2017

Record number of Bald Eagles found at Lake Tahoe during annual count

NCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — A record number of Bald Eagles were counted at Lake Tahoe during the recent annual survey conducted by the Tahoe Institute of Natural Science (TINS) and its team of 200 volunteers.

This year 42 Bald Eagles were found, surpassing the previous record of 27 set in 2017.

The record number of volunteers are double the number who turned out for last year's event, part of why TINS believes this was the most accurate count to date. TINS took over local coordination of the national tracking effort nine years ago.

South Lake Tahoe's new truck quickly becoming valuable fire-fighting tool

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It has been a long wait. The December, 2020 arrival of a new ladder fire truck for South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue was a journey that began in 2013 when a Ferrara ladder truck has been ordered to the tune of almost $1,050,000. That truck replaced an aging 1982 truck and was paid for by California sales tax funds that are for public safety. As soon as that truck arrived in 2014 though, it was trouble.

Lake Tahoe Community College has significantly closed equity gaps on its campus

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is one of a handful of California community colleges that has significantly closed equity gaps and increased success rates for Latinx students, according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California.

New laws taking effect in California January 1, 2021

Through the pandemic, legislative sessions in Sacramento were canceled just as they were across the country, not giving the time needed to add new legislation. As a result, in 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom signed the lowest number of laws since 1967, just 372. In comparison, in 2019 there were 870 new laws, 1016 in 2018 and 859 in 2017.

Many of the new laws are centered around COVID-19, addressing systemic racism, employee rights and policing. For a full list, select 2020 here.

Annual Lake Tahoe Bald Eagle Count set for 2021

Event Date: 
January 8, 2021 - 9:00am

It’s a mid-winter's day dream for birders. The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) is hosting its annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. TINS took over local coordination of the national tracking operation nine years ago. The Lake Tahoe effort is part of a nationwide, single-day census of the country’s bald eagle populations. Spotters are stationed at 26 vantage points throughout the Tahoe basin, mostly on Tahoe’s lakeshore beaches, to get an accurate snapshot of eagle numbers.

Virtual ribbon-cutting for U.S. Highway 50 Echo Summit Sidehill Viaduct Replacement Project

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – Caltrans has recognized the successful completion of the U.S. Highway 50 Echo Summit Sidehill Viaduct Replacement Project with a virtual ribbon-cutting video.

Because in-person events have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the department chose this virtual ribbon-cutting event to acknowledge the efforts of its staff, contractor Q&D Construction and the collaboration with local partner agencies in making this challenging project a successful one.

Asqqu Jewelry of South Lake Tahoe offers unique custom jewelry

Event Date: 
February 28, 2021 (All day)

Asqqu Jewelry is a business in South Lake Tahoe offers one-of-a-kind unique jewelry. The name of the business matches the definition: ASKEW [ uh-skyoo ] Adverb/Adjective: to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry.

NDOT changing some warning signs in Lake Tahoe, Carson Valley and Carson City

Beginning Monday, November 30, drivers will see changes to the flashing warning signals placed in advance of some traffic signals in Carson City and Douglas County, including Lake Tahoe, as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) updates the warning signals.

Change in store for Lake Tahoe Unified School District Trustees

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees will have a change December 15 with a changing of the guard on the Area 4
seat. Trustee Troy Matthews decided to not run for reelection so he could spend more time with his family which includes a new baby girl.

Work completed on $14.1M Echo Summit bridge replacement project near Lake Tahoe

Work is complete on a two-season project to replace a bridge that served motorists for more than 80 years with a new structure that meets current safety and seismic standards.

LTCC art shows can be enjoyed virtually - Artist talk Thursday

Event Date: 
October 29, 2020 - 6:00pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two new thought-provoking art exhibits at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) can be enjoyed in a safe and virtual manner.

In LTCC's Haldan Gallery is Loren Madsen's "Worry Beads," a large sculpture of wood-carved beads strung together like a chain, with each bead representing one year between 1945 to 2017. Each individual bead's size tells a story about how many terrorist-caused deaths occurred in that year globally. It makes for a sublime piece of woodworking skill and a powerful political statement.

