CURRENT NEWS & REPORTS

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2026

Supervisors discuss at-home kitchen businesses proposal
…Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO)…could allow for the legal operation of small-scale restaurants in residential homes in this county. "(The program) allows for basically the operation of a restaurant in a residential setting, which means every home in Calaveras County could open a potentially, a small unique restaurant…" Public comments supported the program for economic opportunities and local food access. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, July 2, 2026

Stay Informed on Major Development Proposals Across Calaveras County
A website called CountyWatch provides immediate, fingertip access to a full array of current information about proposals and projects of all kinds throughout California and, specifically, in Calaveras County. You can click on their interactive map and locate projects in 22 different categories from agriculture to water and wind. Zoom in and find specific information about each project. The information is updated and current. You can join for free or pay a fee so you can receive alerts when a proposal is submitted for your area. CountyWatch is an incredible resource for all who are interested in knowing what is underway or proposed for their communities as new project proposals arise. Please visit: CountyWatch and see for yourself. Community Action Project/CPC Action Alert, June 25, 2006

County's first roundabout project underway in Moke Hill
A project to construct a roundabout has begun at the site of the crossing of state highways 26 and 49 in Mokelumne Hill... According to Caltrans District 10, it was determined that a roundabout at this Mokelumne Hill site was needed due to a "pattern of broadside collisions" identified at this intersection. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, June 25, 2026

Hundreds Of Millions For Cannabis Health And Safety
The Calaveras Cannabis Safety Initiative Grant Funds Requested: $999,981 Summary: Calaveras County proposes a coordinated cannabis safety, health, and prevention initiative to address rising cannabis-related harms, limited cross-departmental coordination, and youth cannabis use rates that exceed state averages. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, June 25, 2026

Guidici, Clapp appear headed to supervisor D-5 runoff election
District 5 includes the communities of Milton, Jenny Lind, Rancho Calaveras, and Salt Spring Valley…Efforts by the Enterprise to obtain comments from the three District 5 candidates last week resulted in a response from only one of the candidates: Giudici. Giudici told the Enterprise that his top four issues are wildfire prevention, tourism and economic development, road conditions, and public safety... Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, June 18, 2026

Grand jury report outlines issues with Animal Shelter
Calaveras County's Animal Services department is ill-prepared to transition into its new $15 million shelter, according to findings issued last week by the county's Civil Grand Jury… The grand jury made 10 recommendations to address problems that included: Lack of centralized, organized, and up-to-date policies and procedures…Lack of adequate job training, protective gear, safety equipment, a Use of Force policy and crisis training for Animal Services officers… Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, June 19, 2026

Talk next month to determine future of county's archives
Calaveras County's archives, located on Main Street in downtown San Andreas, have been closed until further notice…"At this time we are continuing to evaluate operational and funding options to determine the best path forward for maintaining access to and preservation of the County's historical records." Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, May 22, 2026

Work begins to replace bridge—SR 12 Bridge Over Calaveras River
Preliminary work began earlier this month on State Route 12 between San Andreas and Valley Springs to replace the bridge over the North Fork of the Calaveras River…the $17 million construction project expected to be completed in 2028…Motorists should expect daytime, one-way traffic control Mondays through Fridays during phase 1-A of the project according to Caltrans. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, May 15, 2026

NW Calaveras Fuels Reduction Project
The northwestern portion of Calaveras County…hilly topography gives desired relief to the layout of residential subdivisions that have been broken up into .25 to 1.5-acre house lots. According to fire statistics in Calaveras County, more ignitions and fires happen in this section of County than any other. This statistic is alarming… Adjacent to the TIZ and a part of the Project Influence Zone (PIZ) is the subdivision Rancho Calaveras, which has 1,937 households and a population (according to 2010 Census) of 5,316 persons. Town Hall Meeting held in Valley Springs March 25. Click here for article—CalaverasRCD.org, March 31, 2026

'Little death bombs': Illegal cannabis farms poison California's forests. Who's cleaning them up?
Even after legalization, illicit cannabis grows continue to pollute California's public lands. And the contamination, new research shows, lingers…"Everybody thought with legalization that a lot of these problems would go away," said Wood… But, he added, the sites remain. "It's a ticking environmental time bomb." Click here for article—CalMatters, February 9, 2026

Hwy 12 Bridge Replacement To Delay Traffic In Calaveras County
Bridge replacement work on Highway 12 in the San Andreas area of Calaveras County will take two years to complete and cause traffic delays. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) reports that the construction began on Monday (5/1/26) at the North Fork Calaveras River bridge. "Motorists should expect daytime, one-way traffic control Mondays through Fridays during phase 1-A of this project," stated Caltrans officials, which could mean up to 15-minute delays. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, May 12, 2026

Two Dogs Impounded, Calaveras Shelter Releases Urgent Message
The two dogs, pictured in the image box, were captured by law enforcement last night and impounded in the Calaveras County Animal Services shelter in San Andreas, which has an urgent message for the public. "Because of the recent cases of parvovirus at the shelter, the shelter remains under quarantine, and since the vaccination status of these dogs is unknown, they may be at risk, and they put the shelter at risk of restarting the quarantine period should they become ill." They added, "We have vaccinated these dogs as per our usual intake procedures, but vaccines take time to offer protection. These dogs should return home ASAP." Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, May 7, 2026

