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 ...

BASS LAKE – An afternoon cruise to the mountains ended with major front end damage and a tow for two teens from Fresno. The young men were eastbound along the north shore of Bass Lake on the very winding Road 432, when they entered a tight curve at too high a rate of speed, according to CHP at the scene.

OAKHURST – Traffic was stopped in both directions on Highway 49 this evening while emergency personnel cleared a wreck just south of Griffin Lane. Colton Herold, 26, of Madera was southbound in a Ford F250 just after 9 p.m. on Friday, May 3, when he drove his truck off the right shoulder of the road, where it crashed into a ...

OAKHURST – Heavy Friday afternoon traffic and ill-advised turning in front of McDonalds led to another crash on Highway 41 this afternoon. At about 4:20 p.m. on Friday, May 3, Scott Hester of Oakhurst was northbound on Highway 41 in a 2012 Honda Civic, waiting in the center divide for a left turn into the McDonalds parking lot.