Karen Thomas died April 12, 2020, at the age of 82. She grew up at Bass Lake and attended Sierra High School and Fresno State. She was a children’s librarian in Oakland, CA for many years. She is survived by her daughter Margaret and son-in-law Dave, grandchildren Karen and Thomas and sister Loretta.

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is reminding customers who live or work in a high fire-threat area that the utility will “contact you multiple times before initiating a Public Safety Power Shutoff due to hot temperatures, high winds and dry vegetation that foretell elevated wildfire conditions.”“That’s why it is crucially important that PG&E has your updated ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — A trade group representing California restaurants has drafted a plan to allow the industry to reopen for sit-down dining. The new proposal would include a number of safeguards for diners and staff while avoiding possible requirements imposed in other states that customers have their temperature taken or the number of tables in the restaurant be dramatically limited, ...

OAKHURST — Yosemite Unified School District and Yosemite High School are welcoming Todd Partin as the newest addition to the Badger family. Partin will serve as assistant principal at Yosemite High School, according to Dr.Stephanie Osowski, YHS principal.An Indiana native, Partin moved to the area after retiring from the Air Force. His experience in the Air Force included serving as ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY — Local students claimed a number of medals last week at the 2020 Madera County Academic Pentathlon, which was revised rather than cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The middle school competition was held last Friday (May 1) and moved to an individual online format, with students able to compete from home.Medals were sent to students at their home ...

MARIPOSA — UCCE Mariposa is offering a free online webinar series focusing on the use of prescribed burns as a vegetation and fire fuel management tool. The five-part series, which starts today (May 6), is free but requires registration. The webinars will be held online every Wednesday in May and the first Wednesday in June from 10 a.m. to 11:30 ...

OAKHURST — Mountain area home sales remained relatively robust during the first four months of 2020, according to Ed Bailey, of Ed Bailey Realty in Oakhurst. “Our mountain area home sales were better during the first trimester — January through April — of this year than last year,” Bailey reported this week. During the first four months of the year, ...

SAN FRANCISCO — As part of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) commitment to safety and supporting customers and communities, the company will join with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFLIC) as it supports customers with disabilities and older customers who are most vulnerable when the power goes out.Known as the Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program, the ...

By Johanna Ziegler, student journalist for Minarets Press Rehearsals once spent in a classroom filled with props, costumes, and laughs have now been shifted onto Zoom for the Minarets Drama program as it continues to rehearse the annual spring play, She Kills Monsters. Their new secret weapon? Animation. When Minarets first announced it would be closing the school temporarily in ...

By Luke and Lauren Erickson, student journalists for Minarets Press O’NEALS — During these strange and difficult times, Minarets High School has found a way to still keep the school spirit alive. Through the organization of Minarets Press, #StangStrong Week was created as a way to allow the students to have a little bit of fun dressing up and to ...