The Grass Valley Union

LOS ANGELES-A University of California, Los Angeles, economic forecast says state officials' failure to enact spending reductions agreed to during this year's budget negotiations will put a drag on the state's economic recovery in the coming years. The quarterly Anderson Forecast released Wednesday says growth would be slowed as deferred job cuts are enacted to plug a still-gaping deficit. But ... Full Story »

A 41-year-old Olivehurst man was beaten with a board by his girlfriend, then attacked with a 6-foot wooden post by the woman's brother and another man, Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor said Tuesday. The woman, 31-year-old Edolia Ann Alfred of Olivehurst, told police she wanted revenge on the victim for loaning out her property. The incident in the 5600 block of Arboga Road was reported at 6:30 p ... Full Story »

High schools in western Nevada County will open today - Nevada Union at its usual 8:15 a.m. schedule for Wednesdays "The buses are going, though slowly and cautiously," Nevada Joint Union High School Superintendent Ralf Swenson said at about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. But he added, "If you happen to live in an area that's just not passable, don't go out." He had consulted in the decision with Durham ... Full Story »

Kurt Steger audibly tapped his hand on the lectern to accentuate his ability to get his work done on time. Every point was echoed by the methodical tap. So the Grass Valley City Council voted to hold Steger to his word - that he can finish a $50,000 sculpture for the roundabout at the intersections of East Main Street and Idaho-Maryland Road by May 10, 2010, in time for the Mid-May Amgen Tour of ... Full Story »

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Live nativity scenes have been a Christmas tradition since St. Francis of Assisi first staged one outside an Italian church in the year 1223. While the one at Nevada City's Victorian Christmas is considerably younger - it started 18 years ago - its roots are nearly as interesting. The display is staged by the Ananda Community, a group of about 250 people who live communally north of Nevada City ... Full Story »

A new convention and visitors bureau will have to attract tourists to all parts of Nevada County and become financially independent within three years. Supervisors approved the bureau Tuesday and agreed to spend $90,000 in the first year to get it started. The bureau will be led by a marketing director, envisioned to earn a salary of $60,000 to $80,000 annually. Mike Kaul, who helped draft the ... Full Story »

Residents can propose housing and community improvement projects during a public hearing tonight at the Nevada City Council meeting. The city is eligible to apply for grants under the California's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which funds a variety of projects focused on improving infrastructure and low- and moderate-income housing. Last year, the city won a $300,000 CDB ... Full Story »

Government saved taxpayers money Tuesday by allowing a Nevada County nonprofit to officially take over a drug and alcohol prevention committee's activities. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to disband the county's Substance Abuse Advisory Board and turn its work over to the nonprofit Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County. The coalition has been duplicating much the advisory board's ... Full Story »

Grass Valley Police Department Monday 7:50 a.m. - A caller from Idaho-Maryland Road reported a jack-knifed big rig. 12:10 p.m. - A woman from the 400 block of South Auburn Street reported someone broke into an apartment through the window and took personal items. 12:45 p.m. - A caller from Neal Street reported a loose pit bull tried to bite the caller. 1:03 p.m. - A caller from the 200 block of ... Full Story »

The hard freeze Monday night caused black ice on the county's roadways Tuesday, causing multiple accidents throughout the day. Several clusters of spinouts and wrecks occurred at 10 a.m., noon and 3 p.m., none of which caused any serious injuries. As the temperatures began to drop Tuesday afternoon, more accidents were being reported. At about 4:30 p.m., multiple cars were reported off the road ... Full Story »

Nevada County will create a convention and visitors bureau to attract tourists countywide after the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to do so Tuesday morning. The board took the recommendations from a special committee it created to hire a marketing director for the new bureau and to seed it with $90,000 for the first year. The proposal from the committee seeks for the non-profit to be ... Full Story »

SACRAMENTO - A man who was known as the unofficial caretaker of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Sacramento has pleaded guilty to wearing a military medal that he didn't earn. Prosecutors say Kenneth Nelson wore a Silver Star, the military's third-highest decoration, and claimed to have earned three Purple Hearts for combat service in Vietnam. Officials say the 60-year-old Nelson never served in ... Full Story »

