KVMR News

Crews continue to clean up almost two weeks after a pipe failure above the Colgate Powerhouse sent a torrent of water down the hillside into the Yuba River.The 12th annual Nevada City Chinese Lunar New Year Parade and Festival will kick off at noon in downtown Nevada City. 

Sage A. Wilson of Grass Valley was discovered just before 1 p.m. on February 23rd by someone walking in the wooded area between Sutton Way and Brunswick Road. Police say no foul play is suspected.The Nevada County Elections Office is hiring temporary Elections staff and Vote Center workers for the upcoming June 2nd Statewide Direct Primary Election.

Nevada County Assistant Clerk Recorder/Registrar of Voters Corey O'Hayre joined News Director Claudio Mendonca in the studios of KVMR. The two discuss his office's recruitment of temporary election staff, including full-time temporary workers and short-term vote center workers, the differences between primary elections and midterms, and the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which was passed this month by the United States House of Representatives.

The Nevada County Transportation Commission and Nevada County Connects are inviting the public to the Re-Envisioning Transit in Western Nevada County open house. It will take place Wednesday, February 25th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Madelyn Helling Library in the Gene Albaugh Community Room. Learn more, including how to attend virtually by visiting FutureOfNevCoTransit.org.

The Nevada County Sheriff recovered the bodies of the 9 people who died in the Castle Peak avalanche a week ago:Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada (guide for Blackbird Mountain Guides)Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe (guide for Blackbird Mountain Guides)Michael Henry, 30, from Soda Springs (guide for Blackbird Mountain Guides)Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs, Calif.Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, IdahoDanielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, Calif.Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, Calif.Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco, Calif.Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrea, Calif.Nevada County Reads is in full swing! Join News Producer Kelley Rees on her journey to the Madelyn Helling library branch as she discovers how to engage with county-wide book club. Kelley isn't alone in her adventure - luckily, she has an expert guide in the form of a librarian to steer her in the right direction! 

We asked our listeners to record and send dispatches from the field. These were all played on air during our hourly updates--this is what community radio is all about!

A lot of snow is piling up in Nevada County, including on people's roofs. KVMR's April Glaser spoke with Jon May to learn more about snow load hazards and the dangers of rain after snow, particularly on flat roofs where drainage can be blocked.

Kelley Rees ventured out into the snow this morning to find out who was out and about, and why.

KVMR News Director Claudio Mendonca, and NevCo PIO Taylor Wolfe, joined Thursday Morning Show host Paul Barbieri in the studio to talk about the current storm. 

The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services is reminding everyone to take advantage of the break in the weather to prepare. Stock up on shelf-stable food, water, warm clothes, blankets, and pet supplies. Check your propane, fuel, and batteries and pack a "stay bag" with essentials in case of outages. If appropriate, use the time to set up snowplow and tree removal appointments.46 emergency first responders including members of the NCSO Search & Rescue team responded to a report of an avalanche in the Castle Peak area just before noon on Tuesday. 6 skiers were rescued by late Tuesday evening and the search for the remaining 9 continues.

The NWS says heavy snowfall with rates up to 2 inches per hour is possible today with snow levels expected to fall to around 1500-2500 feet. On Wednesday, snow levels could drop down to 1000 feet along the Sierra and below 1000 feet in the northern Sacramento Valley.Tim Kiser, Grass Valley's City Manager since 2017, gave notice to the city last Friday that he has accepted a job with the West Valley Sanitation District in Santa Clara County. He will begin his new job in March.

Every year the Nevada County Health and Human Services Agency runs a VITA site (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) to offer free tax preparation assistance and simple return filing to qualified NevCo residents. Kelley Rees spoke with Social Service Supervisor Patricia Martin to learn about this decades-old program. 

Dozens of people spoke on Tuesday asking the Nevada County Board of Supervisors to take action relating to ongoing ICE operations. More than one speaker told the board about a petition being circulated throughout the community. The petition can be found on the Peace and Justice Center of Nevada County's website.

On February 26th, parcel owners and registered voters from both Fire Protection Districts will have a chance to formally protest the consolidation. The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. at the Rough & Ready Fire Station at 14506 Rough and Ready Highway in Rough and Ready.

Jonathan Maurer of Coalinga was charged with multiple crimes including assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily injury and felony vandalism after he deliberately drove his truck into a group of children and adults in front of a store in Truckee.Standing Together Against ICE: Tools to Protect Our Community drew hundreds to the Miners Foundry last week. Speakers shared tools and tactics that locals could use to keep their neighbors safe if ICE agents visit Nevada County.

The Nevada County Elections Office sent voter residency confirmation postcards this week to both active and inactive registered voters. The intent is to ensure voter registration records are accurate and up to date ahead of this summer's Statewide Direct Primary Election. 

