Sierra National Forest Fire Management Officer Joe Reyes Retires Clovis, CA– As people move on from the Forest, they take with them an inestimable amount of knowledge and experience gained through the years spent with the agency. Joe Reyes, or Chief 1 as he is also known, began his career 35 fire seasons ago in 1980. Joe has been the ...

Clovis, CA – December 23, 2014. We arrived at the Sierra Emergency Command Center (ECC) to greet a relaxed Hippy Mike, aka Mike Walsh, in the break room fixing up a pot of coffee. He guided us back to Forest Service control room with rows and panels of computer monitors and banks of equipment which included an enhanced “911” system, ...

CLOVIS – As people move on from the Sierra National Forest, they take with them an inestimable amount of knowledge and experience gained through the years spent with the agency. In the past few weeks, several of those folks have moved on to the next chapter of their lives, leaving very big shoes to fill.

MADERA – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office will welcome newly elected Sheriff Jay Varney during a formal Change of Command ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 12:15 p.m, at the Sheriff’s Main Office, 14143 Road 28 in Madera. Tuesday’s ceremony, which includes an inspection and review of deputies, will be carried out by both Sheriff Varney and outgoing Sheriff John ...

MADERA COUNTY – Multiple trees which have blown down in gusting winds across the mountain area are blocking roads and keeping CHP, County Roads and PG&E hopping this evening. As of 7 p.m., there are trees down and blocking lanes all along Road 432 (North Shore at Bass Lake) between The Pines and Falls Beach. Also causing traffic problems are ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – With temperatures expected to continue below freezing for the next three nights, it’s still not too late to insulate exposed plumbing and execute other measures to keep the disaster of burst pipes at bay. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind advisory for the foothills and an official wind warning for Yosemite National Park, where ...

OAKHURST – The latest edition of the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Guide has been released for 2015, featuring a cover photograph by noted Yosemite photographer Michael Ambrose. “We are excited to release our 2015 Visitors Guide,” says Rhonda Salisbury, CEO for Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau. “Our theme this year is ‘dream big’ which coincides with California’s ‘dream big’ initiative for tourism. ...

MADERA – Though the subject of human trafficking may sound like something out of a third world country, it is a huge and growing problem in California and all across the United States. On Jan. 20, Madera County Supervisor Rick Farinelli will bring community leaders together to discuss two problems facing youth – the broken home and child trafficking.

MOUNTAIN AREA – Besides the stunning natural beauty of the foothills, another valuable resource is locally abundant: the volunteer spirit. We asked SNO readers on Facebook to help us compile a list of volunteer opportunities, and heard from schools, churches, law enforcement, libraries, theaters, campgrounds and more. Here are volunteer positions from which to choose; the list is updated frequently.

CLOVIS – To cap off the year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act, the U.S. Forest Service will participate in the 126th Rose Parade in Pasadena on Jan. 1st. “The Forest Service entry will be a celebration of the Wilderness Act, the historic role of packers in supporting wild land firefighters and other back country operations ...