Podcasts about Nevada County

Today on The John McGinness Show Errors in felony cases in Nevada County that were linked to the use of artificial intelligence have raised concerns about AI's growing role in the court system and the potential consequences when technology is relied upon too heavily. The controversy highlights the importance of human oversight, critical thinking, and ensuring that legal professionals continue to do their own writing, research, and analysis rather than depending on AI-generated work. Separately, State Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares sought to amend AB 2691 to prevent child sex offenders from holding public office or serving on school boards in California, but the proposal was rejected along party-line votes. Meanwhile, a proposal for a pilot program of "Sexual Relief Clinics" for homeless individuals was introduced during a public comment period at a Los Angeles City Council meeting, drawing public attention and debate.

Nevada County has reached a proposed settlement agreement with the Fair Political Practices Commission regarding two pro-Measure V postcards that were mailed to voters in 2022. The County has agreed to pay $31,500 to resolve the issue.

The Yuba Fire was officially mapped at just 19.8 acres. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Last week's unanimous vote against the ordinance closes the door on legally living in RVs in Nevada County, at least for now.

California currently ranks 33rd nationally when it comes to per capita investment in its state arts agency.  In late June, Governor Gavin Newsom signed off on a new state budget for the 2026/2027 Fiscal Year. That budget doesn't include funding for California cultural districts. Nevada County has two cultural districts - Grass Valley-Nevada City and Truckee - a rare feat for a rural county. Nevada County Arts and Culture, an arts service organization tasked with supporting local arts and artists, has launched a Cultural District Resilience Fund to limit the impact of this lack in state funding. KVMR News speaks with Nevada County Arts and Culture Executive Director Eliza Tudor.

The agreement is backed by over 8 million dollars in state and federal grants and will fund hazardous fuels reduction across 3,000 acres of the Tahoe National Forest over the next decade. Learn more at ReadyNevadaCounty.org/Escape.

Nevada County Transit Services will host an open house to share potential changes to their system and to gather public input. The meeting will take place Wednesday, August 5th at the Madelyn Helling Library. Learn more online at FutureOfNevCoTransit.org.

Nevada County Mutual Aid organized a Community Care Day at the Grass Valley Elks Lodge on July 12. Listen as one of the organizers, Yasmin Badshamiah, gives KVMR News a tour.

The Mystic Fire started just after 4 p.m. near Mystic Court and White Canoe Lane in Nevada County on July 11th. Forward progress was stopped almost two hours later but not before zone NCO-E076 was flagged for an evacuation warning. A good reminder to Know Your Zone. Volunteers with Nevada County Mutual Aid organized a Community Care Day on Sunday, July 12, at the Grass Valley Elks Lodge. The free event featured locally sourced food, free books, face painting, a clothing swap, and a build-your-own care kit station featuring hygiene, first-aid and harm reduction items as well as Narcan and sexual health kits. You can listen to a tour given to KVMR News by one of the event organizers here.

Miguel Banuelos, who is 49 years old, 5' 7" tall, weighs approximately 189 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair, walked away from the Washington Ridge Conservation Camp in Nevada County on July 4th. He was last seen at approximately 12:35 p.m. the same day. Anyone who sees him or has information about his whereabouts should contact the Nevada County Sheriff's Office by calling 911. Anyone with information may also contact Lt. Wayland Hanks at (916) 200-6127 or OCS Special Agent Tim Keeney at (916) 210-9159.Nevada County launched its new River Shuttle Program on July 3rd. The pilot program is designed to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, ease parking challenges, and support responsible recreation while creating a more enjoyable visitor experience. It will run Fridays through Sundays until September 6th. Learn more on the County's website, NevadaCountyCA.gov.

Fireworks, even those labeled "Safe and Sane," are not allowed in Nevada County but there will be a free Fireworks Show at 9:30 p.m. on the 4th of July in Grass Valley.Nevada County Connects is offering free fares on all routes July 2nd and 4th in conjunction with the High Sierra Music Festival and in celebration of the 4th of July holiday. There is no service July 3rd though it will be the first day of Nevada County's River Shuttle. The shuttle will run every weekend until September 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The You Bet Firewise Community held its annual gathering at the Chicago Park Fire Station #57 on Saturday. The event featured an expert panel and gave residents an opportunity to network while getting up to speed about this year's wildfire season. Learn more about Firewise Communities at ReadyForWildfire.org.Members of the Nevada County Amateur Radio Club (NCARC) set up antennas and transceivers at the Nevada County Airport that afternoon for the American Radio Relay League Field Day. The annual event has been happening for almost a century and takes place all over the United States. It serves as ham radio's open house.

