MARIPOSA COUNTY – An order to evacuate homes along East Westfall Road has been lifted as of 7 p.m. this evening, and residents are being allowed to return to their homes. Firefighters have the Westfall Fire contained at approximately five acres, with a one-acre spot fire and several smaller ones, according to Cal Fire spokesperson Karen Guillemin.

NORTH FORK – The fierce lightning storm that hammered the area last night sparked two fires when trees were struck by lightning on Peckinpah Mountain. The Cascadel Fire has been contained at two acres, burning in conifer and brush. Crew 195 from Minarets Workstation has the blaze under control, and is in the process of mop-up. The Whiskey Fire, in ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – Traffic control has been put in place at the intersection of E. Westfall Road and Chowchilla Mountain Road due to a fire burning in the area. E. Westfall has been closed completely at that location, and Chowchilla Mountain Road is open only to those deemed by law enforcement to require access, including residents with identification.

MARIPOSA COUNTY – A portion of State Route 120 just east of Groveland has been closed due to a fire in the Buck Meadows area, according to the California Highway Patrol. Eastbound SR-120 is closed at Smith Station Road. Westbound is closed at Hardin Flat Road. The entrance and exit from Yosemite on SR-120 is closed.

OAKHURST – An Oakhurst woman was fatally injured last night in a head-on collision on Highway 41 just north of Winding Way. Mary Williams, 82, of Oakhurst was northbound on Highway 41 in a 1999 Toyota Corolla on Monday, Aug, 19, at approximately 8:28 p.m., traveling about 35 mph, when for unknown reasons, she allowed her car to cross over ...

OAKHURST – A Coarsegold woman is the latest victim of theft after turning her back on her shopping cart for maybe two minutes in the pet food aisle of Raley’s. At around 11:20 a.m. Saturday morning, the 79-year-old victim briefly turned her back on her cart while reading the ingredients of a bag of pet food. That’s all it took ...

MADERA COUNTY – Do you have a home or friends who live in the area of John West road? Did you receive a call from the Sheriff’s Office alerting you to the danger when the “West” fire broke out last week? After the fire threatened hundreds of homes in Oakhurst on Sunday, Aug. 11, Sheriff John Anderson is urging residents ...

NORTH FORK – Come on out to the ball game on Saturday, Aug. 31, for “North Fork Chamber Night at Chukchansi Park.” Our very own Good Medicine will be performing the national anthem. North Fork fans will receive special discounted tickets, and local businesses have the opportunity to promote their company in front of thousands of fans.

MADERA COUNTY – Two women wanted on felony no bail warrants were arrested last night in North Fork. Sheriff John Anderson cites the vigilance of impassioned citizens now willing to phone in tips, not only about suspicious activity, but the whereabouts of fugitives in Madera County.

Written by Megan Ralph, YAAS Secretary – MARIPOSA – Mariposa resident and Yosemite Area Audubon Society President Lowell Young has received the Charles H. Callison Award from the National Audubon Society. The award honors outstanding National Audubon Society staff and Chapter volunteers throughout the U.S. and is the highest award an Audubon volunteer can receive. The presentation was made on ...