At 11:06 a.m. Sunday, a woman from the 14000 block of Lower Colfax Road reported her husband was in a dispute with her 17-year-old son. Her husband pushed the son with a broom after the son became upset about a family Christmas picture he did not want taken. The situation was mediated. For more from the blotter, read Wednesday's edition of The Union. Full Story »

Local residents can propose housing and community improvement projects during a public hearing tomorrow night at the Nevada City Council meeting. The city is eligible to apply for grants under the state's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which funds a variety of projects focused on improving infrastructure and low- and moderate-income housing. The council meets at 7 p.m ... Full Story »

You used to stop into Bunce's Place on Mill Street in Grass Valley for a frosty drink. Starting in February, you'll have to settle for something at room temperature, possibly a merlot. The Dog Bar Road- based Smith Vineyards purchased Bunce's in October and owners Chris and Gary Smith plan to turn the building into a tasting room. Construction is underway and the Smiths plan to open the building ... Full Story »

A second hard freeze is expected to settle in tonight and last until mid-morning Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Nevada County foothil temperatures are predicted to go as low as 19 degrees during the hard freeze watch, which lasts from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Plants and animals that are susceptible to cold weather should be placed in shelter ... Full Story »

SAN FRANCISCO- Caltrans officials say they will not need to fully close the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as they had expected to complete repairs to a cracked beam. A State Transportation Department spokesman, Bart Ney, said engineers were able to come up with a construction plan that would require the closing of only some bridge lanes at night. The project is supposed to provide a long-term ... Full Story »

Fast driving and icy conditions were a deadly combination for a Challenge driver in Brownsville, the California Highway Patrol said. A 1993 Jaguar driven by Steven McCoy, 48, overcorrected on a gradual curve on LaPorte Road near Willow Glen Road at 6:44 p.m. on Monday. His car rotated clockwise as it slid off the right side of the road and the drivers side slammed into a cedar tree, killing ... Full Story »

Tuesday will see a second snow day for most schools in western Nevada County, with icy roads making conditions too dangerous for buses to fetch children for class. "We just don't want to put our children at risk," Nevada Joint Union HIgh School Superintendent Ralf Swenson said. The decision includes Grass Valley, Nevada City and Pleasant Ridge elementary districts in addition to the high school ... Full Story »

A contract for artwork honoring Grass Valley's past as a mining and lumber hub is expected to come before the City Council today. Grass Valley artist Kurt Steger is proposing a sculpture reflecting Grass Valley's industry and people, which he envisions as a "gateway to the city," the sculptor said. It would be placed at the round-about at the intersection of East Main Street, Idaho-Maryland Road ... Full Story »

With more low temperatures expected tonight and Wednesday night, don't forget outdoor plants and animals - they may need a blanket, too. Any kind of citrus tree should be covered with a frost blanket or a sheet folded over to double thickness, said Pam White, owner of Prospector's Nursery in Grass Valley. "Citrus is always a little borderline," White said. Other plants not rated for weather ... Full Story »

Nevada County residents managed to deal with Monday's snowstorm, which dumped up to 14 inches in parts of the area. Maintenance chief Nelson Hughes was shoveling snow at Hennessy School between cloudbursts. "We're looking to get ready for the kids tomorrow," Hughes said. "I had a foot at home (near Union Hill School), and then I had to come down and deal with this." Grandfather Ed Terkoski and ... Full Story »

Grass Valley Police Department Sunday 8:44 a.m. - A caller from a business in the 1900 block of Sutton Way reported a person next door was thrashing about through the night. 11:10 a.m. - A caller from the block of West Main Street reported a woman screaming and banging on a door. 3:22 p.m. - A woman from the Brunswick Road overpass reported an assault. No crime was found to have occurred. She ... Full Story »

The Union staff The body of a former Grass Valley resident who was reported missing Saturday night was found Monday in Sutter County. Lori Ann McElyea, 39, left her West Roseville home in her SUV at about 10 p.m. Saturday wearing only pajamas and a bathrobe, according to the Roseville Police Department. She had been battling cancer and had been taking medication and may have been disoriented ... Full Story »