MADERA COUNTY – Sheriff’s Deputy Jack Williamson is retiring after 21 years of outstanding service to the citizens of Madera County. Deputy Williamson reported for his final shift on Monday, April 22, though his last official day is May 1 and he will continue to serve as a reserve deputy. Jack was born in Fallbrook, Calif., in 1964, and shortly ...

NORTH FORK — A plan to build a new water treatment facility to service the North Fork area continues to flow forward. “We’ve been making pretty good progress,” says Ray Gutierrez, an engineer in Madera County’s Public Works Department, which is overseeing the project known as the North Fork Consolidation Plan. A joint venture between the Chawanakee Unified School District ...

NORTH FORK — Supervisors are expected to vote next month on a plan to create Madera County’s first public roundabout. The circular intersection in which traffic flows in one direction around a central island could be built at the junction of Roads 225 and 274 in North Fork. The project has been the subject of many presentations and public meetings ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – Caltrans is planning a 12-day full highway closure of northbound and southbound Highway 49 from Bear Valley Road to State Route 132 in Coulterville to repair pavement and culverts. The closure is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Monday, April 29, and run through 7 p.m. on Friday, May 10. Motorists can expect an additional hour ...

FISH CAMP — Caltrans has announced that a culvert repair project north of the Narrow Gauge Inn will continue with crews on scene for the next three to four weeks, as they continue to fix the roadway ahead of the busy spring travel season. In cooperation with Agee Construction, the work on Highway 41 in Mariposa County north of Mill ...

COARSEGOLD — The pending sale of an apartment complex called the Grandmother’s Village has upended the lives of dozens of local seniors. The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians confirmed this week the tribe is buying the 40-acre property located on Oonay Nation Road. The real estate deal closes escrow May 1. “The property will provide low-income housing for tribal members ...

OAKHURST — Popular farm and ranch retailer Tractor Supply Co. is coming to town. A spokesperson for the company confirmed the news Friday. “We will be opening a new store in Oakhurst in 2020,” said Niki Giacchina. “Unfortunately, that’s about all I can tell you right now.” Local sources confirmed this week that the national retailer is in escrow on ...

Written by Sarah Bolton – MADERA COUNTY – Hello Madera County residents and welcome to the Tree Mortality Community Column. Our company, Blue Ridge Services (BRS), is partnering with Madera County to oversee and implement their tree mortality mitigation project. Tree cutting teams have cut down 2,874 trees in total. Contractor Elming Enterprises has completed projects on Hangtree Lane. Central ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Earlier today, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reported that a power outage stretching from Mariposa to Bootjack and into part of Madera County was affecting approximately 2,611 customers. The outage occurred just after 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 9. Early reports indicated that power would be restored by 4:30 p.m. as crews were heading to the ...

MADERA – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) officially welcomed three newly sworn deputies to their ranks at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Deputy Sheriffs Michael Lewis, Andre Pena and Johnathan Rodriguez all successfully graduated from State Center Police Academy Class #154 on Friday, Apr. 5. This distinguished group of deputies were sponsored as Cadets by the Madera County Sheriff’s ...