CALIFORNIA – Each year the American Red Cross honors “Real Heroes” at Red Cross chapters across the country. The benevolent acts of these heroes embody the true spirit of the mission of the Red Cross: prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. In your darkest hour, a stranger comes to your rescue; the quick steps of a ...

O’NEALS – Minarets High School is holding a blood drive on Thursday, Mar. 7 in the gym at the O’Neals campus. Donations will be accepted between 2 and 7 p.m.

OAKHURST – After two months of sleepless nights, dogged determination and a never-say-die attitude, the Met Heroes have won the day! As the deadline approached, at 8:18 p.m. this evening, Monday, Dec. 31, the tireless team of Matt Sconce, James Nelson, Keith Walker, all their family and friends, and a host of community volunteers, reached their goal of 3,000 subscribers, ...

Submitted by Dave Wolin It may not seem like it, but we live in a dangerous area. At any moment, the Long Valley Caldera and Mammoth Mountain could explode, decimating Central California. We’re only 100 miles from the San Andreas fault; a major earthquake could destroy most of Madera County. A fire like the Harlow Fire of 1961 could wipe ...

AHWAHNEE – With groundbreaking on their new facility just around the corner, the Eastern Madera County SPCA is gearing up to get busy on the new Animal Care and Adoption Center. The EMC SPCA has been working to get a low cost spay/neuter adoption facility in Eastern Madera County for more than 20 years, according to EMC SPCA board member ...

Acoustic Americana Folk-Grass: Butterfield holds two CD release parties this weekend OAKHURST – Multi-talented singer, songwriter and local musician Jean Butterfield has scheduled two events to mark the release of her first CD, Brothers In Time. Butterfield is a frequent and favorite performer in the mountain area, and has just been nominated as the 2013 Female Vocalist for the Northern ...

OAKHURST – The season is officially underway in Oakhurst, as the Community Christmas tree arrives at the corner of Highway 41 and Road 426. The 60-foot white fir was harvested under a permit from the Sierra National Forest, and was donated by Sierra Tel, who transported it to its traditional site near the Talking Bear.

MADERA COUNTY — With so many elderly people living alone these days, being able to check on their safety and welfare has become a concern for friends and relatives, and for the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. To address this growing concern, Sheriff John Anderson has launched a new program called “Elder Orphans.”

MADERA COUNTY – Every year there are countless cases of people dying alone in their homes. Sometimes it is days or even weeks before anyone knows they are gone. Sheriff John Anderson is determined to afford these citizens some dignity.

First – a feral cat is one that CANNOT be handled. If you can touch, pet or cuddle the cat, they are not feral. The SPCA has funds for spaying or neutering feral cats. This is to help reduce the population of feral cats in neighborhoods & create a healthier cat colony. If you have feral cats (we have 10 ...