NORTH FORK — As kids and their families prepare for a new school year, Hillside Baptist Church says their annual tradition of free shoes, socks, haircuts and lunch continues for local children. On Saturday, Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon, local children will be provided with new shoes and new socks at no charge. By collecting donations, the church ...

Adventures come in every shape and size and sometimes they are not really planned. My plan was to head up to Saddlebag Lake to do some camping but the Ferguson Fire blocked my easy route there. After living in heat and smoke for 6 days and glued to the fire updates, I needed to escape and came up with the ...

OAKHURST — The beginning of a new school year can be exciting, filled with new clothes, new haircuts and school supplies. At this same time, there are families in our community that dread the new school year, wondering how they will afford all the costs. The Women’s Ministry at Sierra Pines Church wants to help meet this need in the ...

COARSEGOLD — Chukchansi’s 2018 Sounds of Summer concert series brings Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson to the outdoor pavilion stage on Friday, July 27. “Roger Hodgson has been recognized as one of the most gifted composers, songwriters and lyricists of our time,” reads the promo. “As the legendary voice and composer of many of the band’s greatest hits, he gave us Give a ...

By Chase McGovern — MOUNTAIN AREA — “Teens will love it! I can tell you from experience, because I am one.” — Chase McGovern Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad If you are traveling to the South Gate of Yosemite, a great place to visit is the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. It is an hour-long scenic journey through the Sierra ...

YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park officials have announced that parts of the park will be closed as the nearly 37,000 acre Ferguson Fire moves ever-eastward toward Highway 41 and the communities of Wawona and Yosemite West. Yosemite Valley and Wawona will close at noon tomorrow, July 25, to all visitors due to the ongoing impacts of the fire. These closures ...

MADERA COUNTY – With help from a few very alert citizens in Yosemite Lakes Park (YLP), Helen Schreider — 93-year-old artist, author and explorer — has recovered the items that went missing when a Penske rental truck was stolen from a Fresno hotel. The truck had already been recovered, but now, all the items that were stolen before the truck ...

OAKHURST — Heads bent in concentration, youthful brows furrowed slightly, fingers resting gently on fabric as the tac-tac-tac sound of multiple sewing machines fills the large room. And no one’s on their phone. This has been the scene recently as the Mountain Sewing Club — a group of girls age 8 to 11 — has gathered with lead instructor Tina ...

It was so worth the challenging hike up to Dana Plateau. Those beautifully colored and delicate columbine blooms don’t stick around and they were at their prime. Tons of wildflowers, all different colors and sizes, bloomed for us throughout our entire hike and at all elevations. Where: Ansel Adams Wilderness Area, Inyo National Forest Distance: 6.9 Miles (5.69 miles to ...

When I look out my window and see poor air quality, the smoky haze is made more disheartening by bits of gray ash floating in the air before coming to rest on the ground. The oppressive heat adds insult to already injured lungs and makes moving through my day challenging. The stress of fire, drought and ashy-air is showing in ...