This year the community will celebrate Juneteenth at Condon Park this Saturday June 20th from 11:30 am to 2 pm. Learn more online on Color Me Human's website.Nevada County Connects is offering free rides this week in support of The Father's Day Bluegrass Festival. All busses on all routes will be free today, tomorrow, and Saturday. Route 3, "The Grass Valley Loop" offers direct service to Brighton Street at Gate 8of the fairgrounds. Bus route maps and schedules are available online at nevadacountyconnects.com.

Learn more about Nevada County's budget process and read the adopted 2026-27 budget at NevadaCountyCA.gov/Budget.

We learn more about the history and significance of Juneteenth and events planned to commemorate it. Plus, the history of baseball in California's Central Valley. Finally, storytellers converge in Nevada County next weekend for annual festival.

Lavender Glow: Queer Art & Our Shared History is currently on display at the the Eric Rood Administrative center in Nevada City and will run through August 28th.Meet and visit with adoptable dogs at the Rood Center on Wednesday, June 17th at Tails with Nevada County.

A nonprofit organization is urging folks to know their HIV status, regardless of sexual orientation. Plus, new book urges more people to embrace political activism. Finally, annual music festival celebrates 51 years in Nevada County.

A storm system moving inland today will bring dry winds to the Sacramento Valley creating elevated fire weather conditions. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning that will be in effect from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday.The Wildfire-Ready Coalition of Nevada County will present two webinars on evacuation this week: Emergency Alerts & Evacuation Buddy System, on Wednesday, June 10, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Evacuation is Plan A. What is Plan B?, on Thursday, June 11 also from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Chasen Ryder McIntire has been convicted of three felonies and a misdemeanor related to a violent, racially motivated group attack that occurred in the Grass Valley Target parking lot in December 2025. Nevada County District Attorney Jesse Wilson condemned the violence and reaffirmed the office's commitment to holding violent offenders accountable saying his office will advocate for punishment to the fullest extent of the law at sentencing.

An invasive pest, smaller than a dime, has the local viticulture and agriculture community doing everything they can to temper its potential impacts. KVMR News speaks with Nevada County's Agriculture Commissioner about an outbreak of glassy-winged sharpshooters after a shipment of thousands of tainted grape plants brought the insects to northern California Costcos. The local June 2 Election Canvass will begin on Thursday, June 4th at the Nevada County Ballot Processing Center in Grass Valley, near the county airport. Anyone may observe the process. Ongoing election results can also be viewed online at NevadaCountyCa.gov.

The Pride flag rising over City Hall in Nevada City this month represents a lot of progress for the local queer community; many of this year's Pride Month events, including the first-ever Nevada City Pride Parade, can be found on Nevada County Pride's events calendar. An exhibition presenting Nevada County's queer history, Lavender Glow, will be on display in the Rood Center through August. Find your local Vote Center as well as a map to the county's Ballot Drop Boxes on the Nevada County Elections website.

