MOUNTAIN AREA — Cal Fire is recruiting for their Volunteers In Prevention (VIP) program, made up of citizens who offer their time and unique skills to serve the public through education, communication, patrols and defensible space inspections. Each year more than 5,600 wildfires burn over 172,000 acres of California’s watershed, timber, and grasslands. As a result, millions of dollars in ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Yosemite Area Regional Transportation (YARTS) is celebrating Earth Day by offering free rides on YARTS buses into Yosemite National Park. In 2015, the Park experienced an all-time record number of visitors, welcoming 4,150,217 people. “At YARTS, we want to do our part to help visitors be good stewards of the park and enhance their Yosemite experience by ...

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, ...

OAKHURST — Living in a beautiful rural area, as we do, blissfully secluded from the convenience of chain department stores, it can often be tricky to find what you need in new clothing without going to Fresno. This is especially true when it comes to certain, ahem, unmentionables. It would be remiss, then, if we failed to mention that lack-of-wardrobe problems are ...

AHWAHNEE – The Oakhurst chapter of nonprofit organization Helping One Woman (HOW) will meet to honor longtime mountain-area resident Kathy David at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 16, at the Hitching Post in Ahwahnee. Kathy is not only facing overwhelming medical needs for herself, say organizers, she has also had to face those with her husband, John. “These needs began ...

MADERA COUNTY – When someone needs help contacting a County department for non-emergency assistance, they need only know one number – 311. Their call will be answered by a live operator who will address their questions and direct them to the appropriate department for assistance. Based on the success of this program, the County of Madera will apply for a ...

RAYMOND — Everyone is invited out to the Pleitez Ranch in Raymond for the first annual Giving Trail Memorial 10K Run on Sunday, Mar. 20. The cross-country run winds through the beautiful foothills of the Sierra and the historic town of Raymond at approximately 1,000 ft. elevation with gentle slopes and a well defined trail. Registration begins at 7 a.m. ...

COUNTY — The 2016 Madera County Academic Pentathlon culminated with the Super Quiz and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, Mar. 10, naming North Fork School this year’s champion in both the 7th and 8th grade competitions. The North Fork 7th grade team included Moises Agundez, Lauren Bryant, Thor Goodman, Ryan Hough, Vincent Mellana, Kaia Owen, Jeremiah Stott, and Josiah Waltner. The ...

Guest Column written by Bill Ritchey —  NORTH FORK – Sitting at the end of the cul-de-sac of Chipo Poyah Road in Teaford Lakes Meadow stands a 3-story house that 87-year-old retiree George Hathaway has called home since 1986. Like other homes in the cozy neighborhood, Hathaway’s sits nestled among dozens of dense pines. Similarly as well, many of his ...

Written By Alicia Arce — I am writing today to tell you a heart wrenching story that needs to be heard by others, in order to spread awareness. Let me start by explaining that my brother-in-law David is truly a wonderful person, someone I have looked up to and admired. He has always been an extremely hard worker, and is ...