Podcasts about Nevada County

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. 

For the first time since its founding in 1978, Community Beyond Violence is getting their own emergency shelter in Western Nevada County. The  nonprofit organization works to end domestic violence and sexual assault. KVMR News speaks with Executive Director Allison Bischoffberger about the newly acquired space which will act as an emergency shelter for people who are actively fleeing a domestic violence situation or are in danger and looking for shelter. Last week, CodeRED, a system used to send emergency alerts to residents who have opted in, reported an outage which affected six cities and twelve counties in California, including Nevada County. Now, CodeRED has notified Nevada County of a cybersecurity breach associated with the outage. For nearly 40 years the Nevada Union High School Chamber Choir has organized a fundraiser in the form of a Renaissance celebration.The fully immersive experience includes students dressed in period-appropriate attire, live renditions of Renaissance era songs and, even, a comedy sketch. The event is known as the Madrigal Dinner.

As interest in generative technology has grown, so too have concerns over using AI to prepare legal documents. Nevada County District Attorney Jesse Wilson made national news for his office's misuse of generative artificial intelligence. KVMR News looks at two investigative reports from the Sacramento Bee and the New York Times outlining the allegations. The newly appointed Nevada County Clerk Recorder/ Registrar of Voters, Armando Salud-Ambriz, is hosting a series of informal meet and greets at various locations across the county in December. Armando says this is a chance for Nevada County residents to get to know him and ask questions about elections, voter registration, and the many services the office provides. 

Downtown Nevada City art supply store Wonder Docent presents NEONoir: New Works in Watercolor by Erika Peterson, also known as the artist Ghost Baby. The show, which runs through January 4th, features 32 watercolor paintings, varying in size, and all depicting neon signs against dark backgrounds. KVMR News speaks with Ghost Baby (Erika Peterson) and Heather Heckler (co-owner of Wonder Docent).On November 20th, Nevada County identified a sewer spill at Lift Station #23 near Dove Loop. The sewage spill occurred between November 18th and November 20th, entering into Lake Wildwood as a result of an operational error during scheduled testing.Nevada County is accepting applications for a free cat spay and neuter clinic on Tuesday, December 16th. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved up to 1.5 million dollars over five years to keep Rough and Ready Fire Station 59 operational during the consolidation of Rough and Ready and Penn Valley Fire Districts. 

Nevada County's Elections Office reports 99.9% of ballots counted for the November 4th Special Election with a voter turnout rate hovering around 66%. KVMR News speaks with Niccole Staten, Manager of Public Affairs for the Reno Tahoe Airport Authority, and Lindsay Myers, Public Information Officer for Sacramento County Department of Airports, to see how SMF and RNO are doing following the historic government shutdown with holiday travel fast approaching. Road Closure: From today (11/24) through Wednesday, November 26th, a portion of East Broad Street in downtown Nevada City will be closed for construction on a permanent crosswalk at the Broad Street Y.Photo from Reno-Tahoe International Airport website

In this episode, Alex talks to Hardy Bullock. He is a supervisor for Nevada County's fifth district, and previously, he served as the Director of Aviation and Community Services for the Truckee Tahoe Airport District. He also has over 2000 hours of flight time. The two talk about American politics, local politics, what the future for the Democrats looks like, and why politics doesn't always need to be national.

Nevada County is one of twelve counties and six cities in California impacted by a recent CodeRED outage. McGees Annex in Nevada City went up for auction on the steps of the Nevada County courthouse yesterday.City Hall Art Meets the Public, or CHAMP, is an exhibition on the entryway walls of City Hall in Nevada City. Submissions are now open for the first exhibition of 2026 with the theme: Year of Advanced Music Appreciation.

