This is the first in a series of articles SNO will be doing called “Wildfire Wednesday.” To begin, there will be 8 articles presenting “The 12 Step Guide to Help Plan in Advance for Evacuation.” This guide was put together by Katie Hepler and the members of the California Fire Support Group on Facebook. The California Fire Support Group is ...

MADERA COUNTY — In a battle of wits, Glacier High School Charter triumphed over their rivals, making them the champions of the 40th Madera County Academic Decathlon. Glacier earned a score of 28,824.9 and will advance to the California Academic Decathlon and compete against the best teams in the state in mid-March. Seven schools competed on Feb. 5 in this ...

OAKHURST — On Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, a structure fire was reported at the Creekside Apartments, located at 49484 Road 426, in Oakhurst. As stated in a previous article, a family of four was displaced. There was much damage to their apartment and personal belongings. The family was being helped by the American Red Cross, who has provided them with ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Yes, it’s the dreaded word wildfires. I’m sure it feels like the wrong time of year to be talking about wildfires for many people, but for me, it’s a year-round conversation as a reporter for our Mountain Communities. One of my responsibilities is to monitor and report on wildfires and emergencies on social media. Many in our ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — We made it! The past two weeks have been very busy with the holiday season and a rare winter storm with very low elevation snow.  There have been traffic collisions, hazards and many disabled vehicles on our roads.  There were also some power outages sprinkled in too.  For me this has meant that I’ve been furiously posting ...

Mountain Communities – In continued preparation for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) adoption of 988 as the new three-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, 11-digit dialing is being implemented. However, callers must continue to dial 1-800-273-TALK to reach the Mental Health Crisis Lifeline until July 16, 2022. For 988 ...

Mountain Communities – Year-end summary of homes sold in our mountain area in 2021 taken from California Regional Multiple Listing Service Statistics shows an increase over 2020. We had 731 homes (single-family residential properties) in 2021, up from 711 in 2020. Our local median selling price was $400,000 compared to $345,000, up 15%. Prices ranged from $100,000 to $3,850,000. The ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The ushering in of a new year brings with it the anticipation of a fresh start, positive changes, and healthy resolutions.  What it should not bring are headlines of tragedies caused by drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol. To encourage safe travel for those who are out on the road, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) ...

MADERA COUNTY — The Madera County Fire Department is the recipient of a $70,000 grant to purchase new extrication equipment referred to as “the jaws of life.” The grant funding was provided through the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Madera County Fire Department Assistant Chief Matthew Watson stated that “This new equipment will ...

If you’ve wanted to watch your county government in action or perhaps speak your mind on an issue that concerns you but aren’t able to travel to Madera to do it, here’s your chance, Mountain Folk. The Board of Supervisors will meet in Oakhurst on Tuesday, January 4, beginning at 2 pm for the closed session and 3 pm for ...