NORTH FORK – A bear was struck and killed by a vehicle on Road 223 this afternoon, just south of Taylor Ridge Road. Shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Friday May 10, the bear came out of the brush on the west side of the road and into the path of a Chevy Suburban traveling north on Road 223.

OAKHURST – An Oakhurst woman credits her cat with alerting her to a fire in her home on Thursday evening that could have been a disaster for herself and her neighbors. Nancy has been living in her apartment just north of the Old Corral grocery on Road 222 for about 5 years. She was turning in early to prepare for ...

MADERA COUNTY – Three Madera County Sheriff’s Deputies have received State commendations for their role in an unlicensed contractor’s sting carried out last month in Coarsegold. Seventeen unlicensed contractors, including a registered sex offender, were caught during a two-day sting in which Deputies Roy Broomfield and Gerald Marin, and Sergeant Larry Rich took part.

O’NEALS – Ponderosa, formerly known as Ponderosa Telephone, is looking for just the right image, representative of their coverage area, to grace their new cover. Your artwork or image could be in the home of everyone served by Ponderosa, right on the front of the Ponderosa 2014 Directory. This family-owned company, now into their fifth generation, has always sought out ...

Local Business Receives Crystal Tower Award for Exemplary School Partnerships OAKHURST – Round Table Pizza was recognized for their partnerships with Madera County schools in front of more than 150 business and community leaders at the 10th annual Business and Education Shareholders’ Luncheon on May 8, hosted by the Madera County Compact. Accepting the award for Round Table Pizza were ...

MADERA COUNTY – Madera County will be holding its 6th annual Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony on Wednesday, May 8, at Courthouse Park in Madera at 12 noon. Madera CHP Commander David Paris is hosting the event which will consist of remarks from local law enforcement and government leaders, as well as an honor guard and a 21-gun salute. The assembly ...

OAKHURST – An accident on Highway 49 near Goldside Drive caused traffic backup for nearly an hour as the scene was cleared. Around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, Sean McMahon, 25, of North Fork was pulling out of a driveway on the east side of Highway 49, in a 1996 Jeep towing a trailer, preparing to head south.

MARIPOSA – Due to the lack of rainfall and higher than normal temperatures this past spring, fire danger is above average across the Central Sierra. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit (MMU) has transitioned into fire season preparedness levels with increased staffing at all CAL FIRE stations as of Saturday, May 4. The chance ...

SACRAMENTO – California has already experienced an increase in fire activity, and to ensure Californians are ready, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. has declared May 5-11, 2013 as “Wildfire Awareness Week”. During Wildfire Awareness Week CAL FIRE is reminding residents of the dangers from wildfires and the simple steps that should be followed to prepare and prevent them.

MADERA COUNTY – A fire next to Highway 41 in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 5, caused the temporary closing of northbound lanes while firefighters put equipment in place. Just before 1 a.m, a motorist reported that he had lost a tire off his Chevy pickup, and that it started a grass fire just off the east side ...