CENTRAL CALIFORNIA — The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a Flash Flood Watch for a wide area of the central and southern Sierra from 4 a.m. today through 4 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. A strong and moist Pacific storm will bring widespread rain to much of the area Friday. Periods of moderate to heavy rain will lead ...

MADERA COUNTY — As residents consider their vote on Measure L, the proposed Public Safety Tax scheduled for the Mar. 7 special election, many are questioning the information they’re getting and want answers from the County clarifying details of the measure. We contacted the County to get their response to questions we’ve received from the public, and to assertions put ...

Guest Column by Chris Christopherson — As a resident and conservative I am against taxes as much as anyone. But we have come to a crossroads when it comes to the staffing of our County Fire Department. Madera County began a Cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE to manage the County Fire Dept. in 1928. This is the longest Cooperative relationship ...

By Bree Lewis — Before recently, I had never been out of the country, not even to Mexico, or even on a plane for that matter. So, when I received an email saying “Volunteer in Thailand this Winter Break for Only 500 Dollars,” it was like winning a fake free cruise on one of those pop-up links: you never actually ...

OAKHURST — My students are presenting three one-act plays, scenes, and monologues on Friday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. in the YHS Theatre. We are calling the evening In Process and it includes material that the students will have just taken to the Lenaea High School Theater Festival in Folsom on Friday, Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. This is the largest high school theater ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Monday, Feb. 6 to Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017: Coarsegold theft On Monday, Feb. 6 at 7:05 p.m. a deputy was dispatched to the 46000 block of Lucky Lane regarding a report of a theft. This case has been closed, pending investigative leads. Coarsegold ...

Thursday night was a rough night! I crawled between the bed covers looking forward to drifting off to sleep to the sound of rain. Sleep was close, but then sirens were blaring. And then more sirens. Now that I was wide awake, I checked the local news—a stolen car had crashed and been set on fire not far from my ...

EASTERN MADERA COUNTY — The campaign committee, Citizens, Firefighters, & Deputies for Measure L is holding a series of public safety forums in Madera County to discuss the proposed Madera County Public Safety Sales Tax, titled Measure L, scheduled for a special election on Mar. 7. The forums will include speakers who represent citizens, Madera County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies. ...

OAKHURST – “As residents of this county we’ve been gambling that nobody in our public safety ranks would lose their life in the line of duty, and we can’t keep going on like we’ve been going.” These are the sentiments expressed by firefighters and sheriff’s deputies as they gathered today at the old Blockbuster in Oakhurst before heading out to ...

NORTH FORK — The unprecedented tree mortality in the Sierra National Forest has created a high number of hazard trees within the Bass Lake Ranger District’s campgrounds. In recognition of how important a role these campgrounds are to the community, county, valley and beyond, select campgrounds will continue to operate under a reservation system for the entire season, says the ...