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In the United States, 31% of all traffic fatalities involve drunk driving which means 10,322 people are killed by drunk drivers annually, with 802 of those in California alone.

With holiday parties and festive occasions, more people will be drinking that during a normal week.

Page & Sage has been serving students in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District for three years, giving children in need a backpack of food and a book to take home over the weekends when they don't receive free lunches and breakfasts at school.

When Liberty Utilities in South Lake Tahoe found out about the program they began a food and donation drive in order to help fill the program's shelves. They gathered boxes and cans of food and almost $300 in cash.

Whole the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel is undergoing $8 million dollars in renovations, the leadership of the hotel formerly known as "Embassy Suites" is also undergoing renovations.

The resort just celebrated a year of independence in April 2014 and is putting into place a management structure that throws away the corporate mold, and invests in the resort’s front line -- its staff.

In case you haven't been inside the former Embassy Suites in South Lake Tahoe lately, it sounds like it might be time to do so.

The Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel just finished $5M in renovations and has started the next phase, a $3M project that will add alpine mountain ambiance touches to its premium and balcony suites, lobby, banquet rooms and pool area.

If you could take Muddy Waters, the Beatles, Tina Turner. David Bowie and Tom Petty, throw in a little Jay Z and mix them all up, you'd come up with a blond 27 year old named ZZ Ward.

After listening to her debut CD, "Til the Casket Drops", I am a new fan. And apparently I am not alone. "The tour has been incredible," Ward told me in a phone interview. "At every venue I'm seeing new fans and it's been a very positive thing to see."

If you own a bar or pub in the Lake Tahoe area that is in need of a makeover, then a new Cooking Channel series is looking for you! The network has created a new makeover series that will feature chef and hospitality consultant Eddie Russell as he changes the way America experiences pub food.

He is on a pilgrimage to enlighten cooks, barkeeps and grillers of the nation's watering holes that they can provide food that is both delicious and sophisticated. He will teach staff they can have fun while being professional and that a watering hole doesn't have to smell!

Tahoe Youth and Family Services is hosting their Annual Evening of Giving on December 11 at the agency's offices at 1021 Fremont Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. Refreshments will be served at the event which is from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

The agency has a wish list oh in-kind donations for the holidays:

Items for clients:

Hand warmers
Warm sleeping bags
Winter boots (adult sizes)
Winter coats (adult sizes)
winter gloves or heavy duty mittens (adult sizes)
knit hats and beanies
Tents (new or gently used)
Men's boxers (adult size small)

A former El Dorado County resident was sentenced Thursday to four years and nine months in prison and ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

Daniel Chartraw, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr., after he pled guilty to wire fraud on Jan. 24, 2013. Many victims submitted letters discussing the impact of Chartraw’s fraud on their finances and their families, according to a news release.

Former City of Angels 2 pot club owner Gennaro "Gino" DiMatteo of South Lake Tahoe was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller.

DiMatteo had pled guilty to a felony for marijuana trafficking on Jan. 9. As part of his plea agreement, DiMatteo agreed to forfeit more than $40,000 to the United States.

A former El Dorado County man pled guilty Thursday to wire fraud in connection with a multimillion dollar investment fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner said in a news statement.

According to court documents, between January 1, 2007 and November 31, 2011, Daniel Chartraw, 39, formerly of El Dorado County, defrauded numerous investors by falsely representing investments in mines, mining and refinery equipment, oil commodities, precious metals concentrate, and multimillion dollar certificates of deposit.

Last Thursday, Elaine and I spent an enjoyable morning (as usual) fishing for Mackinaw (Lake) Trout at Lake Tahoe with our longtime friend and sport fishing guide, Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters at South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

"Gino" has fished Tahoe for some 30 years and is one of the top, if not the top, fishing guides at that lake.
Sigh, and as usual on that day, Man's Favorite Sport belonged to Elaine for the fourth straight year!

Kirkwood Mountain Resort opened its 40th anniversary season when the lifts began turning at 9 a.m. Friday, five days earlier than its originally-scheduled opening day. Kirkwood opened with one chairlift and five trails, accessing 40 total acres.
“The last two storms that have rolled through the Sierra have dropped a combined four feet of snow at Kirkwood, allowing us to open early for all our passionate skiers and riders,” said Casey Blann, general manager of Kirkwood. “This will be a great start to the 40th anniversary season at Kirkwood, and the first with Vail Resorts.”

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 May 16-22, 2012.

By Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee. A second Olympic Valley BASE jumper has found himself behind bars after a nighttime attempt off Placer County's Foresthill ...www.laketahoenews.net/.../north-shore-...

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Despite ongoing volatility in Nevada’s gaming industry, strong consumer buying is helping to keep the state’s tax revenues on an even keel four months into the new two-year budget, state officials say.

A man wanted in Canada on child molestation charges was arrested today in South Lake Tahoe. James William Robertson, 71, has been living at Lakeland Village for the past year. Officers could not pick ...

By Don Quilici
With winter weather creeping around the corner, and with many California waters scheduled to close for the year on Nov. 15, this is my annual reminder for those fishermen who plan to hang it up for the year after a few more fall casts.
Many of you prefer not to fish during the winter months or have absolutely no interest in ice fishing, so this article is specifically written for you. (Hmmm, come to think of it, this article is also worth reading by those of you who plan to continue fishing until the weather warms back up, again).

RENO, Nev. - Nevada's smoking laws have not hurt business at restaurants and bars, according to a study by an advocacy group that was released as lawmakers debate a bill that would water down the r...

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Tavern owners Monday asked lawmakers to loosen the voter approved anti-smoking law to permit both food and smoking in their establishments.Lobbyist Sean Higgins said when that l...