CALIFORNIA — The State Controllers Property Tax Postponement Program has been reinstated after being suspended by the Governor in 2009, according to the Madera County Tax Collector’s Office. The Property Tax Postponement program allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind or have a disability to defer their current year property taxes on their primary residence if they meet certain established ...

OAKHURST — Road 426 east of Oakhurst is currently blocked by power lines down in the road near the Llama Ranch. The exact location is at the top of Road 426 just past the 25 mph turn near Oak Ridge Drive. The lines were reportedly knocked down by trucks hauling wide loads of modular homes, as witnesses saw the trucks ...

MADERA COUNTY — The Madera County Board of Supervisors are holding a special meeting on Monday, Sept. 12, at 9 a.m., with the only item on the agenda the fate of the proposed Austin Quarry. The Planning Commission voted 3-2 on July 19, to approve the conditional use permit for the Austin Quarry, a 671-acre site to be developed by ...

YOSEMITE — Smoke visible to the north of the Oakhurst area in recent days is likely rising from the Lakes Fire in Yosemite National Park. The Lakes Fire in the Chilnualna Lakes area, between Turner Meadow and Buena Vista Peak, is a lightning caused fire that is being managed by Yosemite fire officials for multiple objectives. On Sept. 6, Yosemite ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Crews are at scene of a fire in the Bootjack area on Carter Road just north of Triangle Road. At 12:12 p.m. today, firefighters from Cal Fire, Mariposa County Fire and Sierra National Forest, along with air resources, were called out to reports of a vegetation fire in the 6100 block of Carter Road. First engine at ...

YOSEMITE — Yosemite National Park fire managers are planning a 61-acre Ahwahnee Meadow prescribed burn in the coming week. Ignition will take approximately one day and an additional two to four days of active burn down. Smoke will be present during the prescribed fire and in Yosemite Valley. Fire managers are working with the Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District ...

MADERA COUNTY – The sale of counterfeit goods, including dangerous medications, has been the focus of recent investigations and arrests in Madera County. The District Attorney is expected to file charges as early as Monday against two men arrested by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Thursday afternoon during the execution of state ...

CALIFORNIA — Over 4,000 firefighters are battling nine large wildfires across California. Yesterday, new fires erupted in Nevada and San Bernardino county. Firefighters are making good progress on both of these fires, while continuing to gain containment on the remaining blazes across the state. Gusty winds and poor humidity recovery, particularly in the Sacramento Valley and foothills, continue in the ...

YOSEMITE – A place that’s already great and big just got bigger and better. Yosemite National Park has grown in size with the addition of 400 acres of critical wetlands and meadow habitat on the park’s western boundary. The landmark addition is known as Ackerson Meadow. It was donated to the park through a cooperative effort between The Trust for Public Land, Yosemite ...

MADERA COUNTY — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) crews will be replacing and upgrading approximately three miles of overhead power lines on Highway 145 from Highway 41 east to Road 206 this week. Work will take place on Thursday, Sept. 8, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., and will involve ten separate PG&E work crews, comprised of approximately 50 ...