MARIPOSA — About a month ago, things were a little bit up in the air. Now, Scott Marsh and his new partners in the downtown Mariposa edition of Slim’s Koffee Shak invite the community to a grand opening bash on Friday, June 24 from 7 – 9 p.m. The evening celebrates the shop’s ribbon cutting with the Mariposa Chamber of ...

SACRAMENTO — As wildfires burn across California, new estimates on the number of dead trees in California were announced, prompting continued concern for California’s forest health and wildfire danger. Today, the US Forest Service released the outcome of its latest aerial surveys over California forestland, finding that over 66 million trees have now died due to drought and bark beetles ...

OAKHURST — It takes a village to put on a successful Sober Grad night, and all the members of that village came together on behalf of Yosemite High’s Class of 2016 overnight from Wednesday, June 8 to 6 a.m. on Thursday, June 9. The YHS PTA organizes Sober Grad and wants to say the biggest thank you to all of ...

Written by Lexey Jenkins — COARSEGOLD — Hello and happy summer!  This is our last month of the 4-H year. This month is also 4-H camp, for ages 14 – 18 at Huntington Lake. 4-H camp is a very fun experience, and you can even become a junior counselor or teen counselor. It’s too late to sign up this year ...

MADERA COUNTY — Travelers can rest assured, knowing that blasting operations have concluded on the Highway 41 passing lanes project now under construction, according to the Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Caltrans’ Cory Burkharth confirmed today — there will not be any more blasting. “This week the contractor is placing aggregate base rock for the southbound widening lane,” says Burkharth. “Next ...

COARSEGOLD — During times of unthinkable tragedy, there is often someone who rushes in to help. They may go unrecognized, and sometimes they may suffer a different kind of trauma than those who have lost a loved one. The community is mourning the loss of Ruby Alvarez, a beautiful, vibrant 24-year-old mom, daughter, niece and sister, who was known by ...

EARTH — In a rare occurence, and for the first time since 1948, the full moon on Monday, June 20 will appear on the same night as summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The sun will be high, and the moon will be low. Known as the honey moon for its sometimes-amber color, or strawberry moon for seasonal abundance, you ...

Submitted by Mathew Sands — OAKHURST — This marks the third year for one of the most highly regarded live music events in the Yosemite area. Sierra Tel presents 2016 Sounds of Solstice Music Festival on Saturday, Jun. 18 at Oakhurst Community Park. All proceeds benefit Boys & Girls Club of Oakhurst. Bootstrap Circus, The Green Machine, Ten Ton Chicken ...

O’NEALS — A four-car crash on Highway 41 in the early morning hours has claimed the life of a young woman from Oakhurst. Just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, Ruby Alvarez, 24, was southbound in a Honda Civic, just south of Road 200, when she crossed over the double yellow lines into oncoming traffic, crashing head-on into a ...

Written by Virginia Eaton — There’s a lot of research studying the care and feeding of the bacteria in our gut. Researchers have found numerous links between the health of the gut microbiome (the colonization of bacteria that live in our intestines) and the immune system, autism, depression, autoimmune diseases and conditions in the bowel. This includes inflammatory bowel disease, ...