MADERA COUNTY — Oakhurst and Coarsegold Firefighters Cal Fire Local 2881 will hold a “Fill-the-Boot” to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Central California Chapter. Firefighters will Fill the Boot Saturday, May 24, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Highway 41 & 49 intersection in Oakhurst, and and Highway 41 & Road 415 intersection in Coarsegold. ...

FISH CAMP – For the second year in a row, students of the Bass Lake Unified School District got the chance to attend a special field science camp at the Jack L. Boyd outdoor school, Camp Green Meadows. The weather was chilly in late March, but hearts were warmed by the new alliances formed between kids, educators, and mother Earth.

OAKHURST – The Oakhurst Community Center was filled with the friends and families of Madera County’s volunteer firefighters on Sunday, Apr. 27, as current members were honored for their service and new volunteers were welcomed to the ranks. For over 25 years, Paid Call Firefighters (PCFs) in Madera County have been recognized with a luncheon, prepared and served by Cal ...

NORTH FORK – With the shortage of volunteer firefighters across the country, it was encouraging to see some 35 new recruits participate in a training day at the North Fork Mill Site on Apr. 13. The day’s trainees included students from Glacier High who completed the EMT training earlier this year, young people from the Explorer program and even a ...

MADERA – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Madera County Workforce Investment Corporation invites the community to attend a free Brown Bag Lunch Series on the subject. “Break the Silence & Reduce the Stigma” includes three one-hour workshops designed to educate, and to create a dialog around serious mental health issues including depression, anxiety and bi-polar disorder. All ...

The first fire in the series was on Saturday, May 11, along Yosemite Springs Parkway, the second the next day, Mothers Day, on Ranger Circle. Both were what Moreno referred to as “road fires,” distinguishing them from the 10 that burned near the defendants’ home on East Revis Circle. On Saturday, May 18, a fire broke out behind the home ...

Waterman testified at trial that she had been going in and out of the house, had her soccer uniform in the dryer, and that Jackson and his father were in the pool when they saw the smoke. Waterman said that she hurried to move her truck out of the driveway so she could leave for her soccer game before the ...

CALIFORNIA – Are you ready for wildfire? The National Fire Protection Association is inviting everyone to participate in their Inaugural Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 3. Everyone is urged to commit a couple of hours, or the entire day, and watch as your actions positively contribute to reducing your community’s wildfire risk.

MARIPOSA – The Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) would like to say thank you to all the residents who have been working on your defensible space projects. While traveling in the Unit we have noticed your hard work in eliminating brush and pruning up trees. We are pleased you are taking advantage ...

MADERA COUNTY – The numbers are in and Sheriff John Anderson says this past weekend’s Take Back Drug event was a great success. On Saturday, Apr. 26, the Sheriff’s Office collected 127 pounds of unwanted drugs. The purpose of the event is to collect unused, unwanted or expired medications and destroy them in a non-hazardous manner, making sure none of ...