Light pollution is brightening Earth's night sky. We show where
Our night sky is getting brighter and brighter…because of artificial lighting… artificial nighttime lights have brightened Earth by 16% between 2014 and 2022… Excessive artificial lighting outside is known as light pollution, and according to DarkSky, there are four ways that light pollution can happen: Glare…Skyglow…Light trespass…Clutter.. How too much light can impact wildlife and humans; Both animals and humans are affected by artificial light. Click here for article—USA Today, May 6, 2026

Douglas Flat resident calls cell tower issue a 'nightmare'
…increasingly frustrated with a cell tower that he alleges was illegally built less than 5 feet from his residential property…"We are just lost and really trying to get the word out to the public that this could happen to anyone in Calaveras County…There are laws in place, but they are not followed, and you really have no say on what's going on on your land." Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 30, 2026

Calaveras County Shelter Releases Urgent Message
The Calaveras County Animal Services (CCAS) has issued an urgent message to the public about a deadly disease affecting the shelter. The shelter will not be admitting any new dogs, stating, "Members of our community, our animal shelter is currently facing a challenging situation in which multiple dogs that were impounded from the Railroad Flat area on Saturday, 4/18/26, are clinically ill and have tested positive for canine parvovirus. Since parvovirus is very contagious to other dogs and can be fatal, in order to control the spread of this disease, CCAS will not be admitting any new dogs to the shelter unless they are found critically ill or injured." Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, April 28, 2026

County unveils 5-year capital improvement program draft
..The county's public works department has nearly $10 million in capital improvement projects forecasted for the upcoming fiscal year...Stopper expressed… "It's disappointing for my district, because we've been waiting on those far too long. That's seven years of delay,"…Tofanelli also shared his frustrations about a Caltrans project to have traffic signals operating at the intersection near Mar-Val (supermarket) in Valley Springs. He noted that he believes that project will make traffic at that intersection "absolutely terrible." Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, April 23, 2026

Supervisors level sharp criticism at Caltrans, CCWD
.. District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli leveled criticism of Caltrans' recent work at the intersection of State Route 12/26 and the Valley Oaks Shopping Center and District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper complained about CCWD's adverse impact on his constituents stemming from the district's ongoing Jenny Lind – Rancho Calaveras A-B Water Transmission Pipeline Project…The proposed 2026 Capital Improvement Program has 13 new projects added to the list, one of which is called the Valley Springs Circulation Realignment Highway 26 bypass, a possible solution to commuter-time congestion in downtown Valley Springs. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, April 17, 2026

Downtown traffic signal could be completed by end of month
The Valley Oaks Intersection Project is nearing completion and Caltrans is working with the shopping center's ownter to solve the flooding problem at the site."Caltrans is in the process of scheduling for PG&E to provide the service to activate the traffic signal and is awaiting a confirmed date for service to be provided." Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, April 10, 2026

Proposed gasification plant in county gets $25 mil loan
The Blue Mountain Electric Company, LLC, has received a $25 million U.S. Department of Agriculture loan toward a $42.2 million project to build and operate a 3-megawatt gasification plant near the former lumber town of Wilseyville. The facility will convert forestry biomass waste into synthetic natural gas through thermal-chemical conversion… "The Timber Production and Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program is one of many ways the Forest Service partners with the timber industry to maintain rural jobs, processing facilities, and an outlet for wood that needs to be removed from national forests." Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, March 27, 2026

HazMit plan update under way
Hazard mitigation plans provide community members and officials with information about the community's hazards and outline risk-reduction strategies to lessen the impact of future disasters… To be eligible for certain types of non-emergency assistance, FEMA requires state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to have approved and adopted hazard mitigation plans… To support the update process, Calaveras County will host a community workshop in May and conduct a public input survey. Public feedback is important… Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, March 27, 2026

Concerns voiced as county considers taking $10 mil loan
Details concerning funding for a new Calaveras County animal shelter emerged at last week's Board of Supervisors meeting and drew some levels of concern from members of the board and the public… The proposed lease-purchase agreement calls for the county to pay $605,221 a year at 4.39 percent interest for up to 30 years with no prepayment permitted for the first 10 years. District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli echoed Huberty's concern and said this was a difficult situation for him, especially the prospect of paying $23 million on the $10 million loan over the course of 30 years. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, March 20, 2026

County in line for $10 mil loan to build animal shelter
The existing animal shelter has been under grand jury scrutiny for nearly two decades.
The jury's 2023 report entitled "Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks," said, "the shelter is understaffed, unsanitary, underfunded, overcrowded, as well as unappealing and in need of replacement."…Engineers have estimated construction costs at $13 million for the shelter with an estimated funding gap of $9.9 million from money the county has already set aside for the project. In addition, the county has completed construction plans for the full shelter buildout. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, February 27, 2026

