MOUNTAIN AREA – When the devastating earthquake struck Nepal last week, the massive destruction and loss of life tugged at heart strings all across the world. Here in the mountain area, three young men decided to follow the irresistible urge to help. Brothers Jacob and Sam Tallmon, along with Kory Nuñez, are on their way to Kathmandu to assist in ...

Clayton Ray Carpenter (1957-2015) Clayton, beloved father, son, brother and uncle, passed away unexpectedly on April 22 in a traffic accident while working at his job with HP Water Systems, Fresno. He’d been a valued journeyman electrician with HEP Electric for many years. Clayton was born December 29, 1957, in Bremerton, Wash., second son and third child to Frank and ...

Submitted by Jannai Pero COARSEGOLD – Yosemite Lakes Community Church invites everyone to participate in National Day of Prayer from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, with different prayer themes every hour. The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the ...

CHOWCHILLA – Blue Jeans and Country Dreams is the theme for the 2015 Chowchilla Fair. The excitement begins Thursday, May 14, and will run through Sunday, May 17. This year’s action packed entertainment kicks off with bull riding, mutton busting, and an FFA greased pig competition on Thursday evening in the grandstands.

MADERA COUNTY – Last week, Madera County Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET) Agents and Madera County Sheriff’s deputies served five search warrants related to illegal marijuana cultivation in Oakhurst, O’Neals and Coarsegold. Agents seized 579 marijuana plants from a residence on Black Ranch Road; this residence was the focus of a similar investigation in 2014.

YOSEMITE – NatureBridge, the largest residential environmental education partner of the National Park Service, has opened registration for the Summer Field Research Course at its Yosemite campus. This two-week immersive backcountry expedition will give participants the opportunity to conduct rigorous environmental science investigations in one of the most iconic national parks in the country.

O’NEALS – Two cars sit smashed and broken in the aftermath of what has been reported as a head-on collision at Minarets High School. In one car, the dazed teenage driver is moaning in pain; his 17-year-old passenger is lying across the hood, bloodied and broken, and another is severely injured, trapped in the back seat. In the other vehicle, ...

OAKHURST – A single vehicle accident blocked the southbound lane of Highway 41 for nearly an hour this evening just south of Oakhurst. At 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 21, a 22-year-old female out of Fresno was southbound over Deadwood when she lost control of her 2003 Toyota Corolla.

NORTH FORK – First, we would like to say that this is not a totem pole. However, since the locals refer to it as such, we want everyone to know what we’re talking about. Questions began pouring in immediately after residents discovered that this cultural monument at the intersection of Road 274 and 225 had disappeared yesterday. Good news – ...

NORTH FORK – Learn about the initial attack, management and future plans for the French Fire restoration at the annual meeting of the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway Association on Monday, Apr. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Fork School. Burt Stalter, USFS Fuels Specialist on the Bass Lake Ranger District of the Sierra National Forest, will be one of ...