OAKHURST — When Anthony Gonzales’s truck was stolen from a local business on Halloween, he was forced to use his dirt bike for transportation, and it looked like Christmas might be tough this year. But an encounter with a Madera County Sheriff’s deputy at the gas station yesterday brought some Christmas cheer, rather than the feared citation for an expired ...

CENTRAL SIERRA – Anyone taking to the mountain highways over the weekend should avoid any unwanted delays by making sure there are traction devices in their vehicle. Chain control is now in place on Highway 41 about 3.5 miles north of Cedar Springs. The location could change as conditions warrant. Chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel-drives with snow tires ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — In the midst of the holiday season we’re sharing the stories of a dozen groups and nonprofit organizations whose members are making a difference in our communities. We’ve profiled education, art, community, theater, broadcast, wildlife, music and more. Now we turn to our feline and canine companions, and the local organization that has been steadfast in its efforts to ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — The National Weather Service has upgraded the winter storm watch to a winter storm warning for the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to Kings Canyon, beginning Friday, Dec. 23 at 10 a.m. The winter storm watch continues through 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24. According to the NWS, snow will begin above 6,000 feet in the Yosemite area ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — In the midst of the holiday season we want to share the stories of a dozen groups and nonprofit organizations whose members are making a difference in our communities. We’ve profiled education, art, community, theater, broadcast, wildlife, and more. Here’s a story about music. For our tenth day, we focus on the all-inclusive Oakhurst Community Concert Band. Day ...

MADERA COUNTY —  “Over ninety million dollars in property tax payments were collected and posted from the December tenth property tax deadline,” reports Tracy Kennedy, Madera County Treasurer-Tax Collector. All payments were posted and balanced by Friday, Dec. 16. “That’s amazing, given that we had an extra day for taxpayers to make their payments on Monday, December 12th. All posted and ...

By Claudia Sanchez and Natasha Lucas — MOUNTAIN AREA — Hope For The Homeless is Senior Legacy Experience (SLE) by Minarets students Claudia Sanchez and Tally Scott, who hope to help many people this holiday season by gathering an assortment of items that will distributed after Christmas. Items sought are warm clothing, including socks and gloves. There are boxes covered in wrapping ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — The season of giving continues and so far, we’ve profiled a public radio station, an educational foundation, a theater company, an artists’ coalition, and more, as we invite readers to join in celebrating twelve local community organizations and nonprofits, and the people behind them who are making a difference. For our ninth spotlight, we focus on Be The Power Of ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — **UPDATED 7 p.m. Dec. 21: The NWS has upgraded this to a winter storm warning for heavy snow, meaning severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Signinficant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous.** Check with US National Weather Service Hanford California for more information and we will re-post latest news on Thursday. ...

SACRAMENTO — The California Highway Patrol (CHP) wants all motorists on the roadways to drive safely during their travel this holiday season. As part of its upcoming Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP), the CHP reminds motorists to buckle up, avoid distracted driving, designate a sober driver, and always travel at a safe speed for conditions. The CHP Christmas MEP will begin ...