MOUNTAIN AREA — The season of giving continues and we invite readers to join in celebrating twelve local community organizations and nonprofits, and the people behind them who are making a difference. For our third spotlight, we focus on a theater company with a mission to entertain and contribute to the community, the arts, and education. Day #3 Squirrel Cage Theatre Co. What is ...

CENTRAL SIERRA — Bird lovers, photographers and anyone interested in the enjoying the variety of bird species in the Central Sierra are invited to join the National Audubon Society’s 117th Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The CBC is an annual international bird census that began on Christmas Day in 1900, and now takes place in more than 1,500 locations throughout the ...

MADERA COUNTY — Yosemite High School’s prosecution and Liberty High’s defense teams competed in the championship round of the 2016-2017 Honorable Edward P. Moffat Madera County Mock Trial. Click on image to enlarge. Competing earlier were Madera and Madera South. Liberty won the competition and team members will attend the State Mock Trial on behalf of Madera County. Madera County will be sending ...

O’NEALS — Over this last weekend the Minarets JV girls soccer team traveled to Riverdale for their pre-season JV tournament. This was the second annual tournament that Riverdale has put on. Last year, the JV Mustangs brought home second place after a devastating Championship game. This year, with a roster full of new talent, they were able to pull out ...

O’NEALS — Minarets student Tiana Freeland, 17, is busy planning an important event as part of her Senior Legacy Experience, as she prepares to put on a prom for special needs youth. “All seniors at Minarets are required to put on some sort of project that benefits the community,” says Tiana, explaining the SLE program. “Because my two younger sisters have disabilities, ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Monday, Dec. 5 to Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016: Oakhurst narcotics On Monday, Dec. 5 at 10:29 a.m. a deputy was dispatched to the 49000 block of Road 426 regarding a subject wearing a lime green shirt walking towards the college with a knife. The ...

Storms were scheduled to come in later in the day and we were thinking of a hike close to home, so we headed up the Lewis Creek Trail, traveling back in time as we walked along what was once the Sugar Pine Madera-Sugar Pine Lumber Company flume. Where: Sierra National Forest Distance: 3.81 Miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Elevation Range: ...

CLOVIS — The Sierra National Forest will host an open house on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, at the Sierra National Forest Supervisors Office located at 1600 Tollhouse Road in Clovis from 6 to 8 p.m., to provide the public an opportunity to review and comment on the Forest’s preliminary OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) 2016/2017 grant cycle application. Public feedback from ...

OAKHURST — The Madera County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (MADSAR) Rope Rescue Team, under the direction of Deputy Jack Williamson, spent the morning training in the hills overlooking Oakhurst. This team was successfully deployed several times over the summer for a variety of falls and high-angle rescues, and is made up primarily of volunteers. They are a key part of ...

Written by Michael Olwyler — Recently California lost its center, and the community of North Fork wants it back! A plaque describing the very center of the state was pried off a rock by vandals. The site, which was developed by the North Fork History Group (NFHG) and other partners, is on lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service near ...