Uncovering Women Miners' Forgotten Legacy in the ‘Swiss Alps' of Sequoia National Park  Mineral King is located in the southern part of Sequoia National Park but its remote location means it gets fewer visitors than other parts of the park. So the campers and backpackers that make the trek are rewarded with a spectacular mountain range with rushing waterfalls. There are only a handful of buildings here, including some historic wooden cabins that belong to a few families who've been here long before this was a national park. One of those cabins belongs to Laile Di Silvestro's family. Her connection to Mineral King goes back to the 1870s. Today, she's an archeologist, and she's looking for the stories she didn't hear growing up. In 2024, as part of our Hidden Gems series, host Sasha Khokha hiked Mineral King with Di Silvestro to learn about some surprising trail blazers in the California Gold Rush, and the discrimination some people faced during those boom times. The World's Largest Bishop Pine Forest Is in Point Reyes California is home to a lot of iconic trees, including giant sequoias, windswept Monterey cypresses, and Joshua trees. The bishop pine doesn't have that kind of celebrity status. But if you live on the Point Reyes Peninsula in west Marin County you're all too familiar with it. These indigenous trees are so well-suited to growing here, that to locals they're notorious pests, not because of how easily they grow, but because of how they die. In 2024, reporter Lusen Mendel took us to Tomales Bay State Park to meet someone who's made it his mission to deal with the pesky and strangely loveable pines. Welcome to Rough and Ready, the Tiny Town That Used to Be a Republic We head to the Nevada County town of Rough and Ready, about 5 miles west of Grass Valley.  In 1850, it seceded from the nation and temporarily became its own republic. In 2017, KQED's Bianca Taylor spoke to a proud resident of Rough and Ready to learn more about the town's history, and how it got its name. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grass Valley Deputy Chief of Police Steve Johnson told the public assembled at Tuesday night's City Council meeting that his agency has "become aware of a conversation in the community related to the automatic license plate reading cameras," calling people's concerns and questions valid, adding that the GVPD is committed to trust and transparency. That meeting is scheduled for June 10th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Love Building in Condon Park.Nevada County will test its new emergency alert system on May 28th, beginning at 10:30am. You can sign up or update your information at ReadyNevadaCounty.org/EmergencyAlerts.

The DeFlock movement aims to educate the general public about Flock AI cameras and to ultimately build enough momentum to have them taken off public streets. You can learn about local efforts at deflocknc.com or by following @deflocknevadacounty and @deflock_grass_valley.

Learn more about the County's new emergency alert system, Nevada County Alerts, which is replacing the CodeRED notification system on the county's website. Nevada County residents are encouraged to sign up for before the official test on May 28th. You can do that at ReadyNevadaCounty.org/EmergencyAlerts.

Pacific Gas and Electric will begin inspecting a 2.5 mile section of Nevada County natural gas pipeline in June. The utility says there will be no impact on regional customers. Voting is underway for the June 2 Primary Election. California residents can still register to vote online or check their voter registration status at registertovote.ca.gov.  

In a May 7 Memorandum Decision and Order, Nevada County Superior Court Judge S. Robert Tice-Raskin wrote that Nevada County, by clear and convincing evidence, established that the Idaho-Maryland Mine Corporation abandoned any vested mining right by 1963.

The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County Vice Chair of the Board, Steve Eubanks, spoke with KVMR on Wednesday afternoon following the organizations special meeting.Grass Valley Library Adult Programming Coordinator Brittany Blake tells us about the special “wired-less” grab-n-go bags the library has created for Nevada County's annual Screen Free Week. 

Jamie Jones, Executive Director of the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County, and her husband, Christopher Wackerly, the organization's Director of Field Operations, were indicted by a Nevada County criminal grand jury on more than two dozen felony charges including embezzlement, grand theft, money laundering, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud, perjury and forgery.Foothill Fire celebrated May Day at the Nevada City Odd Fellows Oustomah Lodge #16 with a Festival of Revolutionary Joy. You can follow their work on their blog: foothillfire.noblogs.org The Wildfire-Ready Coalition of Nevada County's Wildfire-Ready Festival & Expo at Western Gateway Park featured multiple speakers and over 40 exhibits.

Armando Salud-Ambriz, Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters for Nevada County says the best way to fight misinformation is to increase transparency. His office is leveraging technologies like streaming cameras to give voters more opportunities to observe ballot processing.

On Monday, April 27th, the Nevada County Democrats organized a forum at the Miners Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City to hear from down ballot candidates including those running for Nevada City City Council, Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, and California's 3rd Congressional District.

Learn more about the SR20 closure on the Caltrans website.The Nevada County Democrats hosted a public forum for down-ballot races at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City. Listen to the entire forum on the KVMR News podcast.

Sierra College's Nevada County Campus celebrated its 30 year anniversary by sharing the contents of a time capsule buried in 1996. Items included a wooden apple, a couple of hats, a t-shirt, and lots of newspaper articles.  

The new center at 590 Searls Avenue in Nevada City will help survivors of crime by offering access to various law enforcement agencies and other services in one place.

Nevada County has a new opt-in emergency alert system. It's called Nevada County Alerts and it replaces CodeRED.

Long-time incumbent in District 7 race faces new challengers. Also, CalMatters reports on a major change at the Small Business Administration. Finally, poetry is celebrated at a series of events in Nevada County this month.

