OAKHURST — What began as a fun spring outing of family and friends turned into a tragedy today when a man perished in the frigid, fast-moving water of Lewis Creek. Just after 11:30 a.m. this morning, first responders were called out to reports of two people having fallen into the creek just off River Falls Road, below El Cid restaurant ...

OAKHURST — Madera County Sheriff’s detectives have arrested two juveniles, one 15 and one 16, in connection with the racially-charged vandalism in Oakhurst last night. The suspects allegedly vandalized two vehicles by smearing paint, mustard, and feces on them as well as writing things including “faggot,” “go back to Mexico” and “cut my grass better…” The ongoing investigation revealed that ...

OAKHURST — Sheriff’s deputies are investigating what appears to be a racially motivated hate crime near Yosemite High School. When YHS JV soccer coach Victor Salazar returned home from a weekend getaway, he was greeted with the sight of his father’s Chevy Silverado covered with mustard and plastic wrap. Victor says he arrived back at the home on Pierce Drive ...

NORTH FORK — Madera County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a shooting that took place at about 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 22, in North Fork. According the the Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified 35-year-old male was the victim of a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to the Cal Fire Station on Road 200, and airlifted to Community Regional ...

MADERA COUNTY – A North Fork couple who pleaded guilty in January to killing the husband’s brother back in 2013 have been sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison. On Feb. 22 in Madera Superior Court, Judge Rigby sentenced Marc McMurrain, age 37, to 22 years behind bars for voluntary manslaughter. His wife Jennifer McMurrain, 35, was sentenced to ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Sunday, Mar. 13 to Sunday, Mar. 20, 2016: North Fork assault On Sunday, Mar. 13 at approximately 12:49 a.m. deputies were dispatched to the 57000 block of Road 225 for a report of an assault. A case was generated and charges were filed ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — It was a busy night for Madera County Sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday, starting with a chase on Highway 41, and ending with a stabbing in North Fork. Yesterday afternoon, employees at two different businesses in Oakhurst called in reports of a man making threats to people inside their establishments. The first report came in at about 2:30 ...

FRESNO — The second of four defendants charged with growing marijuana on public lands in Madera County pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court. Francisco Javier Gomez-Rodriguez, 38, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana grown in the Sierra National Forest in Madera County. According to court documents, co-defendant Humberto Ceballos-Rangel, ...

MADERA COUNTY — Sheriff Jay Varney is proud to announce the promotion of two Sheriff’s Commanders. Lieutenants Tyson Pogue and Bill Ward were selected to fill the newly formed positions effective Mar. 1. Commander Tyson Pogue will oversee the Field Operations Division, which includes Patrol, Emergency Services, and Specialized Services. Commander Bill Ward will oversee the Investigations and Administration Division, ...

MADERA COUNTY — The Madera County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Madera County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to boost the number of K9 teams available to assist patrol deputies in their work. “The existence of a patrol K9 Unit at the Madera County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division greatly enhances our agency’s capability to track down, ...