O’NEALS – The victim of a fatal accident on Road 200 on Thursday, Aug. 28, has been identified as Bryan Patrick Higgins, 41, of Coarsegold. Bryan was the driver of a 2003 Saturn Ion that crashed off the road near Butterfield Stage yesterday afternoon at around 2 p.m. He was ejected from the vehicle as it hit the guard rail ...

Submitted by Lynn Northrop of the Raymond Museum The man in this photo is Thomas Hill. The Raymond Museum History Mystery is…. Where did the famous American landscape artist, Thomas Hill, live in Raymond? Mr. Hill painted the very well-known depiction of “The Last Spike” about the joining of the east west transcontinental railroad and he painted many beautiful works ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – As Labor Day weekend approaches, friends and families will visit outdoor recreation areas throughout Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties. In anticipation of the increased outdoor activities, Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit is urging everyone to exercise extreme caution. The increase in fire activity this year, coupled with record-setting drought conditions, requires us to take every step possible to ...

O’NEALS – A single vehicle accident at about 2 p.m. on Road 200 near Butterfield Stage Road has claimed the life of a mountain area resident. There were two occupants in the car, a male and female, that was eastbound at the crest of the hill at Butterfield Stage, at what was reported by CHP as “an excessive rate of ...

MARIPOSA – Get the family ready for a swell long weekend, as the Mariposa County Fair is in town for Labor Day, starting Friday, Aug. 29 and running through Monday, Sept. 1 at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds. This 76th edition of the fair, billed as “Boots, Buckles and Barrels of Fun,” will include carnival rides, food and drinks, livestock shows, ...

COARSEGOLD – The mountain area woman who died in a head-on collision on Highway 41 on Wednesday has been identified as Bertha Doran, 72, of Bass Lake. Doran was a passenger in a 1997 Chevy pickup headed north on Highway 41 just south of Serpa Canyon Road at about 8 p.m. last night. Her husband Bethel, 74, was at the ...

COARSEGOLD – Another mountain area resident has lost their life due to a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. At about 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27, a Mercury Grand Marquis GS was southbound on Highway 41 just south of Serpa Canyon, and reportedly drifted into the northbound lane. The driver of a northbound Chevy pickup saw ...

OAKHURST – When the Junction Fire roared through Oakhurst on Aug. 18, there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes that residents rushing to evacuate were not aware of. At a Town Hall meeting in Bass Lake last Thursday, Cal Fire Division Chief Don Stein, along with Battalion Chiefs Troy Cheek and Chris Christopherson shared how the ...

BASS LAKE – A fire near Bass Lake this afternoon closed Road 274 and provided quite the air show for people on the lake or relaxing by the shoreline. At about 4:20 p.m., a vegetation fire was reported burning near Fawn Point, just east of the Pines Resort. The first responders on scene reported a rapid rate of spread and ...

BASS LAKE – 6 p.m. UPDATE – The Pines Fire, which was reported at about 4:20 p.m. this afternnon, is estimated at about 50 acres with 10% containment, and firefighters have hose lays around the entire perimeter. Cal Fire and the US Forest Service have joint command of the fire, according to Incident Commander Charlotte Jordan, Battalion 52 on the ...