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The real estate market in South Lake Tahoe continues to show strong numbers, no matter which set of figures you look at. What was especially high in October was the median price of homes sold.

Median Sales Price Continues to Rise

A full agenda awaits the South Lake Tahoe city council on Tuesday, November 5 and contains key topics from a presentation on the parking meter situation to Mayor Tom Davis's State of the City Address.

Here are a few of the key agenda items:

State of the City Address
Public comment on items NOT on the agenda (3 minute maximum)
Presentation and update on the City's parking meter program
Citizen's Academy Graduates acknowledged
Authorize purchase of 1740 D Street for Public Works Street Division use

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will begin prescribed fire operations in Slaughterhouse Canyon, north of Spooner Summit tomorrow, Wednesday, October 30, 2013. The total unit size is 30 acres. Fuels management crews may burn as much of the unit as possible, weather and conditions permitting. “Because of the recent snowfall, conditions allow our crews to carry out operations on larger units,” said Kit Bailey, Fire Management Officer with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Operations are likely to continue through the end of the week.

Due to a lack of approved burn days by the California Air Resource Board, the US Forest Service has moves their planned burn operations from the Al Tahoe/Pioneer Trail side in South Lake Tahoe over to an area north of Zephyr Cove. Smoke will be visible from Highway 50.

Crews may begin prescribed fire operations this weekend, October 26 and 27, 2013 across U.S. Highway 50 from the Skyland subdivision. Weather and conditions permitting, crews will burn approximately one to five acres per day and expect to continue operations through the weekend and into next week.

11:00 am update: Sparks Police confirm that a Sparks Middle School staff member and the student gunman are the two dead from this morning's schoolyard shooting and that two minors are in critical condition at Renown Medical Center. The school will be closed for the remainder of the week. More details will be released as the investigation continues.

Four were shot this morning at Sparks Middle School, resulting in 2 deaths and 2 being treated at Renown Medical Center. Many details are not being confirmed at this time.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is working to open many Forest Service-operated facilities and restore public services that had been suspended during the government shutdown, which ended October 17, 2013. “Realizing we’re near the end of our normal operating season in Lake Tahoe, we’re focusing our efforts on those sites that typically remain open for a few more weeks and are extremely popular with locals and visitors alike,” said Forest Supervisor Nancy Gibson. “We look forward to opening these and serving our local community once again.”

We found lots of things to enjoy while out and about in South Lake Tahoe today!

The Pumpkin and Pony Festival at Forest Suites had several things for everyone to enjoy. There were local business booths, a pumpkin patch, pony and tractor rides, a climbing wall and bouncy house, live music and two food booths and historical entertainment. You can still catch this on Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

The South Tahoe Music Department had a rummage sale in the parking lot of the Emerald Bay Center for Women's Health to raise money for the music programs.

My daughter and I had been planning our annual Apple Hill trek for several days when I decided to change it up a bit. Since my free time is so rare I figured why not include a visit to our favorite little town Sutter Creek? And then, since we're doing that, might as well throw in a drive down beautiful Highway 4! Since the portion of the road we'll be covering is closed after the first big snow we had to do it! The day was plotted on a map in my head with some verification on google maps. The map said our little trip was going to take 5 hours and 10 minutes and cover 225 miles.

The closed gates haven't stopped the droves of people drawn to Taylor Creek and the Rainbow Trail to watch the annual fall upstream trek of the Kokanee Salmon.

Visitors to the creek were locals and visitors and they all arrived via a myriad of transportation options. The Trolley running along Highway 89 through the weekend, which brought many down the road as did bicycles, motorcycles, cars as well as those that preferred to walk.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is closing Forest Service-operated facilities and cancelling Forest-Service staffed events due to the lapse in federal government funding, effective October 1, 2013 until funding is restored. Concession-operated facilities, campgrounds and events will continue as normal for the time being. Most forest roads and gates remain open for the time being. The Forest Supervisor’s Office and Taylor Creek Visitor Center are closed. Forest Service-operated campgrounds are closed.

On October 1, boat inspections will move to select launch ramps and winter hours will begin. Tahoe RCD (Resource Conservation District) inspectors will be stationed at Cave Rock and Lake Forest boat launches from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week, weather permitting. Boats with attached Lake Tahoe wire inspection seals and valid Tahoe inspection stickers will be permitted to launch during these times, but any unsealed boats are required to get an inspection during daylight hours.