Submissions are open for the 2026 Nevada City Film Festival. Now comes the flood of films - animation, shorts, documentaries -  from around the world, says Jesse Locks, the festival's Executive Director. In 2025 the small committee tasked with decision making watched 297 hours worth of submissions before whittling down the event's final lineup.This year the focus will be on animation and the artists committed to that craft. But, as Locks points out, animation is expensive. And some filmmakers have been turning to artificial intelligence to cut costs. “Does that erode how we interact with reality, or does that enhance creativity,” Locks asks. Films created with the use of AI are able to enter the festival.  Locks says, “Ultimately, audiences are going to be the ones who decide if AI succeeds or fails in filmmaking.”

The Nevada County Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend to the Board of Supervisors to adopt the Alternative Housing RV Dwelling Ordinance. The nearly 4-hour meeting saw impassioned public comment (including an original song performed) and a conflicted Planning Commission.Watch the Planning Commission meeting HERE.

KVMR News speaks with Dr. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and creator of the popular Weather West blog, about Nevada County's impending winter weather and the effects of DOGE cuts and the historic government shutdown on National Weather Service employees. 

KVMR News speaks with Kristin Plante, Nevada County Social Services Program Manager, about the ever-changing state of CalFresh benefits for Nevada County residents. Then we hear from Brett Bentely, Executive Director of the Food Bank of Nevada County and Victoria Lindsay, Marketing and Communications Manager for Interfaith Food Ministry. Bentely says food banks and pantries can't make up the difference for those not receiving federal benefits. For every one meal of a food bank provides, benefits provide nine.

Nevada County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) holds their annual simulated emergency test exercise this Saturday. Peter Mason, Emergency Coordinator for Amateur Radio Emergency Service of Nevada County, speaks with KVMR News about the program and how local neighborhoods can get involved as we brace for potential extreme weather events. 

Last week, a special joint meeting of local government agencies met at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City to address local housing challenges and prepare for upcoming state housing mandates. KVMR News then covers the latest City of Nevada and Grass Valley City Council meetings.

California voters have passed Proposition 50. Early returns show approval of the ballot measure leading with roughly  64% of the vote. In Nevada County the Yes and No vote margin was much slimmer than the state's. Yesterday's 11:10pm update from the Nevada County Elections Office reports a yes vote on 54 percent of counted ballots. No votes totaled 46 percent. As of 11:10pm Tuesday, nearly 34 thousand ballots have been counted. Nevada County has nearly 78 thousand registered voters and is known for a high voter turnout. 

Grass Valley's Condon Park Skatepark project is well underway, looking to be completed by late November or early December. But Nevada County skaters may have another option in the works. KVMR's Neil Wright attended last week's Skatepark Input Meeting in Nevada City and spoke with the project's leaders and community members who gathered to find out more. 

Let's take a deep dive into Prop 50. After covering the basics, we hear from Mac Young, Chairman of the Nevada County Republican Party and Peter Minett, Nevada County Democratic Chair and current Central Committee member, sharing their local parties' perspectives on Proposition 50. 

This special election certain Nevada County residents will be voting on Measure G, a piece of the funding puzzle, namely a $25 million bond, to build a new library in Truckee. KVMR News spoke with Executive Director of the Friends of the Truckee Library April Cole who's spearheading the effort to get a new facility built. 

KVMR News visits Nevada County's new ballot processing center at the Loma Rica Warehouse in Grass Valley in the run-up to Nov. 4th's special election. Newly appointed County Clerk Recorder/Registrar of Voters, Armando Salud-Ambriz, and Assistant Clerk Recorder/Registrar of Voters Corey O'Hayre speak about the election process and how election administrators might be adrenaline junkies. You can watch the Nevada County Elections' livestream of the ballot processing center on the County's Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdGzGr9WdIE

KVMR News speaks with Randi Swisley, Voter Services Chair of the League of Women Voters of Nevada County, a nonpartisan organization which promotes voting, provides resources for informed citizenship, and encourages civic engagement. Randi answers questions about California's November 4th Special Election, which will ask voters to approve or reject Proposition 50. The League of Women Voters of Nevada County has additional resources, including a multi-part video series about Prop 50 for voters still unclear about the proposition.  https://my.lwv.org/california/nevada-county/elections/upcoming-elections

In the first episode of their Special Election series, KVMR News brings you a Prop 50 explainer.  This fall California is holding a state-wide special election asking California voters to approve or reject Proposition 50. Prop 50 has been the subject of a lot of misinformation, so let's take a quick look at what the proposition actually says and what its impact will be if it's approved by voters. “Proposition 50 authorizes temporary changes to congressional district maps in response to Texas' partisan redistricting.”

