YOSEMITE  — Organizers of the country’s largest series of travel shows announced the “Best of Show” winners of its record-breaking Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show held at the Long Beach Convention Center earlier this year. The 2016 “Best of Show Regional Pavilion” award given out by Unicomm, LLC, went to Yosemite Experience. The Yosemite pavilion encompassed almost a complete ...

MARIPOSA — The National Wildlife Federation’s California Director, Beth Pratt-Bergstrom, will be signing copies of her new book, “When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors: People and Wildlife Working it Out in California,” on Thursday, May 19 at a special reception at Savoury’s Restaurant in Mariposa from 5-7 p.m. Pratt-Bergstrom, a long-time Midpines resident, has worked in environmental leadership roles for over ...

COUNTY — The Department of Transportation (Caltrans) reminds local drivers that blasting operations on State Route 41 have resumed this week and will continue periodically Monday through Thursday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., weather permitting. Motorists should expect delays of up to 20-30 minutes, however, delays could be shorter or longer depending on the amount of ...

COARSEGOLD — What’s a smile worth? It’s something many of us take for granted — the typically upturned corners of the mouth for a little grin, an amused expression showing pleasure, the joy we convey with a toothy laugh, without even thinking about it. One little girl in Coarsegold doesn’t take any of that for granted, because right now her smile lives only in ...

BASS LAKE — Paddle your way to cash and prizes on beautiful Bass Lake as Bass Lake Boat Rentals hosts their first annual “Paddle Palooza” on Saturday, May 7. “This is a great day for everyone who wants to have some fun on a paddle board — referred to as a ‘SUP’ in our biz — kayak or canoe,” says ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST — Watch out! Falling trees are a hazard when traveling in the forest, and this year’s die-off will require visitors to be on their guard even more than usual. While it may seem incredibly obvious on its face, reminding ourselves to practice good situational awareness is important. It’s easy to become complacent. The Sierra National Forest warns ...

Guest Column written by Bill Ritchey — It is 2 a.m. in the dead of winter. You’re asleep in the comfort of your own bed, and are suddenly jarred awake by the insistent piercing alert and dispatch tones from a pager. Your heart reflexively pounds in your chest… the “pressure” of an adrenalin surge. You can’t control it, no time ...

RAYMOND — It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful spring day — taking a drive through the Sierra foothills to the historic town of Raymond, and sharing in the festivities as another piece of history was dedicated by the Grub Gulch Chapter 41-49 of E Clampus Vitus. The “Clampers” are well known for their ribald merrymaking and love ...

No matter what you’re up to in life, one thing everyone needs is friends. They make the successes even more inspiring, and the struggles so much easier to bear. I want to personally thank each and every one of the many new True Friends who made a difference and became members during our SNO FriendRaiser. There are truly no words ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Sunday, Apr. 24 to Sunday, May 1, 2016: Bass Lake burglary On Sunday, Apr. 24 at 1:06 p.m., a deputy responded to the 50000 block of Smoke Tree Trail regarding a possible burglary report. During the investigation it was determined unknown subject(s) took ...