story

Neece 'comes out' with compelling story of love, life

Some stories have significance far beyond the pages on which they are written. "Gone Today, Here Tomorrow", a memoir written by Lake Tahoe resident Randall Neece, is one of those. Not only is it...

Raley's and union reach deal to end strike

Raley's and its labor union said Tuesday they have struck a deal to end its strike. Both sides said the agreement means picket lines will be immediately taken down, pending a ratification vote.
The announcement from Raley's came after a marathon negotiating session in San Francisco that went all night and into the morning.
Go here to read the full story.

Success for Calif. Tax Measures May Not Be New Trend

California voters had rejected every statewide tax measure since 2004 until they approved two of them last week. They also said yes to 70 percent of the local tax and bond measures on last week’s ballot. But this may not be the start of a new trend.
The passage of Propositions 30 and 39 snapped a seven-measure winning streak for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. But President Jon Coupal says that doesn't mean the attitudes of California voters are changing when it comes to taxes.

Lake Tahoe ski resorts count on deep pocket investments to pay off

This winter at Lake Tahoe ski resorts marks the latest progression in merger mania. The Vail Corp. now owns Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood, while KSL Capital Partners is investing in acquisitions Squaw and Alpine Meadows. Even independent Sugar Bowl is getting into the act with a recently inked agreement to operate the Royal Gorge Cross Country Resort.

Artist Cathy McClelland featured on Tahoe Culture Collectible Sticker 6

"Acceptance of Transition" by Cathy McClelland, is the selected image featured on the Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture website collectible sticker #6. Cathy’s depiction of a Tahoe bear standing in an aspen grove of cascading leaves is playfully symbolic of our shared acceptance of this magical season of change with our bears and wildlife. The painting speaks to the healing power of Bear, and the peace that comes from acceptance. Only 1,000 of the collectible stickers are available at local shops.

Johnson, Penzel win Douglas County Commission seats

Incumbent County Commissioner Mike Olson was at a Genoa Town Board meeting as the votes were counted on Tuesday night. Not long after the board retired, Olson learned that he'd lost a close race to challenger Barry Penzel, 10,757 to 10,087. Meanwhile, incumbent commissioner Doug Johnson won a third and last term in the election by defeating Planning Commissioner Frank Godecke, 11,609 votes to 9,503.

Minden elementary school students get hands-on education at Barton 


"I hope one-day that I'll be able to use the da Vinci again," said one fourth-grader from Grace Christian Academy in Minden, Nev. One-day he just may. 

Parents and teachers of the 18 little visitors who drove from Minden on Thursday managed to keep third and fourth graders in-line during a two-hour tour at Barton Memorial Hospital. With wide open eyes, the questions soared and the excitement was building just before they made their first stop to the operating room.

KRNV: Feds not pursuing South Lake Tahoe bribery charges

The El Dorado County District Attorney's Office will drop all charges against Gino DiMatteo and let federal authorities take over because there are higher criminal penalties in that legal system, MyNews4.com is reporting. KRNV has received the first copy of the unsealed criminal complaint by the federal government and in that complaint a bribery charge is not mentioned. DiMatteo was originally charged with attempting to bribe South Lake Tahoe City Councilwoman Angela Swanson.

Raley's grocery workers go on strike

Raley's went on strike early today, the first time in its long history, after three days of marathon negotiations failed to produce a new contract.
Leaders of the United Food and Commercial Workers told their members to head to the picket lines at 6 a.m., when most Raley's and Nob Hill Foods stores across Northern California opened. Picketers were out in front of both South Lake Tahoe stores.

Greg Stump: Builder of Aahhhs

A fable, at least according to Webster, is a story "about supernatural or extraordinary persons or incidents; legend." In his latest offering, Greg Stump - that iconoclast of ski filmmaking - probe...

UNR professor rephotographs Lake Tahoe (see how it's changed)

Lake Tahoe, America’s most pristine Alpine Lake, has been the stunning sapphire-blue equivalent of a pin-up girl to snapshot-taking vacationers for decades.
Now, a cache of newly acquired photos of Lake Tahoe made from glass plate negatives that date back to the late-1800s, are being archived for scientific use and for a new book by Peter Goin, a Reno arts professor and photographer.

California mail-in voting surge could delay election results

With as many as half of California voters expected to cast their ballots by mail and several statewide contests narrowing to dead heats, Election Day has the potential to morph into election week.
The number of California voters casting mail-in ballots this year is expected to surpass 2008, when about 42 percent of the 13.7 million ballots cast in the presidential election were sent by mail. By comparison, 25 percent voted by mail in 2000.