Due to the federal government shut down, November CalFresh benefits will be impacted for millions of Californians. Rachel Peña, Director of Social Services for Nevada County, says close to 12,000 Nevada County residents will lose their CalFresh benefits in November, which amounts to a $2.3 million monthly impact to the local economy. 

United Against Hate Week is a statewide initiative with a clear message: hate has no place in our communities. KVMR News talks with Heidi Hall, Nevada County District 1 Supervisor and Current Chair of the Board, Rachel Pena, Director of Social Services for Nevada County, and Margaret Gilmore, Branch Manager at the Madelyn Helling Library to hear about the Nevada County Equity Inclusion Leadership Alliance's participation in the initiative. Friday October 24th through Sunday October 26th, Nevada County expects rain, mountain snow, moderate winds. The county is offering free sand at four locations; residents must bring their own shovel and sandbags. 

Aiming to advance independent filmmaking in Nevada County, the Nevada City Film Festival recently announced their Filmed in Nevada County Grant. KVMR News spoke with Jesse Locks, executive director of Nevada City Film Festival, to find out what is offered as part of the grant, who should apply, and important dates to remember. 

Sierra Roots is hosting a "Fire to Frost" event on October 30th from 5-7pm in the Miners Foundry Stone Hall. Mike Cannatella, manager of Sierra Roots' emergency weather shelter, tells KVMR News that the event is a collaborative effort aimed at getting the community involved and sharing information about the seasonal services offered for the local unhoused population. 

On Saturday, October 18th an estimated 2,500 to 3,500 individuals gathered in the Grass Valley Brunswick Basin as part of the nation-wide No Kings protest, demonstrating against what they see as current President Donald Trump's unregulated escalation of executive powers. KVMR News spoke to attendees about why they decided to join the second No Kings protest. 

Sierra Streams Institute Education Program Director Sol Hanson speaks with KVMR News about a special, advanced stream ecology course open to the public. 

This Friday, October 3rd marks the 2nd annual KVMRx X-Fest. The event is the brainchild of KVMRx Programming Director Jai Hanes. He wanted an all ages gathering focused on live music and DJing. KVMR News got Intellectual Decay, Checked-Out and Beach Noise in the studio to hear from the bands that will be taking center stage. 

Cassidy Carson and JT Hume welcome Karen Terrey, the Poet Laureate of Nevada County, California, to discuss her role in promoting poetry and the literary arts within the community. Together, they explore the challenges of geography in community engagement, the craft of poetry, and the importance of introducing poetry to young minds.Karen shares her insights on addressing current events through poetry and the significance of public performance. The discussion highlights her upcoming works and ongoing community involvement, emphasizing the collaborative spirit of the Nevada Author Network.(We apologize for the degraded audio on our side of the interview. We did this interview twice and the audio did not improve.)+++You can read about Karen's efforts in Nevada County, California at her website https://karenaterrey.blogspot.com/She is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/karen.terrey.3+++You can learn more about the Sierra Arts Foundation at ⁠https://sierraarts.orgYou can contact Two Moore Books, LLC via their main website at ⁠https://www.carsonhume.com

POLITICO's ‘California Playbook' joins us with the latest in politics. Also, Placerville's Community Observatory offers free viewings of the night sky. Finally, the inaugural Food Fight competition sheds light on local ingredients in Nevada County.

