Article submitted by Paul Netter, SCE FRESNO — Big Creek has always had “the hardest-working water in the world,” but after the devastation of the Creek Fire, it might also lay claim to the hardest-working wildfire restoration effort too. Not to mention the largest restoration effort in Southern California Edison’s history. Following a wildfire that began on Sep. 4 and ...

I had been dreading taking this hike because of the devastation left behind when the 12,047 acre 2017 Railroad Fire roared through the area. It would be a sad hike through many burned trees to visit the Giant Sequoias along the Graveyard of the Giants Trail up on Nelder Ridge. Where: Sierra National Forest, Nelder Grove.Distance: 6.28 miles, but you ...

For the interactive 360° VR experience, go to https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/#node26 This past weekend, a California regional Stay at Home order – prompted by a dramatic spike in COVID-19 infections — went into effect. Yosemite National Park was closed to overnight visits, including all camping and lodging facilities. Until further notice, the park is open only for day-use visitors between the hours ...

On any given hike, I just never know who or what I will run into. What should have been a fairly routine hike along Eastman Lake’s rolling Lakeview Trail became more interesting when tarantulas came into the mix! Distance: 7.82 MilesDifficulty: Easy to Moderate, depending on how far you goElevation Range: 586′ to 707′Date: November 23, 2020Maps: Ben Hur and ...

NORTH FORK — Each year, Grace Community Church makes Christmas food baskets available for the residents of North Fork. This year will be a little different due to COVID-19 restrictions and financial constraints. There will be no advance signups as in the past, and the pickup will be a drive-through on the church campus. As costs increase for this program, ...

FRESNO — The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased demand for pets as people seek to add a pet to the family to ease the loneliness and tension of prolonged time at home. Many feel that they now have more time to train a puppy. With this rising demand has come a spike in pet scams, in which an online search ...

MADERA COUNTY MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES – Celebrate the season by sharing your appreciation of Yosemite National Park and beautiful Bass Lake by supporting local small businesses in the region. Visit Yosemite | Madera County’s Holiday Gift Guide includes fun gifts from favorite local businesses. Generate a new way for traditional gift-giving with presents and mementos from your favorite vacation spot.  Revive that “Yosemite glow” for ...

FRESNO — While being filmed for an episode of “Jeopardy!” as a contestant in September, Dr. Frederick Nelson fondly remembers sharing a personal moment with the late Alex Trebek, the beloved host of the popular ABC game show. Nelson, associate professor and chair of the Liberal Studies Department at Fresno State, joked that people at home might not recognize him ...

Nora Janet Griffiths, age 76, was born in Los Angeles and was a current resident of Oakhurst as well as a member of Sierra Pines Church. Nora passed away November 20, 2020, at Clovis Memorial Hospital due to the effects of the COVID-19 virus. She is preceded in death by her mother, Juanita Pusateri and her father, Samuel Pusateri, PhD. ...

For the interactive 360° VR experience, go to https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/#node291 A short distance east of Yosemite, and just beyond the south shore of Mono Lake lies a series of volcanic craters, some as old as 40,000 years, created by rhyolitic eruptions. The newest of these is Panum Crater – believed to have formed only 650 years ago. Panum’s eruptions produced lava ...