Mountain Communities  –   The U.S. National Weather Service has issued a FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. The Flash Flood Watch is now in effect for a portion of central California, including the following areas, Fresno-Tulare Lower Sierra, Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge, Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra, San Joaquin River Canyon, and Upper San Joaquin River. ...

Mariposa – Update from Mariposa County Sheriff. This is a tragic situation and has been a very unique case to investigate from the onset. As of Friday October 15th, we have determined the official cause of death. Our Pathologist has completed his report based on the autopsy, our investigation, and a multitude of toxicology results. The Cause of death for Jonathan ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — From the National Weather Service, Hanford CA, at 12:45 p.m., Oct. 21, 2021. FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR THE CREEK FIRE, SQF COMPLEX, FRENCH FIRE, KNP COMPLEX AND WINDY FIRE BURN SCARS. An intense band of precipitation will move through between late Sunday morning and Monday evening. Periods of moderate ...

Leaf Peeping season has officially begun. . . . so Mom and I decided to take a day road trip through Yosemite Valley to see how those fall colors were shaping up. Where: Yosemite National ParkDifficulty: EasyElevation Range: 3,996′ – 4,184′Date: October 7, 2018Dog Hike? Maybe It was a bit early for prime leaf colors in Yosemite but Mom and ...

NORTH FORK–The Creek Fire, which began in the area of Shaver Lake during late afternoon of September 4, 2020, roared through much of the Sierra National Forest high country including areas of Big Creek, Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, Mammoth Pool, San Joaquin River Canyon before being declared 100 per cent contained on December 24, 2020. For those wanting to observe ...

Camping with my dogs, we wandered where miners knew they would be striking it rich as soon as they hit “The Great Silver Belt.” Back in 1882, a town was started up to accommodate the needs of up to 50,000 miners when that happened. Well, the big strike didn’t take place but the remains of the town named Bennettville and ...

O’NEALS – Native American culture will flourish this weekend at the Minarets High School, as the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians kicks off its 2021 Pow Wow in a celebration of song and dance with the theme “Healing.” Presented by Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, the Tribe’s largest cultural event of the year takes place Oct. 8-10 and will feature a remarkable ...

Coarsegold – On October 4, 2021 shortly after 10am, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received an emergency call for service reporting a shooting at a residence in the 35000 block of Douglas Trail in Coarsegold. Dispatch spoke with a man who indicated he had shot another man at the location in self defense. Deputies responded to the scene ...

Mountain Communities   — This Fire Prevention Week (October 3-9), the Red Cross Central Valley Chapter urges you to test your smoke alarms before the threat of home fires increases with cold weather. The Red Cross responds to 27% more home fires in November-March than in warmer months. According to the National Fire Protection Association — which is sponsoring Fire Prevention Week with the ...

Smoky reflections in a lake named for a sheepdog and her puppies, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, fishless lakes, and Tuolumne Meadows Campground’s closure played starring roles in my blog this week. Where: Yosemite National ParkDistance: 5.76 Miles (About 5.2 Miles from the trailhead at the parking lot up to and around the lake)Difficulty: Easy to ModerateElevation Range: 8,583′ – 9,189′Elevation ...