Howie’s Top 21 Favorite Halloween Pics

There are those that would say 2020 is hands down the scariest Halloween movie ever and yeah, I wouldn’t argue with that. The script for this year has certainly freaked everybody out. Add to that an election year and the advent of modern day zombies who’ve been quarantined a little too long and you have the ultimate scary flick that appears to have no ending. Are you wearing your mask? Yeah, I’d rather be scared by a movie and not real life if that’s okay?

City Council candidates respond to 100% Renewable Energy Committee questions

On April 18, 2017 the South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously passed a resolution to: 1) Power the South Lake Tahoe community with electricity provided from 100 percent renewable sources by 2032 and 2) Reduce community carbon emissions from baseline by at least 80 percent by 2040, and reduce municipal emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

Fire Chief tells how Measure S can help fund needs in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It will be hard to find someone in favor of taxes, but with them being the reason many things in this world are funded, they are accepted to some degree.

On November 3, the City of South Lake Tahoe will be asking voters for support of a one-cent local sales tax known as Measure S.

US50 over Echo Summit opens five days early

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - U.S. Highway 50 is back open to traffic over Echo Summit five days ahead of schedule, Caltrans announced today.

A full closure of Highway 50 over the summit was implemented Friday, Sept. 18 to install seven precast, prestressed 96-foot bridge girders and associated work that included pouring ultra high-performance concrete to connect the girders, building concrete barrier walls and approach slabs, applying a polyester overlay on the bridge, and asphalt paving approaching both sides of the new structure.

Murder indictment handed down in shooting death of South Lake Tahoe gas station attendant

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - An El Dorado County Special Criminal Grand Jury has returned an indictment for murder with use of a firearm against Sean Donohoe. On May 12, 2020, with the help of the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Sean Donohoe was arrested for the murder of Manpreet Singh, a gas station attendant at the US Gasoline Station in South Lake Tahoe.

US50 Echo Summit one lane closure starts Sunday night

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Motorists over US50 Echo Summit will have continuous one-way traffic control starting Sunday, September 13 at 8:00 p.m. The Sidehill Viaduct Project enters its final stages with almost five days of bridge destruction and then complete road closure for two weeks as seven precast, prestressed 96-foot bridge girders are installed, along with associated work.

Sunday, Sept. 13 - 8:00 p.m. - Continuous one-way traffic control begins
Friday, Sept. 18 - About 3:00 a.m. - Full closure of highway

South Lake Tahoe City Council candidates respond to #IRunWithMaud questions

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be two new members of the South Lake Tahoe City Council after the November 3 election. In the coming weeks the pubic will have chances to hear from the candidates both via zoom, in print and possibly in person. Below are eight of the ten candidates responses to questions asked by the local #IRunWithMaud group.

Barton Health expands services, welcomes new psychiatrist Dr. Joe Hibbeln,

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Internationally recognized psychiatrist, Joe Hibbeln, MD, has joined Barton Health’s team of expert mental and behavioral health providers. A board-certified physician, Dr. Hibbeln is working with patients over 18 years of age at Barton Community Health Center in South Lake Tahoe.

Reminder: Two-week full closure of US50 scheduled for Echo Summit Project

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After a delay in getting materials in 2019, Caltrans has scheduled a full closure of U.S. Highway 50 for the Echo Summit Sidehill Viaduct Replacement Project for two weeks beginning Friday, Sept. 18. After the delay last year, the contractor on the project was going to install the bridge girders in June of 2020, but many wanted that timeframe postponed due to the the opening of tourist season after COVID-related closures this past spring.

Group rallies to ask for respect from tourists when visiting Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe is the vacation destination for millions of people annually, but recent behaviors of many of the tourists have the residents on edge. Trash is being left behind on beaches, trails and picnic areas, overflowing trash containers are shown daily on social media pages, stores are packed and roads are crowded, all during a pandemic while travel orders are still in place for the California.

