threat

During the 2014 Kokanee Salmon run at the U.S. Forest Service's Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe, many visitors attempted to get a "selfie" with the bears who frequent the area in search of Salmon. This disregard for both the bear's safety as well as the public's prompted USFS officials to issue warnings and threat to close the area.

9:00 a.m. update 9/18: The Owens River Fire burning east of Highway 395 and north of Owens River Road in Mono County has exploded to an estimated 4,500 acres. Even with the growth, firefighter were able to get it 10% contained.

Named the Owens River Fire, it is burning in sagebrush and Jeffrey pine.

Smartphones and invasive species don't normally go together, but this summer in Lake Tahoe, one was used to help keep the other out.

In a new partnership with other agencies around the West, the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program receives real-time updates from other land managers about vessels traveling to Lake Tahoe from waters with a high risk of containing invasive species.

By sharing the data, Tahoe's watercraft inspectors are alerted before the suspect boats show up.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

7/31

1:15 a.m. - Vacation Rental Issue - Gentian Circle - VACATION RENTAL VIOLATION

6:45 p.m. - Runaway - South Lake Tahoe - 16-YEAR-OLD MALE RAN AWAY

8/1

If you like heat, then you're sure to love the weather in South Lake Tahoe Thursday and Friday when records are expected to drop from Reno to Mammoth. South Lake Tahoe is forecast to hit 91 degrees both days, beating records previously set in 2009.

The National Weather Service in Reno is also telling people in all areas of the Sierra and western Nevada, except for the Lake Tahoe basin, to expect very isolated areas of thunderstorms with an increased threat of lightning fires.

Fallen Leaf Campground will be closed starting Monday, June 27 so county and state public health and vector control officials can start pesticide treatments to minimize the risk of plague.

The treatments are a public safety precaution after tests on 15 rodents resulted in one positive case of plague on June 20, 2016. There is minimal risk to the public at this time.

The campground will close at 7:00 p.m. Monday but all campers will need to check out by noon. The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit expects it to reopen by Friday, July 1 in time for the holiday weekend.

A flea from a Yellow pine chipmunk in the Tahoe area has tested positive for plague according to El Dorado County health officials. The flea was sampled from one of three rodents trapped in the Fallen Leaf Campground area during routine plague surveillance May 18, 2016.

Several local agencies have teamed together to inform the public on the importance of proper food storage and trash disposal at their Lake Tahoe homes and vacation rentals.

In a representative democracy, the system the United States supposedly has, the policy making is controlled by the representatives elected by the people. The idea behind representative democracy is that people will elect representatives that will serve their best interest. However, in the United States the funding for election campaigns is provided by large corporations, banks, and a handful of wealthy individuals that results in the election of representatives who serve the best interests of the large corporations, banks, and wealthy individuals.

An 18-year-old South Tahoe High School student was arrested on campus Friday for bringing a knife to school.

"There was no immediate threat to our students thanks to vigilance of school personnel," said STHS Principal Chad Houck.

The student was booked into El Dorado County Jail on a felony charge of bringing a weapon to school. He has since been released. His bail had been set at $10,000 but it is unknown what he posted.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is concerned about a growing trend with the use of social media by youth, and has shared a warning from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Human Trafficking Bureau on dangers of “sexting” and the potential of pedophiles coercing children into unsafe acts.

10 Things Parents Can Do About the Dangers of “Sexting”

1. Talk with your child about the potential dangers of Internet activities. Tell them you have a responsibility to monitor their Internet use and will check their accounts periodically.

On Friday, February 26, 2016, administrators at South Tahoe High School received a tip that there was a potential threat to the students at the school during their lunch break.

South Lake Tahoe Police Officers responded to the school and conducted an investigation. Many parents were concerned after receiving messages from their children and seeing the extra law enforcement on campus.

"We have interviewed students and spoken with the one behind the situation," said SLTPD Lt. Brian Williams.

The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2015, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Wednesday.