More than $350 Million Raised For and Against Ballot Measures

Political contributions for and against California’s 11 ballot measures have totaled more than $350 million. Much of the money is coming from wealthy individuals and outside organizations.
The campaign finance watchdog www.Maplight.org found one family responsible for almost a quarter of the contributions to California's ballot measures.
"What's surprising is that a few individuals or wealthy organizations can control the political debate," said Daniel "G" Newman of the website.

Coroner: Boy froze to death in remote Alpine County area

A 14-year-old Angels Camp boy found dead in a remote mountain area last week apparently succumbed to exposure, the Calaveras County Coroner said Monday.
Taylor Dustin froze to death after he and his uncle, Devin Smith of Douglas Flat, got lost during a hunting trip in Alpine County, officials said.
Smith, 40, survived, but suffered from hypothermia.
Go here for the full story.

Arsonist in 2007 Burning Man event killed in train incident

The man who famously spent two years in a Nevada prison for prematurely setting fire to the Burning Man effigy in 2007 has died, according to news reports.
Paul Addis, a longtime Burner and artist fed up with the way Burning Man was being organized, died after he jumped in front of a moving BART train at Embarcadero station on Saturday night, according to multiple Bay Area news reports. He was 42.

Hiker found at Lake Tahoe after missing for 2 days

Anyone who knows Nathan Spearing would most likely tell you he's the last person they would ever think might need a rescue from a mountain camping trip; after all, he's an avid outdoorsman and guide in Alaska.
However, a solo weekend trip up past Eagle Falls and into the Velma Lakes area near Lake Tahoe, Spearing got stuck when the weather changed and he needed help. When heading out Friday, Spearing told his family that if he didn't return on Tuesday, that meant he was in trouble.

Squaw Valley Opens for One-Day Fundraiser

Skiers and riders got to head down the mountain at Squaw Valley on Thursday. The resort opened for just four hours for a one-day fundraiser that marked the earliest Squaw Valley has opened to the public since it started keeping records in 1960.
At Squaw Valley, it's a bluebird day. And one for the record books.
"Yeah, this is the earliest we've been open to the public since our records dating back to 1960," says Jenny Kendrick, Public Relations manager for Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows.
But then again, this hasn't been a typical October, thanks to this week's storms.

Searchers find man alive, teenager dead after hunters go missing in Alpine County

Search crews on Tuesday found a hunter alive in Alpine County but suffering from severe hypothermia and then three hours later found his teenage nephew dead.
Devin Andrew Smith, 40, of Douglas Flat, Calif., and his nephew, Taylor Brent Dustin, 14, of Angels Camp, Calif., were camping in the Hermit Valley area about 22 miles south of Lake Tahoe and did not return from a deer hunt on Sunday, the Alpine County Sheriff's Office said.

Affleck works both sides of the camera

"Argo," based on a true story, is well-timed to coincide with current events unfolding in the Middle East. The film's opening is a primer in recent Persian history. In 1979, increasing unrest ca...

Effects of Climate Change Seen on Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is one of hundreds of lakes around the world in the midst of a warming trend. The effects of climate change are starting to complicate efforts to maintain the lake’s relatively pristine state, putting Tahoe’s sapphire blue water and its overall ecological health at risk.

Crashed vehicle belonging to missing man found near South Lake Tahoe

A vehicle registered to an Elk Grove man who was reported missing in May was located Friday, along with human remains, down a steep embankment off Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe.
Sgt. Dan Paxton of the California Highway Patrol said the vehicle, a 2001 Honda Civic, was spotted near Johnson Pass Road about 2 p.m by a person walking a dog in an area above the crash site. He said the vehicle was about 100 feet down an embankment on the south side of Highway 50.

Federal appeals court sides with League to Save Lake Tahoe over Sierra Colina project

A Lake Tahoe conservation group has prevailed in its appeal of a court ruling over a major development at the lake.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the League to Save Lake Tahoe on Thursday in an ongoing legal battle against the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency over its approval of the Sierra Colina project on Tahoe’s South Shore.

A tribute to the 34 people killed in U.S. avalanches in 2012

The day before their last day, Johnny Brenan, Chris Rudolph and Jim Jack all went skiing at Stevens Pass, Wash. It was Feb. 18, one of many stormy powder days during a high-snowfall year in the Northwest. More than 12 inches of new snow had fallen overnight. Around 4 p.m., Jim, the head judge of the Freeskiing World Tour, showed up at Stevens' Foggy Goggle bar with a smile so big, you couldn't help but smile back at him.

