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South Tahoe Now will now be publishing stories from Ruby Abuhajleh, a student at South Tahoe High. Her column, Viking Corner: This Week at South Tahoe High, will feature stories about students, faculty, and events.

In School
This was a short week with Monday and Tuesday canceled due to snow days, which meant plenty of sleep and skiing for some of the students at South Tahoe High School.

With five feet of snow outside, Lily Perez, a freshmen, spent two nights at her friend’s house, unable to make it home.

A man with strong Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada ties has been named the new town manager for Genoa, Nevada.

On January 25, the Genoa Town Board voted unanimously to extend an offer to JT Chevallier to take the helm of the historic town just over the mountain from South Lake Tahoe.

“We had a difficult decision to make with some highly qualified candidates,” said Chairman to the Board Steven Shively. “Overall we are excited to bring JT on board and to set future goals and strategies for the Town of Genoa."

The following is the first of many stories that Blue Marie Balcita will be writing for South Tahoe Now on a myriad of subjects. Blue, a 19-year-old student at Lake Tahoe Community College, is the author of five books, a contributor to three more and recently started the college's new newspaper, 1974.

Do you know what it is like to look at the person you love and see hatred reflected back to you? Do you know what it is like to move mountains for a person

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

1/9

RENO, Nev. - Keeping the community safe is the number one priority of law enforcement working on four recent murders in Reno and Douglas County. This was the message from Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam during a press conference late Thursday afternoon.

Two elderly people, a man and a woman, were killed in a home in southwest Reno. Their bodies were discovered on January 16 after concerned neighbors called law enforcement after not seeing the residents. Their names and ages have not been released pending notification of next of kin.

MEYERS, Calif - A quick response by Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) kept a Tuesday afternoon fire from spreading in Meyers, just outside of South Lake Tahoe.

The calls into 911 first alerted first responders that a car had collided with a residence on Tomahawk Lane and Apache Avenue. Upon arrival they found a structure and vehicle fire.

At 3:18 p.m., LVFPD responded with engines, medic and battalion chiefs while South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue also sent an engine and crew.

Snowglobe 2018 is now in the books. There have been some successes as well as some difficulties. This year saw the introduction of professional sound engineers to help reduce the sound and new field protection to prevent further damage to our new play fields. The sound is reported to have been improved for many though the people who live nearest this event in Pioneer Village, along the Bijou Meadow, around Johnson Lane and in Sierra Tract continue to be bombarded by three days of sound.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Since a fire destroyed a section of Sierra House Elementary on November 11, 2018, students and staff have been dealing with the smoke damage, relocation, and minimum school days.

Just before the winter break classes were held at the Al Tahoe Elementary school site, home of the Boys & Girls Club, but that plan will now change starting January 14, 2018.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An estimated 20,000 visitors attended the 8th annual SnowGlobe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe which was held over three days, December 29-31, 2018.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) called this year's event the best they’ve had from a violation and enforcement standpoint. They said there were no significant problems or issues of any kind.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A study on the health needs of the South Lake Tahoe community has once again put mental health and mental disorders at the top of the list, followed by substance abuse, and access to healthcare services.

Every three years Barton Health conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment to identity the key health issues facing the area. They use a systematic, data-driven process to determine the health status, concerns, and needs of residents in the South Tahoe community.

The 2018 results are a follow-up to similar studies completed in 2012 and 2015.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The snow has fallen and the kids are out of school so it's time for many to hit the Sierra. Skiers and boarders have the slopes but where do sledders and those just wanting to play go?

Many stop on the highway and pull onto the shoulder (well, sort of) and head to the patch of snow. This behavior is causing problems for law enforcement, other drivers and is an accident waiting to happen.

Snowglobe 2018 is here! We are asking local residents to please give the new sound
engineering a chance. The Snowglobe organization has committed to changes this year and they are hoping to reduce the sound to livable levels. The sound restrictions for this event remain the same and the City’s reporting process remains the same as in previous years. The following information is provided to help local residents.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - A Carson City woman died after being struck by a SUV on US-395 early Saturday morning.

