safe

Update 7 a.m. 10/14/15:

Dianne Thacher is no longer missing and returned to her dorm room at Sierra Nevada College Tuesday afternoon. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that she is safe, not injured and that there was no foul play associated with her disappearance.

It's once again the season to enjoy a fire in our fireplaces and wood burning stoves, but that also means it's time again to remind everyone how to dispose of the resulting ashes.

It is very dangerous to dispose of fireplace, wood stove or barbecue ashes in improper containers and locations. Since 2014 there has been one structure fire, multiple dumpster fires and one deck fire due in South Lake Tahoe due to improperly disposed of ashes. When you add in Douglas and El Dorado counties, that number gets much higher.

Several South Lake Tahoe projects were awarded this week by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) as being the "Best in the Basin" for demonstrating exceptional planning, design, and compatibility with Lake Tahoe’s environment and communities.

The projects that were recognized upgraded highways, built new bike trails, improved water quality, restored environmentally-sensitive areas, remodeled blighted commercial buildings, and created defensible space for better wildfire protection.

The Best in the Basin award winners are:

During the 2014 Kokanee salmon run at Taylor Creek, spectators left pathways at the popular U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe to approach bears in search of a selfie photo with a bear. Not only was this dangerous for the human, it was dangerous for the bear and USFS threatened to close the area to the public.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and South Lake Tahoe Police Department will be taking back unwanted prescription drugs on Saturday, September 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Lira's Market in Meyers.

Take expired or unused drugs as the disposal site. No sharps will be accepted.

Prescription drug abuse continues to be a problem in the community, and removing unwanted containers of drugs from medicine cabinets will take them out of the hands of abusers.

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are one of the most serious challenges facing Lake Tahoe. They continuously threaten to damage its unique environment and famed water clarity and degrade the world-class recreational experiences residents and millions of visitors enjoy each year.

Fortunately, Tahoe is a national leader in fighting AIS, with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and 40 public and private partners working to prevent, detect, and remove harmful infestations.

Tallac Historic Site, Kiva Beach, Valhalla and the Taylor Creek Visitor Center will all be closed on Wednesday so the U.S. Forest Service can conduct pesticide treatments to reduce the risk of plague. The Pope-Baldwin Bike Trail will remain open, but signs will be posted where the trail crosses closed sites.

The gates to these areas will close on Tuesday evening, September 15 at 7 p.m. and likely reopen on Thursday morning, September 17.

With the devastating fires currently burning in California it brings to the forefront emergency preparedness.

September happens to be National Preparedness Month and El Dorado County's Public Health Preparedness and Response reminds residents to make an emergency communications plan for themselves and their families. Planning ahead will help protect families, neighborhoods and communities when emergencies and disasters arise.

The critical importance of brake safety in commercial vehicles is the focus of Brake Safety Week, a nationwide campaign September 6-12.

A busy Labor Day weekend starts Friday, with a plethora of activities for locals and visitors alike. There are fireworks, music, car shows, runs, boat races, a farm-fork festival and much more to enjoy.

Heavenly Village Days on Labor Day Car Show goes through the weekend with a sidewalk sale, trophies, and a poker run. It costs $40 to show your cars, trucks and motorcycles. Brought to you by Good Samaritans Safe Ride. September 4 - 7, 2015.

The climbing wall at the top of the Heavenly Gondola is ready just in time for Labor Day Weekend activities.

The permanent climbing wall was unveiled to the public today and adds to the resort’s expanding offerings of summer activities, like ropes courses, zip lines and tubing.

El Dorado County's Transportation Division has announced upcoming partial and full road closures for Black Bart Avenue, Barbara Avenue and Martin Avenue in order to complete an overlay project starting September 21, 2015.

Black Bart and Martin Avenues are scheduled for directional closures September 21, 22 and 24 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. During these directional closures, motorists will only be allowed to drive in the direction from Pioneer Trail to U.S. 50.

