OAKLAND — Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Medi-Cal health plan is the highest rated in the state for quality care, according to a December 2022 report from the state’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid health care program, which covers a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources. To promote better health ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Sierra Tel, serving both Eastern Madera County and Mariposa County, announces that its 2023 telephone directory recounts the long history of Midpines Food and Gas. The directory story briefly recounts the times gone by of the 1926 Carstens building, located at the intersection of Carsten’s Road and Highway 140 in Midpines, that is now Midpines Food and ...

MADERA COUNTY — “Over a hundred million dollars in property tax payments were collected and posted from the December 10th property tax deadline,” reported Tracy Kennedy, Madera County Treasurer-Tax Collector. Ms. Kennedy is pleased to report that all payments were posted and balanced by Monday, December 21, 2022. The delay was due in part to the Groundwater Sustainability Project fee ...

MADERA COUNTY — To prepare residents for the coming storm, the Madera County Sheriff’s Department has released a list of the variety of locations where residents can pick up sand and or bags. Madera County provides 10 bags per resident. If you need additional bags, you can purchase them at a local hardware store. At all locations, you must provide ...

NORTH FORK — Good news, everyone! Storytelling is back at the Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center in North Fork. Enjoy an afternoon of great stories, told by veteran storytellers from the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California. It’s always a great time, so we’ll see you there! This event will be held Saturday, January 14, from 1 – ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Winter can be a great time for pile burning brush and other woody debris around your home. Learning how to construct and prepare hand piles takes skill and an understanding of safety and weather considerations to minimize the risk of escape. The University of California Cooperative Extension invites community members to a 2-part pile burning workshop to ...

Save the Date! Register now for a California Post- Fire Forest Resilience Workshop! Post-Fire Resilience Workshop Flyer (PDF) Online every Wednesday from 6 – 7:30 p.m. February 1 to March 15 and in-person field trips on Thursday, March 16, and Friday, March 17. Hosted by University of California Cooperative Extension in collaboration with CAL FIRE, California Association of Resource Conservation ...

The EMCSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center is now open! As we approach the end of 2022 and take a moment to reflect, the EMCSPCA wants to acknowledge and thank you for your generous support and donations throughout the years. Without your help, through many ups and downs, they would not be where they are today without you! In just ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Urban and Community Forestry Program announced today $117 million will be available for Green Schoolyard grants in 2023. The Green Schoolyard grant guidelines are now open for public comment through January 13, 2023. The public comment period is to solicit feedback and constructive comments that will help the ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — We’ve got two important events happening this week that you don’t want to miss. There were be a Prescribed Burn Association information session tomorrow night at the South Gate Brewing Company and a Christmas Vacation Bible School at the Calvary Chapel of the Sierra on Saturday. We’ll see you there! Prescribed Burn Association Information Session Thursday, December ...