Board asking state, feds for storm recovery assistance
…The storm that dumped feet upon feet of snow at the higher elevations, causing havoc with downed trees that blocked roads, toppled power lines and left PG&E customers without power for many hours or days into this week. "There were a total of 476 calls (to the emergency dispatch center) between February 17 and February 23, and that is just the West Point, Avery, Arnold, and Dorrington areas of the County,"…Disabled or abandoned vehicles on county roads also hindered the snowplowing efforts…157 power lines conflicts with downed trees and 300 downed trees on county roads. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, February 27, 2026

Calaveras Moving Its OES Back To Sheriff's Office
Concerns were raised at this week's Calaveras County Board of Supervisors meeting about the operations and lack of oversight carried out by the Office of Emergency Services… The switch back to the sheriff's office is designed to create more stable staffing, improve grant management/compliance, and ensure 24/7 readiness to emergencies.The vote was 5-0 in favor of beginning the transition of OES back over to the sheriff's office. Click here for article--MyMotherLode.com, January 30, 2026,

Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations
There are six charging stations in Calaveras County along the Hwy 4 corridor, from Copperopolis to Arnold. See interactive map link for locations. "Find electric vehicle charging stations in the United States and Canada." Click here for link from US Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, January 29, 2026.

California's largest new reservoir in decades secures federal approval
The U.S. Department of the Interior approved a major California water project on Friday, clearing a key obstacle for a massive new reservoir. The proposed 1.5 million acre-foot Sites Reservoir would store water from the Sacramento River and distribute it during droughts…it would mark California's first major reservoir project since 1979, when New Melones Lake was completed. Click here for article—SFGATE, January 27, 2026

Supervisors select priority projects for active transportation, recreational trails plan
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors, on Jan. 13, provided their support for a countywide active transportation and recreational trails plan, and gave direction for the prioritization of projects in Valley Springs and Murphys…1) State Route 4, Murphys Main Street Complete Streets – Feeney Park to Apple Blossom Drive; 2) State Route 26, Valley Springs Main Street Complete Streets – "…Hogan Dam Road from Vista Del Lago Drive. This is also a shared-use path on the east side of the road." Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, January 22, 2026

Calls for county to finalize open space plan
Six speakers from the Calaveras Planning Coalition addressed the board on the matter during the public comment portion of the Jan. 13 meeting. The outcry, according to the coalition, was prompted by the county's failure to meet the state's Jan. 1, 2026, deadline for updating the plan .Muriel Zeller of the Calaveras Planning Coalition has repeatedly asked the county to complete the required updates in recent years. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, January 23, 2026

Community members address supervisors on open-space issue
Six speakers shared their thoughts on the county's open-space plan…after the county failed to meet the state-required Jan. 1 deadline for updating that plan… Murphys resident Penny Sarvis told the board that the county's untimely work has placed local landowners in a bad position when they try to compete for state conservation funding…Joyce Techel,"The benefits of success are many. The consequences of failure are serious, and delay is not an option." Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, January 22, 2026

Bureau of Land Management revokes American Prairie bison leases
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Friday that it is revoking grazing permits…that American Prairie had been using to sustain its herd of bison. The decision comes after a three-and-a-half-year battle between the Montana livestock industry, backed by Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Justice, and American Prairie, a conservation nonprofit working to restore the prairie ecosystem of north-central Montana. Click here for article—Montana Free Press, January 16, 2026

BLM yanks American Prairie bison grazing leases
American Prairie's permit to graze its bison on federal land has been revoked, according to a new proposed decision from the Bureau of Land Management. American Prairie has insisted that there's nothing in those laws preventing grazing by conservation herds… they qualify as a stock owner and that they are engaged in the livestock business. Click here for article—Daily Montanan, January 16, 2026

Regional Business Funding Available For EV Charging Stations
The Central Sierra Economic Development District... is doing outreach to local businesses that are interested in hosting EV charging stations at their sites. The Sierra Charging Network project covers Tuolumne, Calaveras, Alpine, Mono, Inyo, Amador, Mariposa, and Nevada counties. The goal is to deploy EV charging stations in rural and underserved areas. Businesses may be eligible for a no-cost site evaluation and even potentially fully funded EV charging station installation. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, Jan 9, 2026

EV charging stations, job demand, training opportunities surge in new year
Columbia College…is offering a free-of-charge Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Technician training program that will lead off with two cohort sessions being held Feb. 2-20 and March 2-20…Increasing the number of charging stations within the region's rural communities is anticipated to bolster tourism, support local economies, strengthen transportation resilience, and align with the state's clean energy goals. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, January 08, 2026

On edge during holiday as storm evokes evacuation warning
The holiday spirit was somewhat dampened by a series of atmospheric rivers during the past week that dumped more than 2 inches of rain on western Calaveras and prompted the county's Office of Emergency Services and the Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District to issue an evacuation warning on Christmas Eve for areas close to flood-prone Cosgrove Creek. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, January 2, 2026 Published in the Valley Springs News / January 2, 2026

2025

Tuolumne County Seeks Proposals For Miners Motel
The Tuolumne County Health and Human Services Agency has issued a formal request for proposals in an effort to find an organization interested in utilizing the former Miners Motel to provide affordable housing… The selected partner will run the site under a Housing First, low-barrier model. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, December 25, 2025

