YOSEMITE — Highway 41 from Wawona to Yosemite Valley has been reopened, according to an alert from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. The roadway was closed yesterday morning due to the large accumulation of snow, and plows have been working since to clear the road. Visitors to the park are reminded to always carry tire chains and be prepared to ...

BASS LAKE — This morning’s work did not go as planned for the drivers of two delivery trucks who bumped into each other on an icy road near The Pines, temporarily blocking one entrance to a popular Bass Lake resort. Just before 9 a.m., two delivery trucks were involved in a minor head-on near the Little Church in the Pines, ...

MADERA COUNTY — Highway 41 is closed north of Fresno between Children’s Blvd. and Avenue 12 due to a fatal crash. Just after 3 p.m., CHP was reportedly pursuing a vehicle that failed to yield, and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase north out of Fresno on Highway 41. CHP tells ABC30 that the officer disengaged in dense traffic ...

MARIPOSA — The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public that they have received three reports over the past week of residents receiving threatening scam phone calls demanding money in exchange for a family member or a friend’s life. “The calls are very aggressive in nature and in some cases a person yelling for help can be heard in ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Monday, Jan. 16 to Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017: Raymond public intoxication On Monday,  Jan. 16 at 8:31 a.m., a deputy was dispatched to the 33000 block of Road 613 regarding a intoxicated female. A report was taken and the case was closed. Oakhurst ...

OAKHURST — As of 9 a.m., Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is reporting 11 power outages in the Oakhurst/ Bass Lake area, affecting 3,881 customers. Heavy snow is bringing down trees and power lines across the area, blocking roads and causing major traffic problems. Chain control is in place over Deadwood on Highway 41 just south of Oakhurst. Restrictions are ...

YOSEMITE — The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has issues an alert advising that Highway 41 is temporarily closed between Wawona and Yosemite Valley due to snow accumulation. Yosemite West residents and visitors and advised not to leave during closure. The road between the south entrance and Wawona is reportedly open, and R2 chain restrictions are in place throughout the park. ...

CENTRAL SIERRA — The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the Sierra Nevada foothills including Mariposa, Madera, Tulare and Fresno County foothills, and Tulare County mountains, due to recent heavy rains combined with additional rainfall and possible snow melt expected. The Flash Flood Watch will be in effect from 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, ...

MADERA COUNTY — Perhaps the most often-asked question to Sierra News Online concerns accidents on Highway 41 — how many occur each year, and how many are DUI related? The California Highway Patrol in Sacramento provided us with accident statistics from Jan. 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2015, for the Highway 41 corridor from Highway 145 to Fish Camp. We ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST — Recent storms have brought much needed rain and snow to the Sierra Nevada in the last few weeks, but the result has been damage to some Forest roads. These storms have also created a significant amount of runoff, swelling rivers and creeks beyond their capacity in many locations. With the ground already saturated, road travel requires ...