the Sierra Nevada for critical habitat for the Mountain Yellow Legged Frog and the Yosemite ...

EASTERN MADERA COUNTY – After nearly a week of smoky days, Bass Lake residents Kelly and L-Jay Fine decided to take a Sunday evening drive, tooling along the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, to safely get a better view of the growing Aspen fire. “Our journey started before 9 p.m. as it was starting to get dark on that windy road,” ...

FRESNO COUNTY – The search for four women in the Sierra Mountains near Lake Italy has been suspended, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. On July 24, Search and Rescue mountaineers made contact with hikers who had been in contact with the four females on the John Muir Trail near Silver Pass.

MADERA COUNTY – Shane Anthony Shaffer, 35, of North Fork remains jailed at this hour, accused of trying to bury a stolen car. He was taken into custody Sunday afternoon, July 28, after authorities received a tip at around 12:30 p.m. The anonymous caller stated subjects at a residence on Wyle Ranch Road in North Fork were trying to bury ...

NORTH FORK – Traditional dances, food and crafts will be on display at the 43rd Annual Indian Fair Days & Pow Wow, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 3 and 4, at the North Fork Recreation Center. This much-anticipated event, always held the first weekend in August, is a showcase for native dancers and costumes, and an opportunity for the public to ...

OAKHURST – Auditions for “The Ladies of Tin Pan Alley” will be held Monday and Tuesday, July 29 and 30, from 6 – 9pm, at the Golden Chain Theatre, located at 42310 Highway 41 in Oakhurst. This is a musical tribute to the music of 1900-1949, with a focus on the women composers and lyricists of the golden age of ...