South Lake Tulloch Marina, RV Campground abruptly closes
Last Friday, the largest public access marina for local boaters on Lake Tulloch shuttered without advance notice…. Back in April, Varner told the Enterprise, "Although Tri-Dam currently permits limited activities like swimming and non-motorized watercraft, they have banned all motorized boating and cancelled fishing tournaments, which are critical revenue sources for my campground and marina…" Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, December 18, 2025

Affordable housing projects offer tiny homes in Avery
Two housing projects in Avery are currently offering tiny homes, with an aim to provide affordable housing that helps meet local lower-income housing needs without subsidies. The projects, a $4 million investment to revitalize the Safari and Tanwood mobile home parks, are developments of the Stockton-based Harmony Communities, which specializes in turnaround projects. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, December 11, 2025

Central Sierra District Wins $4 Million Grant To Expand EV Charging Network
The Central Sierra Economic Development District, working with Momentum, secured a $4 million Rural Electric Vehicle Charging 2.0 grant to expand EV infrastructure across Alpine, Mono, Inyo, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Mariposa counties. The investment will add charging stations in rural communities, bolster tourism, support local economies, and strengthen transportation resilience in the region. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, December 5, 2025

Supervisors uphold Planning Commission's decision on controversial garage plan
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors, on Nov. 25, upheld a decision by the county's Planning Commission regarding a garage plan, which caused friction among neighbors and an appeal of the commission's decision. The board's denial of that appeal supports the commission's finding… Chair Martin Huberty expressed his concern with how the garage issue negatively affected relationships among neighbors in Big Trees Village. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, December 4, 2025

Trump administration to direct more water to California farms
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the plan will help the federal government "strengthen California's water resilience." It takes effect Friday. But California officials and environmental groups blasted the move, saying sending significantly more water to farmlands could threaten water delivery to the rest of the state and would harm salmon and other fish. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, December 4, 2025

Petition calls for removal of Murphys' controversial highway median
An online petition calling for the removal of the controversial raised concrete median in a section of Highway 4 in Murphys was launched on Nov. 9 and has since received more than 1,700 verified signatures…Caltrans' refusal to remove the median was "apparently due to liability… [Supervisor] Huberty mentioned what he believes to be an acceptable alternative to removing the median."I want it to go back to the way that it was," he said. "And if they feel that it's still not safe enough, then put in the middle lane all the way to the light. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, November 26, 2025

New tax adds more firefighters
Agencies reported 101 paid full time local agency firefighters in Calaveras County in the 2024-25 fiscal year that ended June 30. That is up dramatically from the 48 paid full time firefighters reported in the 2023-24 fiscal year… Auditor Kathy Gomes estimated the fire agencies should budget for $6.1 million on Calaveras Local Fire Protection Tax revenue in the 2025-26 fiscal year, including both new sales tax receipts and amounts rolled over from last year. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, November 28, 2025

Habitat receives anonymous $500,000 gift
Funding boosts Eureka Oaks development and critical home repair programs
This extraordinary act of generosity fuels every part of Habitat Calaveras' mission: supporting seniors, veterans, and lower-income families, expanding access to affordable homeownership, and advancing the construction of Eureka Oaks, the largest Habitat development in California… Through volunteer labor, community donations, and partnerships, Habitat Calaveras builds strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. To get involved, visit www.Habitat-Calaveras.org. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, November 28, 2025

Watershed Authority marks 25 years of stewardship
Formed in August 2000, UMWRA brought together nine public agencies, including CCWD, to protect and manage the 550-square-mile Upper Mokelumne River watershed. This rugged, high-elevation landscape is a vital source of clean water for both local residents and downstream communities. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, November 28, 2025

Caltrans addresses controversial Murphys median
Since its construction on Highway 4, in the area of Tom Bell and Big Trees roads, last month, the median has drawn criticisms from residents of that town and most recently the area's senator, who publicly called for its removal. Complaints about the median have included that it cut off direct access to neighboring businesses, inconvenienced delivery drivers in large trucks, and caused potential issues pertaining to an evacuation route. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, October 30, 2025

National Park Service losing $1M a day in uncollected fees amid shutdown, nonprofit says
The fact that rangers are not collecting entrance fees and other recreation fees at Yosemite National Park and other national parks across the country during the federal government shutdown means the Park Service is losing about $1 million a day nationwide, according to NPS data analyzed by the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. Click here for article—The Union Democrat, October 29, 2025

Funding OK'ed for Moke Hill roundabout
The California Transportation Commission last week approved $4.9 billion toward transportation projects including $8.7 million to build a roundabout at the Highway 26/49 intersection in Mokelumne Hill. According to Caltrans, the roundabout is needed to address a pattern of broadside collisions that have been identified at the intersection and those accidents were caused by motorists failing to yield. The project is out to bid and is expected to be completed next year. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, October 24, 2025

Planning coalition seeks improvements to open space plan
Six representatives from the nonprofit Calaveras Planning Coalition at the Oct. 9 meeting of the Calaveras County Planning Commission called on the county to make improvements to the open space plan, which is part of the county's General Plan…Marti Crane from Valley Springs encouraged the planning commission and local residents to, "Work together to fix the open space plan over the next two years. It will be far easier and far more rewarding than you think." Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, October 24, 2025

