Latest news with #NevadaCounty
CBS News
29-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Thousands of Nevada County residents hit by power outage
Tens of thousands of people in Nevada County have been without power since the early morning hours on Thursday. The outage started around 3:30 a.m., according to PG&E. Nevada City and portions of Grass Valley are impacted by the outage. Exactly what caused the outage is unknown, but PG&E said crews were working to restore power. PG&E estimates that residents should start getting back online by mid-morning.
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Small California town of Washington overrun with off-road vehicles from out-of-towners
WASHINGTON — The small town of Washington, home to roughly 150 people in Northern California's Nevada County, is facing a big dilemma when it comes to fire safety. It's being overrun by off-highway vehicles, like ATVs and dirtbikes, mainly from out-of-towners. The biggest issue is the road where they're being launched, which provides access to a large portion of the Tahoe National Forest. Mike Stewart, the town's fire chief, is leading an effort to educate out-of-towners who park illegally and do not follow forest etiquette. Fire season is rapidly approaching, and Stewart said Washington has already had a couple of close calls. Stewart noted that the town sees around 1,500 people on the weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He's calling the off-road vehicles a public safety issue. "It's getting worse all the time. People don't understand the hazard to this. They think they're out in the middle of nowhere and can do whatever they want without risk, but they're risking their own lives and the public's lives," he said. Earlier this month, an off-road vehicle caught fire. The chief says they suspect the cause was someone leaving a gas tank unattended and in an irresponsible place. "They had no cell service. Let's say, if that happened on an August afternoon, that would've turned into a major wildfire. Thousands of acres, millions of dollars," Stewart said. The trucks and trailers have also completely blocked off the road in the past, making accessing a potential fire nearly impossible. Stewart said that while fire danger is a huge risk, it also goes hand-in-hand with forest etiquette, like knowing the forecast and taking your trash with you. "The county Office of Emergency Services had some resiliency grant funds I put in for to start a program called trail stewards," Stewart said. Groups of volunteers, who will be considered U.S. Forest Service volunteers, will be going out and handing out water bottles and bandanas labeled with the rules of the road to get a conversation going about education. "But there's also the law enforcement aspect of it," Stewart said. "Law enforcement is out there and law enforcement is handing out citations." The new trail stewards program will be kicking off this weekend. The chief says you can recreate in Washington as long as you aren't parked illegally and you're doing it safely and responsibly. He says the best place to park would be at the campground at the bottom of the hill.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Suspect in Nevada County shooting on Mother's Day arrested on attempted murder charge
NEVADA COUNTY – A man suspected of attempted murder was arrested Wednesday morning in connection with a shooting and assault in Nevada County on Mother's Day, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said. On May 11, deputies responded to Tyler Foote Crossing Road and Sage Road around 9 a.m. for reports of a shooting and assault. Deputies said all involved parties left the scene. By the time they arrived, witnesses remained. An investigation revealed there was a dispute among four acquaintances, escalating to a victim being chased from the suspect's home and allegedly shot in the arm and struck by a suspect with a bat. The victim was contacted over the phone and agreed to return to the scene. Deputies found a gunshot wound to his arm and a laceration to the head. Deputies said he was taken to the hospital and was stable. On Wednesday, the suspect, identified as 52-year-old Clay Leffew, was arrested on attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a firearm and other charges. He was booked into jail without bail.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Lawn mower sparks vegetation fire in Nevada County
( — Cal Fire Nevada Yuba-Placer Unit firefighters responded to a vegetation fire in Nevada County on Friday afternoon. According to Cal Fire, the fire incident happened near Grizzly Bear Drive and Perimeter Road and it was caused by a mowing operation. Illegal hunting violations lead to arrests in Peso Robles Cal Fire said, 'Please keep in mind that our grasses are drying out and lawn mowers with a metal blade can easily start a fire by striking a rock in the dry grass.' Fire authorities stated that the best time to mow green grass is only when temperatures are coolest and the moisture levels are at their highest, which is usually around 10 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
