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This #PlacerLife photo of the October sunset colors in Tahoma was taken by @isawthismorning on Instagram.

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Add your name to historic time capsule at Saturday’s event in Auburn

There is one final chance to be a part of history and add your name to Placer County’s historic time capsule this Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Historic Auburn Courthouse.

A historic 1878 safe will be sealed with artifacts representing life in Placer County in 2026 and preserved at the Placer County Museum. Included in the time capsule will be a guest book with signatures from all attendees. It will be the final item entered into the time capsule, which will remain sealed until 2101.

The event begins at noon with guided museum tours led by volunteer docents. The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. followed by the official sealing ceremony inside the courthouse after the speakers.

Learn more

Health and safety

Free medication take-back options help protect communities

Placer offers safe ways to clear out old medications with free drop boxes and mail-back kits available all year. A countywide take-back event on Oct. 24 gives residents another chance to safely dispose of unwanted prescriptions.
Learn more

Agriculture

Value of Placer County crops reaches new record in 2025

Placer County’s total gross value of agricultural crops and livestock increased to a record at $122 million in 2025, a 9.9% increase from 2024. High beef prices, increased rice acreage and maturing nut trees led the growth.
Read more

Roads

Sierra College at Twelve Bridges traffic signal gains approval

The $12 million project includes a traffic signal and road widening of Sierra College Boulevard. It is funded through a partnership among Placer County, the City of Lincoln and the South Placer Regional Transportation Authority.
Read more

North Lake Tahoe

Placer secures $700K Caltrans grant for Tahoe City improvement project

Parking, traffic and pedestrian improvements will soon be taking shape in downtown Tahoe City following a $700,000 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant awarded to Placer County by Caltrans.
Read more

In other news

Placer County seeks applicants for Planning Commission at-large seat east of the Sierra Crest

VIDEO: Voices from Tahoe-area permanent supportive housing for homeless

Placer County Library makes renewing materials one less thing to remember

175 years of Placer County history

No story that explores Placer County’s historic legacy is complete without including the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. To date, there have only been 25 of these games held in the world, and just four in the United States. When Placer County hosted this important event, it was just the second time for the U.S. after the 1932 games were held in Lake Placid, New York.

Boosters in Placer County had been vying for the Winter Olympics as far back as 1928, hosting winter dog sled derbies and bringing worldwide attention to winter sports possibilities in the area. While it did not result in the 1932 games, it did help to bring highway improvements and the construction of gas stations, rest stops and lodges throughout the picturesque High Sierra.

In 1948, the Squaw Valley Development Corporation formed and began construction on an Alpine lodge, parking areas, a chair lift and roads in what is now known as Olympic Valley. The resort opened for the 1949-50 winter season with the world’s largest chair lift and was all part of a continued effort to promote winter sports in the area with an eye on a future Olympic Games. Finally, in 1955, after a lengthy and successful effort for resort owner Alex Cushing, the dream was officially going to become a reality when the International Olympic Committee selected this little known valley to host the 1960 games.

Walt Disney designed and orchestrated the opening ceremonies. These were the first games to be televised in the United States. It was the first year South Africa competed in the Olympic Games, the first time women were allowed to compete in speed skating, and the first time the United States hockey team beat the Soviet Union to win the gold medal.

As we celebrate Placer County’s 175 years of history on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the historic Auburn Courthouse with the sealing of our 2026 time capsule, many things have changed but some remain the same. This is a historic place full of natural beauty and endless possibilities.

Photo: Construction of the 1960 Winter Olympic facilities; 1959. Placer County Museums, William “Bill” Kerth Collection.

Explore our new interactive timeline — updated every Thursday with photographs, milestones and the stories of people who built this county. Explore timeline

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 Auburn District

• Cemetery Colfax District

• Cemetery Tahoe District

• Colfax Veterans Memorial Hall Board

• Economic Development Board

• Fish & Game Commission

• First 5 Placer Children & Families Commission

• Flood Control & Water Conservation District Board

• Foresthill Veterans Memorial Hall Board

• Gold Run Cemetery Committee

• Greater Auburn Area Fire Safe Council

• Greater Lincoln Area Fire Safe Council

• Historical Advisory Board

• In Home Support Services Advisory Committee

• Juvenile Justice / Delinquency Prevention

• Library Advisory Board

• Municipal Advisory Council - Donner Summit

• Municipal Advisory Council - Granite Bay

• Municipal Advisory Council - Horseshoe Bar Penryn

• Municipal Advisory Council - Newcastle/Ophir

• Municipal Advisory Council - Olympic Valley

• Municipal Advisory Council - Rural Lincoln

• Municipal Advisory Council - Sheridan

• Municipal Advisory Council - West Placer

• North Auburn/Ophir Fire Safe Council

• Placer County Behavioral Health Advisory Board

• Placer County Child Care Advisory Council

• Placer County Older Adult Advisory Commission

• Placer Sierra Fire Safe Council

• Roseville Veterans Memorial Hall Board

• Solid Waste Local Task Force

• Veterans Advisory Council

• Wastewater Advisory Committee

Fun things to do this week

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

Countywide: Farm and Barn Tour
Roseville: Mahany Park Certified Farmers' Market, Maidu Park Farmers' Market, Roseville Fountains Farmers' Market, Kaiser Riverside Farmers' Market, Kaiser Eureka Farmers' Market, Sutter Roseville Farmers Market, Friday Night Live: Vertigogo|
Rocklin: Rocklin Community Farmers MarketFire Department Open House
Lincoln: Farmers’ Market at Fowler Ranch, Kaiser Lincoln Farmers' Market,
Loomis: The Flower Farm Pumpkin Patch
Auburn: Auburn Old Town Farmer’s Market – Placer Farmers Market, Farmers Market at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, Pumpkin Patch by Compassion Planet, The Golden Age of Radio
Colfax: Colfax Farmers’ Market
North Lake Tahoe: Tahoe City Farmer’s Market, Tahoe: Made in Tahoe Festival, Tahoe Literary Festival

...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

Time capsule celebration & sealing ceremony, Oct. 10, 12 p.m. Information
Placer County offices closed for Columbus Day, Oct. 12
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies of the NAS, Oct. 12, 5:30 p.m. Information
North Auburn Supervisor Forum, Oct. 13, 6 p.m. Information
Planning Commission, Oct. 15, 9 a.m. Information
Discover and Discuss community event in Kings Beach, Oct. 15, 5 p.m. 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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