MADERA COUNTY – Former Sheriff John Anderson and his Public Information Officer Erica Stuart, are honored to announce that Madera County’s origination of the “Elder Orphan” program has been named semi-finalist by Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. In November 2012, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office launched a twice-daily telephonic welfare check for seniors living alone. ...

That new snow squeaked under our snowshoes as we headed out from Badger Pass to that amazing view at Dewey Point. I just love that way you can look at Tenaya Canyon, leading up to the high country. Fresh snow coated all of the mountains and was a sight to behold. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 7.39 Miles Difficulty: Moderate ...

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 ...

YOSEMITE — A new episode of Yosemite Nature Notes entitled “Bighorn Sheep” is now available for viewing. The video features stunning footage of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, interviews with wildlife biologists, and a special focus on the re-introduction of these magnificent animals to the Cathedral Range in Yosemite National Park in March 2015. The video is posted on the park’s ...

By Scott Lange — As winter was rolling in just before Thanksgiving, a few of us got the urge to get into the High Sierra one last time this year. It would prove to be a tough task to even find an accessible trailhead as most of the roads had already been closed to snowfall, but we found an entry ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY –  The Mariposa County Planning Department is conducting a survey of employee and resident transportation needs as part of the “Town of Mariposa Transit Center Feasibility Study.” Input from the community is very important to the process. The study is funded by a Caltrans planning grant. The community is asked to please take a moment to download the ...

YOSEMITE — Yosemite National Park has distributed approximately 1,000 free park passes to Fourth Graders through the “Every Kid in a Park” program. Fourth graders from across the country brought their vouchers to Yosemite to receive the free park pass. The passes are intended for fourth grade students and their families to visit more than 2,000 federal recreation areas through ...

Submitted by the Sierra National Forest SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Following four years of drought, forests throughout the Southern Sierra are experiencing a tree mortality event at a scale unprecedented in recorded history. Locals and visitors to the Sierra National Forest (SNF) are well aware of this event, as dead trees are visible in staggering numbers throughout the landscape. Beyond ...

YOSEMITE — Public scoping for Yosemite National Park’s planning and environmental impact analysis for the Yosemite Wilderness Stewardship Plan is open, and comments will be accepted through Jan. 29, 2016. Yosemite’s Wilderness is currently managed under the 1989 Wilderness Management Plan. The park needs to update this plan to incorporate current information about visitor use patterns, methods of managing visitor ...

MOUNTAIN AREA – The National Weather Service in Hanford is confirming more wet weather as a Winter Storm Warning has been issued from noon on Sunday, Dec. 13, through noon on Monday, Dec. 14, for the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite National Park to Kings Canyon. Several inches of snow is expected, with localized amounts up to 14 inches in the ...