TUOLUMNE COUNTY – Investigators from the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations and Tuolumne County District Attorney’s Office have determined cause of the Rim Fire. The fire, which began on Aug. 17 on the Stanislaus Nation Forest near the area known as Jawbone Ridge, has been determined to have started when a hunter allowed an illegal fire to escape.

BASS LAKE – Jason Kissee appeared in Superior Court in Bass Lake this morning, facing four charges of “threatening a crime with the intent to terrorize,” and two counts of making repeated harrassing phone calls. Kissee, 36, of Coarsegold, was arrested on Sept. 3, after allegedly making dozens of threatening phone calls to several area residents.

NORTH FORK – Sheriff John Anderson sent a team of deputies to North Fork Tuesday after receiving a tip about a so-called 215 grow operating very close to a local church. The initial tip concerned a group of people who were seen dragging marijuana plants to their vehicle parked along Road 200.

JEMEZ SPRINGS, NM – The search for Jemez Ranger District engine captain Token Adams continues today. Token, who has been missing since Friday, Aug. 30, has been the focus of an intense search effort by numerous Federal, State, County and local agency personnel as well as many volunteers throughout the holiday weekend. The family, fellow employees and the entire community ...

TUOLUMNE COUNTY – The Rim Fire is now 80% contained, and personnel assigned to the incident has been drawn down by nearly 1,000. Effective at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 3, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office has lifted all evacuation advisories county-wide. This includes North Tuolumne Road, Ponderosa Hills, and the south side of Highway 108 from the North Tuolumne Road ...

Submitted by Madera County Master Gardeners MADERA COUNTY – Madera County Master Gardeners will host several events for home gardeners in September. • For those of you attending the Madera District Fair (Sept. 5 to 8), Master Gardeners will be available in our booth to answer your gardening questions.

Submitted by Madera County Master Gardeners MADERA – Madera County Master Gardeners invite you to an informational meeting about how to become a Master Gardener on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Madera Community College Center. Participants can meet Master Gardeners, learn about our public service activities, and obtain information about the four-month certification program which ...

JEMEZ SPRINGS, NM – The search for Jemez Ranger District (Santa Fe National Forest) wildland firefighter, Token Adams, was hampered again yesterday by heavy afternoon rains. The steep, rugged, dense terrain has also challenged efforts despite the over 250 personnel involved in the search. The terrain in the vicinity of the search is described as extreme topography with steep uphill ...

COARSEGOLD – A Coarsegold man sits behind bars, booked on suspicion of making as many as a dozen terrorist threats in person and over the phone during Labor Day Weekend, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Gerald Marin located 36-year old Jason Jon Kissee in Coarsegold Tuesday afternoon.

COARSEGOLD – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Labor Day break-in at a popular campground in Coarsegold. More than $44,000 in cash and personal checks vanished from Yosemite South KOA’s main office sometime after midnight.