National Weather Service forecasters said today there's a better chance of a weather system arriving Christmas Eve night that could bring snow to the valley floors by early Christmas morning.

A strong cold front will move through northern California and western Nevada. Lower elevation rain and snow is expected to break out on Christmas Eve, with any rain turning over quickly to snow as the cold front moves through overnight into Christmas morning, according to the weather service.

On a cold and windy morning in November, 45 men and women took to the hills in the Bodie Hills to plant as many sagebrush seedlings as they could in a two-day span. Besides the cold, the work itself was physically demanding as each seedling had to be planted by hand. What makes this story even more interesting is the fact that many of the people on those hills volunteered to be there.

Enjoy the holidays by taking a sleigh ride around Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe or renting snow shoes to get down to the beach. The park restaurant will be open weekends for holiday drinks and snacks. Special meal and sleigh ride packages will be available as well.

‘Before It Was a Park’ History Talk

When recession struck the Silver State, it was Nevadans who pulled together and were the most charitable, according to IRS statistics compiled by a national nonprofit consulting agency.

From around December of 2007 to June of 2009, the recession kicked off by the subprime mortgage crisis, affected the entire nation and especially Nevada, among the hardest hit. The states that experienced some of the biggest decreases in median income actually increased their charitable giving the most, according to PlentyConsulting.com.

You've probably heard the joke that starts, "A dog walks into a bar…" But for state Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Minden, it's no joke. It's part of one of his bill-draft requests for the 2015 Nevada Legislature.

Settelmeyer is drafting legislation that "allows a stand-alone bar to permit dogs to enter at the discretion of the establishment's owner."

The Salvation Army Red Kettles at Walmart on Topsy Lane will have a challenge between the Green Bay Packer’s fans and San Francisco 49ers fans Monday, Dec. 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. The Packers fans will be “bell ringing” at the grocery entrance and the 49er fans will be “bell ringing” at the household entrance.

The Salvation Army is not taking sides on this challenge, but is excited to see some of the local NFL fans come out and help them serve the community.

The average weight of a motor vehicle is around 4000 pounds. The average weight of a human being is about 185 pounds. The math is simple; when the two meet the results can be deadly.

In your travels this holiday season please remember that pedestrians have families too and we would like to see them enjoying this holiday season as much as anyone else. Drive with care and be aware of the traffic and pedestrians around you.

New York, New York New Year's Eve Dinner Party at Mallards at Empire Ranch Golf Course.

Gourmet dinner, dancing and champagne plus noise makers and, of course, kissing with the ball drop in New York City Times Square (Doors open at 5:00pm with the ball drop at 9pm our time)

Our dinner starts with hors d'oeuvres of Select Imported Cheeses and Crackers, Entrée: Certified Black Angus Prime Rib, and Chicken Piccata, Garlic mashed potatoes, garlic bread, vegetable medley. For dessert Tiramisu

$35 per person includes dinner & glass of champagne when the ball drops.

This is the season for giving. Our students and staff at CHS have big hearts. Many Carson High School clubs and teams adopted families from the Empire School District for the Christmas holiday. Thank you to HOSA, FBLA, Boys’ basketball, boy’s baseball, Key Club, Link Crew, and Leadership classes for providing gifts and essentials to these families.

It was the second game of the season for Carson High School's girls varsity basketball team earlier Friday evening in the CHS gymnasium. The Senators took on the Hug Hawks as their second opponents of the year in a match up.

The first quarter brought the usual slow start, but Carson began pulling ahead early going up 6-2 with 3:57 left in the first. Brianna Alverado racked up five points in just a matter of seconds and a couple of lay ups later the Senators cranked up the score to 15-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Members of The Capital City Circles Initiative pose with Recycled Rides Award recipient Miriam Silis and her restored 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt after a celebration event in Western Nevada College’s E.L. Cord Automotive Technology Center on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014.