New animal shelter moves closer to reality
Construction of a new Calaveras County animal shelter took another step forward last week as the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to seek a loan from the California Infrastructure Economic Development Bank…The county could finance construction of the new animal shelter over a 20- to 30-year period. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, October 24, 2025

Millions Of Dollars Allocated For Projects In Jamestown And Mokelumne Hill (Roundabout)
The California Transportation Commission approved $4.9 billion in transportation spending on Tuesday… In Calaveras County, $8.7 million will go towards building a roundabout at the Highway 26/49 intersection in Mokelumne Hill. It aims to reduce the number of broadside collisions at the intersection. Caltrans and the CHP have identified the intersection as one of the more dangerous spots in the region. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, October 22, 2025

California Legalizes On Ranch Composting for Livestock Mortalities and Butcher Waste
…Supported by the California Cattlemen's Association (CCA). "AB 411 provides ranchers a disposal option that is proven to reduce predator interactions—though, importantly, the bill does not require ranchers to cease bone piling or begin composting," CCA said. The bill allows up to 100 cubic yards of on-ranch compost at any given time, which is about six to 10 animals. The California Department of Food & Agriculture will now develop best management practices for on-ranch composting. Click here for article—SierraDailyNews.com, October 22, 2025

Crews should begin clearing flood-prone creek next week
Work is expected to begin Monday to clear vegetation and debris from flood-prone Cosgrove Creek… The work this year will encompass nearly 100 acres along Cosgrove Creek from the north side of Gold Creek Estates to Silver Rapids Road, he said. The creek has been prone to flooding over the years, especially in La Contenta subdivision, the latest occurrence being in January 2023. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, October 3, 2025

County paves way for tax break to preserve historic buildings
The Calaveras County Planning Department has begun processing Mills Act applications aimed at helping property owners obtain reduced property taxes for the continued preservation of historic properties. To be eligible, a property must not be exempt from property taxation, is privately owned and meets one or more of the following criteria… Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, October 3, 2025

Complete Streets plan leads to ADA compliance concern
The question of whether the Complete Streets project along Highway 49 in San Andreas will lead to a requirement for business owners along that stretch of the highway to have their buildings meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards was recently posed to the Enterprise by one of those business owners. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, October 9, 2025

Calaveras County Begins Processing Mills Act Applications
The Mills Act is a California law that offers a financial incentive, through a reduction in property taxes, for the preservation of historic buildings… Interested property owners wanting to take advantage of the program will be asked to enter into a 10-year contract with the county. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, September 25, 2025

Historic 1850s Murphys home destroyed in 'suspicious circumstances' fire
Following a house fire last Tuesday night, a historic though dilapidated home in downtown Murphys was declared a total loss…with no ignition sources present, the incident is being considered an undetermined fire with suspicious circumstances. "The building is a total loss and being a historic building, I put the loss at a value upwards of $1.5 million. Being such a historical 1850s building, how can you put a value on it, but it's not rebuildable," Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, September 25, 2025

Board approves plan to promote more housing
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the Permanent Local Housing Allocation Notice of Funding Availability and Request for Project Funding containing approximately $751,000. The PLHA program focuses on funding predevelopment activities in the preparation of workforce housing sites prior to construction and may include environmental surveys, zoning/land use entitlements, grading/land preparation, removal of old/underutilized structures and improvements, permit fees and utility connections. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, September 19, 2025

Bay Area brothers buy historic hotel, uniting Gold Rush town - One night at the Hotel Leger in Mokelumne Hill comes with 170 years of California history
Today — having continuously accommodated visitors through devastating fires, ghostly stigmas, a reality TV revamp and numerous owners — it's become an icon for California hospitality that defines Mokelumne Hill. The hotel is the literal and geographical center of the quiet town off Highway 49. The entire community, a few intertwined streets that locals call "Moke Hill," is a registered historical landmark. Click here for article--SFGate.com, September 16, 2025

County may fund $13 mil animal shelter with a loan
Calaveras County may enter into a long-term loan to pay for construction of a new animal shelter… Hitchcock said the county could spread payments over 20 to 30 years… Engineers have estimated construction costs at $13 million with an estimated funding gap of $9.9 million from money the county has already set aside for the project. The existing animal shelter has been under grand jury scrutiny for nearly two decades. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, September 12, 2025

California Considers Solar Farms as Water Runs Dry - Less food, more solar
The state's farmers are divided over a bill that would loosen rules protecting agricultural land. The goal of a bill proposed by Assembly Democrat Buffy Wicks is to seed solar farms on fallowed fields. "We're farmers. We'd rather farm," Franson said. Still, he added, "This is the only way I think people are going to survive out here, if they're able to find out other uses for some of the ground like this." Click here for article—CalMatters.org, September 11, 2025

