MARIPOSA – The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for any information about the unattended campfire that investigators believe may have started the 1,800+ acre Carstens fire in the Midpines/Jerseydale area. The fire started on Sunday, June 16, just after 2 p.m., and has caused wide-spread closures and evacuations, with some 1,000 people being displaced from their homes.

MIDPINES – Cal Fire is reporting that the cause of the Carstens wildfire near Midpines was an unattended campfire. The huge fire, which started on Sunday afternoon, has now burned over 1,600 acres and forced the evacuation of 1,900 residents from about 800 homes.

MARIPOSA – “Oak trees are one of the iconic symbols of California open space. Dark-green oaks scattered across spring-green or summer-golden hillsides give Sierra foothill residents our sense of place,” says Becky Miller-Cripps, a representative of UC’s Natural Resources Program who works out of Tuolumne County. She will present a free public workshop on oaks July 20, from 10 a.m. ...

MARIPOSA – Over 800 firefighters continue battling a large wildfire in the Jerseydale area north of Mariposa today, dealing with steep terrain, tinder dry brush and narrow access roads. Crews continue to roll into staging areas, and air tankers and helicopters worked overhead all day making water and retardant drops on the flames.

MARIPOSA – Update – On Sunday, June 16, at 11:30 p.m., the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order due to the unpredictability of the Carstens Fire. Cal Fire has initiated the evacuation order for the residents on the northeast side of Triangle Road between Highway 140, extending to Darrah Road. Earlier in the day, at 7:50 p.m., Cal ...

COARSEGOLD – Firefighters started a very busy day on Father’s Day with a call at about 1:30 p.m. to yet another vegetation fire on Road 400 just north of Yosemite Springs Parkway. The fire was burning on the east side of the road in dry grass and brush, and consumed about half an acre before crews had it contained. As ...

Submitted by Les Marsden MARIPOSA – One of the greatest pieces of musical Americana will be performed live – for the first time in the Yosemite Region – when the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra offers Aaron Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait with special guest Shelton Johnson as narrator. The work will be featured on the orchestra’s “Independence Day Spectacular!” concert on Saturday, ...

MARIPOSA – Congratulations to Emily Elizabeth Croft, this year’s winner of the Mariposa County Arts Council and Mariposa Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) “Young Master Composers Celebration.” This year’s contest called for “Words and Music” with entrants tasked with writing a brief story intended for narration, and setting that story to their own original music. The 17-year-old Croft met the challenge with ...

MARIPOSA – The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office was busy last week dealing with large marijuana grows in Mariposa County. On Thursday, May 30, the Sheriff’s Office investigated a large marijuana garden located on private property in the area of the Mormon Bar community.

MARIPOSA – The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has initiated a criminal investigation into allegations that a 16-year-old male student at Mariposa County High School sexually assaulted a 17-year-old female student on campus. The alleged assault reportedly occurred on May 21, just after a music concert.