Nearly 2,500 athletes are headed to the North Lake Tahoe area this week for IRONMAN, a full triathlon which will have them running 26.2 miles, biking 112 miles and swimming for 2.4 miles. The sold out event will have the events spread from Lake Tahoe to Squaw Valley and Truckee.

There are 13 age divisions from age 18 to 80 as well as professional and physically challenged divisions. Fifty winners from the event will qualify for the Championship IRONMAN in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in October, 2014.

Fernando Vargas, a 25-year veteran of Boys & Girls Clubs, has been appointed Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake Tahoe.

Vargas, 54, brings extensive experience from Clubs throughout the country, most recently in Elko, Nev., to the position. His successful background with fundraising, fiscal management, strategic and youth development initiatives were cited by Jeff Tillman, Club President, as major reasons for his appointment.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in the Sierra, Northern California and Nevada. This report is for the week of Aug. 28 through Labor Day. Don't forget, California's second free day of fishing without a license will be Saturday, Sept. 7.

CAL FIRE PIO Berlant, @CALFIRE_PIO - California Statewide Fire Summary: Nearly 8,000 firefighters remain on the frontlines as nearly a dozen major wildfires continue to burn. Yesterday, CAL FIRE crews contained the Swedes Fire that burned in Butte County, just as a new fire ignited on the Fort Hunter Liggett Military Installation.

Aug 20, 2013 - UPDATE - 8:45am:

Latest American Fire News Release: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/article/3624/20488/

Current Size: 14,990 acres Containment: 54 percent Structures
Estimated Containment Date moved to September 1, 2013

Aug 19, 2013 - UPDATE - 9:25am:

We are still seeing a lot of action in the South Lake Tahoe real estate market! The July, 2013 figures were just released and they continue to show that interest in buying a home in Lake Tahoe is still growing. During the last year we saw home buyers flock to Lake Tahoe for a few reasons: low interest rates and an increased interest to buy something before they felt it was too late. When we saw more home listings enter the market this summer we saw the sales frenzy subside a bit.

The 2nd Annual Dog Carnival returns to South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, August 17 from 10 am to 4 pm. The non-profit Dawgs on the Run puts on the event to promote the fun and benefits of having dogs in our lives. This full day of fun is for dogs and their humans to enjoy and includes games, contests, raffles, food, prizes and informative demonstrations. All leashed dogs are invited!

Dog Games and contests during the day include:

Play Dead Time Contest
Peanut Butter Lick Contest
Agility Contest

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin work on the Upper Truckee River Reach 5 Restoration Project on Monday, June 24.

The project will replace the existing stream channel with a new channel that is more stable and is connected to the adjacent floodplain, which will provide a better aquatic habitat, support a healthier meadow ecosystem, and reduce the amount of fine sediment that reaches Lake Tahoe.

UPDATE: One person died in a vehicle crash in Zephyr Cove across from the Tahoe Douglas Fire Station Sunday afternoon, confirmed Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Barbara Stapleton.

At least three others were injured, according to NHP dispatchers. Both lanes of Highway 50 were closed.

One victim was taken by ground ambulance to Carson City where they were transported by Calstar. The crash was reported to NHP at 2:55 p.m. at 875 Highway 50. The vehicles involved were blocking both lanes, according to the dispatcher.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will resume prescribed fire operations on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe beginning Thursday, May 30. Crews expect to burn approximately one to three acres west of the Spooner Summit area. Operations are scheduled to last through the day, weather and conditions permitting.

Thinning of trees for fuels reduction and forest health begins this week on National Forest System lands between Montgomery Estates and Sierra Tract in South Lake Tahoe.

The contractor has begun mobilizing equipment and will begin cutting trees within the next few days. The Forest Service has closed the area from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily through July 26 for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and falling trees.

Riding 129 miles and climbing 15,000-plus feet all in one day demands a rigorous training schedule and Kirkwood’s annual “Near Death Experience” bike camp can give riders the inside edge they need to complete such a challenging task.

Roadside stations for Lake Tahoe boat inspections and watercraft decontamination are officially open at three locations — Meyers, Spooner Summit and Alpine Meadows — with stations at Northstar and Homewood to open May 23.