Public survey seeks to improve wildfire evacuation preparedness
The Calaveras County Office of Emergency Services as part of our Community Wildfire Protection Plan is conducting a survey to better understand how prepared the community is for evacuation. The public's feedback will help OES identify the most common challenges residents face when preparing to evacuate; improve evacuation planning for people, pets, livestock… The survey will take only a few minutes to complete. To take the survey, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6TZ6F6L. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, September 5, 2025

Sunday Start for New Signal
Construction Of Intersection Improvements Planned In Valley Springs
Caltrans reports that an intersection improvement project near the Valley Oaks Shopping Center will disrupt overnight traffic for six weeks. Beginning this Sunday evening on Highway 12, Caltrans will be constructing a new intersection signal, curb ramps, and sidewalks. The work hours will be 7 pm – 5 am. There will be one-way traffic control, with delays for travelers. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, August 14, 2025

Downtown parking lot to become EV charging hub
A Tesla "Supercharger" station is coming soon to Valley Springs. Construction is under way in the parking lot at 10 Nove Way to eventually provide 12 24-hour public charging ports at the site, according to chargehub.com. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, August 1, 2025

Case dismissed challenging board's General Plan approval
A nearly 6-year-old lawsuit against the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors was dismissed last week…the case brought by the Calaveras Planning Coalition on Dec. 9, 2019, challenging the Board of Supervisors' approval of the county's General Plan update back on Nov. 12, 2019. This case was not decided on the merits of the coalition's allegations, but rather on the coalition's perceived failure to meet a deadline. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, July 18, 2025

Board keeps parcel fees for businesses at current levels
Substantial increases to the parcel fee commercial property owners are charged to help operate the Calaveras County-owned landfill have been averted, a least for a year… Back in May, a public hearing to increase the fees for commercial properties was scheduled for the June 24 board meeting. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, July 4, 2025

Supes may look at TOT allocations to plug budget gaps
Calaveras County fire districts have been put on notice that their share of what is called the Transient Occupancy Tax, or TOT for short, could be in jeopardy. TOT is a 12 percent levied on rooms in hotels, motels, or other lodging occupied for 30 days or less in unincorporated areas of the county. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, July 4, 2025

Measure A money at work
The Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District Board of Directors earlier this week used Measure A money to hire six full-time firefighters. Measure A was a sales tax hike approved by voters in March of 2024. The 1 cent increase in the sales tax goes to the county's nine fire districts, which includes Calaveras Consolidated. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, June 27, 2025

Grand jury continues to take a look at CCWD procedures
The Calaveras County Water District once again came under the microscope of Calaveras County's civil grand jury. The 2023-24 grand jury received more than 170 written complaints related to the five-year water and wastewater rate increases imposed by the district and found the price hikes were flawed with residential customers "paying more than their fair share." Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, June 20, 2025

CCWD board adds Garamendi
The Calaveras County Water District once again has a full Board of Directors.The board at a special meeting on May 30 appointed former Calaveras County Supervisor John "Jack" Garamendi to its ranks representing Division 2. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, June 6, 2025

Oversight of mining under jury microscope
Calaveras County's civil grand jury in its first report of 2025 is critical of the county planning department's oversight of mining operations…Released on Monday, the report titled "Calaveras County Planning Department- Are We Running Out of Rock?" outlines 10 findings and 16 recommendations from the jury's investigation. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, My 23, 2025

Calaveras Grand Jury Investigates Rock Mining Concerns
The Calaveras County Grand Jury released a new report, entitled "Are we running out of rock?" Among the Civil Grand Jury's findings: Calaveras County's Planning Department does not regularly report surface mine inspection results to the Board of Supervisors…The Planning Department charges surface mining operators a flat fee…The County has not conducted a thorough review of its existing permitted supply…The County does not maintain a current map of abandoned mines within its jurisdiction, despite hundreds of these potentially hazardous sites located throughout Calaveras. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, May 19, 2025

Another opening on CCWD board
The Calaveras County Water District for the second time in less than three months is seeking a new Board of Directors member. Division 2 Director Cindy Secada has submitted a letter of resignation effective May 22. Her division includes the communities of Glencoe, Mountain Ranch, Rail Road Flat, Sheep Ranch, West Point and Wilseyville. Anyone interested in consideration must submit a letter of interest and an optional resume by May 27. The CCWD Board of Directors will conduct interviews at a special board meeting at 1 p.m. May 30. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, May 16, 2025

Commercial property owners face hike in landfill parcel fee
A majority of the board at a May 6 special meeting gave the green light for the mailing of what is called a "Proposition 218 Notice of Public Hearing" to all affected commercial property owners. The hearing is scheduled for June 24. If between now and then a majority of those property owners do not file written protests against the fee increase, it could be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The proposed increase would raise nearly $1.9 million a year for operation of the landfill and the annual fee for commercial parcels ranges depending on the land-use category from $1,656.50 for general commercial to $2,827.05 for industrial. The annual fee for store/retail commercial would be $2,727.07. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, May 16, 2025

