COARSEGOLD–The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that the  Madera County Regional SWAT Team is currently serving a search warrant in the area of Road 415 and Rivercrest Road in Coarsegold.   Please avoid this area while law enforcement and emergency personnel are on scene. If you are a resident in this area, please remain indoors until further notice.  

OAKHURST — Around 5:30 pm on February 2, 2023, a Madera County Sheriff’s Sergeant, on routine patrol, stopped a vehicle in the area of Highway 41 and Highway 49 in Oakhurst after the driver made an illegal lane change and nearly caused a collision. During the enforcement stop, dispatch advised the Sergeant that the driver, 32-year-old Maurice Snowden, had an ...

PRATHER—Sierra National Forest (SNF): With the shift in the weather pattern, the High Sierra Ranger District announces desired prescribed burning conditions. This work is a proactive approach to fire and vegetation (fuels) management in the SNF and Sierra Nevada, lessening the impact and intensity of catastrophic wildfire seen during the year, providing healthier resource conditions, and increasing protection to our ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY —The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is scheduled to conduct the following work next week in Mariposa County: Route 140 One-way traffic control from the Merced/Mariposa county line to Trower Road for highway construction beginning Monday, February 6, through Friday, February 10, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Motorists should expect 10-minute delays and are advised to ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES—The National Weather Service Hanford office is predicting more winter weather will return to our area this weekend. The next storm system will impact Central California Saturday night through Sunday, resulting in the snow in the Sierra Nevada and rain in the San Joaquin Valley. Snow levels will start at around 6,000 feet Saturday night before dropping to about ...

MARIPOSA—Mariposa County Health and Human Services has partnered with the Alliance for Community Transformations to provide an in-person Rebuilding Workshop 2.0! The workshop will be open to Oak Fire Survivors looking to rebuild their home regardless of insurance status; options may be available for you! The workshop will be held on February 8th from 5 PM to 7 PM at ...

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is recruiting volunteers who reside and travel in rural and tribal communities to participate in the latest testing phase of a “road charge” pilot. Up to 500 volunteers will participate in a seven-month simulated road charge system, which charges drivers based on the number of miles they travel rather than the amount ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY—The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has concluded its work on State Route 140 (SR-140) near Briceburg to clear away debris and repair the road after a rockslide on Sunday, January 15, 2023, forced its closure. All lanes are now open. Crews made safe and fast progress clearing the area and making needed repairs after the closure. Once a ...

NORTH FORK—Sierra National Forest (SNF) – Bass Lake Ranger District fire personnel are looking to start burning the piles in the Madera County Roads project around the Bass Lake area, with a total of 567 acres. We are planning to start some test fires on January 30, 2023. If ignition proves to be successful, we will continue lighting the piles. ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–Hazardous conditions due to icy roads are causing school delays this morning. Also, traffic collisions and hazards are being reported. Please use caution on the roads and give yourself extra time to reach your destination.   We will update this article throughout the day as more information is available.   Traffic Collisions 12:35 pm Type: Trfc Collision-1141 Enrt Location: ...