OAKHURST – Crab Cakes owner Roman Zabicki presented Squirrel Cage Theatre Co. vice-president David Novell with a check for over $600 after a music-filled fundraiser on St. Patrick’s Day. Local musicians including Good Medicine, Sugar Pine, Jean Butterfield, Dave & Amy, and Jeff Gurule & Joe Nelson entertained diners throughout the afternoon at Crab Cakes Restaurant on Sunday, Mar. 17, ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Firewood cutting and gathering season on the Sierra National Forest is open from Apr. 1 to Nov. 30. To cut and gather firewood in the Sierra National Forest, you must obtain a woodcutting permit authorizing the permit holder to gather a specified amount of dead and downed wood for personal use from any portion of the ...

CHOWCHILLA – Sheriff John Anderson today announced the passing of a respected citizen volunteer and valued friend. Citizens On Patrol (COP) member Gerald Kusa, known to his colleagues and friends as Jerry, died suddenly this past Sunday. Kusa joined the Madera County Sheriff’s nationally recognized COPs unit in October 2011.

OAKHURST – The Yosemite High School Swim Team had a great meet against Sierra High on Thursday, Mar. 21. S|N|O writer Kellie Flanagan was on hand to capture the action and post the results.

YOSEMITE – Curry Village is open for the season as of Friday, Mar. 22. The Pavilion is now open daily for breakfast and dinner, along with the Curry Village Pizza Deck and Bar and the Curry Village Coffee Corner. Curry Village is at shuttle stops #13b, 14 and 20.

NORTH FORK – District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler will be holding a Town Hall meeting in North Fork on Thursday, Mar. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. Discussion topics will include updates on the 2012-13 County budget, the North Fork Volunteer Fire Station, the North Fork Bioenergy project, and general discussion of issues of interest to residents of District 5 ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park (YNP) Fire Managers are planning the first prescribed burn of the 2013 fire season in the southern portion of the park near the community of Wawona. The 150 acre burn is scheduled to start on Thursday, Apr. 4, with the date subject to change depending on weather conditions, and is estimated to take approximately two ...

FRESNO – The majority of collisions in California that end in death or injury begin with a speeding or aggressive driver. To address this issue, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has embarked on a yearlong, lifesaving endeavor to reduce the frequency of these collisions throughout the state.

YOSEMITE – On Feb. 26, Yosemite National Park released the Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Mariposa Grove DEIS) for public review and comment. The public comment period for the Mariposa Grove DEIS is open through Tuesday, May 7, 2013. The document is available for public review on the park’s website.

MADERA COUNTY – Anyone with unwanted medications will be able to drop them off when the Madera County Sheriff’s Office hosts the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) 6th National Take Back Initiative next month. The Sheriff’s Office will provide two drop-off sites on Saturday Apr. 27, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.