MADERA COUNTY – The gavel was passed during the regular meeting of the Madera County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Jan. 14, as North Fork resident and District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler took the seat as Chairman. Outgoing Chairman Max Rodriguez expressed his confidence that Wheeler would keep the momentum going and continue the progress made over the past year.

MADERA COUNTY – Free income tax return preparation and electronic filing for both state and federal returns will be available again this year for mountain area residents of all ages, offered by the AARP Tax-Aide program. Tax returns are prepared free of charge by specially trained, certified and supervised volunteers. This year there are 14 volunteers working in Oakhurst and ...

NORTH FORK – After more than two decades of sitting silent among the trees, the quaint and historic village of Old Town is seeing new life. Since closing down in the early 1990s, Old Town has been rented out for weddings, parties and other social gatherings, but the bustle of daily activity has been a thing of the past. Now, ...

OAKHURST – Gallery Row and the Galleries are hosting a series of special events all throughout the year in celebration of the The Yosemite Grant of 1864. beginning this Saturday. The series begins this Saturday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m. as De Karlen presents an informative talk about The Yosemite Grant at the Timberline Gallery and Gallery Yosemite in Oakhurst. ...

NORTH FORK – Though it’s January and one might think there are no fires in the winter, fire danger is still high throughout the mountain area. That was proven last night when a fire broke out near a home on Oak Leaf Way near North Fork. Just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Cal Fire Command Center received a ...

OAKHURST – Anyone wishing to earn their qualifications as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is encouraged to attend training, now underway at Glacier High School/Mountain Home School in Oakhurst. It’s not too late to register. “This is a great opportunity for anyone just starting out, or wanting to make a career change,” says Gina Hartley, local EMT who teaches the ...

MADERA COUNTY – In what is called “the Passing of Colors,” newly elected Sheriff Jay Varney and outgoing Sheriff John Anderson together gave a command performance outside the Madera County Sheriff’s Office yesterday. This long-standing military tradition was shared with hundreds of citizens looking on, and was bittersweet for the team of sworn personnel at the Sheriff’s Office, who are ...

MADERA COUNTY – A head-on collision on Highway 41 just north of Road 207 near Blackhawk Lodge closed Highway 41 for nearly two hours during the evening commute on Monday, Jan. 6. Just after 6 p.m., Tuohan Yin, 26, of Fullerton, CA, was southbound on SR-41, when he drifted off the right shoulder of the road and struck a large ...

MADERA COUNTY – Finding a panel of 20 citizens who are able to commit to a trial anticipated to last anywhere from three to six months is no easy task. Kenneth Jackson, 40, and Allison Waterman, 47, have been in custody awaiting trial in connection with a series of suspected arson fires in the Coarsegold area since late June, 2013.

Submitted by Brittany Dyer AHWAHNEE – Residents of Eastern Madera County have been anxiously awaiting the opening of what is sure to be a favorite destination for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and families looking for the perfect place to picnic and recreate. Now, the opening of the Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park is just around the corner. Just how much time, ...