Don Q's Northern California and Sierra Fishing Report for Oct. 10-17

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Oct. 10-17.

Beaver dams center of scrutiny during Lake Tahoe salmon festival

To Sherry Guzzi, the beaver dam on Taylor Creek was more than a watery jungle of sticks and branches. In that snarl of debris, she saw hope for a species long regarded as non-native in the Sierra but which new research claims has occupied the range for centuries and is key to ecosystem health.
Late last month, her hope was extinguished when the U.S. Forest Service tore down the dam to protect a tourist facility celebrating a non-native species: kokanee salmon.

South Lake Tahoe man arrested in alleged arson

South Lake Tahoe authorities have arrested a man for allegedly setting fire to a structure in South Lake Tahoe.
Around 11:15 Thursday night police and fire crews responded to reports of a structure fire at the trailer park on James Avenue. Several evacutions were made as firefighters worked to put out the fire.

Don Q's Northern California and Sierra fishing report through Oct. 10

Here is this week's fall fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Oct. 4-10.

Anti-tax group sues to end state fire fee, wants refunds

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association announced Thursday that it is suing to end a $150 annual state fire fee imposed on California's rural residents and obtain refunds for those who have already paid.
The group alleges in Sacramento Superior Court that the fee, which the state began collecting in August, amounts to a tax that was illegally approved without the necessary two-thirds majority of lawmakers.

Lake Tahoe-based Red Hut Cafe preps for Reno site

A staple of the South Lake Tahoe breakfast scene will soon give the Reno-Sparks morning market a try.
Red Hut Cafes, which has cooked up its signature made-to-order waffles and other breakfast/lunch dishes since 1959, plans to open at Lakeside Drive and West Moana Lane in Reno in the first week of November.

Now and then

Those interested in the multi-verse theory (positing universes stacked atop one another like sheets of paper), may appreciate the twists in "Looper," a story that tracks outcomes that are ever-c...

One arrested, another hospitalized with third degree burns after hashish drug lab explodes in South Lake Tahoe

At 3:17 pm Wednesday, South Lake Tahoe police and fire personnel responded to the report of a structure fire at the Forest Manor, a multi unit two story apartment complex at 3754 Forest Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. As firefighters began to extinguish flames from unit 1 downstairs, police officers assisted with the evacuation of the entire complex.

Saunders: Schwarzenegger's memoirs - not exactly 'Total Recall'

Arnold Schwarzenegger comes across a lot better in his memoirs, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story," than he did during a "60 Minutes" TV interview broadcast Sunday night.His book chron...

Letter to the editor: There's more to the story about hounding being outlawed

The Tribune's report regarding Governor Brown signing Senate bill 1221 banning the use of dogs in hunting of bears and bobcats fell short in two critical areas.The report quoted both a hunter and C...

Lake Tahoe problem bears this year have been 'mixed bag'

Biologists anticipating serious problems with black bears raiding garbage and breaking into homes due to lack of food because of drought say the situation has been slow to develop at Lake Tahoe and along the Sierra front but that activity is now picking up in some areas.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife has received about 120 bear complaints thus far in 2012, according to bear biologist Carl Lackey.
While the year is shaping up to be a bit busier than 2011, it’s nothing compared to what Lackey originally expected in the wake of a remarkably dry winter.

Tough Mudder events take fitness to extremes

As Natalie Mar staggered up the steep switchbacks last weekend near Lake Tahoe, she wasn't certain she'd make it.
She had just scaled a 12-foot wall, dived into a bath of icy water and slithered through mud while ducking barbed wires that dangled 8 inches overhead. And now she was running an 11-mile trail with a 1,500-foot elevation change.
"I'm going to die," Mar, 24, thought.
But she didn't, and she cleared the switchbacks. Her reward: to belly-crawl under live wires.

Signups taking place for grief support group

Everyone needs a witness or someone to hear their story of loss and the feelings that accompany that experience. Someone who understands and can provide presence and guidance as one navigates the l...

Signups taking place for grief support group

Everyone needs a witness or someone to hear their story of loss and the feelings that accompany that experience. Someone who understands and can provide presence and guidance as one navigates the l...

'Go Ask Alice...'

It isn't surprising to find the latest (fifth) "Resident Evil" installment short on story, but it's disappointing to discover that it fails to construct the inventive aspects creating the nail-b...

Letter to the editor: Water taxi is a great opportunity at the lake

Recently I read a story in the Sacramento Bee about the new Water Taxi operating on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. So, I checked it out and went for a ride on Aug. 28, my birthday. What a wonderful...