NID's recent snow survey measured about 9 1/2 inches of water—much lower than the typical 20 inches for this time of year—though NID Water Resources Superintendent Thor Larsen says all District reservoirs are close to full or spilling.The Hew Renew Process wants the public to help decide the fate of the historic building. 

Organizers say "Standing Together Against ICE" will focus on real-world tools and coordinated actions that can be used to to protect neighbors if ICE shows up in Nevada County and will double as a food drive for those in need.

Artificial intelligence is something most professions are now navigating. In this 30-minute KVMR News Special, we'll zoom in on AI as it pertains to the legal field. Why law? Well, that decision springs from the Nevada County District Attorney's office and its coverage in the Sacramento Bee and New York Times for their misuse of generative AI in creating legal briefs.We then take a broader look at how AI is being introduced to law students and what kind of proficiency law firms are expecting employees to posses when it comes to the rapidly developing technology. We speak with UC Davis School of Law Professor Peter Lee. Professor Lee is also the director of the law school's Center for Innovation, Law and Society and sits on the school's AI work group. In addition, we hear from Executive Director of the California Public Defenders Association Kate Chatfield.Music by Ashot Danielyan and Viosteffa from Pixabay

The Tibetan Monks of Gaden Shartse Norling Monastery will visit the former County Health, Education and Welfare site in Nevada City for a public ceremony of healing and blessing on Monday, February 2nd at 10:00 a.m. The site is located at 10433 Willow Valley Rd. Bike riders from all over the country are organizing rides to honor murdered ICU nurse and cyclist Alex J. Pretti. Locally, community members will meet in front of You Bet! Bicycle Sales & Service -- 556 Searls Ave, Nevada City -- on Saturday, January 31st at 12:30 p.m.

Nevada County's Board of Supervisors Workshop begins today at the Gold Miners Inn in Grass Valley. The meetings will take place today and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from 9:30 a.m about noon on Friday.Lockheed Martin, PG&E, Salesforce, and Wells Fargo have announced the launch of "a purpose-built venture that will integrate next-generation wildfire solutions to help first responders detect, prevent and fight catastrophic wildfires."Nevada City residents gathered in Calanan Park on Tuesday in memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Volunteers and staff members from multiple local agencies and nonprofits will count families and individuals currently experiencing homelessness. The annual count is used to qualify for HUD funds.Readers with niche tastes will again be able to request books that the Library doesn't own, though the book must be available through Amazon.

A 25 year old Grass Valley man was arrested on January 21 after a lengthy investigation. The United States Postal Service has recently clarified that machine-applied postmarks represent the date that mail is first processed at a regional facility not when when that mail is dropped off at a post office or mailbox.

Nevada County has been selected to host a state–local listening session informing California's Future is Creative, the State's first-ever strategic plan for the creative economy.The Nevada County Library has selected North Woods by Daniel Mason for Nevada County Reads 2026. Nevada County Reads is a countywide reading and community engagement program that brings residents together through shared literature and events. 

Hundreds of local students walked out of their classrooms on Tuesday to gather in downtown GV and make their voices heard.Nevada County's Elections Office is spreading the word about an option that lowers the cost of filing for those seeking candidacy in the June 2026 primary election.

A stranded cyclist with a satellite communicator calls for help after going off-trail. Scott W Lay, Nevada County Superintendent of Schools for the past nine years, has announced that he will not seek reelection this June and has endorsed Nevada City School District Superintendent John Baggett for the position.Terry McAteer stopped by the KVMR studios to talk about the Community Forum, a monthly town hall meeting he helps organize. The next Forum will convene this Friday, January 23, from 10:30 to 11:30 to discuss affordable housing. 

Terence K. McAteer is a retired Nevada County Superintendent of Schools and currently helps to organize The Community Forum, a monthly town hall meeting. Past topics include artificial intelligence, fire insurance rates, and Nevada Irrigation District's infrastructure. He recently sat down with KVMR's Cláudio Mendonça to talk about why the Forum exists and what it will cover in the coming year.

The role of the judiciary in American democracy will be the focus of Saturday's AAUW Nevada County Branch program. Guest speakers are Judge Kelly Babineau, Judge Kent Kellegrew, and Judge Jane York Punneo.Originally guided for four decades by Zenobia Brokenbrough and the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Choir, who remain actively involved in this year's performance, the MLK Community Choir will bring approximately 50 local singers from diverse musical and spiritual backgrounds together. 

Nevada County District 3 Supervisor Lisa Swarthout will serve as Board Chair for 2026.The Stagecoach Hotel Veteran's Housing Project could bring the county's homeless Vet population down to "functional zero."

Families in need of a free car seat or installation and safety training can contact Jessica Ferrer of Nevada County's Mother Child Adolescent Health program at Jessica.Ferrer@NevadaCountyCa.gov.  The Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation's Volunteer Open House is for interested community members who want to learn about the diverse volunteer roles available. The event will take place on January 14, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the SNMH Foundation Office at 140 Litton Drive, Suite #220 in Grass Valley.