At approximately 6:20 a.m., troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) responded to reports of a crash involving a pedestrian in the area of Cradebaugh Bridge and Stephanie Way in Douglas County.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Six families in South Lake Tahoe don't know where they will be spending Christmas after receiving notice Wednesday that the apartment building they've been calling home was found to be unsafe, giving them until Monday, December 17 to find a place to live.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Winter has arrived in the Lake Tahoe Basin along with the holiday season. Local fire districts and their partners would like to take this opportunity to remind residents and visitors to properly dispose of fireplace/woodstove ashes and to use caution when decorating for the holiday. The following safety tips are recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help keep your home safe this winter/holiday season.

Fireplaces and Woodstoves

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - There will be full road closures on State Route 28 south of Incline Village for two nights this week so the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) can install bridges on the new shared used path.

Both directions of SR 28 will be closed between Lakeshore Boulevard in southern Incline Village near Tunnel Creek Café and Sand Harbor State Park from 8:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. nightly Dec. 11 to Dec. 13. The road closures are scheduled for overnight hours to reduce impact on heavy daytime traffic. The closures are weather dependent and subject to change.

With the weather getting colder and the snow falling, it’s time to break out the winter gear, get outside, and start enjoying some frozen nature. However, if you have recently suffered an injury and are looking to get back to outdoor activities, here are a few precautions you may benefit from before charging the backcountry or joining the kids in the terrain park.

The following is a recap of activity for the South Lake Tahoe Police Department from October 18-November 17. They responded to 868 calls during this period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests/Citations:

10/18 - 41 calls for the day
No Arrests

10/19 - 29 calls for the day
DUI in the 2500 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Unlicensed driver in the 3000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

10/20 - 31 calls for the day
DUI in the 1000 block of Lodi Ave
Unlicensed Driver in the 1200 block of Kyburz
Driving on a Suspended/Revoked License at Blackwood and Pioneer

There is a Vacation Home Rental (VHR) Task Force being formed in Douglas County and interested representatives from the community have been invited to apply.

At their November 15 meeting, Douglas County Board of County Commissioners asked staff to organize the task force for the purpose of offering recommendations to the County Manager on the permitting, management and/or limitation of vacation home rentals. This group will be advisory only.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A fire at Sierra House Elementary School on November 11, 2018 was caused by an electrical overload due to “daisy chain wiring” of two power cords in a classroom.

When firefighters from Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) arrived at the school at 9:35 p.m. they found smoke once the front doors were opened and flames observed as they turned the corner near the "upper pod" wing.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - An oversight committee will be established for the 2016 voter-approved Measure P which raised tourist accommodation tax (TOT) by two percent to build a new recreation center in South Lake Tahoe.

During Tuesday's City Council meeting the elected team reviewed criteria for the future committee, and what sectors of the community will be sought. Those chosen will take part in the review of how funds are spent and report back to the public.
"We promised the voters.

Over 1,000 Douglas County residents responded to an online survey regarding vacation home rentals (VHR) and those results are now available. The input on the surveys is equal to approximately 50 hours of public comment.

I am surprised that some people call Measure T “too extreme,” when the measure a) still allows fulltime residents to rent out their houses for 30 days per year, b) promotes the development and expansion of VHRs in areas properly zoned as commercial or part of the Tourist Core.

Do you know what is really “too extreme”?

• Local businesses struggling to fill open positions because their employees can’t find long-term housing in Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two attorneys with local ties will soon be sworn in as El Dorado County superior court judges, filling a gap that brought in visiting judges to local courts for over a year.

Mike McLaughlin, partner at Feldman McLaughlin Thiel LLP, will become the new judge of Department 4 in South Lake Tahoe, and Jamie Pesce, a deputy district attorney, will be assigned to family law in Department 5 of the local court system, located in the main Courthouse in Placerville.