Chris Gilbert

With sufficient membership present to take a vote this time, the Grass Valley Planning Commission has approved changes to the Town Core Zone. That was on a three-to-nothing vote, with one member still absent and another recusing himself. The changes have been sent to the City Council for final consideration. The goal of the ordinance is to fill up more underutilized and empty upper story space in older buildings, including on the Mill Street Plaza. That would allow up to 10 residential dwelling units per parcel. Commission Vice-Chair Ari Brouilette also noted the aging buildings could be better maintained, helping to preserve their historic nature…

Plans for a major expansion and consolidation of operations for a prominent Grass Valley business are moving forward. The city's Development Review Committee has endorsed the proposal, from Jada Windows, and has sent it to the city's Planning Commission for consideration in February. Owner Jada Beyer told the Committee they've been fabricating custom made doors and windows for about 40 years for high-end residential markets, mostly on the West Coast and Hawaiian Islands…

Nevada County Probation officials say one of the biggest challenges former foster youth face, as they transition into independence, is getting reliable transportation. So, speaking earlier this week on “KNCO: Insight”, County Executive Officer, Alison Lehman, says a new non-profit has been formed by the department…

If you've been to City Hall in Nevada City in the last week and a half or so, you may have noticed that it's no longer functioning just for city business. What's called the City Hall Art Meets the Public Gallery, or CHAMP Gallery, is now featuring the first of what will be various exhibits. That's in collaboration with the recently-formed Public Arts Commission. And Assistant City Manager Lon Peterson says a Grand Opening celebration and social gathering is happening Wednesday evening. He says the inaugural theme matches the City Council's vibrancy initiative. It's called the Year of the Neighborhood. It encourages artists to explore community, connection, and resilience…

Fire has left a Lake Wildwood family temporarily homeless. Penn Valley Fire Battalion Chief John Pitts says it was reported late Wednesday afternoon in the area of Lake Wildwood Drive and Hitch Court…

After having their Idaho Maryland mining proposal rejected by Nevada County Supervisors, Rise Gold has now been officially sued by the Community Environmental Advocates Foundation. The Grass Valley-based Foundation says the project denial has also killed prospects of cleaning up some of the toxic waste residues left over from the past century. Group president Ralph Silberstein says that includes acres of contaminated mine tailings…

Special session bill hearings in the Legislature resulted in one rare show of bipartisanship. Lawmakers have advanced two-and-a-half billion dollars to expedite cleanup and recovery from the wildfires in Los Angeles County. But Assembly Democrats tabled a proposal from their Republican counterparts to add another one-billion dollars for overall prevention efforts around the state. Nevada County's new Republican Assembly representative, Heather Hadwick, say it was a bold number, but not still not nearly enough…

In Venezuela’s Amazonas state, fishing has long been not just a trade but a whole way of life rooted in collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual aid. Now, under the US blockade, fishing has become an even more important source of food. At the same time, the cooperative way of working of traditional fisherpeople has proven useful in solving blockade-induced obstacles.

Even though there are no scheduled elections this year, the League of Women Voters of Nevada County will still be busy. They have an online survey available on their website, with just four questions. League president Lynn Forbes says the questions are related to letting them know how effective they were in helping residents make a more informed choice for the November elections…

The topic of the latest monthly Community Forum at Sierra College, on Friday, was “Becoming a Top Hospital and a Healthier Community”. But the president and CEO of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital was also asked about a recent executive order from President Trump. Trump has thrown out protections from the Biden Administration that had prevented immigration officers from making arrests in or near areas deemed “sensitive”. That includes health care facilities. Doctor Scott Neeley told the audience that Dignity Health is conducting a careful legal review. But he said the order would be very concerning and might endanger people's health…