A virtual public meeting will be held tonight at 7:00 PM on the Sierra National Forest Facebook page. North Fork – Oct. 19,2020 –  The Creek Fire which is the largest single fire incident in the state of California has now burned 350,331 acres with 61% containment and full containment not expected until late October. It has destroyed 856 structures ...

Editor’s Note: Brenda Cordes passed away in March. Those of you who knew her, and many did, will not be surprised to learn that she wrote her own obituary. Here is what she wrote: “If I Should Die Before I Wake, I Pray the Lord my Soul to Take Brenda lived her life her way…giving of loving kindness, being with ...

OAKHURST — On an unseasonably chilly Memorial Day, organizers say about 60 people attended a church service and graveside ceremony held Monday morning, May 27, at the Oakhill Cemetery in honor of United States military veterans. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8743 and Marine Corps League Griswold Mountain Detachment 1121 performed Memorial Day salutes at four area ...

Written by David Novell – Orangie arranged Teddy, Kitty Kazoo, the Pandas, Webster Webfoot, Sammy the Squirrel and all the other stuffed animals that he and Butch possessed between them — twenty-three in all — in the red wagon that was tied to Butch’s tricycle for a monumental trip the boys had planned. Orangie had felt compelled to do a ...

O’NEALS — “What are you your plans for after graduation?” That’s the age-old question that high school seniors are asked during the last year at Minarets. For some, it causes stress. Senior Aaron Hall can proudly declare that he has committed to West Point Academy, making him the first-ever Minarets student to commit as a NCAA Division 1 baseball player. ...

NORTH FORK – For the second year in a row, Aaron Hall took top honors at the North Fork Lions Club Student Speakers Contest, held on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the Scout Building. Five speakers participated in the Club level of the 82nd annual competition. This year’s topic – “Freedom of the Press: What does it mean?” Each student is ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The Ferguson Fire is now estimated at 62,883 acres and is 39 percent contained. On the eastern perimeter inside Yosemite National Park, crews advanced tactical firing south along Wawona Road (Highway 41) toward Wawona Campground. On the south, firefighters conducting firing operations east from Crow Peak along the Chowchilla Mountain Road, toward Wawona Campground. On the north ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – Firefighters continue to focus on tactical firing operations across the Ferguson Fire, which is now estimated at 57,846 acres and is now 33 percent contained. Officials estimate there are 2,846 structures threatened by the fire, and one non-residential structure has been destroyed. Crews made good progress overnight as they continued to widen and strengthen containment lines on ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – As some residents on the south end of the Ferguson Fire were allowed to return home, visitors in Yosemite National Park were told to pack up and leave. Just after 1 p.m. today, park officials announced that Yosemite Valley and Wawona will close at noon tomorrow, July 25, to all visitors in all hotels and campgrounds due ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — The Ferguson Fire, burning in the Merced River Canyon between Mariposa and Yosemite National Park, is now estimated at 4,000 acres and is just 2 percent contained. There are currently 500 personnel assigned to the incident. Smoky conditions are challenging for air operations this morning. Crews are focused on securing fireline along Highway 140 and protecting structures ...