In this episode we sat down with Nicole out of Cast Iron Shoes.Nevada County native, we talked about her time living in Austin TX and what it's like Nationally Touring! Don't miss it!

Maggie Philipsborn served as the Director of Membership and Education for over six years and is currently responsible for overseeing special projects at the Nevada County Cannabis Alliance. She contributes a wealth of experience in consumer relations, sustainability initiatives and community coordination. Maggie is co-host of the monthly KVMR community radio program, The Good Herb Report, highlighting cannabis news and culture. She resides in unincorporated Nevada City (unceded Nisenan territory), where she stewards land, grows food, chases chickens, and organizes her neighborhood's FireWise Community. 

KVMR News Correspondent Sophie Humphers covers the public interview process and the final decision for Nevada County's new Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters.She speaks with the newly appointed Armando Salud-Ambriz and Nevada County Board of Supervisors Chair and District 1 Supervisor Heidi Hall. 

Send us a textLTL – Hon. Al Dover - Show Notes lovethylawyer.comA transcript of this podcast is easily available atlovethylawyer.com.Go tohttps://www.lovethylawyer.com/blog for transcripts. In collaboration with theAlameda County Bar Association, Love Thy Lawyer presents an interview with:Hon. Al Dover Judge Al Dover is a retired superior court judge from Nevada County, California. He currently works as a mediator, handling emotionally intense legal disputes, particularly involving wills, trusts, and family conflict. Throughout his career, Judge Dover served as a public defender, ran a private law practice, and spent two decades on the bench. He handled a major murder trial early in his career, built a strong local reputation in criminal defense, and later embraced teaching judicial ethics and mediation. In this episode, he shares stories about learning the ropes in law, what makes good lawyering stand out, and why he believes helping people reduce conflict is the heart of legal work. He also critiques the adversarial legal system and makes a case for putting mediation first. Tune in to hear why Judge Dover thinks great lawyers are storytellers, what he believes young lawyers need to succeed, and why knowing how to negotiate can matter more than knowing how to argue.ADR With Dover https://adrwithdover.com/    Alameda County Bar AssociationThe Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA) is a professional membership association for lawyers and other members of the legal profession. The ACBA provides access to ongoing legal education; and promotes diversity and civil rights in the Alameda County legal community. Our mission is to promote excellence in the legal profession and to facilitate equal access to justice. Louis Goodmanwww.louisgoodman.comlouisgoodman2010@gmail.com510.582.9090 Special thanks to ACBA staff and members: Cailin Dahlin, Saeed Randle, Hadassah Hayashi, Vincent Tong and Anne Beles.(https://www.acbanet.org/) Musical theme by Joel Katz, Seaside Recording, MauiTechnical support: Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios, OaklandAudiograms & Transcripts: Paul Robert We'd love to hear from you.  Send us an email at louisgoodman2010@gmail.com.Please subscribe and listen. Then tell us who you want to hear and what areas of interest you'd like us to cover. Please rate us and review us on Apple Podcasts.   Louis Goodman www.louisgoodman.comhttps://www.lovethylawyer.com/510.582.9090Music: Joel Katz, Seaside Recording, MauiTech: Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios, OaklandAudiograms: Paul Robert louis@lovethylawyer.com

“No Kings” rallies across Sacramento and surrounding counties. Also, the California Legislature passed a $325 billion budget, but faces challenges as it heads to Gov. Newsom's desk. Finally, an Alice in Wonderland ballet in Nevada County.

“No Kings” rallies across Sacramento and surrounding counties. Also, the California Legislature passed a $325 billion budget, but faces challenges as it heads to Gov. Newsom's desk. Finally, an Alice in Wonderland ballet in Nevada County. ‘No Kings' Rallies Across Sacramento

The Honey Hills Music Festival is underway in Nevada County. KVMR News Correspondent Sherrie Cunningham brings us a look at a local band with a lot of history in the d-i-y, indie music scene.

