MADERA COUNTY – The defendants in the Chukchansi takeover case were back in Madera Superior Court today as most of them accepted plea deals in the charges against them. Tex McDonald agreed to plead guilty to the felony charge of false imprisonment, and accepted a sentence of 16 months. He will be sentenced on July 2, and with time credit, ...

SACRAMENTO – KCRA in Sacramento is reporting that federal authorities have moved to dismiss the charges against the man accused of starting the devastating Rim Fire because two if the key witnesses in the case have died. Keith Matthew Emerald, 33, of Columbia was charged with igniting the massive fire in that destroyed nearly 257,000 acres near Yosemite National Park ...

COARSEGOLD – A young man from Coarsegold has died as a result of a motorcycle accident on Highway 41. On Thursday, Apr. 30, just after 7:30 p.m., the 19-year-old was northbound on Highway 41 just south of Coyote Hollow Lane on a 1999 Kawasaki motorcycle, according to CHP. As he approached Coyote Hollow Lane, he attempted to make a left ...

Would you rather pay a huge increase in your homeowner’s insurance, or a half-cent sales tax that would build out fire department services in Madera County? That is the conversation taking place at the Board of Supervisors. With homeowners across the area experiencing huge bumps in their insurance rates due to Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings, Madera County is exploring ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – When the devastating earthquake struck Nepal last week, the massive destruction and loss of life tugged at heart strings all across the world. Here in the mountain area, three young men decided to follow the irresistible urge to help. Brothers Jacob and Sam Tallmon, along with Kory Nuñez, are on their way to Kathmandu to assist in ...

OAKHURST – A single vehicle accident blocked the southbound lane of Highway 41 for nearly an hour this evening just south of Oakhurst. At 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 21, a 22-year-old female out of Fresno was southbound over Deadwood when she lost control of her 2003 Toyota Corolla.

MADERA COUNTY – Last week, Madera County Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET) Agents and Madera County Sheriff’s deputies served five search warrants related to illegal marijuana cultivation in Oakhurst, O’Neals and Coarsegold. Agents seized 579 marijuana plants from a residence on Black Ranch Road; this residence was the focus of a similar investigation in 2014.

COARSEGOLD – Drivers should be prepared for delays through the Coarsegold area. Two separate accidents have been reported along Highway 41 south of Oakhurst. One is a 3-vehicle crash on Deadwood near Road 425B, another is near Serpa Canyon.

CHOWCHILLA – Blue Jeans and Country Dreams is the theme for the 2015 Chowchilla Fair. The excitement begins Thursday, May 14, and will run through Sunday, May 17. This year’s action packed entertainment kicks off with bull riding, mutton busting, and an FFA greased pig competition on Thursday evening in the grandstands.

SACRAMENTO – Nine CAL FIRE firefighters recently received the prestigious State of California Governor’s Medal of Valor award for acts of heroism extending above and beyond the normal call of duty, and one of the honored recipients is a local firefighter with the Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit.