SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Firewood cutting and gathering season on the Sierra National Forest is open from Apr. 1 to Nov. 30. To cut and gather firewood in the Sierra National Forest, you must obtain a woodcutting permit authorizing the permit holder to gather a specified amount of dead and downed wood for personal use from any portion of the ...

MADERA COUNTY – Sheriff John Anderson announced the arrest of a Madera man wanted in connection with a vehicle theft case – the same vehicle caught on tape ramming into the front of the 22-Mile House earlier this month. Deputy Luis Padgett captured Abel Andrew Ramos, 23, who was armed with a loaded gun when the deputy took him into ...

CHOWCHILLA – Sheriff John Anderson today announced the passing of a respected citizen volunteer and valued friend. Citizens On Patrol (COP) member Gerald Kusa, known to his colleagues and friends as Jerry, died suddenly this past Sunday. Kusa joined the Madera County Sheriff’s nationally recognized COPs unit in October 2011.

OAKHURST – A two vehicle accident on Deadwood this morning stopped traffic briefly as the wreck was cleared. Just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 26, Peggy Badgwell, 71, of Oakhurst was southbound on Highway 41 in a 2011 Chevy Silverado, and had slowed to turn left onto Road 425B.

OAKHURST – A Fresno man was arrested for DUI this afternoon after a single vehicle accident on Road 426. Aram Atikian, 65, was westbound on 426 in a 1988 Cadillac El Dorado at about 3:42 p.m., when he failed to negotiate a curve just west of Oakridge Drive, crossed over the eastbound lane and up onto the bank where he ...

MARIPOSA – A San Juan Capistrano man has been arrested for cultivating marijuana near Mariposa, according to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office. Salvador Gonzalez, 33, was taken into custody on Friday, Mar. 22, at a residence on Sullivan Road in Mariposa, after deputies served a warrant and found 6,993 live marijuana plants being grown inside the house and outside on ...

MADERA COUNTY – A 19-year-old Madera man has died from a wound he sustained during a drive-by shooting near Avenue 13 ½ and Cronin Street last night. Deputies responded to reports of a man being shot shortly before 10 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 21. The victim, later identified as Robert Moreno III, was still alive when deputies arrived on scene.

MIDPINES – Mariposa County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Mariposa man for attempted homicide at the scene of a solo vehicle accident on Friday, Mar. 22. Deputies were called to the scene in the 6400 block of State Route 140 in the Midpines area at about 12:15 a.m.

NORTH FORK – District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler will be holding a Town Hall meeting in North Fork on Thursday, Mar. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. Discussion topics will include updates on the 2012-13 County budget, the North Fork Volunteer Fire Station, the North Fork Bioenergy project, and general discussion of issues of interest to residents of District 5 ...

FRESNO – The majority of collisions in California that end in death or injury begin with a speeding or aggressive driver. To address this issue, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has embarked on a yearlong, lifesaving endeavor to reduce the frequency of these collisions throughout the state.