Blood donors are greatly needed in Nevada County, with holiday weekends placing blood banks at a disadvantage due to donors traveling and not making appointments. Vitalant is luring donors by offering swag and a chance to win a $3,000 gift card.

California is one of three states that allows counties to combine the offices of the coroner and sheriff, and in most of the state’s counties, the elected sheriff also acts as the county’s coroner, investigating the cause and manner of deaths. But that could soon change.

California lawmakers have approved a spending plan that includes sending cash to most taxpayers to help offset record-high gas prices. The budget continues a turnaround for the nation’s most populous state, which just two years ago raised taxes and slashed spending.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote soon on a project aimed at North Lake Tahoe homeowners that incentivizes turning vacation rentals into long-term rentals. Called Landing Locals, the program offers homeowners up to $24,000 for renting to local workers.

Even small nonprofits can make a difference in the environment, as has been proven by the South Yuba River Citizens League. For over 20 years, they have monitored the quality of the Yuba watershed without receiving any sort of compensation.

Nevada Joint Union School District, in partnership with Sierra Harvest, is launching a farm-to-school food program for the district. Sierra Harvest has run similar programs for 13 years, and will now be expanding to bring fresh, healthy food to thousands of local students in a mostly rural region.

At its latest meeting, Nevada County passed a 2022-2023 budget, but also recognized that while revenues are rising, so have the county’s expenses. Budgeted revenues will rise 8.5%, but expenses are projected at over a 10% increase. While the county is still in good shape, numbers are being closely watched.

Tahoe National Forest will benefit from $11.2 million in funding from the Great American Outdoors Act and $4.6 million from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Wildfire Recovery and Forest Resilience Directed Grant Program, which will help to prevent further fire damage and preserve miles of natural resources.

The Nevada Irrigation District drinking water once again exceeded federal public standards, as reported in the latest Annual Water Quality Report. This report summarizes all testing and monitoring programs that were conducted in 2021.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is reaching out to both the general community and fellow agencies to seek input on the environmental review of the Meeks Bay Restoration Project. The goal is to return the area into a more natural state while still accommodating recreation.

The old Lakeside Inn is being torn down in South Lake Tahoe to make way for Barton Health’s new Stateline Medical Center. While construction isn’t expected to break ground until 2025, the project is confirmed and Barton is gathering input from the community as to what to include in both its design and health offerings.

Stephanie Hatch-Leishman will be filling the seat left vacant by Trustee Jamie Reeves, following a unanimous vote from the Nevada Joint Union High School District board.

Nevada County has announced two new hires: Kimberly Parker as economic development program manager, and Erika Seward as senior administrative analyst for recreation. Both positions are new and within the Community Development Agency.

Cal Fire will direct funds to both Nevada County and the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County, supporting specific projects.

After a two-year hiatus, the First Friday Art Walks are returning to Nevada City, now through September. Over 20 downtown Nevada City businesses will participate by staying open late and hosting an artist in their space.

The South Yuba River Citizens League won a $3.746 million grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board. The funds will be used for Phase One of restoring Van Norden Meadow.

California faces the prospect of a drought-fueled summer of power shortages, hydroelectric plant shutdowns and rising electricity costs, a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration warns.

The Tahoe Fund and Clean Up the Lake have announced that the new art installation created from some of the 25,000-plus pounds of litter removed from Lake Tahoe will take the form of a bald eagle holding a Lahontan cutthroat trout.

Some Californians have spent thousands of dollars trying to fireproof their homes to reduce their risk of burning. But taking those steps doesn’t prevent their premiums from ballooning, or keep them from being dropped by their insurance company.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday harshly criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the wake of an elementary school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead and assailed two federal judges as “extremists” for their rulings undermining California’s gun control efforts.

Residents are getting an annual refresher on what to do if they see or smell smoke, including an emphasis on calling 911 if you see a potential fire.

The race for Nevada County clerk-recorder has turned nasty with a group calling itself Americans for Good Government going after candidate Natalie Adona. The group has received support from attorney Barry Pruett, who has represented three people accused of forcing their way into the elections office while not wearing masks.

According to a recent report from Energy Innovation Policy and Technology, in many states, electric cars are cheaper to buy than traditional gas cars.

Red flag warning issued for Sacramento Valley; elevated fire conditions expected for Bay Area.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been trapping, tagging, and releasing bears for years. But now Tahoe resident and licensed vet Dr. Staci Baker calls the practice “inhumane.”

The increasing risk of fire during this summer's drought has prompted Cal Fire to suspend burn permits for a variety of counties, including Placer, Nevada, and Yuba.

Efforts have been made to explain red flag warnings to residents—including what to do and what not to do when it comes to wildfire prevention.

On May 20, free residential green waste disposal for Nevada County kicked off at the Truckee Rodeo Grounds. Homeowners are encouraged to create and maintain a defensible space in their yards and around their homes to discourage the spread of fire.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will have a shift in leadership after Joanne Marchetta, its executive director, leaves her position at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. She has worked at the agency for 17 years.

A student-written revision of the Nevada Joint Union High School District’s harassment policy was voted down after a 2-to-2 vote. The proposed changes were aimed at addressing microaggressions among students.

President Joe Biden’s order to protect the nation’s oldest forests sparks a question: When does a forest grow old? Underlining the urgency of the issue are wildfires in California that killed thousands of giant sequoias in recent years.

Interfaith Food Ministry collaborates with agencies to provide just under 600 families in Nevada County with food on a weekly basis. Executive Director Phil Alonso says that now the ministry is taking the same collaborative approach to diverting inedible organic material.