MADERA COUNTY — The Oakwood Fire, that started just before 1:30 p.m. this afternoon on the west side of Highway 41, has now jumped to the east side of the roadway, forcing the closure of the highway. Cal Fire confirms that the fire is now 600+ acres with 25 percent containment. At about 4:45 p.m., CHP implemented a hard closure, ...

RAYMOND — Riley Hardison will be a sophomore in high school this fall and, thanks to a project began at Raymond-Knowles School, she and her mom have fostered nearly 100 dogs at their home in just about a year-and-a-half. Not all at once, Riley is quick to point out! Riley, 14, is a Yosemite High School student, where her mother, Rebecca, is a teacher. ...

YOSEMITE — “Not long after this picture was taken, park road crews plowed their way to Tioga Pass!” is the announcement on the Yosemite National Park Facebook page. On Monday, June 6, National Park Service road crews plowing eastbound, and Caltrans road crews plowing westbound, met at Tioga Pass. “While this is exciting, we still have a lot of work ...

By Roger Mitchell — A few years ago, I was attending a wedding reception, talking to a gentleman who seemed to be very knowledgeable regarding Madera County history. Somehow the subject of the oldest dwelling structure in what is now Madera County came up. I had researched that very subject once, and I felt confident when I expressed the view ...

O’NEALS — A total of $115,000 was given to senior students graduating with the class of 2017 at Minarets High School and Chawanakee Academy this year, as the school held its Scholarship Awards on Wednesday, May 24. Claudia vanDenBergh, District Counselor for Chawanakee District says that some of the top award recipients included Jordyn Samper, Lluvia Moreno, and Joshua Lynch. Jordyn Samper ...

YOSEMITE — The Half Dome Cables in Yosemite National Park will be in place for visitor use on Friday, June 2. The trail will be wet and icy in places and visitors planning to ascend Half Dome are encouraged to be prepared for winter hiking conditions. There is a daily lottery for a limited number of permits which are required ...

MADERA COUNTY — A search for an erratic driver that began in the Coarsegold area ended with a short road closure and a felony arrest on Highway 145 near Road 31 this afternoon. Just after 1:30 p.m., a motorist reported a northbound driver near the 22 Mile House, passing over double yellow lines, swerving all over the road and endangering ...

OAKHURST — A party to celebrate the life of Brian Wilhite is planned for Saturday, Jun. 10, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Queen’s Inn by the River in Oakhurst. Brian Preston Wilhite died in Fresno on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. He was 74 years old. Brian was born on August 25, 1942 in Atascadero, to Norah C. Mansfield and Franklin Wilhite. He grew up in and ...

CALIFORNIA — If you operate a motorized vessel on California waterways, take note: beginning Jan. 1, 2018, boaters 20 years of age and younger are the first group that must carry a California Boater Card when on state waterways. The requirement that California boat operators obtain a Boater Card will be phased in over the next seven years. Lifetime cards ...

By C. Lee-Roney, NPS YOSEMITE — Highway 140 between Crane Creek and Parkline has become a killing zone for thousands of California tortoiseshell butterflies. This species emerges in spectacular numbers in some years (last in 2010), and is thought to be the source of Mariposa County’s name, which is Spanish for butterfly. Please help minimize the number of butterflies killed by ...