MADERA – In honor of the nationally-recognized Week of the Young Child, Madera County Sheriff John Anderson spent Thursday morning at Alpha II Preschool on Stadium Road in Madera reading to students. Participating in what was touted by First 5 as “Preschool Teacher for a Day,” Sheriff Anderson read Eric Carle’s famous children’s book titled, “The Very Busy Spider.”

NORTH FORK – There is often a lot of focus on what residents should do in the event of a massive wildfire or destructive storm. But how often do people think about what to do if a dam in the area were to fail? PG&E has scheduled an open house on Monday, Apr. 22, at the North Fork Town Hall, ...

Submitted by Susan Walter, Madera County Master Gardeners MADERA – On Saturday, Apr. 20, visitors to the University of California Cooperative Extension Madera Master Gardeners Garden Shoppe at the Three Sisters Garden at the Madera Community College Center are in for a special treat – the unveiling of a new mural installed on a large storage container in the garden. ...

Visible, highly active and often colorful and songful, birds bring much joy and inspiration to people’s lives. Birding, or birdwatching, is now perhaps the most popular pastime in the United States. Simple and inexpensive, learning to identify birds or just enjoying their behaviors and interactions is fun and enriching. Learning how important they are to the ecosystem that supports all ...

Submitted by District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler Decision to Drop HSR Lawsuit Difficult but Necessary MADERA COUNTY – On Tuesday, the Madera County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to withdraw from the joint lawsuit against the California High Speed Rail Authority. The decision was split with Supervisors Max Rodriguez, Manuel Nevarez and myself moving to drop the suit. High Speed ...

NORTH FORK – You may think federal trappers are something out of a bygone era. But Wildlife Specialist Randy Partch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been trapping and dealing with errant animals for the past 24 years and shared some of his knowledge and experiences with residents at a Town Hall meeting in North Fork last week. “A ...

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 – Sheriff John Anderson is honored to announce that Lieutenant Darin McMechan has graduated from the FBI National Academy Program at Quantico, Virginia. Lt. McMechan is a 26-year veteran of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. For nearly three decades he has served the department in a number of highly skilled fields, among them, narcotics, SWAT, Search & Rescue, ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Firewood cutting and gathering season on the Sierra National Forest is open from Apr. 1 to Nov. 30. To cut and gather firewood in the Sierra National Forest, you must obtain a woodcutting permit authorizing the permit holder to gather a specified amount of dead and downed wood for personal use from any portion of the ...

NORTH FORK – District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler will be holding a Town Hall meeting in North Fork on Thursday, Mar. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. Discussion topics will include updates on the 2012-13 County budget, the North Fork Volunteer Fire Station, the North Fork Bioenergy project, and general discussion of issues of interest to residents of District 5 ...