With international travel at a standstill many are keeping their vacationing during the coronavirus to locations near their homes, and Lake Tahoe is one of those spots.

Ildefonsa Balwing ~ 1955 - 2020

Ildefonsa Balwing, age 65, passed away on July 22, 2020 in Riverside, California after a short, but hard fought, cancer diagnosis. She was born January 23, 1955 in Tanay, Rizal in the Philippines and was the tenth of eleven children in her family.

Volunteers spend Tahoe Forest Stewardship day restoring Johnson Meadow

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Johnson Meadow was once used as a post-Gold Rush dairy farm, became a place for summer cattle grazing, and is now being restored as part of the Upper Truckee River watershed. The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD) purchased the Johnson Meadow in 2018, a critical step in restoring the river's watershed that contains significant wildlife habitat, including river, riparian, meadow, and upland habitat areas.

State of the Lake address offered during digital Summer Speaker Series

Event Date: 
July 30, 2020 - 12:00pm

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) is offering everyone a front-row seat at the discussion of the annual Tahoe: State of the Lake Report on Thursday, July 30 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Dr. Geoffrey Schladow, the director of TERC, will make the presentation on the data collected, an important element for lake management. Elected officials and public agencies tasked with restoring and managing the Lake Tahoe ecosystem use this data.

Local teen named National Youth Ambassador by Tobacco-Free Kids campaign

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Twenty-five California students have been named as National Youth and Young Adult Ambassadors by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for demonstrating leadership in fighting tobacco use in their communities.

These young leaders were among 133 youth and young adults from 33 states who participated in the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Digital Advocacy Symposium, a five-day online training session focused on building advocacy, communications and leadership skills.

El Dorado County Opioid Coalition launches new campaign - Your Pain is Real. So Are the Risks

The El Dorado County Opioid Coalition (EDCOC) has launched its new opioid prevention public education campaign, "Your Pain is Real. So Are the Risks.

The EDCOC works to prevent opioid addiction and overdose in El Dorado County through its treatment, safe prescribing, and naloxone distribution programs and has now started working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

South Lake Tahoe rally held to support local law enforcement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Almost 200 people showed up Saturday to display their support of South Lake Tahoe law enforcement during a rally on a national day to "Bridge the Blue."

The supporters gathered at the entrance to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) and South Lake Tahoe Police buildings before many of them joined a walk down Johnson Boulevard to US50 over to Lakeview Commons and down Al Tahoe, then back to the beginning.

South Lake Tahoe celebrates Charles Barkley Day at American Century Championship

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - During the 2007 American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe, there was the tragic devastation of the Angora Fire viewable from the tee box at No. 17. Just a few days before the fire ripped through neighborhoods, destroying 242 homes and burning 3,100 acres.

"The town rolls out the red carpet for us every year and we can't just come there and play," said former NBA great Charles Barkley of his thoughts in 2007.

Bread & Broth 4 Kids starts free summer food program for South Lake Tahoe youth

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the fourth consecutive summer, the St. Theresa Bread & Broth 4 Kids Summer Program will provide weekly food bags for South Lake Tahoe youth every Wednesday until school resumes in August.

Since local schools closed in March due to the coronavirus, Bread & Broth 4 Kids (BB4K) has provided weekly food bags to students at bus stops and schools in coordination with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District as they distributed daily meals. Some weeks the BB4K bags went to over 410 children.

Column: Dreaming of a just and permanent solution

With its decision last week, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a real sense of relief and a bit of a reprieve to approximately 800,000 DREAMers in America, including 200,000 in California alone. When the justices sided with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, ruling that the way the Trump administration rescinded the program in 2017 was unlawful, it was a big victory for immigrant communities and their many allies.

Letter: Every one of us needs to do what we can to Keep Tahoe Blue

On June 10 the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center released findings from its annual Lake Tahoe Clarity Report, which showed average Lake clarity for 2019 was 62.7 feet, the second-smallest annual average depth recorded since systematic annual measurements began in 1968.

Clarity of Lake Tahoe decreased 8 feet in 2019 due to several factors

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Scientists and researchers have been watching the clarity of Lake Tahoe for decades, rejoicing when one can see almost 100 feet down into the iconic body of water, sadness when clarity drops to record levels.

The clarity of the lake is an important indicator of the changing conditions of Lake Tahoe.

In 2019, Lake Tahoe's clarity decreased nearly eight feet from the previous year's dramatic 10-foot improvement. The average clarity in 2019 was 62.7 feet, the second-lowest on record. In 2017, the recorded clarity was 60 feet. In 1968, it was 102 feet.

One arrested on multiple charges after head-on collision in Lake Tahoe

6/9/20 update: A 23-year-old man from Garden Valley, California has been arrested on multiple charges after being involved in a two-car Collison on US50 near Skyland at Lake Tahoe on June 8.

At approximately 6:05 p.m, troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) responded to a serious injury crash involving a Honda Civic and Toyota Tacoma.

The crash closed both the eastbound and westbound travel lanes of the highway for several hours as emergency crews aided the victims, transported the two drivers to the hospital via helicopter, and cleared the scene.

Caltrans wrapping up $52.9M South Lake Tahoe project

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The last scheduled Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) project for Caltrans around Lake Tahoe is almost finished. All traffic-interfering work is now complete on the stretch of US50 from the Y to the Trout Creek Bridge.

Work underway on Al Tahoe Safety and Mobility Project in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If you've been driving through town lately you've most likely noticed the road work on Al Tahoe Boulevard.

After a restriping/lane change pilot project in 2017 that reconfigured two of the four vehicle travel lanes and added buffered bike lanes on Al Tahoe Blvd., the rest of the project has now begun. The project has been years in the making through the planning, funding, public input, and permitting stages.

New TAHOE housing program in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Saint Joseph Community Land Trust (SJCLT) has announced a new program that seeks to preserve existing housing stock for permanently affordable, full-time homes for Tahoe Basin employees and residents. It is called the TAHOE (Tahoe Affordable Home Ownership Enabling) program.

TAHOE has been created to do three things:

1. Provide assistance to income-qualified households searching for a home in the Tahoe Basin;
2. Enable SJCLT to purchase available homes to be made available to income-qualified Tahoe Basin employees or full-time residents;

Arrest made in cold case murder of South Lake Tahoe gas station attendant

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An arrest has been made in the 2013 Cold Case murder of Manpreet Singh after a witness watched a video created by the El Dorado County Cold Case Task Force.

Construction of new phases of South Tahoe Greenway Shared-Use Trail underway

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Work has begun on two phases of the 3.86-mile long South Tahoe Greenway Shared-Use Trail (Greenway) that will connect Sierra Boulevard in Tahoe Sierra Tract to the Van Sickle Bi-State Park near Stateline in South Lake Tahoe.

The project was approved in 2011 and 2016 and will provide users with a safe way to travel by non-motorized means off of the highway through the heart of South Lake Tahoe. The whole length will include neighborhood connectors and the ability to join the popular trail from the Y to past Baldwin Beach.

Events Center approved by Douglas County Commissioners

STATELINE, Nev. - In what has been a hotly debated topic for months between the five Douglas County Board of Commissioners and members of the public, the Tahoe South Events Center passed the final hurdle Thursday. In a 3-2 vote, the commissioners approved bond issuance, the final step in the approval process. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) had previously unanimously approved it.

FBI warns of possible cyber crimes during coronavirus pandemic

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The FBI anticipates cyber actors will exploit increased use of virtual environments by government agencies, the private sector, private organizations, and individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Computer systems and virtual environments provide essential communication services for telework and education, in addition to conducting regular business. The criminal, or cyber actor, will exploit vulnerabilities in these systems to steal sensitive information, target individuals and businesses performing financial transactions, and engage in extortion.

Final four South Lake Tahoe city manager candidates from California and Florida

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The search for a new city manager for the City of South Lake Tahoe appears to be nearing the end. City Council has narrowed down their search to four men, all of whom will be at a public Meet and Greet on Monday, March 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Idle Hour located at 3351 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

The idea behind the meet and greet is to give the public a chance to get to know the candidates before the City Council closed session scheduled for Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. to select the new city manager.

Opinion: The future is electric!

The ultimate mission of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) is to help youth thrive. Sadly, it is our students - not we, adult, decision-makers - who will most suffer climate change. LTUSD must also support the future health and well-being of our students.

So, in 2017, the School Board formally resolved to:

Increase reliance on clean, renewable energy sources to power the District’s facilities, in line with and in collaboration with, the City of South Lake Tahoe’s recent pledge to power 100 percent of our electricity use with renewable energy by 2030.

New Lake Tahoe Unified School District superintendent is Whittell High graduate

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dr. Todd Cutler has been announced as the new superintendent for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD). During their closed session meeting Saturday, the Board of Trustees decided to reveal their announcement ahead of the previously announced March 10 date. His contract has now been finalized and he will start work at the end of the school year.

Letter: Why we are still voting No on Measure B

We would like to respond to a recent "Letter to the Editor" on 2/17/20 in which the author infers that we may not have reached out to Lake Valley Fire for information. We have had multiple conversations with LVFPD Board Member, Leona Allen. Ms. Hall sent a letter seeking information and clarification to Chief Alameda which was published in a local newspaper and went unanswered.

Azul Latin Kitchen raises $11,000 for Tahoe Arts Project

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the past year, Azul Latin Kitchen in South Lake Tahoe's Heavenly Village has been fundraising for Tahoe Arts Project (TAP). The fruits of their efforts were presented to TAP during their public Williams Duo concert on Januar 30.

Each year Azul Latin Kitchen selects a local nonprofit to be the recipient of their fundraising for the year. In 2017 it was Tahoe Youth and Family Services, last year Live Violence Free, then in 2019 TAP.

SnowGlobe and guests contribute 213 nights at Tahoe Warm Room; Make strides on waste reduction

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - MTV’s SnowGlobe Music Festival has a continued commitment to give back to the South Lake Tahoe community each year, both during and after the three-day outdoor festival.

SnowGlobe 2019 was able to successfully expand their sustainability program, non-profit, and charitable giving initiatives, they said in a report released Monday.

In 2017, SnowGlobe began its partnership with The Sugar Pine Foundation, planting 200 sugar pine seedlings to help restore Lake Tahoe’s sugar pine population, which now makes up less than 5 percent of the Tahoe Forest.

Old Dominion Tour stopping off on the South Shore with singer Andy Grammer

STATELINE, Nev. - Old Dominion fans are excited about the news released today about their 2020 tour....they will be at the Lake Tahoe at Harvey's Outdoor Arena on July 17. The pop-country group's U.S. leg of their We Are Old Dominion Tour is set to launch in May.

Their opening act in Lake Tahoe will be singer, songwriter Andy Grammer.

The evolution of health care benefits

The health insurance industry in America has undergone an unprecedented amount of change since its origins in the 1900s, and according to Health Affairs, it was just 40 years ago when workers began sharing in the cost of their health care coverage. Rising medical costs, plus an increased demand for medical care, have contributed to growth within the health insurance industry, and it’s become increasingly complex with the introduction of new plan designs and government reforms.

El Dorado County man pleads guilty to distributing designer drug that caused minor's death

Over seven years after the death of a juvenile, the person found responsible plead guilty Monday in federal court to distribution of a controlled substance known as 25I-NBOMe that caused death the death of the minor in 2012.

According to court documents, during September 2012, Elijah Richter, 28, of Camino, Calif. imported hallucinogenic drugs, including a controlled substance known as 25I-NBOMe, from Europe to his residence in El Dorado County. He placed orders on his computer through Silk Road, a now-defunct “dark” website.

LTCC expands child care to evening hours to help student parents

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For some students, there are many barriers to their being able to get a college degree, one of them being affordable child care. A recent move by the Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is helping remove that barrier by having extended hours on Monday and Tuesday evenings so parents who are LTCC students can attend classes and/or study.

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