Biliteracy at Bijou

Signs and announcements written in Spanish line the halls in the Bijou Community School. A third-grade class down the hall learns the story of Mulan, all in Spanish, while one of the kindergarte...

Story about dad wins 2 tickets to Giants game

Looking beyond gambling, South Lake Tahoe weighs its future

On the eastern edge of South Lake Tahoe, across the street from the high-rise casinos in Nevada, sits the foundation of what was meant to be a $400 million convention center, hotel and retail complex.
That was before developers ran out of money nearly five years ago. Today, the 11- acre site along Highway 50 is a concrete wasteland locals call "the hole in the ground."
"They just abandoned it," said Ulysses Juarez, 23, one of a group of young skateboarders who climbed the chain-link fence earlier this month to practice their moves.

South Lake Tahoe celebrates big fish during Kokanee Salmon Festival at Taylor Creek

Event Date: 
October 7, 2012 (All day)

Celebrate the annual fall migration of the Kokanee salmon of Lake Tahoe at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. Join the fun and participate in this free family event which has become one of the most fascinating educational and wildlife viewing events in Northern California.
The festival encourages participation by children and their parents in a wide variety of educational and entertaining activities including:

Fundraiser for Jennifer Leonard family on Sept. 22 at Lake Tahoe Airport

Event Date: 
September 22, 2012 - 12:00pm

There will be a fundraiser for the Leonard family this Saturday, Sept. 22, from noon to 3 pm at the Flight Deck restaurant at Lake Tahoe Airport, South Lake Tahoe. Requested donation is $10. There will be drawings and a silent auction.
All proceeds will go to the family to help them meet expenses.

A wallop of words

A ponderous drama, "The Words" wraps a story within a story, and then another story within that, folding yet a fourth story into the third.Are you confused? Sadly, this mediocre effort squanders...

Tahoe Mountain News publisher Taylor Flynn describes painful search for missing mother Deanna Brooks

Editor's Note: The story below is about my friend and colleague Taylor Flynn's search for his missing mother Deanna Brooks. Taylor wrote about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the long and painful searches for her in the September issue of the Tahoe Mountain News. Go here for his column. The Flynn family wishes to express their gratitude to the South Lake Tahoe community for the outpouring of prayers, thoughts and support. A Facebook page has been established as part of the search, www.facebook.com/find.deanna
On a personal level, it has been painful to see my friend Taylor going through this very difficult time with his family. It serves as a reminder about the importance for family members and friends to check in with one another often as they travel and to provide travel plans including departure and expected arrival times as well as the highways and roadways to be taken. A brief phone call or text message while filling up the gas tank or stopping for a break is always a safe practice when driving long distances. The same can be applied to those going on backcountry trips where an itinerary to family and friends — including departure and expected arrival — should be considered mandatory for hikers and campers. — Jeff Munson

SANTA CRUZ - After three weeks of searches on the sides of Highway 101 and surrounding roads in five counties, Taylor Flynn has not given up hope of finding his mother.
Flynn, the 49-year-old publisher of the Tahoe Mountain News in South Lake Tahoe, was one of the last people to see 70-year-old Deanna Brooks before her disappearance Aug. 24.

Snowboard and skateboard pioneer Tom Sims dies

Tom Sims, pioneering skateboarder and snowboarder, died from cardiac arrest Wednesday night at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, near his home in California, according to a statement released by Sims Snowboards on Thursday.

Former South Lake Tahoe pot club owner out of jail after arrest

The former pot club owner who prosecutors say bribed a South Lake Tahoe City Councilmember is now getting out of jail - 12 days after his arrest. A judge gave Gino DiMatteo clearance Wednesday to post $100,000 after proof was presented the money will not come from illegal activities.
Prosecutors were also supposed to publicly present basic evidence for the first time Wednesday on the charges against DiMatteo, but the defense team asked that portion of the hearing be pushed back so they have more time to prepare an argument.

Don Q's fishing report for week of Sept. 12-19

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Sept. 12-19.

High winds delay Tahoe Queen in Carnelian Bay

A Lake Tahoe cruise ship, the Tahoe Queen, was waiting for whipping winds to subside when it appeared grounded Sunday in Carnelian Bay, Placer County Sheriff’s dispatch and the local boat marina said. Go here for the story from the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Meanwhile, Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded shortly before 4 p.m. to a capsized sailboat about 300 yards off of Cave Rock boat landing. The owner of the vessel reports that everyone is off the boat and accounted for.

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