The man who gained national attention when he went missing from his paddle board in South Lake Tahoe has turned up in Missouri.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) investigators had been working on the case since he disappeared on Wednesday, not knowing if he were dead or alive. The floating paddleboard with GoPro camera was found floating about 1/2 mile off shore by the Timber Cove Marina.

The capital city community has extended an outpouring of support for a Carson City Sheriff's Office deputy who was shot and killed early Saturday morning responding to a domestic violence call at an east Carson City home.

Ready to get "color"ful? Ready to have fun, a little outdoor exercise and help the local community while at it?

Tahoe Youth & Family Services (TYFS) has held South Lake Tahoe area colors in the past, but this is the first year they are adding a COLORBLAST! Fun Run in the Carson Valley into the mix.

On Saturday, August 13 they are holding their annual fun run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. during the Carson Valley Medical Center Health Fest. The center is located at
1107 Highway 395 in Gardnerville, NV.

The Nevada Department of Transportation will begin overnight work to apply a top sealant coating to U.S. 395 between south Carson City and Gardnerville.

The Zephyr Fire Crew no longer has to call the old landfill on Upper Kingsbury Grade's Logging Road Lane as their home. The Tahoe Douglas Fire Department's wildland fire/fuels reduction team was officially welcomed into new digs with an open house this week. The Tahoe Chamber was on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony, but it wasn't any normal ribbon. Zephyr Fire crew members cut through a wooden ribbon with a chainsaw.

Join Zawadisha and influential women from around the Tahoe/Truckee/Reno region on October 2 as they cultivate self-reliance, creativity, and collaboration to catalyze intentional change.

This full-day event overlooking Lake Tahoe will provide you with the tools and inspiration to create vibrant and resilient communities on a personal, local, and global level. Through authentic dialogue and meaningful interaction with women who have forged their own paths of change, you will leave with an expanded sense of possibility.

With the passing of the 4th of July we find ourselves right in the middle of summer here in the Tahoe Basin. Locals and visitors alike recreating in many different ways, from camping to mountain biking, to boating, Lake Tahoe has something for everyone. This summer and particularly this summer due to continued drought conditions, it is important to remember just how fragile the Tahoe Basin is, and that there is a persistent threat of wildfire. Everyone needs to take steps to ensure they are being fire smart in everything they do. Doing the right thing, the wrong way can start a wildfire.

"I have no problem doing it again," said NFL linebacker A.J. Hawk. "I need to find a way to make it better."

Are you a youth in South Lake Tahoe that needs a bike this summer? The South Lake Tahoe Police Activities League (PAL) is working in cooperation with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department to provide bicycles for local youth to use this summer.

There are a few requirements to be eligible:

- Youth must have shown increased effort with their academics and school attendance
- Write an essay why they need a bike for the summer
- Agree to use a helmet
- Maintain the bike
- Use a bike lock
- Sign a PAL Pledge committing to staying drug-free

It may seem like lyrics from the Five Man Electrical Band: Sign, sign, everywhere a sign; Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind' Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Everyone wants to enjoy the South Lake Tahoe area on the 4th of July holiday weekend. In order to keep everyone safe there are rules and regulations in place to do so.

1. Portable Charcoal Grills Prohibited on All Forest Service Beaches. You can use the limited number of Forest Service provided grills.
2. Campfires are not permitted on National Forest beaches or in the general forest.

After years of planing and months of public input, the new Airport Master Plan for South Lake Tahoe was presented to the community on Tuesday. About a dozen people attended to see and hear what the final plan might look like.

Since buying the Tahoe Valley Airport from El Dorado County in 1983 for $1, the City of South Lake Tahoe has been supporting its operation which at one time saw almost 300,000 people a year pass through.

The Fourth of July is one of America’s favorite holidays. And why not? Families and friends gather to celebrate our country with food, parades, parties, picnics and fireworks.