community

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe has selected a long-time local and South Tahoe High graduate to head its police department.

The selection of David Stevenson as police chief was announced Monday.

It is undeniable that the areas hit the hardest economically by the COVID-19 pandemic are those heavily reliant on tourism. South Lake Tahoe is unquestionably one of these areas, suffering not only because of the closure of its tourist economy but suffering higher infection rates due to the very tourism it relies upon. It is for these reasons that so much of the focus of the El Dorado Community Foundation, who serves all of El Dorado County, has been directed toward South Lake Tahoe. We recognized very early on that South Lake Tahoe would be the hardest hit region in the county.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A planned road reconfiguration and bike lane project on Lake Tahoe Boulevard from the Y to Viking Way (South Tahoe High School) had its first steps this week, much to the surprise of many.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act today, a piece of bi-partisan legislation that will fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and provide much needed funding for the crippling $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog at national parks.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - When the three parking lots with 90 spaces were created last year in Incline Village for the popular East Shore Trail, they were free but all were told paid parking was coming in the near future.

That time has now come.

Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) has unveiled the Park Tahoe pilot program at the trailhead north of Ponderosa Rand Road. The lots were created to expand off-highway parking options along the high traffic area of SR28 between Incline Village and Sand Harbor State Park.

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.

The El Dorado County Food Bank's mobile pantry will be in South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, July 22 and they are looking for volunteers to assist with handing out food to the community.

They will be in the parking lot of St. Theresa Church at 1041 Lyons Avenue, South Lake Tahoe from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for the public, but need volunteers starting at 9:00 a.m.

If you are interested in helping, email them at info@foodbankedc.org to sign up.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The candidate pool of 61 seeking the job of South Lake Tahoe police chief has been narrowed down to five finalists.

They are:

Captain John Gunderson, Redwood City Police Department
Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice, Master’s Degree Public Administration

Lieutenant Tina Jones, Portland Police Bureau
Master’s Degree Criminal Justice

Lieutenant Shannon Laney, South Lake Tahoe Police Department
Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice

Deputy Chief Katherine Lester, Sacramento Police Department

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If it's true that "lightning never strikes the same place twice," the Ogness family doesn't have anything to worry about.

Mike Ogness, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, and grandaughter (and two Golden Retrievers) were enjoying a summer afternoon in their Tahoe Keys home on Thursday when a storm cell went over South Lake Tahoe, dropping hail and rain, and accompanied by outbursts of lightning.

One of those lightning strikes hit the Ogness home.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The organizer of the 29th annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride and the 18th Tour De Tahoe has announced the 2020 events will not happen. Bike the West tried to merge the two popular rides after the America's Most Beautiful was postponed earlier this year. They were to take place on September 13 but current COVID-19 restrictions and setbacks with reopening phases governed by local, county and state health agencies have led them to postpone and move to 2021.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officials have announced 18 new cases of COVID-19 in the county, with nine in the Lake Tahoe region, four in El Dorado Hills, three in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue and two in Placerville.

Of the new cases, two are under the age of 18, 15 are in the 18-49-year-old group, and one is aged 50-64, ten are male, and eight female. To date, 381 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus..

There have been eight new recoveries, leaving 171 estimated recoveries.

Testing sites were able to conduct 300 new tests.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Bread and Broth has been feeding the community not only during the pandemic, but for 31 years. The need has been especially great during the trying times of COVI-19, job loss and uncertainty.

Never skipping a beat, Bread & Broth moved from serving hot meals twice a week at St. Theresa Church Grace Hall to giving away bags of food including fresh produce, dairy and eggs from the hall's foyer.

They also changed their weekly food backpack program from schools to bus stops, and now the Bread & Broth 4 Kids program gives away food each week from that same foyer.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - City Council approved unanimously at their meeting Tuesday to send what is being called the "South Lake Tahoe Fire Protection, Emergency Response, City Services Measure" to the ballot in November.

If voters approve the measure, a one-percent sales tax increase will be added in the City of South Lake Tahoe to all taxable purchases to meet funding shortfalls, according to the City.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - During the 31st annual American Century Championship, Korbel California Champagne® once again held its popular Closest-to-the-Pin contest on No. 17 at Edgewood Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Al Tahoe neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe has begun the process of becoming a nationally recognized and certified Firewise USA® community with the support of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue and under the guidance of the National Fire Protection Association.

There is only one other neighborhood, Golden Bear (Lower Montgomery Estates), that is under the Firewise USA® program in the Lake Tahoe Basin though several areas outside the basin in El Dorado and Placer counties are participating.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Fire Foundation and Sysco joined forces to help communities impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and South Lake Tahoe was recently a beneficiary.

The two groups gifted over $5,000 in relief efforts to the South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center for food for the families they serve.

This non-profit organization provides basic needs services, educational opportunities, family advocacy and bilingual counseling for children and adults in the South Lake Tahoe region.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe (HSTT) has been providing increased support to the South Lake Tahoe community, distributing hundreds of pounds of cat and dog food along with numerous other services.

The food distribution from when HSTT shut down to the public due to COVID are as follows:

Dry dog food: 1719 lbs total ~ 171 lbs a week
Dry cat food: 178 lbs total ~ 18 lbs a week
Canned dog food: 636 cans ~ 64 cans a week
Canned cat food: 467 cans ~ 47 cans a week
Cat litter: 130 lbs total ~ 13 lbs a week

If the 4th of July weekend is any indication, Tahoe is under pressure. As coronavirus cases grow nearly everywhere, people naturally look to the mountains, fresh air, and clear water of Tahoe as a respite. Now residents and visitors alike are struggling to adjust to the confusion around re-opening, and visitation that is normally our lifeblood is suddenly a health risk.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - During Saturday's second round of the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe, the Korbel Closest to the Pin contest on No. 17 was a big winner for the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Board of Supervisors held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the current situation of positive cases of COVID-19 in the county, especially in South Lake Tahoe where numbers are starting to grow.

After almost four hours of discussion, both amongst themselves and during public comment, the Board made the following action items but didn't vote on any county-wide orders:

GENOA, Nev. - For the past 100 years, the Town of Genoa has held a Candy Dance but the 101st event is being canceled due to COVID-19. In a 5-0 vote Wednesday, the Genoa Town Advisory Board decided to forego the event due to health and safety concerns for residents, vendors, staff and sponsors.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees will hear a draft proposal on what the reopening of school in the fall will look like at during a special meeting on July 14 at 5:00 p.m.

"We are in a unique time for public schools. We have been challenged to create plans for the start of the 2020/21 school year that will provide a quality education for our students and at the same time provide safety for us all. This is not an easy task," new LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler said in his weekly email to staff, parents, and the public.

Prestige Care invites Carson City community members of all ages to send positive notes, warm wishes and fun artwork to its residents to spread cheer and uplift spirits during this unprecedented time.

Carson Tahoe Care Center is welcoming cards, letters and other paper gifts such as drawings and homemade artwork. Items will be sorted and disinfected prior to being delivered to residents.

Prestige asks that community members keep the following recommendations in mind:

• Messages should be handwritten and in large, easy-to-read print.

Location

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - There has been a successful partnership between the Tahoe Fund and Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition in bringing bike racks to businesses and public agencies around Lake Tahoe for the past two years. They have now announced an opportunity for more low or no-cost bike racks in their "Bike Racks for Tahoe" program for centrally-located town center locations in the Tahoe Basin.

The program is designed to encourage locals and visitors to ride their bikes around lakeside communities instead of drive.