Photo of the week

This #PlacerLife photo, capturing a fisheye view of runners in the snow, was taken in Tahoe City by @suziekieck on Instagram.

Featured story

Wishing good luck to Placer Olympians representing USA at Milano Cortina 2026

A total of 232 athletes have been named to Team USA for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, which start this week, but keep your eye out for these locals:

• From Olympic Valley, Bryce Bennett (left, above) returns to the Olympic slopes as a veteran alpine skiing racer. A two-time Olympian already (2018, 2022), Bennett brings strong World Cup experience in speed events to his third Winter Games in Italy.

• James Clinton “JC” Schoonmaker (middle, above), hails from Tahoe City, and qualified again for this year’s cross-country skiing event. A 2022 Olympian, Schoonmaker has continued to rise through the ranks on the U.S. Ski Team and will once again represent the U.S. in Nordic competition this month.

• Amelia “AJ” Hurt (right, above) of Carnelian Bay started skiing as part of Team Palisades Tahoe as early as four-years-old. Hurt made her Olympic debut in 2022 and returns to the U.S. team to compete in giant slalom and other alpine events this year.

Want to dive deeper into Olympics history? Check out This Week in Placer County History below. And listen to our The Placer Life podcast to learn how the legendary 10th Mountain Division helped shape modern outdoor recreation after World War II, including the rise of ski culture in Tahoe and across the west. Many veterans returned home and became pioneers of the ski industry, helping inspire the kind of world-class mountain recreation we still enjoy today at Placer County resorts, mountains and the backcountry. Listen

North Lake Tahoe

Over $5 million of TOT funding approved for community projects

Our Board of Supervisors this week approved more than $5 million of transient occupancy tax funding for seven projects in North Lake Tahoe. The approved projects include new facilities, trails, transportation and housing.
Read more

Pets & animals

Bring home a new Valentine for $14 the entire month of February

Placer County Animal Services is spreading the love this Valentine’s Day with $14 pet adoptions all month long. If you’ve been thinking about adding a furry friend to your family, now’s the time! Check out adoptable animals and
learn more.

Infrastructure

Federal funding dedicated to Baseline Road improvements

Congressman Kevin Kiley secured a total of $9 million for key projects across our region, including Baseline Road improvements in unincorporated Placer, modifications of I-80 interchanges at Horseshoe Bar and Rocklin Roads and more. Read more

Local jobs

New Placer Job Network connects local employers and job seekers

There is a new way to find jobs right here at home in Placer County. Introducing the Placer Job Network, a free online job board designed to connect local employers with local job seekers to strengthen the region’s workforce.
Learn more

In other news

This summer, Placer will look to expand paid parking to two new lots and parking fees will be adjusted in North Lake Tahoe

Candidate filing for June 2026 primary starts next week at Elections Office

Placer County seeks District 2 representative for Library Advisory Board

Roseville secures federal funding for water reliability project

Join the North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council this week to learn more about the proposed 39 Degrees North mixed-used project in Kings Beach

Feb. 13 sexually violent predator placement decision postponed, public hearing still happening and moved to Auburn

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency announces illegal boat launch stopped at Lake Tahoe

This week in Placer County history

Olympic Valley, historically known as Squaw Valley*, is located about 10 minutes south of Tahoe City along state Route 89 in the Sierra Nevada. The 4,700-acre valley features mountain peaks rising above 9,000 feet.

The valley’s earliest inhabitants were the Washoe, who lived in the area and around Lake Tahoe during the summer months. Located along the historic Emigrant Road, the area experienced a brief silver mining boom in the 1860s before settlers turned to seasonal ranching, dairy farming and shingle milling.

The valley gained international recognition in February 1960 as the host of the VIII Winter Olympic Games. Placer County leaders had pursued the Winter Olympics for decades, and development accelerated after the Squaw Valley Development Corp. opened a ski resort for the 1949-50 winter season.

