Placer County Families & Children Digest

Utility giant PG&E is set to raise its rates an average of 13% on Jan. 1. That equals an extra $32.50 a month, or $390 for the year.

Parents say flavored medication can help ensure their kids finish a prescription. Far fewer California pharmacies are offering that service as they await new rules from a state regulator.

The state will offer a free mental health app beginning Jan. 1 for people ages 13-25. It is currently being tested in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

California kids have some of the lowest-ranked dental health in the United States, with challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Here’s a look at the problem and what’s being done to address it.

More than 40 states are suing the social media giant. The legal actions allege that Meta has deceived the public about the harms of Facebook and Instagram, which the attorneys general say “exploit and manipulate” children.

Signed by the governor in September 2022, AB 2881 aims to help student parents in California by offering them priority registration. Advocates are optimistic the law will formalize data collection, allowing them to better serve this student population that represents 1 in 5 students nationally.

Despite an influx of money to counter learning loss during the pandemic, English language arts and math test scores remain low.

Kaiser patients waited 19 days for follow-up mental health appointments in 2019, nine days longer than state law permits. The settlement includes the largest-ever penalty issued by California’s behavioral health regulator.

Newsom rejected Senate Bill 799, which would have paid striking workers California unemployment benefits after two weeks, and SB 686, which would have extended workplace safety protections to domestic workers, such as housekeepers and nannies.

Several anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers are advertising abortion pill reversal. California Attorney General Rob Bonta calls the claims false advertising that mislead vulnerable patients.

A small group of activists want California voters to decide whether transgender minors should be allowed to receive puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries.

Reno attorney Joey Gilbert wasted no time going to work after he was hired by the Douglas County School Board.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District and the South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center are partnering to build on their interrelated missions through the sharing of resources, personnel and the input of those they serve.

Assemblymember Joe Patterson will present a $500,000 assembly district-specific discretionary award to Loomis-based Koinonia Family Services. With these funds, Koinonia will be able to streamline and expand its specialized programs that heal trauma in home-like, community environments.

KidsFirst, the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Placer County, has relocated its offices to new, more family-friendly locations in Roseville and Auburn.

Soroptimist International of Truckee Donner granted $5,000 to Sierra Community House to enhance the educational experience of families participating in its Family Room bilingual early learning program.

Congressman Kevin Kiley spent the day in South Lake Tahoe meeting with area leaders before recognizing a longtime business for its years of service to the community.

Many high school athletes look back years later via photos in the yearbook or through conversations with former teammates. The inaugural lacrosse team at Lincoln High School will be able to recollect via video through Davis Brandi’s documentary on the team.

Families of Rock Creek Elementary students have joined together to retain legal representation in the wake of Auburn Union School District’s decision to close the school at the end of the academic year.

The Placer County Youth Commission is now accepting applications from local youth who wish to serve as one of 20 members for the 2023-24 term. Applications are due April 30.

The Sacramento Zoo is opening an exhibit 65 million years in the making. Dinosaur Safari at the Sac Zoo runs through March 2024, featuring more than 20 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs.

About 300 South Lake Tahoe youth celebrated the end of their winter season with the youth development nonprofit SOS Outreach.

The Placer County Fair, which takes place June 22-25 in Roseville, is looking for residents to compete for awards and vendors to sell arts, crafts or food.

Visit Placer has launched a free Explorer Pass to encourage visits to dozens of locations throughout the county.

The Loomis Lions Club will present a town hall meeting on March 21 at 6pm at the Blue Goose Event Center in Loomis. Three speakers, including state Assemblyman Joe Patterson, will be present.

Funbox, which bills itself as the “World’s Biggest Bounce Park,” is returning to the Westfield Galleria parking lot in Roseville on Feb. 17.

Tahoe Tessie isn’t real but climate change is. That’s the tagline for “Find Tahoe Tessie,” an augmented reality game app developed by UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

Where better to learn about kindergarten subjects than outdoors in Olympic Valley? Creekside Charter School’s youngest students are doing just that.

SCOTUS rejected a last-minute plea from the tobacco industry and cleared the way for enforcement of a statewide ban that includes menthol cigarettes.

In online pregnancy discussion groups, dozens of California women have detailed their long waits for results and the anxiety it has caused.

“Ski Patrol Pups’ follows the story of the author’s puppy, Walter, as he and his friends learn what it takes to become ski patrol dogs.

Fourteen Auburn students were chosen for this year’s “Shop With a Cop” program, which awards $250 each to spend at Target to purchase gifts for the season. Local businesses contribute, and local peace officers donate their time.