Reform bill was nearly two years in the making SACRAMENTO – Public safety must come first. That’s the thinking behind a new law that makes it easier for cities and counties to make minor roadway safety improvements without having to go through a long process of environmental studies and jump through other costly and time-delaying hoops.

MADERA COUNTY – Two men are behind bars – one for stealing a truck, and the other, his roommate, for cultivation. An early morning call for service sent Deputy Darrell Swengel to Road 30 ½. A prowler could be heard lurking in the neighborhood.

Governor agrees to halt abuse of disability access law SACRAMENTO – California’s business owners have been plagued for decades by lawsuits aimed at getting cash for lawyers and their handicapped clients. It’s been especially hard on small businesses in towns where most buildings were constructed long before the Americans with Disabilities Act became federal law in 1990. In fact, nearly ...

OAKHURST – Madera County Libraries are now offering e-book checkouts for Nook, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android devices and other e-readers. Three e-books can be checked out at a time, for 14 days at a time. Not all books available in print are also available as e-books, because some publishers don’t sell some of their e-books to libraries. More information is ...

Credit card skimmers rip off at least 50 victims, Sheriff believes there may be more MADERA – If you used a credit or debit card to gas up at the Shell station on Avenue 12 in Madera Ranchos, you might want to check the charges on your monthly bill. Madera is the third county hit so far by what authorities ...

Central Valley CHP announces “zero-tolerance” cell phone use campaign CALIFORNIA – The California Highway Patrol is not fooling around with people texting and driving. From Sept. 17 – 21, the CHP intends to send a strong message: If you’re caught using a cell phone or texting while driving, you will be cited. Due to the increase in the number of ...

NORTH FORK – Lightning may not strike twice, and neither of the fires on Walker Grade this week was lightning-caused, but they did ignite within just a few feet of one another on subsequent days. On Tuesday, Sept. 18, crews responded to a fire on Road 200’s Walker Grade, in the same area of a small spot fire they had ...

Two fires in as many days have kept local fire crews hopping. Luckily, both were restricted to burning only in vegetated areas. No structures were threatened by the blazes. The “Longo Fire” was called in at 1:59 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16. It consumed 1.6 acres on Road 415 at Longo Road near Coarsegold. Resources were dispatched from Raymond, Ahwahnee, ...

When the lookout at Shuteye Peak called in a smoke at Darrah Road & Highway 49 just after noon yesterday, Sept. 12, it seemed just another small fire beside the road. But then, the call came in that there was a second smoke on Darrah Road, and then a third and a fourth. The troops were mobilized from Mariposa County ...

Gregory Garcia sentenced for Armed Robbery under “Use a Gun and You Are Done” MADERA – A Madera man who pointed a gun at a seven month baby was convicted by a jury of armed robbery with the use of a firearm on July 31, 2012 was sentenced today in the Madera Superior Court, announced Michael R. Keitz, District Attorney ...