OAKHURST – Firefighters responded to reports of an escaped control burn this afternoon on Road 426 near Road 423. At about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, engines were dispatched to an incident that started when a burn pile got out of control about 2 miles east of Oakhurst.

OAKHURST – Less than one week after being assigned to a newly created Problem Oriented Policing (POP) position, Sergeant Larry Rich arrested a suspect for a burglary at Oak Creek Intermediate School as well as for possession of methamphetamine. Sgt. Rich was assisting patrol deputies and a detective searching for another burglary suspect in the Bass Lake area when he ...

COUNTY – Families are invited to attend the second annual Madera County ArtsFest on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. This free event will promote art in Madera County in a carnival-type atmosphere. Children will be able to participate in free hands-on art activities consisting of decorating flower pots, creating collages, painting rocks and necklaces and drawing chalk ...

SAN FRANCISCO – On Thursday, May 14, the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC), in partnership with the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) concluded their 2015 Spring Meeting hosted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). This event brought together leaders on Western forestry issues to learn about the future of forestry in a changing climate, ...

COARSEGOLD – After wrecking her Ford Escape on Road 415 this afternoon, a Coarsegold woman will be charged with suspicion of Driving Under the Influence, according to the CHP. Tracy Goddard, 36, was westbound on Road 415 near City View just before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, when she ran off the right side of the road, crashed into ...

MADERA COUNTY – County officials and law enforcement from several different agencies gathered at the new Madera County Sheriff’s Office facility on Falcon Drive this morning for the official ribbon cutting. The new 27,000-square-foot headquarters building was made possible through a public-private partnership with Spencer Enterprises, Inc.The state-of-the-art facility allows for the consolidation of all Sheriff’s Office functions under one ...

OAKHURST – The search for a man who was trespassing and reportedly carrying a hatchet in the vicinity of Yosemite High School this morning caused concern among parents and residents. Just before noon on Tuesday, May 12, sheriff’s deputies responded to a call that a male adult was on the property of a church near Road 426 and Hangtree Lane. ...

COUNTY – The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the higher elevations around Yosemite starting late Wednesday. Hanford Weather Forecast Office confirms another cold storm system is coming in late on Wednesday, May 13 and continuing through late Thursday, May 14. As a result, snow is expected to impact the high country on Thursday and Friday.

OAKHURST – About 40 members of the Mountain Area Merchants Association (MAMA) gathered for a special meeting last month to address timely and sometimes sensitive topics, including crime, housing, substance abuse and mental health. After ongoing problems with vandalism to many local businesses, this group of merchants has made it their goal to outline creative solutions to the problem.

Submitted by Julie Fullmer, Director of Sales & Operations, Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau MADERA COUNTY – Coming to Madera County, the E.L.K. (Everybody Loves Kids) Charity Challenge is truly a one-of-a-kind event that brings charity, motorsports, and history to life in an interactive entertainment series adventure; pitting philanthropic vehicle enthusiasts against one another in a seven-day journey. Their goal, to ...