MADERA COUNTY – The 32nd Annual Madera County Academic Decathlon (ACADEC) competition begins on Friday, Jan. 24. High school students will compete in the interview and essay competitions at Madera County Office of Education. Pictured are 2014 participants from Yosemite High School (YHS).

MARIPOSA – A tragic accident on Highway 49 near Bootjack has claimed the life of a Mariposa man and injured two children. On Friday, Jan. 17, at approximately 5:12 p.m., Thomas Pimentel, 63, of Mariposa was westbound on Indian Peak Road in a 2007 Toyota Corolla, approaching the stop sign at Highway 49. At the same time, Timothy McFadden, 51, ...

MARIPOISA COUNTY – The strange sight of a wildland fire putting up smoke in January greeted residents this morning during their morning commute. What has been named the Windsong Fire was reported this morning at 2:45 a.m. Cal Fire engines were the first on scene, though the fire is burning on Sierra National Forest land in Mariposa County.

After a lengthy battle with depression, Carolinda Bybee passed away in January of 2014. She was 34 years old. Carolinda was born in Mountain View, CA, on November 10, 1979. Her family moved to North Fork in 1985, where she lived most of her life other than a few more years in the Mountain View area. She graduated from Sierra ...

NORTH FORK – Hundreds of visitors took advantage of the perfect weather last Saturday to stop in for a stroll through Old Town, and to meet new owner Jen McMillan. Now renamed “Bandit Town”, this much-loved local landmark is entering a new chapter after being vacant for two decades. Jen purchased the Western-themed property in December, and has been assessing ...

OAKHURST – It has been nearly 13 years since Gary Flynn, co-owner of the Sportsmen’s Den in Oakhurst, was gunned down in broad daylight in his place of business. During a press conference Friday afternoon, Sheriff Anderson told reporters, “We have cleared the case of the Sportsmen’s Den homicide in 2001,” and said his office will ask the Madera County ...

MADERA COUNTY – Due to Red Flag Alert conditions and lack of precipitation, the menace of wildfires still remains prevalent with the potential to destroy life and property. Due to these extreme conditions, Nancy Koerperich, Cal Fire MMU Unit & Fire Chief has suspended all burning with the State Responsibility Areas in Madera County, beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – A new K9 program, deployed by the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office in mid-2012, has proven itself to be an important and valuable addition to the department, says Sheriff Doug Binnewies. “Our community recognizes the value of Police K9, and the enhanced service it provides,” says Binnewies, who hopes to expand the program in the coming years. The ...

COARSEGOLD – A house fire just south of Coarsegold caused an estimated $50,000 worth of damage, and destroyed more than half of the residence. Just after 9:30 p.m on Wednesday, Jan. 15, firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire about 1/2 mile up Hogans Mountain Road off Highway 41.

COARSEGOLD – Today provided another testament to just how dry the conditions are in the mountain area, even though it’s mid-January. A debris burn on Rock Creek Road, just off Road 416 south of Coarsegold, ignited more than just a brush pile this afternoon, burning about 1/4-acre before firefighters got it under control. The call came in at about 3:23 ...