writing
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There’s a certain shimmer to December in Nevada County — or at least, there used to be. As someone who grew up running these streets like they were a second home, the holiday season wasn’t just a date on the calendar; it was a…
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Nevada County has always had a flair for the arts — from live music echoing through downtown Nevada City to murals, makers, and film festivals that punch far above our population size. But now, that creative heartbeat is getting a serious boost.
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Here in Nevada County, as the leaves crunch, the air chills, and jack-o-lanterns start popping up everywhere, I wonder: why do we carve pumpkins? It’s not just about flickering candlelight or front-porch flair. The custom of carving face-laden gourds is a wild ride through…
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For more than three decades, the brothers behind Clan Dyken have packed up guitars, drums, and a fierce sense of purpose to make a pilgrimage few know exists—deep into the Hopi Partition Lands (HPL). Their destination: the homes of Dine’ (Navajo) families who have…
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If your power bill has been creeping up faster than a cat toward a warm laptop, you’re not imagining it. Across California — and right here in Nevada County — PG&E is once again under review for a multi-year rate proposal that could shape…
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Hate doesn’t start as headlines. It starts small — in silence, in side comments, in walls we let go unchallenged. But here in Nevada County, a growing coalition is making sure it ends small, too. This week, our county joins the statewide United Against…
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Here’s the thing about parenting in Nevada County: we carry a lot. We hold tiny people, calendars, grocery lists, and worries about screen time and wildfire smoke—often all at once. Caregiver resilience isn’t a buzzword here; it’s a muscle we build in the foothills,…
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It’s that time of year again — the mornings are crisp, the air smells faintly of pine and woodsmoke, and we all start eyeing those burn piles that have been patiently waiting all summer. As of October 17, 2025, CAL FIRE officially lifted the…
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Growing up out here, I was raised on what I like to call country manners. Not the “use your salad fork first” kind — I mean the real ones. The ones that sneak into your bones when you’re raised in a place where the…
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We’ve all circled that special date on the calendar—the day that marks another trip around the sun. Birthdays have long been a reason to gather, laugh, and celebrate life’s journey. But have you ever stopped to wonder where the tradition of celebrating birthdays began…
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Just when you think the call logs couldn’t get any stranger, the universe says, “Hold my drink.” This week, we’re talking about uninvited juvies possibly spiking a camping trip water supply, a rogue monkey, allegations of digital surveillance, and a group allegedly destroying headstones…
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Just popping in real quick to say: there won’t be a new blog post today due to some unexpected technical hiccups (aka my laptop decided to have a full-blown existential crisis and Wi-Fi was in on it too).
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It’s time once again to share the real-life chaos that our local dispatchers deal with so the rest of us can sit back and cackle (lovingly). This Call Log Diaries features a man fighting flora, some alleged poultry mistreatment, a neighbor caught peeping, and…
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Burnout is not just a buzzword or a catchy Instagram caption—it’s a very real, very painful place where people end up believing they’re alone and beyond help. And if someone you know is dangling on that edge, the absolute best thing you can do…
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If you’ve ever looked at a county planning agenda and thought, “Do I need a law degree and three pots of coffee to get through this?”—you’re not alone. Planning meetings can feel like a foreign language, filled with acronyms, red tape, and the occasional…
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Welcome back to another thrilling Call Log Diaries – aka “Why Is This a 911 Call?” This week, we’ve got a tortoise on a joyride, a bear where it doesn’t belong, car alarm purgatory, and a saxophone solo that ended in an accidental emergency.…
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Nevada County’s dispatch logs are back at it again, delivering a mix of chaos, confusion, and characters that would give any soap opera a run for its money. From Instacart driver concerns to bacon burglaries and mysterious guns unearthed in yards—we’ve got it all.…
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Let’s be honest: the Nevada County Fair 2025 is still the same slightly-chaotic, sugar-drenched, loud-and-proud small-town event we’ve come to love (and laugh about)—and that’s exactly why it works. Despite the high ticket prices and rides that creak a little too dramatically for comfort,…
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Nevada County has always been a curious mix of old gold rush grit, rural independence, and artsy free-spiritedness. But lately, something else is stirring in the foothills—a wave of progressive activism that’s reshaping the local political and cultural conversation. What once felt like scattered…
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There’s something magical about nicknames. They’re not just shorter versions of our names or quirky monikers; they’re pieces of identity gifted to us by the people who truly see us. I firmly believe everyone should have a nickname—whether it’s used daily or just shows…