Protesters waved signs and sang songs as part of Indivisible Nevada County's recent event. Kathy Dotson, one of the organizers, told KVMR that the gathering was about demanding accountability from those currently in power.

Representatives from CalTrans and the Nevada County Transportation Commission held a public meeting on Wednesday to encourage the public to submit pubic comment about the State Route 49 Grass Valley Wildfire Evacuation Project before 5:00 p.m., January 12th. Learn more and submit your thoughts on the Caltrans website.

The body of 40 year old Eryn VanAcker was found near Lake Clementine. Authorities say she was visiting from the Bay Area.US District 1 Representative Doug LaMalfa died Monday evening after being rushed to the emergency room in Chico.

More than 45 emergency responders mobilized on Monday to find a man who went missing after encountering an avalanche.An event organized by the nonprofit Color Me Human gathered Sheriff Shannan Moon, District Attorney Jesse Wilson, Grass Valley Police Chief Alex Gammelgard and Nevada City Police Chief Dan Foss together to discuss recent violent attacks in western Nevada County.

Cameron Gilbert of Browns Valley and Michael Hubbard of Olivehurst were charged with numerous wildlife violations. Gilbert pleaded guilty to felony animal abuse, unlawful spotlighting, using dogs to hunt bear, and hunting without a license. Hubbard pleaded no contest to misdemeanor animal abuse, hunting bear with dogs, and unlawful possession of wildlife. On January 9th, Rise Gold will go before the Nevada County Superior Court to argue that it has vested rights to work the Idaho-Maryland mine.Scammers are targeting the family members of people incarcerated at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility using the Sheriff's Jail Media Report Page

A barn on Inch By Inch road was completely destroyed by fire according to CAL FIRE.Former Nevada City city manager takes job in California City.Waste monitoring in Nevada County shows an uptick in influenza A locally.  

Christmas Tree drop-off boxes have been staged around the county and they'll accept clean trees until February 6th. Over two hundred students at Sierra Community College's Rocklin campus will start their Spring semester in new digs. The college has a new 358-bed on-campus housing option for students. 80 percent of the accommodations will go to students in need of affordable housing. The facility has a $107 million price tag - $80 million of which was awarded to Sierra College through the California Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. KVMR's Kelley Rees speaks with Sierra College Superintendent/President Willy Duncan.

The California Highway Patrol has announced that its Holiday Enforcement Period will begin at 6:01 p.m. on Wednesday, December 24th this year.First responders with the Truckee Fire Protection District deploy their ladder truck to rescue marooned visitors.This year, SYRCL's 24th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival will feature over 110 environmental and adventure films.

Wetter, colder, and more impactful - that's how the National Weather Service describes the storm affecting much of our listening area in the lead up to and, potentially through, the holidays. JJ Jackson's in downtown Nevada City prepares to say goodbye after a 38-year run. The historic building at 244 Commercial Street was sold in late November and the new owner will change the building from a shop to a makers' space. Nevada County Mutual Aid is a collective of volunteers focused on building community care and support, particularly for marginalized individuals. They're hosting a free Christmas Community's Care Day this Thursday, Dec 25th from 12-4pm. Two of the event's organizers sat down to speak with KVMR News. 

Nevada County District Attorney Jesse Wilson gave a public statement at the Board of Supervisors meeting addressing the streak of violence through the county. Before reading the statement, Wilson said he was asked to do so by Board of Supervisors Chair Heidi Hall. A winter weather storm is heading towards Nevada County just in time for holiday travel. The storm, courtesy of two atmospheric rivers, may bring over ten days of rain and low elevation snow to the Sierra foothills. KVMR News hears from Nevada County's Office of Emergency Services and a meteorologist from the National Weather Service on preparatory actions residents should take and how severe this storm will be. Caltrans wants public feedback on a Highway 49 project.KVMR News recaps Wednesday's House of Representatives vote on healthcare, focusing on District 3 Rep. Kevin Kiley's stance on Affordable Care Act extensions. 

The human remains found earlier this year near the South Yuba Fork Bridge have been identified. The Nevada County Coroner is asking the public for help in locating the decedent's next of kin.Nevada County Transit Services' 12 Days of Holiday Cheer free fare event begins today. Nevada County Connects and Nevada County Now are offering free fare service on all routes until December 31st.

