MARIPOSA–The charming town of Mariposa, Ca. is in the national spotlight again for a cultural scene that residents and returning visitors alike know is among the best in the United States. On Monday, January 23, Mariposa was named as one of 20 finalists for the 2023 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award in the category of Best Small-Town Cultural ...

COARSEGOLD—Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino is saying thank you to its Team Members with an investment of nearly $7 million via bonuses, gas cards and grocery cards. A total of $6,874,730 was awarded to Chukchansi Gold’s 1,250 full-and part-time employees in celebration of their commitment to extraordinary service throughout 2022. Best Local Casino Chukchansi Gold’s team members are at the core ...

MARIPOSA–On January 15th, 2023,  The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of possible vandalism at the Mariposa Cemetery. Upon investigation, a total of 47 grave sites were identified as being damaged as well as multiple gravesite decorations such as angels and vases. At this time, the Sheriff’s Office is still evaluating the cost of repairing or replacing the damaged headstones. ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY–Officials in Mariposa County have issued several storm alerts for various areas being adversely affected by the winter storm that is currently impacting the area. Stay Indoors and Do Not Travel When Possible Due to the current storm and road conditions many areas within Mariposa County are receiving or anticipated to receive a large amount of rainfall. Many areas ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–This past weekend’s storm wreaked havoc on our mountain communities in more ways than one. Although we definitely needed the rain and snow, what we didn’t need was the flooding and damage that came with it. Flooding, landslides, trees down, power outages, and more occurred mostly on Saturday, News Year’s Eve when an atmospheric river storm moved through our ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–While we are looking forward to a New Year, we have found ourselves reflecting on the past year. Reporting on the culture, politics, emergencies, milestones, and events of our community is an honor and a privilege for all of us here at Sierra News Online (SNO).  Please read on as we look at some of our most popular stories ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK—The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that two people were killed in a rockslide in Yosemite National Park on Tuesday morning. The rockslide occurred at approximately 9:00 am on Tuesday, December 27th, 2022, on El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140 inside Yosemite National Park), as reported here. Officials say 51-year-old Georgios Theocharous and 35-year-old Ming Yan, ...

EL PORTAL–Officials for Yosemite National Park are reporting that a significant rockfall occurred at approximately 9:00 am this morning on the El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140 inside Yosemite National Park). This has closed the road from the park boundary in El Portal to the intersection of the Big Oak Flat Road. There is no access to Yosemite Valley ...

SACRAMENTO—CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal this week will begin a public comment period for the regulatory adoption process to update the existing map that captures Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ), which is a comprehensive map that ranks California’s State Responsibility Area (SRA)—or rural, unincorporated areas—based on the likelihood different areas will experience wildfire. After years of ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–Yosemite National Park (YNP) has announced that it will require reservations for the last three weekends of February 2023. During that time of year, thousands of visitors visit Horsetail Fall, a waterfall that creates the illusion that the water is on fire. The surge in visitation has led to full parking lots, parking overflowing into traffic lanes, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts ...