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Volume XVIII Issue 232
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026
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The Good Stuff by Shelley Bennett
by Shelley Bennett
I have to be real for a moment. We’re six months into 2026 and it hasn’t been the best! year! ever! that I hoped for on December 31st. In fact, it’s kind of been the worst mixed in with the kindest, sweetest, most incredible acts and words shared by family and friends.
I have tried so many times in the past few months to just write. To simply choose the right words and put them on the screen and hopefully make some kind of sense.
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If I can just get a cohesive paragraph out, maybe it will lift the writer’s block that has plagued me since my mom passed away on February 2nd.
I think I’ll start with a funny story about my mom. One that I forgot to tell at her celebration of life.
On December 10, 2024 my mom was hospitalized at Renown Medical Center with a brain bleed. My brother, sister, husband Leo, and I had gathered with my dad that day in hopes of hearing some positive news about her recovery.
My mom was a little loopy, but she was communicating pretty well and she enjoyed hearing about what the kids were up to. I told her that Sofia was in the middle of finals and would be home soon, Jake was busy at NST, and Landon had completed a round of applications to PT school.
After lunch, she was getting tired and hungry and impatient with all the waiting. She couldn’t think of a word and it was frustrating her immensely.
My sister asked if she could write it and she tried! A long, uneven line of the letter “B” repeated over and over. So we started guessing. Banana?! Bicycle?! Beanstalk?! Each guess was met with a disgusted shake of her head. Clearly, we were failing her.
(Dear Reader, my brother will probably fact check me on the words she was guessing. And he’ll be correct. I don’t remember the exact words. I’m using some creative licensing here.)
Finally mom blurted out, very clearly and loudly: bayberry! Laugher filled the room as Alison assured her that the bayberry candles she gave out every year at Christmastime had been ordered and would be here any day.
My mom loved traditions, and this one, passed on by my Aunt Shirley, was one of her favorites. Legend goes that a bayberry candle burned “down to its socket, brings joy to the home and gold to the pocket.”
At the time, it was more than a word. It was a sign for me that my mom was going to be ok. She was going to get out of the hospital and come home. Maybe not in time for Christmas or even New Years, but she would make it.
It also gave our whole family a reminder of what was really important over the holidays. The best gift that year was visiting my mom in the rehab center on Christmas day and completing a puzzle together in the family room.
Looking back, I’m so grateful for that year. We didn’t know that it would be our “lasts” with mom, but because of what happened in December, we didn’t take those moments for granted either.
Remember when news was ‘newsy’? When you read about weddings, family events and engagement announcements in the newspaper? If you have something that is newsworthy, please submit it to shelleybennett24@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to include it in “The Good Stuff.”
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Susanville Man Arrested After Routine Traffic Stop Turns Up Loaded Firearm and Suspected Drugs
A routine traffic stop for speeding on Main Street led to a felony arrest Sunday morning after Susanville Police officers discovered a concealed, loaded firearm and suspected methamphetamine inside a local man’s truck.
On Sunday morning, June 21st, at approximately 11:30, officers were conducting speed enforcement on Main Street near Lassen High School when they spotted a white Ford F-150 traveling above the posted speed limit.
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Officers initiated a traffic stop, and the truck pulled into the Valero parking lot near the intersection of Main Street and North Weatherlow Street.
According to the Susanville Police Department, officers noticed signs of possible impairment during their initial investigation and asked the driver to step out of the pickup truck. As the driver exited, officers spotted a concealed handgun sitting inside the driver’s door pocket.
The driver was safely detained without further incident, and backup officers arrived at the scene to assist.
A subsequent search of the F-150 turned up suspected methamphetamine, a loaded firearm, and drug paraphernalia commonly used with controlled substances. The suspected narcotics and weapons were collected and booked into evidence for further analysis.
The driver, identified as 36-year-old Susanville resident Jay Vincent Nichols, was arrested and booked into the Lassen County Adult Detention Facility. He faces multiple felony weapon and narcotics-related charges.
In a statement, the Susanville Police Department emphasized its ongoing commitment to proactive enforcement efforts to improve local roadway safety and reduce the presence of illegal drugs and firearms in the community.
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Get Ready for Susanville Bluegrass Festival’s “Local’s Night” BBQ and Bluegrass Concert!
The 15th annual Susanville Bluegrass Festival is officially kicking off this week at the Lassen County Fairgrounds and while the main festival weekend runs from this Friday, June 26th through Sunday, June 28th, the community is invited to get a head start on the fun this Thursday night.
On Thursday, the Lassen County Fairgrounds will play host to the 2026 Susanville “Local’s Night” Bluegrass and BBQ Event. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a night of good food, wonderful friends and exceptional live bluegrass music. Entertainment for the evening is proudly provided by the Susanville Bluegrass Music Alliance.
Thursday Night Band Schedule
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The evening’s festivities will be guided by EMCEE Bob Fairchild from 5:00 to 7:00.
The music begins at 5:00 with Eddy B and Pure Country playing until 5:35.
Overland Express will take the stage next from 5:45 to 6:20 followed by The Edgar Loudermilk Band wrapping up the night from 6:30 to 7:00.
Delicious BBQ Dinner Details
Be sure to come hungry because a mouth-watering BBQ meal will be available for $15. Each plate includes a hearty helping of pulled pork, baked beans, coleslaw, a roll, a brownie and a drink.
Please note that dinner tickets are only available for purchase directly at the event, though credit and debit cards will be accepted. Tickets for the dinner are not available at the main festival gate.
More Festival Fun All Week Long
The broader festival excitement actually begins early with the popular Music Camp, running from today through June 25th, which offers specialized classes for guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, and vocals. Crafters can also look forward to the return of the Quilt Room, sponsored by the Country Pines Quilt Shop, where you can work on your projects while listening to a live broadcast of the festival music.
After Thursday’s Local’s Night, be sure to stick around for the main festival lineup from Friday through Sunday, featuring groundbreaking entertainers from across the bluegrass world. For more details or to buy tickets for the weekend festival, visit the official event website at www.susanvillebluegrassfestival.com.
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Show Your Patriotic Spirit While Raising Funds for Blue Star Moms and Honor Flight
Get ready to show your community spirit, Susanville! The Soaring Eagle Blue Star Moms are kicking off a fun, patriotic community fundraiser called “Operation Stars & Stripes: Deploying Patriotism One Yard at a Time!” Running through July 10th, this exciting event directly benefits Honor Flight, with every single dollar raised helping to send our deserving local veterans on the trip of a lifetime.
The concept is simple and full of neighborhood fun. You can choose a local friend, family member or neighbor to surprise, and the Blue Star Moms will decorate their yard with stars and stripes. A standard yard deployment is just $25 and is perfect for most yards. If you want to keep your identity completely under wraps, you can add a top-secret deployment anonymity add-on for an additional $10 to ensure your mysterious gift stays anonymous.
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If you wake up to find that your own yard has been “invaded,” you get to join in on the fun and take action to rescue your yard! You have a few great choices on how to respond. You can pay a $15 rescue fee to have the decorations removed early, or you can choose to counter-deploy for $25 to send the patriotic display to a brand-new target.
If you want to keep your property completely off-limits from the start, you can buy surrender insurance for $50 to ensure your yard stays safe. Just keep in mind the most important rule of the operation: a yard can only be invaded once!
The more people who participate, the more money our community can raise for Honor Flight. Click here to sign up online. For any questions, you can message the organizers directly or follow the Susanville Blue Star Moms on Facebook for updates!
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Help Lassen Family Services Send Local Kids to the Lassen County Fair
The Lassen County Fair is coming up and Lassen Family Services is collecting donations to help send local kids, who can’t afford a carnival wristband or ride tickets, to the fairgrounds for some fun at one of Susanville’s biggest annual events.
Wristbands, which are $35 a day or $100 for the week, will be given to children who are currently in LFS programs.
Follow this link to contribute online through Venmo and comment “wristband.” You can also send money through PayPal by following this link.
| | | Donations can also be made at LFS’s office located at 1306 Riverside Drive, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 to 5:00 and Fridays from 9:00 to noon. For more information you can call 1.530.257.5459. | |
Support Local Travel Softball: Lassen Lightning 12u Car Wash Fundraiser This Saturday!
Get your car washed and support local youth sports this weekend! The Lassen Lightning 12u Fast Pitch travel softball team is hosting a fundraising car wash this Saturday, June 27th, from 10:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts.
All proceeds from the event directly benefit the Lassen Lightning 12u travel team to help raise essential funds for their uniforms and tournament expenses.
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Lassen Lightning is the competitive travel organization of the Lassen Fastpitch league, which is a recreational softball league based right here in Susanville. The program offers local players from Lassen and Plumas Counties the opportunity to participate in competitive travel softball and experience high-level tournaments across Northern California, Southern Oregon, and Northern Nevada without having to seek out-of-area teams.
Dedicated to teaching the fundamentals of the game, the league prides itself on selecting volunteers who promote good sportsmanship, citizenship, integrity, and teamwork, helping players develop confidence both on and off the field.
Come out this Saturday to get your vehicle shining, meet the players, and show your community pride.
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Join the Fun: Entries Open for the Lassen County Fair Parade!
The Lassen County Fair Parade is coming to Main Street Susanville on Saturday, July 18th, and with less than a month to go, groups all over town are already busy building floats and planning entries. If you want to showcase your business, club, or organization to the entire community, now is the time to get involved!
Coordinated by the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce, this year’s parade kicks off at 10:00a.m. It’s the perfect opportunity to show off your creativity, community spirit and fair pride.
Compete for the Blue Ribbon
Whether you are riding, walking, driving, or decorating, you have a chance to take home some bragging rights. Ribbons will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place across more than 21 different categories, split into two divisions:
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Senior Division: Participants over 18 years of age
Junior Division: Participants 18 years of age or younger
Important Safety Reminder
To keep our roadside spectators safe, parade participants may only distribute candy or other items by hand. Throwing, tossing, dropping, or using pressurized candy cannons to launch items into the crowd is strictly prohibited.
How to Register
Don’t wait until the last minute to join the excitement. Gather your friends, polish up those classic cars and tractors, and get your entry ready! Entries must be submitted by July 15th, and you can submit your parade entry form online here.
Questions? For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce office at 1.530.257.4323.
Let’s make this year’s trip down Main Street the biggest and best one yet!
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Lassen Regional 4H Demonstration Winners
June 23, 1973
DEMONSTRATION WINNERS—Sixteen Lassen 4-H members won gold awards and plaques at the recent Regional 4-H Demonstration Day held in Susanville.
Gold seals were awarded to the top demonstration in each area. Plaques were furnished by Bank of America. A total of 42 plaques were presented to 4-H’ers competing from fifteen counties.
Lassen Winners pictured: Front row l. to r.; Cathy McCune, Lake 4-H; Darla Vanderley, Lake 4-H; Jeff Smith, Shaffer 4-H; Rory Hicks, Richmond 4-H; Janice McClelland, Standish 4-H. Back row l. to r.; Don Petersen, Bank of America; Kim Allen, Richmond 4-H; Debbie Bratcher, Standish 4-H; Pam Merritt, Shaffer 4-H; Steve Kelly, Shaffer 4-H; Kathy Senteney, Standish 4-H; Cheryl Reiland, Richmond 4-H; Nancy Miller, Standish 4-H; Kathy Eagle, Standish 4-H; Mary Stephenson, Standish 4-H; Mary Cotter, Westwood Eagles 4-H. Not pictured Kendra Hartman, Janesville 4-H.
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If you are a fan of our daily history stories you should join the Lassen Historical Society! It's a fun way to be a part of our county's rich history. When you sign up you'll receive regular Historical Society newsletters with interesting stories and information. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in area history.
Through your membership you help preserve local history. You can download a membership application by clicking here.
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