On this week's Friday Evening News Magazine, News Director Cláudio Mendonça discovers how a Nevada County neighborhood is preparing for the possibility of wildfire. The station's resident science guy Al Stahler brings us a new edition of Al Explores. He speaks with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about the  2025 Atlantic hurricane forecast. KVMR News Correspondent Sherrie Cunningham brings us a look at a local band playing the Honey Hills Music Festival, currently underway. Nevada City poet Molly Fisk shares an essay to close it all out.

This week Lydia Thomas brings us along as the local Nevada County branch of Meals on Wheels delivers meals to seniors. Lydia investigates how the program works and if it will be impacted by federal budget cuts. Money Matters host Marc Cuniberti returns with a brand new commentary on tariffs and who will bear the brunt of cost increases.Sherrie Cunningham talks with Henry Diltz, the famed photographer who's work documented the 60s and 70s rock music scene including Woodstock and Laurel Canyon. To close it all out, an essay by Nevada City poet Molly Fisk.

Houseless people in Nevada County — where the threat of wildfire is very high — live in cars and in the woods during fire season. KVMR News correspondent April Glaser spoke with Tom Durkin of Sierra Roots, as well as guests at a weekly free lunch for unhoused people in Pioneer Park, to learn what's being done to help the county's fast-growing houseless population survive a wildfire.

Established by a special resolution passed by the California Legislature in 1998, Juror Appreciation Week recognizes citizens who make the right of "trail by jury" possible. Sherrie Cunningham, one of KVMR's news reporters, spoke to Laila Waheed, Nevada County's Court Executive Officer to learn all about it.

Recorded On (5/9/25) Featuring Jesse, Mattman, and Clayton      Come along with the Boyz as Clayton tells us all about his trip to the islands. It is a classic episode with the 3 musketeers of Nevada County and we shooting out those ISLAND VIBES living that SALT LYFE ++++LINKS++++   Email: smartsvillepodcast@gmail.com Homepage: Click to Visit Homepage (smartsville.podbean.com) Instagram: Click to Visit Instagram Page (www.instagram.com/official_mudduck/) Facebook: Facebook Page(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092156203122)

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact the Nevada County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit at 530-265-1471 or through the Sheriff's Crime Tip Form on the Nevada County website.The Grass Valley Skatepark Coalition's proposal to save the existing park can be read on change.org.  

On this week's Friday Evening News Magazine CAL FIRE Unit Chief Brian Estes speaks to KVMR News Director Cláudio Mendonça about what Nevada County residents can expect as the temperatures begin to rise. KVMR News Correspondent Lydia Thomas talks to author Barbe Chambliss. The Mediator and psychotherapist will speak about women peacemakers at a League of Women Voters event in downtown Nevada City this Saturday.  Money Matters host Marc Cuniberti returns with a brand new commentary on the polarizing subject of annuities. And to close it all out, an essay by Nevada City poet Molly Fisk in her ongoing Observations from a Working Poet series.

Various crews including the California Conservation Corps Placer Center, the Washington Ridge Fire Crew Camp, and the California National Guard Task Force Rattlesnake Crew 23, met a week ago to certify for the season. While there, KVMR's Cláudio Mendonça spoke with Brian Estes, fire chief for the CAL FIRE Nevada Yuba Placer Unit.

Caltrans announced several lane closures along multiple locations on State Route 20 and Interstate 80. Closures near SR-20 are part of the Yuba Pass Separation Overhead Bridge Project. 

County staff is looking into amending an existing Recreational Vehicles ordinance in order to allow people to live in RVs semi-permanently or permanently. County staff also plans to organize four public meetings this year to gather input from the community. You can learn more about the Alternative Housing Work Plan and sign-up for email updates at nevadacountyca.gov/alternativehousing.

KVMR's Kelley Rees and Nevada County Adult Services Librarian Ian Boalt discuss this year's Nevada County Reads program and upcoming author event with Annihilation author Jeff Vandermeer.