The restoration work was done by Western Nevada College automotive instructor Dennis Marshall, his students, and several other contributors. The charitable project was created through a partnership between the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program, the Capital City Circles Initiative and WNC.

Starting in February, Tim Renner will teach a Beginning West Coast Swing lesson for $8 a person from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at El Charro Avita. A partner is not required.

For those with more practice, every Monday Night in the back bar of El Charro's at 4389 S. Carson St., Carson City, High Sierra Swing Dance Club puts on a Club Night Out, preceded by an Intermediate Swing Lesson.

The final weekend to take a train ride with Santa at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City has arrived. Today and Sunday the train will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Advance tickets are on sale to allow priority boarding on a scheduled day. The historic and picturesque V&T Railway steam locomotive No. 25 pulls Santa Train, departing Carson City’s Wabuska Depot at the corner of Fairview Drive and Carson Street.

Are you having difficulty securing a job? How about getting into a career? JOIN, Inc. has funding available for Career Training.
From Manufacturing Certifications to Medical Certifications. An orientation is held EVERY Monday at 9:00am, see if you qualify.

JOIN, Inc. is located in the Frontier Plaza, 1925 N. Carson Street, Carson City, NV 89701. Call the office or stop by to set up an appointment. (775) 283-0125

Come join Youth Theatre Carson City's Showstoppers as they present their Showstoppers' Holiday Spectacular this weekend at the Bob Boldrick Theatre at the Carson City Community Center.

Showtimes are 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20 and 2 pm Sunday, Dec. 21. Join the Showstoppers as they sing your holiday favorites. Matt Wilkerson as Elvis Presley will also perform.

It is that time of year again for winter sports in the NIAA Northern Region. The beginning of this year's basketball season took place Thursday evening in the Carson High School Gymnasium as the Cougars of Spanish Springs took on the Senators of Carson in a heated varsity boys basketball show down.

Angel Trees have sprouted around town. There's a few days left to pick up an Angel Tree tag around Carson City, Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe. Here's a list of where you can find them.

Feb. 16, 1962 - Dec. 15, 2014 Gin Planeta passed away peacefully on December 15, 2014, surrounded by family. She was born ...

Aug. 5, 1935 - Dec. 13, 2014 Alan “Scotty” Edison Ruff peacefully passed away in his home on Saturday, December 13, 2014, ...

It was the opening action of regional play that kicked off Thursday evening on the hard court as the Carson Senators took on the Spanish Springs Cougars in a cross league, girls varsity basketball match up.

Carson took control of the game from the start when they hopped out to an early 8-2 lead thanks to a couple of early steals.

When Dejon Smith left home after school on Dec. 11, like any teen facing a snow day the following day, he told his parents he was headed out for the evening. He did not tell them where he was going or with whom he would be.

DeShawn and Taneka Smith, Dejon's parents, were concerned when, at the end of the evening, they hadn't heard from their son.

Carson City's hiring climate continues to strengthen much like the rest of the state, with unemployment figures showing a 2.1 percent drop in November to 7.1 percent. Statewide the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 6.9 percent, the 46th consecutive month of improvements, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation announced Friday.

The Lyon County Republican Central Committee (LCRCC) will hold its next meeting on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the Utilities Building, 34 Lakes Boulevard, Dayton. The meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. The LCRCC will be electing new officers for 2015-16 as well as our representatives to the Nevada Republican Central Committee. The public is invited to attend and learn more about grassroots politics and meet with Republican officials.

For more information about the LCRCC, call Peggy at 775-575-4058 or check their website: lyoncountynvgop.org.

UPDATE: A 74-year-old woman has been arrested and faces felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly driving drunk and ramming her car into Northern Nevada Coin late Thursday afternoon in Minden, a Douglas County sheriff's sergeant said.

Cheryl Smith, 74, of Minden was booked into Douglas County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, assault with a deadly weapon and felony destruction of property. Bail was posted Friday morning at $31,509.