In 1861, a young prospector by the name of John Hite headed out from Coulterville on a prospecting trip with a sack of flour and a few provisions.  Over 3 million dollars were made in the mine that he claimed called the Hite Mine above the South Fork of the Merced River. I have been wanting to visit this actual ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Dec. 27, 2015 through Jan. 3, 2016. Oakhurst runaway juvenile On Sunday, Dec. 27 at 00:19 a.m., a deputy flagged down by a citizen in the 45000 block of CA-41 regarding a runaway juvenile. Investigation concluded the juvenile had possibly left the Oakhurst ...

NORTH FORK – Just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16, residents in the area of Road 223 and Pinchot Drive heard a loud crash, and raced outside to find a Chevy Suburban crashed into the embankment in front of their house. The residents, who live just north of Pinchot Drive on a sharp turn, found a woman unconscious inside ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally during the week of Monday, Dec. 7 through Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015. Oakhurst person deceased On Monday, Dec. 7 at 00:28 a.m. deputies responded to the 40000 blk of CA-41 for a report of a deceased person. An investigation was conducted and found that ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally during the week of Sunday, Nov. 29 through Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. Coarsegold assault On Sunday, Nov. 29 at 2:52 p.m. a deputy was dispatched to a residence located within the 45400 block of Meadow Brook Road regarding a report of an assault. This ...

BASS LAKE — Hazard tree removal along Road 274 on the north side of Bass Lake will continue on Wednesday, Dec. 9, according to Burt Stalter, Fuels Management Specialist on the Bass Lake Ranger District, and one of the fallers on the project. Motorists should expect delays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. as trees that have to be dropped ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally during the week beginning Sunday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015. North Fork domestic violence On Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3:19 a.m. a deputy was dispatched to the 59000 block of South Cascadel Drive regarding a domestic assault with an intoxicated male subject ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – Before setting up plans to pitch your tent at a big box store in Fresno for Black Friday this week, consider making it a very happy holiday season for our own friends and neighbors, by dropping your dollars in the mountains. Whether you’re one of those people who likes to spend the day after Thanksgiving deciding how ...

CLOVIS – The Bass Lake Ranger District, Sierra National Forest, is preparing to implement the fall/winter burning program, says Acting District Ranger Denise Tolmie. Projects will consist of two activities: pile burning and broadcast burning. “The objective of burning is to reintroduce low intensity fire to the ecosystem,” said Tolmie. “Prior to European settlement, lightning and Native Americans provided ignition ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally during the week of Monday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015. Coarsegold residential burglary On Monday, Oct. 19 at 8:22 a.m. a deputy was dispatched to take a phone call for a report of a residential burglary that occurred in the 46000 block ...