Tahoe National Forest is conducting a 37-acre prescribed burn along Conservation Road near Nevada City from Dec 16th to Dec 18th.A Union Pacific train derailed in Colfax this weekend. Union Pacific Railroad representative Jill Micek told KVMR News that approximately 13 rail cars left their tracks near State Highway 174 and Narrow Gauge Road just after 3 a.m. Saturday morning. The California Department of Public Health has issued a warning to the public due to a recent outbreak of amatoxin poisoning tied to the consumption of wild, foraged mushrooms. The cause of these poisonings has been tied to Amanita Phalloides, also known as the Death Cap Mushroom. KVMR News spoke with Daniel Nicholson, a Yuba Watershed Institute board member who has been researching the local mushrooms and documenting their distribution for more than two decades.At last week's Grass Valley City Council Meeting the agenda's big topic of discussion, the Dorsey Marketplace Project, was yet again pushed to a later date. GV City Manager Tim Kiser says the public hearing considering changes and additions to the development is now scheduled for January 13th at 6pm. The meeting's first public comment referenced the repeated incidents of violence throughout Nevada County in the past several months, as well as the demonstration held at the Rood Center in Nevada City on Monday, Dec 8th.

On Friday the Nevada County District Attorney's Office released a statement in regard to multiple violent assaults which have taken place around the county over the past several months. The statement addresses public concern that the incidents may all be linked to the same group of young adults.Scammers target Nevada County elder adults through letters received in the mail.A Grass Valley man has been arrested after a tip led to an animal cruelty investigation that uncovered more than 200 cases of animal abuse. 

Last week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, referred to as ACIP, recommended narrowing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hepatitis B immunization guidance for newborns. It's now up to the CDC's acting Director to approve the recommendation. Previous guidelines recommended infants receive their first dose of the vaccine within 24 hours of birth. Nevada County's Public Health Officer Dr. Sherilynn Cooke explains what this means for county residents.

This week the Wildfire Ready Coalition of Nevada County, formerly Fire Safe Nevada County Coalition, announced the formation of 16 new FireWise communities within the county over the past year. FireWise communities are neighborhoods that work together to reduce the risk of wildfires.  If you've spent any time in Nevada County, you likely know that many people here are big fans of all things organic, especially locally grown food. And for those living in Nevada City, getting some of that food just got a little bit easier thanks to a new neighborhood market called The Outpost Downtown. 

The Department of the Interior announced several changes to national park access fees. Last week the Trump Administration announced it will withhold SNAP food aid benefits - referred to as CalFresh in California - in Democratic-led states unless those states provide information to the federal government about individuals receiving the assistance. KVMR News speaks with Kristin Plante, Nevada County's manager with eligibility and employment in the social services department to find out if Nevada County CalFresh recipients will be affected.

A special sneak peek at the 4th annual KVMR Holiday Hoedown with Event Producer Paul Emery.The sounds of the first Victorian Christmas in downtown Nevada City during its 47th season. The Executive Director of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce shares what's new about this year's event. 

Holiday decorations are going up in store windows, along downtown streets, and at nine locations around Nevada County a very particular kind of Christmas tree can also be seen. KVMR News speaks with county Child Welfare Services Program Manager Nicholas Ready about the Nevada County Giving Tree Program, now in its 12th year. We also visit one of the Giving Tree locations at Carolines Coffee Roasters in downtown Grass Valley and speak with store manager Becky Skolak about why the coffee shop agreed to participate in the community endeavor. 

Tahoe National Forest Christmas tree permits are now available. KVMR News Director Cláudio Mendonça finds out more!Owner of Grass Valley Pasty Company arrested and booked into the Nevada County jail Friday evening, according to the Grass Valley Police Department. The Nevada County elections office has officially certified the results of Nov. 4th's Statewide Special Election.  Nevada County's 66% voter participation rate dwarfs the state's 50% average and ranks it among the top 5 counties for voter turnout in this special election.

As Nevada City prepares for Victorian Christmas and an onslaught of tourists this holiday season, the historic properties lining downtown's Broad Street are gearing up to be put on display. However, a worn down, long-empty address at 311 Broad Street wasn't quite living up to what a recent New York Times article called one of the “best-preserved Gold Rush-era towns in California.” So the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, City of Nevada City and Nevada County Contractor's Association hatched a plan.As part of KVMR News' quest this December to keep you informed on festive winter activities in our area - we sat down with Nevada Union High School Choir Director Connor Jamison to talk about the impending annual NU Choir Holiday Concert. 

After 20 years, the Bratton's are stepping back from hosting the annual Michael Edward Bratton II Turkey Trot , but Mike says the new hosts, Anew day and the Grass Police Department Association, were handpicked to continue the tradition as a trot for wellness. KVMR News brings you audio from this year's trot and an interview with Mike Bratton about the changes to come. The library's annual Winter Reading Challenge kicks off December 1st and runs through January 31st. Brittany Blake, Adult Programming coordinator at the Grass Valley Library, says the Winter Reading Challenge is open to all ages. To take part, you can visit any of the library branches and pick up a bingo card, which fall under 4 categories: pre reader, independent reader, teen, and adult.