OAKHURST – The eighth annual Rotary Evening at Erna’s will be held at 6 p.m. on Apr. 27, at Erna’s Elderberry House to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Oakhurst. Rotary Club members, under the direction of Executive Chef Jonathan Perkins, will prepare a four-course meal with three wine pairings.

MADERA COUNTY – District Attorney Michael Keitz has issued a statement after learning about what he says is a series of acts of vandalism to his campaign signs in the mountain area. Keitz, who is running for re-election in the upcoming primary in June says several of his campaign signs, specifically in the Coarsegold area, have been defaced with swastikas.

MADERA COUNTY – A wanted fugitive was captured this morning following a fire that broke out inside a repossessed residence in the Madera Ranchos, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. On Wednesday, Apr. 2, firefighters responded to a blaze reported at a home on Loren Way, between Cloverleaf Avenue and Berkshire Drive. Shortly after arriving on scene, crews called ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park has announced that areas previously closed due to the Rim Fire are now open to the public. This includes the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias and hiking trails in the Hetch Hetchy area. Visitors traveling in the areas impacted by last year’s Rim Fire should be aware of potential risks including hazardous trees, uneven ground, ...

MADERA COUNTY – The Sheriff’s Office is investigating a brazen residential burglary in the Madera Ranchos. A home on Avenue 15 near Road 36 was recently placed on the market, and at some point was virtually cleaned out by thieves. The owner thinks the heist happened sometime on Friday, Mar. 28 when the residence was unoccupied.

COARSEGOLD – A burglary interrupted on Saturday, Mar. 29, is said to have exposed a career criminal whose penchant for stealing metal dates back at least three years. According to the Madera County Sheriffs Office, Coarsegold resident Sean Michael Driscoll was caught pilfering metal from private property located off Highway 41 in Coarsegold. Driscoll, 37, was taken into custody Saturday ...

MADERA COUNTY – Riverbend Golf Course is noted for its scenic views along the San Joaquin River, but some of its beauty was marred over the weekend when a Madera man went on a tear in his vehicle across two greens. Tyler Nathaniel Thornton, 24, is behind bars after being arrested the next day for vandalizing the 8th and 11th ...

MADERA – The Madera County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday, Mar. 25, to extend the two-thirds reduction in County permit fees until Dec. 31. The fees were reduced by 66.7 percent in September 2011 as part of an effort to boost the economy in Madera County by reducing more than two dozen fees associated with construction and development, ...

Submitted by Sharon Donovan YOSEMITE – With the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant Act coming up in June, and the summer travel season just around the corner, it’s time to check out some inspiring new books from Yosemite Conservancy. Due out in June, Yosemite in Pictures, by up-and-coming nature photographer Ryan Alonzo, is a sweet little gift book for ...

Submitted by Jannai Pero OAKHURST – A hydroponic, aeroponic vertical ‘Tower Garden’ will be on display at the Yosemite Bank Community Room, on Monday April 7th from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. This is an Open House for a new Oakhurst Chamber of Commerce Business, The Tower Garden and Juice Plus. There will be healthy snacks, information, short video presentations, ...