A short drive and a short hike gave me the outdoor break that I needed from working around the house and yard. I headed down the hill to hike along Hensley Lake, a rolling, hilly hike in the greening foothills. Where: Hensley Lake, Army Corps of Engineers Distance: 5.39 Miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate, depending on how far you go ...

MADERA — Criminal proceedings were temporarily suspended Friday in the case of the North Fork man accused of murder in the July 2019 death of prominent Mono tribal elder Gaylen Lee. Robert Eugene Moye, 47, made another appearance in Madera Superior Court Friday morning for a hearing that was expected to be another preliminary step on the way to scheduling ...

MARIPOSA — The 32nd annual Mariposa Storytelling Festival kicks off Friday, March 13 with Mariposa Story Slam!, a local amateur storytelling competition with this year’s theme echoing its Friday the 13th date: “Stranger Than Fiction.” Story Slam! performances take place in the hall of the Mariposa United Methodist Church, with community members telling a true story from their own experience ...

Eastern Madera County is home to waterfalls, giant trees and culinary royalty. In honor of California Restaurant Month, happening throughout January, SNO presents a special series spotlighting each participating restaurant. OAKHURST – When the millions of visitors to Yosemite National Park subside for the winter, locals take a deep breath of the crisp mountain air and enjoy having the town ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — 2019 proved to be a solid year for home sales in eastern Madera County, according Realtor Ed Bailey of Ed Bailey Realty, who compiled the year-end data from California Regional MLS reports released in 2019. Here’s a rundown provided by Bailey of home sale activity and median sales prices around the the mountain area: Ahwahnee — 27 ...

By Therese Righter O’NEALS — We have all been touched by the horrible disease — cancer. It is unrelenting, and nobody wants to hear the word uttered by their doctor. Fortunately, there is a way that you can help fight this ugly disease — join the 2020 Relay for Life: Sierra Mountain Communities for a Cure event, and help us ...

SAN FRANCISCO — The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear oral arguments next month in the appeal currently blocking efforts by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to build a casino near Madera. A court date has been set for Tuesday, February 11 at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 1 of the James R. Browning ...

MADERA — Madera County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Amy Roussell was awarded the prestigious 2019 Chairman’s Culture of Excellence Award by the Madera County Board of Supervisors at Tuesday’s (Jan. 7) first board meeting of 2020. Corporal Roussell was recognized for her outstanding work overseeing the boat operations unit in Bass Lake. Roussell, a long time Madera County resident, is assigned ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — The iconic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park has lost some of its luster — and its long time four-diamond status, according to a story published today by the San Francisco Chronicle. “Guests at the landmark property, where presidents and queens have wined, dined and snoozed at the foot of Half Dome, are reporting bad food, ...

COARSEGOLD — A Clovis man and an Oakhurst woman were arrested earlier this week on multiple felony firearms and drug charges, including committing a felony while out on felony bail, being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. The arrest followed a routine traffic stop in Coarsegold by a Madera County ...