To The Editor: The County Board of Supervisors has encumbered the citizens of Madera County with a $2.4 Million debt by applying for a grant to purchase 954 acres known as Blackhawk Ranch. Consisting of 8 separate parcels, the property is located on Highway 41 south of the Yosemite Lakes entrance on the West side of Highway 41. The grant ...

Written by Noel Morrison — MARIPOSA – The Mariposa Yosemite Rotary welcomes you to an afternoon of fine art and wine tasting on Saturday, May 28. The historic Mariposa County Courthouse in the heart of Mariposa is a perfect setting in which to enjoy local artists’ works while tasting great foothill wines. The fun kicks off at 11 a.m. and ...

10/22/2016 @ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm - The 3rd annual Handmade Craft/Art Fair in the Sierra foothills Saturday, Oct. 22. The Community Center of Coarsegold hosts this fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You'll find everything from folk art, pottery, handmade jewelry and paintings, original children’s books (and their authors), handmade clothing, scented soaps and body products and wood items. Our opportunity drawing is supported [...]

YOSEMITE — California red-legged frogs and Western pond turtles will be restored to Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park after a 50 year absence. The reintroduction is part of a collaborative effort by the National Park Service, the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, Yosemite Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish & Wildlife and NatureBridge. The federally ...

YOSEMITE — As folks head for Yosemite National Park this weekend, they’re wanting to know about road closures, so we made the call. As of 10 p.m. on Thursday evening, May 26, we can report that all roads in the park are open without restrictions, according to the NPS website, with the exception of the Mariposa Grove Road, which is ...

YOSEMITE – The cables on Half Dome in Yosemite National Park will be in place and open for the season on Friday, May 27, as scheduled. The cables provide access to the summit of Half Dome, one of Yosemite’s most popular hikes. Visitors are required to have a permit to ascend the Half Dome cables seven days per week. The ...

NORTH FORK — When a fire destroyed a mobile home in North Fork last Friday, everyone was very lucky to have gotten out alive and unscathed. However the real story of how that happened and who was responsible for saving six lives is just now being told. It was just after 10 p.m. on May 20, and Zachary Zukovsky was ...

SACRAMENTO – Cal Fire is increasing its firefighting staffing as windy conditions are predicted to elevate fire danger across many areas of California. With many Californians planning to recreate outdoors for the Memorial Day weekend, Cal Fire is asking the public to take steps to prevent sparking a new wildfire. According to the National Weather Service many parts of California ...

MADERA COUNTY – Following are details from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office of reports taken locally from Sunday, May 15 to Sunday, May 22, 2016: Oakhurst domestic incident On Sunday, May 15, at 12:40 a.m. a deputy was dispatched to a domestic incident in the 40000 block of Highway 41. The victim refused to give any information to the deputy regarding ...

OAKHURST — The term “fire season” seems to have replaced the word “summer” in the local lexicon, and as the days grow warmer area residents may want to make note of a special event happening locally that should serve to alleviate some stress. Mountain Area Merchants Association (MAMA) invites the community to a day designed to spread the word about ...