YOSEMITE — The El Portal Road (Highway 140) into Yosemite National Park has reopened to all vehicular traffic. according to park officials. The road is open and clear, yet visitors are asked to not stop along the road en route to Yosemite Valley. The road may close again at any time in the event of hazardous driving conditions. The Hetch ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — In the dozen days leading up to Christmas and Hanukah we’ve shared the stories of groups and nonprofit organizations whose members are making a difference in our communities. We’ve profiled education, art, community, theater, broadcast, wildlife, music, pets and more. Now we turn to an organization whose mission is to inspire people to support projects and programs that preserve Yosemite and ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Following the huge success of the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District’s (MCRCD) annual native plant and wildflower seed sale on Nov. 5, they will be hosting another in Coulterville on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Coulterville Community Park. The sale runs from 8 a.m. to noon, and there will also be plants and seeds available to purchase ...

FRIANT — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and partners announce the opening of a new link of the San Joaquin River Parkway Trail, part of the Friant Interactive Nature Site (FINS), and new outdoor educational facilities at the San Joaquin Fish Hatchery. The trail stretches nearly a mile from the community of Friant to Lost Lake Recreation Area ...

CLOVIS – The Sierra National Forest is conducting an annual Emergency Vehicle Operating Training (EVOT) on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Avocado Lake in Fresno County between 8:30 am. and 5 p.m. The objective of this exercise is to provide training for safe and effective use of red lights and sirens and amber emergency lights for the upcoming fire season. The ...

YOSEMITE — On Thursday, Sept. 29, Yosemite National Park signed three new sister park agreements with Cumbres de Monterrey National Park in Mexico, Blue Mountains National Park in Australia, and Wadi Rum Protected Area in Jordan. Park officials joined Yosemite Acting Superintendent Linda Mazzu to sign a formal agreement between each park and Yosemite, which cemented a formal relationship as ...

10/27/2016 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm - 10/27, 12-2 Harvest Banner: We will use book pages, colored cardstock and sparkly letters to spell out “Harvest.” These will be hung on lace and dingle-hoppers (my word for tassels) added. Materials included. $18/Lisa Gatz, 760-4379

COULTERVILLE — CoyoteFest, Coulterville’s largest annual event, transforms a quiet, gold rush era town into a boomtown for the day on Saturday, Sep. 24. A parade down Historic Main Street kicks off the day at 10 a.m. Alberta Garrett, great granddaughter of the founder of the town’s historic Hotel Jeffery, (born in Yosemite Valley) will be this year’s Grand Marshall. ...

YOSEMITE — Over 50 people will become naturalized U.S. Citizens today at the famous Glacier Point, overlooking Half Dome and Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. This special ceremony commemorates Constitution and Citizenship Day, a combined event that is observed annually on Sept. 17, to commemorate the formation and signing of the Constitution of the United States. It also recognizes ...

YOSEMITE — Yosemite National Park encourages all fourth graders to visit the park for free this year as part of the Every Kid in a Park (EKIP) program. The program gives fourth grade students, and those accompanying them, free access to more than 2,000 federally managed lands and waters. Visit www.EveryKidinaPark.gov to download the pass and obtain more information. “We ...