In recognition of National Public Health Week, KVMR News brings you a look at Nevada County's Public Health Department. We hear from Community Health Analyst Shannon Harney about extensive efforts to expand the county's oral health program. For more information about the free oral health program or to register for a spot of the clinic, adults with active Medi-Cal can call: (530) 265-1450 or email Shannon.Harney@nevadacountyca.gov

Nevada County was counted among the thousands of No Kings 3 demonstration sites organized across the country. Although no official tally is yet available, multiple sources are estimating the total attendance to be around 8 million. Standing Dead - Overstocked. Overgrown. Overdue. premiered at the Don Baggett Theater on Saturday. The film screening and panel discussion were organized by the Wildfire Ready Coalition Nevada County.

On Saturday, March 28th, after the debut of Standing Dead - Overstocked. Overgrown. Overdue., a panel of 5 sat down to discuss wildfire in Nevada County. The panel included fire scientist Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman of the The Wildfire Ready Coalition of Nevada County, Bill Jacks, executive Director of Terra Fuego, Zeke Lunder, founder of The Lookout, Jason Moghaddas, forester and fire ecologist with Spatial Informatics Group, and Mike Sherman, former Superintendent of the Plumas Interagency Hotshot Crew based in Quincy California.

Caltrans says the Yuba Pass Separation Overhead Bridge Project will keep east and westbound I-80 to one lane in each direction from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each workday until April 15th. Motorists traveling the I-80 Sierra corridor should expect delays.For the past three decades the United States has been trending down when it comes to high school reading levels. This year Nevada County's largest high school received previously unavailable testing data that confirmed over half of the school's 9th graders were reading below grade level. Nevada Union's librarian speaks about the reading struggle ripple effect and how this isn't a problem confined to the school campus. In an attempt to bolster a community of reading, the county library has a new resource available to residents. We hear from the project's creator, the Adult Programming Coordinator at the Grass Valley Library branch. 

Sacramento considers naming changes following abuse allegations. Plus, we'll check in with a Chavez biographer. Also, new general manager begins at Nevada County radio station. Finally, the national sport of Ireland finds its footing in the region.

The Yuba Watershed Institute and the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services have been awarded more than $3,000,000 to reduce wildfire fuels in the South Yuba River Canyon. 

Kiley says his decision is an attempt to move away from partisanship.BLM plans to burn piles on about 250 acres in the area of Jackass Flats Road, Silverthorne Lane, and Kadaheska Way east of North Columbia in Nevada County. Burning operations are expected to continue until June.

The Board of Supervisors of Nevada County voted 4-1 on Tuesday to continue the discussion on the proposed RV Ordinance. The law, as written, would have created a "path to compliance" for people already living in travel trailers and other recreational vehicles and would have codified the requirements for property owners interested in allowing someone to live in an RV on their property. 

Molly Starr, Haven Caravelli, Dakota Graham, and Faith Aleila Escoto were honored with awards at at Nevada County's third annual Women's History Month celebration. Placer County Public Health reported four confirmed measles cases in the first week of March. EdSource - an organization focused on covering education in California - reports 16 counties have now fallen below the vaccination herd immunity threshold for measles which means an increased risk of future outbreaks. Nevada County is one of those 16.

Visitors to the Rood Center on Friday afternoon were met at the entrance by Ferrera and Rocher, two puppies available for adoption at Sammie's Friends Animal Shelter.SYRCL Scientists continue to monitor the turbidity of the Yuba River near the New Colgate Powerhouse.  Nevada City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lynn Skrukrud spoke with KVMR's Kelley Rees to share how her organization shapes policy and what event's they're gearing up for,

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.

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.

Search and rescue crews are looking for nine backcountry skiers after an avalanche near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada Tuesday morning. Six people were safely rescued. Two of them were transported to the hospital for treatment. The city of Los Angeles is looking to ban the construction and operation of some private detention centers. This comes amid reports that warehouses across the country are being eyed as potential detention centers, by President Trump and federal immigration officials. Reporter: Destiny Torres, LAist Work is slow in Hollywood right now. But at least one new type of production is hiring. They are bingeable shows made to be watched on your phone. And they're called vertical micro dramas. Reporter: Megan Jamerson, KCRW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A winter storm has shut down Sierra travel and caused a deadly avalanche. Also, an ongoing legal battle between CapRadio and KVIE over ownership of a broadcasting tower. Finally, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival returns to Nevada County.