Proposition 218 Notice of Public Hearing on Solid Waste Parcel Fee [Commercial]
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing June 24, 2025 to consider adoption of a proposed increase to the parcel fee for solid waste services for commercial properties. Commercial properties are classified based on their land use code. Any property owner of record subject to the proposed charges may submit a written protest against the proposed fees. Absent a majority protest, the commercial parcel fees may be adopted and implemented at the public hearing June 24. Click here for Prop 218 Notice of Public Hearing on Solid Waste Fee, May 1, 2025

Behavioral Health wing opens at Valley Springs Health and Wellness Center
Dr. Randall Smart and his team at the Valley Springs Health and Wellness Center have addressed one of the most underserved areas in our county's health care – behavioral health. On April 18 a ribbon cutting ceremony was held with a new 1,600 square-foot Behavioral Health wing, sporting10 offices that house administration offices, private therapy rooms, a group meeting room and a children's therapy room. Click here for article--Calaveras Enterprise, May 1, 2025

Supervisors receive general plan progress report
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors, on April 22, received an annual progress report on the county's general plan. Regarding accomplishments of the planning department and its long-range plans, Sampson highlighted the Copperopolis community plan... the county's new parks, facilities and recreation master plan…an ordinance to protect historic buildings and structures in the county… three long-range planning projects close to being completed…the greenhouse gas reduction plan, the oak woodland ordinance, and the short-term vacation rental ordinance…the open-space plan update, which is due by January 2026, and the housing element update…a special events ordinance… Click here for article--Calaveras Enterprise, May 1, 2025

Expansion of services at health center
Mark Twain Health Care District marked the expansion of its new wing dedicated to behavioral health care services at the Valley Springs Health and Wellness Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week… The behavioral health team provides counseling, therapy, diagnoses, treatment, psychiatry and overall patient assessments…In addition to behavioral health care, services at the health and wellness center include family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine and general medicine. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, April 25, 2025

Board imposes hiring freeze as budget concerns surface
"We are beginning to see revenue trends coming in lower than we had originally projected," Hitchcock told the board as work begins to prepare the county's Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget. "We've also been in a very inflationary period over the last two years so costs are coming in higher," Stopper was the only member of the board to comment on the agenda item…it is only the beginning of budget concerns, citing possible declines in revenue along with future federal funding being uncertain. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, April 25, 2025

Supervisors OK master plan for county park & recreation
County Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Judy Allen at the April 8 board meeting said this step should open up more grant opportunities to pursue additional parks and recreation program…District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli and District 5 Supervisor Benjamin Stopper praised Allen for her years of perseverance and efforts to enhance the county's recreational offerings. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, April 18, 2025

County's first parks master plan completed
The parks master plan includes specific goals and achievable tasks to advance parks and recreation facilities within the county… Key points included the need to continue to meet the standard minimum of 3 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, mapping county and non-county parks, and a financial action plan… Community feedback revealed a high demand for soccer fields, basketball courts, baseball and softball fields, skate parks, dog parks, playgrounds, hiking trails, outdoor stages, and gathering spaces…Supervisor Autumn Andahl made requests for the Rail Road Flat ballpark, West Point Elementary School and the park area at New Hogan Lake to be added to the master plan. Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, March 20, 2025

Ranch Family Protects Critical Wildlife Habitat
The [Rana] Ranch, located in Valley Springs, is a working landscape continuum of approximately 660 acres, primarily owned by Roland and the late Franziska Schabram. The Schabrams, who initially purchased the property in 2002, have worked to create a sanctuary for their livestock and wildlife, including the Calaveras County-famous California red-legged frog… The new conservation easement guarantees that the ranch's rich ecological and agricultural resources are permanently protected from development, while the neighboring Nakagawa Ranch is also permanently safeguarded through the Rangeland Trust. Trust officials noted that this contiguous stretch of conserved land provides a vibrant wildlife habitat and maintains the integrity of the working landscape, ensuring its significant contributions to ecosystems continue to thrive. Click here for article—MyMotherLode.com, March 13, 2025

Calaveras, Stockton water districts focus on Calaveras River plan
The Calaveras County Water District and Stockton East Water District are partnering in the development of the first-ever Watershed Resiliency Plan for the Calaveras River watershed. The Calaveras River watershed includes portions of the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Calaveras counties. The Calaveras River Watershed Resiliency Plan will help build regional resilience through multi-benefit projects, integrated resource management and nature-based solutions with a focus on equity. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, February 28, 2025

Board backs pursuit of fed grant for flood control
Calaveras County's Board of Supervisors unanimously backed the initial step Tuesday to achieve a long-term solution to flooding along Cosgrove Creek. On a 5-0 vote, the board gave the green light to apply for a $900,000 federal grant to begin planning to develop a solution to flooding along the creek that has occurred repeatedly over the last 25 years and as recent as January of 2023…Any award or agreement for the grant would come at the end of 2026…In all, it could take five to eight years before a flood relief project would be completed. The initial thought for a permanent solution to the flooding has been building a water retention basin on Calaveras County Water District property at State Route 26 and Hogan Dam Road. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, February 28, 2025