In preparation for the games, much of the valley’s infrastructure was built from the ground up. The state appropriated nearly $8 million for construction, supplemented by federal funding. Facilities constructed for the Olympics included the Blyth Memorial Ice Arena, a speed skating oval, athlete and official housing, administrative offices and public information centers.

The opening ceremony was held Feb. 18, 1960, with Vice President Richard Nixon declaring the games open and Walt Disney overseeing the pageantry. A total of 665 athletes from 30 nations competed in 27 events. The games concluded Feb. 28, 1960, and the site has continued operating as a winter ski resort.

Photo: 1960 Olympics Winter Games in Olympic Valley; Placer County Museums’ collection. 

* It is now widely accepted that squaw is a derogatory term and in 2021 the resort officially became “Palisades Tahoe,” and the Squaw Valley Public Service District changed its name to the Olympic Valley Public Service District.

Advisory committees and commissions

Whether it’s representing your community or sharing your expertise on topics like agriculture or parks, there are always opportunities for you to help advise county leaders on the issues that matter to you most. Recruitment is open now to fill seats on the following committees or commissions, among others. Learn more and apply

Current recruitments include:

• Area 4 Agency on Aging Advisory Council

• Building Board of Appeals

• Cemetery Tahoe District

• Central Municipal Advisory Council

• Colfax Cemetery District

• Economic Development Board

• Fish & Game Commission

• First 5 Placer Children & Families Commission

• Flood Control & Water Conservation District Board

• Gold Run Cemetery Committee

• Greater Auburn Area Fire Safe Council

• Greater Lincoln Area Fire Safe Council

• Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council

• Housing Development Advisory Taskforce

• In Home Support Services Advisory Committee

• Juvenile Justice / Delinquency Prevention

• Library Advisory Board

• Horseshoe Bar-Penryn Municipal Advisory Council

• Donner Summit Municipal Advisory Council

• Municipal Advisory Council - Granite Bay

• Municipal Advisory Council - Olympic Valley

• Municipal Advisory Council - Rural Lincoln

• Municipal Advisory Council - Sheridan

• Newcastle Ophir Municipal Advisory Council

•  North Auburn/Ophir Fire Safe Council

• Placer County Child Care Advisory Council

• Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission

• Solid Waste Local Task Force

• Tahoe Basin Design Review Committee (DRC)

• Veterans Advisory Council

• Wastewater Advisory Committee

Fun things to do this week

Don’t miss the fun coming this next week in...

Roseville: Mahany Park Certified Farmers' Market, Maidu Park Farmers' Market, Roseville Fountains Farmers' Market, Kaiser Riverside Farmers' Market, Kaiser Eureka Farmers' Market

Lincoln: Farmers’ Market at Fowler Ranch, Kaiser Lincoln Farmers' Market 

Auburn: Auburn Old Town Farmer’s Market – Placer Farmers Market

Colfax: Coffee & Conversation, Community Craft Club

North Lake Tahoe: Smore’s O’clock, The Village at Northstar Après Music Series, KT Bass Bar Music Series, Throwback Thursdays

...and many Placer County Library and Placer County Museum events.

Visit our regional partners to discover more of the fun happening right here in Placer County!

Placer County Visitors' Bureau
North Tahoe Community Alliance
Tahoe City Downtown Association
The Arts Council of Placer County
Placer Valley Tourism
PlacerGROWN
Placer Wine Trail

Upcoming public meetings and events

Olympic Valley Municipal Advisory Council, Feb. 5, 6 p.m. Information
Olympic Valley Community/Supervisor Forum, Feb. 5, 6:15 p.m. Information
County offices closed for Lincoln’s birthday holiday, Monday, Feb. 9 Information

To learn about other Placer County committees and commissions and current opportunities to serve your community click here.

List of active projects throughout Placer County

Projects are listed alphabetically and by Board of Supervisors districts. A hard copy of the list is available at the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, 3091 County Center Drive in Auburn. 

Active Projects

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