MADERA COUNTY – An 18-year-old Coarsegold resident is facing charges that he brandished a replica handgun as he drove past a school bus stop yesterday afternoon. According to reports, Joshua Oldham, who was a passenger in a vehicle on Tuesday, Mar. 19, was seen raising the weapon as his car passed by a bus stop shortly after 4 p.m.

Anyone with a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which is a retirement savings and investment plan for federal employees and members of the armed forces, is being warned about the dangers of a free iPhone app available at the Apple App Store. Program officials on the TSP website caution that this app could pose a security risk, and is not sanctioned ...

NORTH FORK – On Monday, Mar. 18, Steve and Pam Payne of North Fork lost everything when their home on De Na Lane burned to the ground. The community has been reaching out to help, and here are some ways that folks in the mountain community can contribute to the family in this very difficult time.

OAKHURST – A two-vehicle accident in front of McDonalds today sent two young women to the hospital. Kimberly Kerbero, 18, of Oakhurst, driving a 1999 Chevy Cavalier, was attempting to pull out onto Highway 41 from the McDonald’s parking lot at about 2:37 p.m. on Monday, Mar. 18.

MADERA COUNTY – Janice Aguilar, 39, of Oakhurst, was convicted of felony cruelty to animals last week in the Sierra Division of the Madera Superior Court at Bass Lake. On Aug. 29, 2012, Aguilar was observed by neighbors in Oakhurst beating a puppy and banging it on the ground, punching it repeatedly with her fist until its eye was dislocated ...

Submitted by Kristi Winter MADERA COUNTY – Wasuma Elementary School took top honors at the 2013 Academic Pentathlon on Saturday, Mar. 16, winning the 8th grade competition. The Ranchos Middle School also finished on top, defended their title and winning the 7th grade competition. More than 350 students participated in this year’s five-event academic competition, held over two days. Math ...

CALIFORNIA – Each year the American Red Cross honors “Real Heroes” at Red Cross chapters across the country. The benevolent acts of these heroes embody the true spirit of the mission of the Red Cross: prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. In your darkest hour, a stranger comes to your rescue; the quick steps of a ...

CALIFORNIA – In October 2012, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) filed a lawsuit against several California agencies, arguing that what has become known as the “Rural Fire Fee,” was an illegal violation of Prop. 13. Assembly Bill 29×1 required over 800,000 property owners in State Responsibility Areas to pay $150 per habitable structure for what was called a “fire ...

BASS LAKE – A single vehicle accident near Bass Lake today sent first reponders packing up and down a very steep bank to rescue a woman trapped in her wrecked vehicle. At about 3:23 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 13, Donna Gould, 76, of Bass Lake, was eastbound on Road 222 just past Pettitt Drive in a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer. According ...

MADERA COUNTY – Sheriff John Anderson credits a call from a vigilant citizen in the apprehension of a Kerman couple now facing narcotics and grand theft charges.