Even in wet years, why are California's wells still dry?
After abundant rain and moderate snowfall this year in the northern half of the state, California's largest reservoirs are holding more than 120% of their historical average. But underground, the state's supply of water for drinking and irrigating crops remains depleted. So why hasn't the recent bounty of rain and snow replenished the state's underground supplies? Recharge itself can be a painfully slow process — often just inches per day. "Long-term groundwater storage remains in a deficit from years of pumping more than what has been replenished…" Click here for article—CalMatters.org, February 27, 2025

Long-awaited Copper plan approved
Efforts toward a community plan for Copperopolis have spanned many years. This latest effort, like others, had multiple starts and stops. Determined community members, supported by the Calaveras Planning Coalition, stuck with the process and brought the plan to fruition. Twenty-five-year resident Janet Sterling heralded the success, "Everybody had input. I'm super happy we're here." Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, February 21, 2025

Supervisors approve Copperopolis community plan
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors, on Feb. 11, unanimously voted to adopt a general plan amendment for the establishment of the Copperopolis community plan… The development of plan policies for Copperopolis predates the 2019 general plan, going back to the 1990s through many community meetings and workshops… Supervisor Amanda Folendorf… recognized the longtime efforts of Copperopolis residents…"Thank you to the community…Really, they navigated this really well in helping also bring this to fruition and finally get across the finish line." Click here for article--Calaveras Enterprise, February 1, 2025

Copperopolis community plan proposal receives support from Planning Commission
The planning area is 12 miles south of Angels Camp, along Highway 4, separated by Bear Mountain, Copperopolis Mountain, Lightner Peak, and many ridges with elevations ranging from 1,100 feet to 1,800 feet… The vision, goals and policies of the proposed community plan would try to provide more cohesion and interconnection between the physically separated areas of Copperopolis. "We're here to make Copperopolis the gateway to Calaveras County, to be partners with Valley Springs, who has a very detailed, very good community plan…And we don't want to see this overdeveloped." Click here for article--Calaveras Enterprise, February 1, 2025

Board gets update on tourism; ponders short-term rental code
The board received an update Jan. 28 from the Calaveras Visitors Bureau on its tourism promotion activities and began preliminary discussions on coming up with a short-term vacation rental ordinance… Can the county handle the proposed permit process in a timely manner considering that there are more than 700 STVRs registered with the tax collector for the collection of TOT? The local tourism industry…is reliant on vacationers who support local businesses. Would regulation of STVRs reduce or limit their availability?.. staff is going back to refine the proposed ordinance before it goes to the County Planning Commission for consideration and the Board of Supervisors for approval. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, February 7, 2025

Update finds animal shelter costs less than expected
It appears the cost for a new Calaveras County animal shelter could be less than the original estimate discussed last year. In May of 2024, the cost for the new shelter was pegged at $13 million… But in a presentation Tuesday to the board, Eric Wohle of LDA Partners submitted a budget that came in at $11,247,248 for total project costs… The [grand] jury's 2023 report entitled "Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks" said, "the shelter is understaffed, unsanitary, underfunded, overcrowded, as well as unappealing and in need of replacement." Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, January 31, 2025

Citizens express frustrations with ongoing Cosgrove Creek flooding issue; county seeks solution
While efforts to decrease flooding along Cosgrove Creek have been made, this decades long problem remains one of the biggest issues for this area's residents who are demanding that more robust measures be made to address this problem. Further elevating the urgency to find a solution to this issue was the 2022-23 flooding along the creek…nearly 50 Valley Springs homes were flooded less than two weeks earlier on New Year's Eve. Click here for article--Calaveras Enterprise, January 25, 2025

County hires new public works director
Calaveras County will have a new public works director beginning on Monday. Micah Martin has been hired to fill the role…Martin replaces interim Director Craig Pedro who came onboard in the middle of last year to replace Robert Pachinger who stepped down from that office to assume the post of deputy public works director. Martin comes to the county with a bachelor's degree in public works administration and more than 25 years of relevant private and public sector experience. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, January 24, 2025

Supervisors adopt ordinance to protect historic buildings
Sal Manna, founder of the Society for the Preservation of West Calaveras History, expressed his support for the ordinance, and he thanked the county's Planning Commission, planning department, building department and the Board of Supervisors for "getting us to this point." "It's been a long time coming," he said. Click here for article--Calaveras Enterprise, January 23, 2025

Supervisors adopt code to protect historical buildings
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors last week passed an ordinance to county code that oversees the preservation of historical buildings…Any demolition permit or building permit for an alteration to or relocation of a structure would be reviewed by the planning department during the course of the usual permit review process to determine if the structure was 75 years old or older. A determination would then be made if the structure is historically significant. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, January 22, 2025

County looking at major project for Cosgrove Creek
Calaveras County is taking the beginning steps to secure federal funding for a multi-million dollar project to protect residents and businesses from flooding along Cosgrove Creek.…Holt outlined recent work to mitigate potential flooding with the county spending $140,000 this fall to remove vegetation along a two-mile section of the creek… Removing sediment or widening the creek are not permitted under the permit…One solution being looked at is creating a "bathtub" or retention basin upstream on Calaveras County Water District property located off Hogan Dam Road near State Route 26…that solution could take a decade to accomplish and cost anywhere from $20 to $50 million. Click here for article—The Valley Springs News, January 17, 2025

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