camino

The following is a list of Caltrans projects at Lake Tahoe for the week.

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

State Route 193 (El Dorado County): Motorists can expect signalized one-way traffic control about 1 mile north of the junction with State Route 49 in Placerville around the clock for slope repair work.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

1:00 p.m. update - The National Weather Service in Reno is updating their forecast as the storm heading to Lake Tahoe Sunday and Monday is trending towards "Big Snow."

On Friday, another round of heavy snow will start just after midnight Friday morning, impacting traffic throughout the day. Reno and the rest of Western Nevada will be impacted as well with up to several inches of valley floor snow.

Caltrans is hosting a community meeting on Thursday, December 15 to present design alternatives for a U.S. Highway 50 safety project in the Camino area of El Dorado County, a project that will overlap major highway projects on the Lake Tahoe side of the mountain.

The meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Camino Elementary School, 3060 Snows Road, Camino. A project presentation will take place at 5:45 p.m.

There are multiple prescribed fires both in the Eldorado National Forest and around the Lake Tahoe Basin today, but it is one of those that had residents worried and resulted in phone calls into local fire departments and the Forest Service.

This week, 119 acres are being burned by Owens Camp, near Silver Fork and the American River west of South Lake Tahoe, and the winds associated with a front moving into the Lake Tahoe Basin Tuesday resulted in visible smoke that could be seen around the lake.

A man who had been in custody at the El Dorado County Jail in Placerville since November has died.

Correctional officers found Dennis Renk, 39, unresponsive in his cell at 12:24 a.m. Saturday, August 27.

Renk was immediately treated by the officers and jail medical staff, then transferred into the care of El Dorado County Fire Paramedics and transported to Marshall Hospital. He was pronounced deceased by hospital staff at 4:13 p.m.

He had been in custody since November 6, 2015, when he was arrested on charges of homicide after an altercation in Camino, Calif.

Justin Bonderer, who would have recently celebrated his 36th birthday, hasn't been seen since the Camino home he was living in burned on April 7, 2016.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office continues to search for the long time resident of Georgetown, Calif.

Justin moved to Camino with his then girlfriend. Detectives were able to track Justin up through April 7, 2015, where he was last seen in Placerville, possibly on his way to Camino.

It is dark. It is 2:00 a.m. on Friday, July 15 at the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) in Placerville. It is early, but not too early to prevent a group of people to come see Camino resident Hervé Leconte leave on his 65-mile run to the EDSO building in South Lake Tahoe.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work has resumed on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by spring 2017.

The trip is hot and dry. A layer of several feet of dust lined the route, flying around as the wheels of the wagons and hooves of the horses pass over. The road is steep and over granite along the 130 miles from the Carson Valley to Placerville. When not the middle of summer, the road is muddy or buried by snow. A horse could cover the terrain in 24-hours.

The road is Johnson's Cut-off and the year is 1852. It was built by John Calhoun "Cock-eye" Johnson as a way to cut off 50 miles and 2,000 feet in elevation from the common route people took over Donner Summit as they emigrated West.

El Dorado County health officials are warning people to not drink and dispose of any unpasteurized apple juice purchased from High Hill Ranch on or after October 6, 2015 after several cases of E. coli were reported.

High Hill Ranch, located in the community of Camino in El Dorado County, has initiated a voluntary recall of its unpasteurized apple juice following notification from local health officials of suspected contamination with bacteria, likely Escherichia coli (E. coli.).

The Kyburz Fire is burning about 25 miles west of South Lake Tahoe. It has burned both sides of Highway 50 near and around the American River. It started on Highway 50 near Whitehall.

10 a.m. update 7/27/15:

The Sand Flat Campground has reopened as firefighters can almost total control of the fire lines. They now have 98% of the fire contained.

An updated infrared look at the scene has again reduced the amount burned to 75 acres.

They will not be updating the fire command website after Tuesday as they transfer o a forest Type 4 organization.

A glimpse of times gone by will be moving along roads Sunday morning as the 66th Annual Wagon Train ride begins their week long trek from Zephyr Cove, NV to Placerville, CA.

In the early 1850's, pioneers crossed the Sierra Nevada into California, traversing what we now know as Echo Summit and the Highway 50 corridor. This route became known as the "Roaring Road" where travel was so heavy, oftentimes wagon trains were forced to wait for days to have their turn on the road.

Small smoke plumes have been observed in communities as far west as Cool and Auburn as a result of the smoldering King Fire. According to Cal Fire, this is to be expected as the fire continues to burn within the interior. Smoke will settle with the cooler night air and follow canyons and drainages, and will lift and disperse as the day warms. It should be somewhat light smoke, and get progressively lighter over time until the fire runs its course or enough precipitation extinguishes it.

9/28/14 10:00 p.m. update: 4,420 firefighters and support staff are still on the scene of the 97.099 acre King Fire which is now 89% contained.

After 4 days of precipitation with accumulations of 1-3 inches, fire spread has been halted, however heat remains in the heavier fuels and in the heavy duff sheltered from the rain under the dense timber canopy. As the weather turns warm and dry over the next several days, expect to see an increase in fire activity and smoke production; however spread potential is extremely low, doe to the successful suppression efforts.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Department retrieved hundreds of stolen items from a home in Georgetown after investigating a series of burglaries in the towns of Pollock Pines, Camino, Placerville and Georgetown. They arrested three residents of a home after conducting a search of a home following discovery of a stolen car.

Jeri Acuna, a 37 year old woman was arrested for possession of stolen property and a stolen vehicle, Ryann Jana Leidel, a 32 year old female was arrested for two outstanding felony warrants. Parolee Tommie Richard Stover was arrested on two other felony warrants.

South Shore Lake Tahoe businesses and residents who are frustrated with their Internet service — whether it’s slow speeds, spotty service or high prices — now may have a mechanism to do something about it.

Foodies and wine lovers alike are invited to attend the variety of Sample the Sierra festivities during the 3rd annual farm-to-fork festival over Labor Day Weekend. Friday, August 31st kicks off Sample the Sierra with a Winemaker and Chef’s Table dinner at Crystal Basin Bistro in Camino on the Western Slope of the Sierras. Saturday, September 1st hosts a Sip & Shop at Après Wine Company featuring the award winning wines of Synapse “Microwinery” and locally made gifts.

Lake of the Sky Outfitters presents "The Way" starring Martin Sheen. Admission is free, begins at 7 p.m. and there will raffle drawings after the movie where you can win some goodies. Call (530) 541-1027.