FRESNO – ABC30 is reporting that former Madera County Supervisor Harry Baker died early Friday morning, according to his attorney. Baker was the president of Sierra Telephone in Oakhurst, and made headlines after he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl at a Fresno hotel in 2007. The case never went to trial due to Baker’s deteriorating health, and he ...

MARIPOSA – The public is invited to attend a workshop on Tree Mortality, hosted by the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District on Saturday, Apr. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds. Speakers will include Len Nielson, Cal Fire Unit Forester; Beverly Bulaon, US Forest Service Entomologist; and Martin MacKenzie, USDA/Forest Service Forest Pathologist. This is a ...

MADERA COUNTY – With many years of discussion and planning behind them, The Fresno Council of Governments (COG) and the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) are about ready to start rolling buses up Highway 41 to Yosemite. With a target date to start service on Memorial Day weekend, residents and visitors alike will be able to access round-trip public ...

NORTH FORK – Personal Use Fuelwood permits are now available for purchase at the Sierra National Forest offices starting Apr. 1, and running through Nov. 30. The Forest is charging $20 for a two cord permit, with a maximum purchase of 10 cords per household. Permit terms and federal regulations are strictly enforced.

Firefighters have responded to two escaped control burns in the last few days, reminding residents to use extreme caution when doing hazard reduction burning. An escaped burn off River Knowles in the Coarsegold area on Monday grew to about one-quarter acre before firefighters stopped the spread. Another vegetation fire, caused when a control burn on Spinelli Road got out of ...

MADERA COUNTY – Looking for a little inspiration for your garden? The Madera County Master Gardeners are now selling tickets for the 9th Annual Glorious Garden Tour set for Saturday, Apr. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., showcasing four local glorious gardens and raising funds to benefit the Three Sisters Demonstration Garden and other Madera County Master Gardener projects.

MADERA COUNTY – Recently elected Madera County Auditor-Controller Todd Miller announced today to the Board of Supervisors that for the first time in at least 15 years, Madera County financial statements were filed with the State before the required March 31 deadline. Madera County has been criticized in past years for not completing the annual audit on time. In some ...

We welcome E. Clampus Vitus as our newest contributing partner in the History Mystery Series. This submission for April is a continuation of a project they have been working on at the bottom of Hensley Lake. In the 1850’s Major James Savage of the California Militia erected a trading post along the Fresno River at the North West section of ...

Becky Tracy Beling, 53, of Coarsegold, Calif., entered into eternal peace on March 15, 2015 in Fresno, Calif. Becky was a resident of the mountain area for 45 years. She and her family moved from Fresno to Coarsegold, Calif. in 1970, where she attended Coarsegold Elementary and graduated Yosemite High School in the class of 1979. She worked as a ...

MADERA COUNTY – The 2015 Madera County Academic Pentathlon culminated with an awards ceremony on Saturday, Mar. 21, naming Mountain Home School Charter’s 7th grade team and Ranchos Middle School’s 8th grade team winners of the competition. More than 400 students participated in this year’s five-event, two-day academic competition. Math and essay tests were held on Friday, Mar. 13 at ...