The legislation, created alongside senators Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Harry Reid, D-Nevada and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., provides federal, state, and local partners important tools to reduce wildfire threats, improve water clarity, jumpstart innovative infrastructure projects, and combat invasive species.

Pipe Keepers is a citizen science program to address the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe. Runoff from rain storms and snowmelt is the largest source of pollution that degrades Lake clarity. League staff will train you to survey local neighborhoods and collect stormwater samples during rain and snowmelt events.

A federal grand jury returned a 70-count indictment today against eight men, charging them with various firearms offenses involving manufacturing and dealing firearms without a license, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner and ATF Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder announced.

September 11 evokes a different meaning to South Lake Tahoe resident Christine O’Farrell. In 2002, on the one-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Christine was on the operating table at Barton Memorial Hospital facing a new threat: cancer.

Christine had been diagnosed with an aggressive case of breast cancer. At the time, she was 42 years old and working at Barton’s Home Health and Hospice for quality assurance and infection prevention. Her three children were 14, 12, and 9.

10 p.m. update 9/29/15:

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office has arrested a 23-year-old Orangevale, CA man in connection with threats made at several El Dorado County preschools and day care centers over the past few days. Many of the schools closed temporarily in response to the threats to staff and children.

Michael McDermort was booked into El Dorado County Jail for charges related to terrorizing threats. As of Tuesday night he was still in jail on a bail hold of $51,500.

12 p.m. update 9/2/15:

Douglas County Sheriff’s investigators have released the name of the deceased woman found in a home at 1471 Edlesborough Circle in Gardnerville, NV.

She has been identified as 82-year-old Phyllis Lewis.

The man who barricaded himself inside his residence where his wife was found is William Lewis, 86. He is currently being treated at a local hospital for unspecified medical issues.

An autopsy will be completed on Phyllis to determine the cause death. William Lewis has been named a person of interest in his wife's death.

A problem-causing black bear that wildlife officials said was becoming increasingly dangerous was killed Tuesday in Incline Village.

The bear, a 9-year-old, 450-pound male, was captured Monday night or early Tuesday morning, tranquilized and subsequently euthanized with drugs, said Chris Healy, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The bear was determined to be the same one that had been raiding trash, breaking into cars and knocking over fences in the area and was killed as a threat to public safety, Healy said.

The underwater scenes could be straight out of "Creature of the Black Lagoon." Long feathery tendrils of green plants, growing at alarming rates in the Tahoe Keys and attracting fish not before known in the crystal blue waters of the lake.

The plant described here is better known as the Eurasian Watermilfoil. It is joined by another nuisance non-native plant, the curlyleaf pondweed, in creating problems in the waters of the Tahoe Keys.

The six Douglas County Sheriff's deputies involved in Thursday's shooting of an armed man have been identified.

The group has a total of 69 years of experience in law enforcement. They are (with rank and years of service):

Sergeant Dan Coverley, 18 years; Sergeant Dave Stanley, 13 years; Investigator Jon Storke, 13 years; Deputy Jeff Johnsen, 10 years; Deputy Matt Saylo, 9 years; and Deputy Justin Williams, 6 years.

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.

This week, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency voiced its strong support for legislation to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act that has been introduced in Congress by Tahoe’s Senate delegation.

Sponsored by U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-Nevada) along with Harry Reid (D-Nevada), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and Barbara Boxer (D-California), the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act would authorize up to $415 million in federal funding over 10 years to help continue critical environmental restoration work at Lake Tahoe.

Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are expected through the 4th of July holiday weekend for the Sierra and western Nevada. Heavy rain with localized flash flooding will be possible in some areas of the Sierra and surrounding valleys.

The National Weather Service in Reno has said to expect abundant lightning, small hail, erratic wind gusts up to 50 mph, and rapid drops in temperatures. Temperatures can quickly drop by 30 to 40 degrees under thunderstorms in combination with very heavy rain, which poses a hypothermia threat to those outdoors.