MADERA — A serial arsonist who terrorized Yosemite Lakes Park six years ago has once again been denied parole. Earlier this month (Sept. 9), Kenneth Jackson’s petition for early release was rejected by the Board of Parole Hearings. Jackson was arrested along with his wife Alice Waterman on June 25, 2013, following a month-long investigation into a rash of suspicious ...

MADERA — Wearing “Justice for Bonnie Hale” T-shirts, ten of Hale’s family members filed into Department 22 at the Madera County Superior Courthouse on Monday morning. The group, whose T-shirts were also emblazoned with Hale’s picture, were hoping to see the wheels of justice start spinning a little faster. But at Monday’s hearing, the Hale family learned they’ll have to ...

MADERA — A North Fork man charged with murder in the shooting death of prominent Mono Indian tribal elder Gaylen Lee made a brief appearance in Madera County Superior Court Thursday morning. Robert Eugene Moye Jr., 47, has been held in the Madera County Jail on a $3.75 million bond since his arrest July 6 in the hours immediately following ...

MADERA – Interested in investigating complaints of misappropriation and malfeasance around Madera County? If so, the deadline to apply for the 2019-2020 grand jury is April 22. California’s Constitution requires every county in the state maintain a grand jury to “investigate citizen-generated complaints or concerns.” To be eligible, a person must be 18, a U.S. citizen and a Madera County ...

MADERA – The case of Kenneth Jackson, 46, who was sentenced to 30 years and 8 months in prison on Aug. 8, 2014, for 21 counts of arson, was back before a judge this morning for resentencing after the Fifth District Court of Appeal reversed 8 of the convictions due to “insufficient evidence.” Jackson was arrested along with his wife ...

BASS LAKE – Nearly two years after North Fork resident Bonnie Hale was found dead at her home on Road 225, the woman charged with her murder has changed her plea. Mary O’Keefe, now 65 years old, appeared in Bass Lake Superior Court on Nov. 19 and changed her plea from not guilty, to not guilty by reason of insanity. ...

OAKHURST – Judges, attorneys and interested citizens gathered last night at the Oakhurst Community Center to discuss the impending closure of the Bass Lake Courthouse. Though everyone was there to voice their opposition to the loss of the courthouse, it was apparent early on that the decision was final and would not be changed. Madera Superior Court Presiding Judge Joseph ...

MADERA COUNTY – Mountain area residents have recently learned that the Madera Superior Court plans to close the Bass Lake Courthouse as of Nov. 30. Needless to say, people are not happy and they are making their objections known. The Eastern Madera County Bar Association has scheduled a Town Hall meeting for Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Oakhurst Community Center ...

BASS LAKE – It has been less than two years since the Bass Lake Courthouse returned to full-time status, hearing jury trials and providing mountain area residents the convenience of a local court. But now, the Superior Court of California, County of Madera, intends to permanently close the Bass Lake Courthouse, effective Dec. 3, forcing Eastern Madera County residents to ...

BASS LAKE – Donald Eaves, the former manager of Yosemite Bank in Oakhurst appeared in Bass Lake Superior Court today and was sentenced to 180 days behind bars and 5 years probation for embezzling money from his employer. Eaves, 53, was arrested on May 15 and charged with 32 counts of grand theft and embezzlement for stealing $115,500 over a ...