Letter to the Editor: For anyone who has read Alan Cheah’s column, “Thirty Rounds” in the Sierra Star (1/17/13), please consider my response before buying into his imaginary world, absent of all reality. Mr. Cheah spends considerable words having you imagine the senseless deaths of the children in Newtown and how a smaller magazine capacity on his Mom’s gun would ...

NORTH FORK – Someone (or two) will join the ranks of past local luminaries when the town of North Fork bestows upon one of its own, the title of “Citizen of the Year.” The tradition began back in 1979, when the very first designee, Marilyn Coelho, was singled out as someone deserving of recognition. Since then, local residents are given ...

MADERA COUNTY – Sheriff John Anderson credits a keen-eyed witness for helping the Sheriff’s Office make three arrests — ultimately clearing half a dozen burglaries and even a robbery. All the crimes are believed to be tied to a single truck.

AHWAHNEE – If you’ve never been to a concert at Coolwater Ranch, it’s time to treat yourself to an evening of world-class music in a down-home yet elegant setting. Grammy-winning guitarist Mike Dowling will be performing at Coolwater on Saturday, Jan. 19. at 7 p.m. Dowling draws inspiration from American roots guitar. Bottleneck blues, vintage swing and ragtime are just ...

OAKHURST – The Sierra Masonic Lodge No. 788 welcomed members, families and friends as they installed their new officers on Dec. 29, 2012.

MADERA – Thousands of families are devasted every year through the actions of those who choose to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The District Attorney’s office now has more ammunition to fight back. The District Attorney for Madera County has been awarded a $136,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The grant is to be ...

COARSEGOLD – Rivergold Elementary School in Coarsegold will be the first Madera Country school to benefit from the much-anticipated radKIDS® Anti-Bullying Program set to start in February. A rigorous training program for the instructors will take place next week in Madera.

OAKHURST – If your über-smart electronic device is smarter than you are, this is your chance to get the upper hand and learn some new skills. Adult education computer classes start up again in January 2013 at Yosemite High School in Oakhurst. The computer lab has been upgraded to Windows 7 and the computers are working perfectly. There is also ...

Every year, Americans make resolutions about how they will tackle some perceived personal short-coming in the new year. We wondered how this tradition came to be, and found some interesting history around the web. We also heard from SNO readers about what they’ll be up to in 2013. The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of ...

CALIFORNIA – The California Highway Patrol is deadly serious when it comes to keeping drunk drivers off the road, and they will be out in force this weekend. Impaired driving can quickly turn a holiday celebration into a tragedy.