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 ...

By Colby Jobinger, student journalist for Minarets Press With COVID-19 pushing the remainder of the school year online, clubs such as the FFA have been challenged to come up with creative and new ideas to keep members engaged. On top of increasing their social media presence, the O’Neals-Minarets FFA chapter has done many things to keep its door open. Team ...

By Janine Alven, student journalist for Minarets Press O’Neals — Over the last few months, the Minarets Key Club has been involved in numerous events. In fact, Key Club members have participated in forty-five events and have completed 769 hours of community service. Some of these events include Homecoming, Breakfast with Santa and the Kiwanis St. Patrick’s Day Bingo. Current ...

Editor’s note: SNO received the following update this week from Oakhurst Elementary: OAKHURST — The teachers and staff at Oakhurst Elementary School are trying to bring light to the dark shadow that COVID-19 has spread across our town. Since the school’s closure on March 13th, the staff has done some amazing things to keep spirits high. We started off by ...

By Bob Labozetta, UC Master Gardener, Mariposa MARIPOSA — So you’ve started your seeds in pots or trays and they have sprouted. Now what? When it’s too early to transplant seedlings out into the garden, but they’re too big to remain in their first containers (or your seedlings are crowding each other), you need to transplant them into bigger pots ...