I had been dreading taking this hike because of the devastation left behind when the 12,047 acre 2017 Railroad Fire roared through the area. It would be a sad hike through many burned trees to visit the Giant Sequoias along the Graveyard of the Giants Trail up on Nelder Ridge. Where: Sierra National Forest, Nelder Grove.Distance: 6.28 miles, but you ...

SACRAMENTO – Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno) and Senator Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) jointly introduced Senate Bill 74, otherwise known as the Keep California Working Act, which will invest $2.6 billion (10% of California’s projected surplus) in grants to help small businesses and employees that have sustained financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill includes an urgency clause so that it ...

SACRAMENTO – Individuals and households with losses due to the wildfires in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma counties have just five days left to register for federal aid. These counties are included in federal Disaster 4569, declared initially Oct. 16 for seven counties and expanded later. The deadline is Dec. 16 ...

OAKHURST – Saturday Dec. 12th, 2020 from 8am-4pm, Minarets High School Senior, Justin Linderholm, will be hosting a Toy Drive-Through, drop off at Coarsegold Rodeo Grounds, 44777 Rodeo Grounds Lane. This event is his Senior Legacy Experience project, which is close to his heart.  Justin has volunteered for several years as a “secret elf” present wrapper and family gift organizer ...

MADERA – Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), in collaboration with Madera Community Hospital and Camarena Health, encourage everyone, 6 months and older, to get their annual flu vaccine. Since COVID-19 and the flu can spread simultaneously, healthcare leaders are using National Influenza Vaccination Week to remind people that there is still time to get their seasonal flu vaccine. ...

by Emma Hussey, 4-H Community Service Project member COARSEGOLD – The Coarsegold 4-H has collected clothing each winter to give away at our Mountain Area Clothing Swap for the past 4 years. This year will be our 5th year to continue this tradition. The event will be on Thursday, December 10th from 2pm to 5pm at the Coarsegold Community Center at 35610 ...

OAKHURST – Dec. 7th, 2020 – After months of planning the Boys & Girls Club of Oakhurst is very grateful to announce their re-opening. The Boys & Girls Club opened their doors today after being closed due to the current pandemic. The organization has been active on several fronts since the onset of the pandemic, however, it has been unable ...

OAKHURST – The Madera County Dept. of Public Health (MCDPH) will provide testing for Covid-19 at the Mountain Christian Center every Wednesday from 9 am to 12 pm. Mountain Christian Center is located at 40299 Hwy. 49, Oakhurst (Behind True Value). Testing is offered to Madera County residents ages 12 and over. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a ...

YOSEMITE – Dec. 6, 2020 – In support of the California Regional Stay-at- Home order in the San Joaquin Valley region, beginning at noon on Monday, December 7, 2020, Yosemite National Park is open 8 am to 5 pm for day-use activities only. Lodging and campgrounds are currently closed. Some services and facilities are limited, and shuttles are not operating. ...

On any given hike, I just never know who or what I will run into. What should have been a fairly routine hike along Eastman Lake’s rolling Lakeview Trail became more interesting when tarantulas came into the mix! Distance: 7.82 MilesDifficulty: Easy to Moderate, depending on how far you goElevation Range: 586′ to 707′Date: November 23, 2020Maps: Ben Hur and ...