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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Multiple new fires, mostly from last week’s lightning, are causing a drastic decrease in air quality at Lake Tahoe and throughout the state. Another inversion is expected to set up overnight Thursday, and visibility may be impaired due to smoky conditions.

The air quality in all area communities has been around the unhealthy to very unhealthy range for the past two days. As of 3:45 p.m. Thursday, the Air Quality Index in South Lake Tahoe was 195.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A South Lake Tahoe man was arrested Tuesday, August 18 after hitting a woman on a Lime scooter with his car and leaving the scene.

Early Tuesday afternoon the woman, who is also from South Lake Tahoe, was near the intersection of Johnson Boulevard and Fairway Driver on the scooter when she was allegedly struck by a vehicle. The driver left the scene.

Officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) started searching

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A large group of car enthusiasts on top of an already busy summer weekend created a hectic weekend for South Lake Tahoe area law enforcement.

Dubbed #Lake2o, a social media-organized group of about 300-400 modified car owners converged on the town starting Thursday and went through Monday morning, taking over parking lots, parking garages and filling city streets.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - As most in the South Lake Tahoe and Meyers area already know, getting out of town over US50 and Echo Summit on Sundays and holidays can be slow moving during summer, but during the winter it can be a miserable time both for visitors and locals.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The 18th annual South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge Kids’ Fishing Derby has been canceled due to the pandemic. The Lodge has sponsored the tournament at Lake Baron inside Tahoe Paradise Park for 17 years and said they feel it important to follow state and county guidelines to avoid group gatherings and the safety and protection of children is paramount.

The Lodge had been planning on having the Optimists Club as co-sponsors this September after the Optimists had to cancel their fishing derby at Sawmill Pond earlier this summer.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD) is inviting the community to attend a virtual field tour for the Johnson Meadow Restoration Project on August 18 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

TRCD acquired the Johnson Meadow property in 2018. The 206-acre meadow, located along Upper Truckee River in the heart of South Lake Tahoe, provides valuable habitat and ecosystem services as well as community open space for all the residents and visitors of South Lake Tahoe.

UPDATE 8/11/20: A 28-year-old man from Napa, California has been identified as the person who died in a tragic boat incident off shore from South Lake Tahoe on Monday. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) Marine unit responded along with South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Coast Guard.

When the call came in around 3:40 p.m., two men were in the water and a third was inside a rental boat. One of the men, David Castorena, had a major injury to his leg and he as not wearing a personal floatation device, or PFD.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A new town hall series from the City of South Lake Tahoe will launch this September. The series, called “Community Conversations,” will be a quarterly discussion and a chance for a real dialogue about topics the community cares about.

“It’s an opportunity for the City to highlight issues and projects we’re working on and gives people a chance to ask questions directly to City leadership,” said City Manager Joe Irvin. “The more we are all able to have a healthy discussion, the easier it will be to move South Lake Tahoe forward.”

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Work is underway on the Upper Truckee Marsh to restore and enhance over 250 acres floodplain by returning river flows to the center of the marsh. This will enrich native fish and bird habitat and act as a natural pollution filter that will improve water quality before it reaches Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - New South Lake Tahoe Police Chief David Stevenson was sworn in during a ceremony on Monday, receiving his official badge from his wife Jennifer in front of his mother and sister. The virtual ceremony had just a few attendees due to COVID-19 restrictions, but many were able to log onto their phones and computers and watch the 25-year veteran of the force, and South Tahoe High graduate, move into the top spot in the police department.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue recently held ceremonies for the hiring of three new firefighter/paramedics and the promotion of three to the rank of captain. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, ceremonies were small and held at the fire station during their shifts.

Captain/Paramedic Mike Taormina

People around the country are receiving mysterious seed packets in the mail from China. While the shipping package may be mislabeled as jewelry or other merchandise, the contents are instead unlabeled seeds.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has become aware of a number of reports regarding these seeds.

Some have been mailed to homes in El Dorado County.

El Dorado County Department of Agriculture officials are instructing residents not to open, plant, or dispose of any unsolicited seed packets received, but to contact their office.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Johnson Meadow was once used as a post-Gold Rush dairy farm, became a place for summer cattle grazing, and is now being restored as part of the Upper Truckee River watershed. The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD) purchased the Johnson Meadow in 2018, a critical step in restoring the river's watershed that contains significant wildlife habitat, including river, riparian, meadow, and upland habitat areas.

To help stop the spread of the coronavirus, California Governor Gavin Newsom has added more counties to his "watch list," those showing concerning trends in rates of COVID-19. This list now numbers 37 which makes up 93 percent of the state's population. There are 58 counties in the state.

New on that list are Mono County (home to Mammoth Mountain) and Santa Cruz County, a popular tourist destination. North Lake Tahoe is in Placer County which was added to the list earlier this month.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe has selected a long-time local and South Tahoe High graduate to head its police department.

The selection of David Stevenson as police chief was announced Monday.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The following is a list of the long term and short term projects the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has scheduled for the week around Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra and El Dorado County.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - School districts across the country are working on how to safely open for the fall term. Some are going completely digital, some are electing to have in-person classes, and other are considering a hybrid of both types of learning. Besides guidelines from states, districts have to consider further guidelines from local health officials as they create a plan.

The El Dorado County Opioid Coalition (EDCOC) has launched its new opioid prevention public education campaign, "Your Pain is Real. So Are the Risks.”

The EDCOC works to prevent opioid addiction and overdose in El Dorado County through its treatment, safe prescribing, and naloxone distribution programs and has now started working with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Almost 200 people showed up Saturday to display their support of South Lake Tahoe law enforcement during a rally on a national day to "Bridge the Blue."

The supporters gathered at the entrance to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) and South Lake Tahoe Police buildings before many of them joined a walk down Johnson Boulevard to US50 over to Lakeview Commons and down Al Tahoe, then back to the beginning.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is working on area highways. The following is their current project list at Lake Tahoe and in the Sierra.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - School Resource Officers, or SROs, have been a recent topic of conversations in the community with some residents questioning the need for an armed officer on South Lake Tahoe campuses.

The word "resource" gives one an insight into their position - a resource for the students, and not only at school. A resource for the parents. A resource for the school district. A resource for the school.

And the job doesn't end there.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The following is a list of calls the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to the week of June 28 - July 4, 2020. Location Checks are when officers search an area at a certain address. Transient/Homeless arrests/citations and calls are those normally categorized in other columns (Drunk in Public, Trespassing, etc) but stats are collected separately. COVID calls are related to state and county guidelines.

6/28

ARRESTS (5)
1:24 a.m. - DUI Herbert Av & Warr Rd
1:51 a.m. - Unlicensed Driver 2300 Block of Lake Tahoe Bl

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A South Lake Tahoe man who was found guilty on four counts of felony child molestation has been sentenced to 26 years in state prison.

A jury found John Robert Garcia, 45, guilty back in December 2019 and he was scheduled to be sentenced in April. Due to social distancing requirements and COVID-19, that was held off until June 26. Judge Dylan Sullivan conducted the sentencing utilizing remote video conferencing.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Tyler Pevenage, a recent graduate of South Tahoe High School, was awarded the “Michael Hoffman Memorial Scholarship” in the amount of $1,000.

This award is sponsored by the California State Firefighters’ Association Northern Division and open to family members of firefighters.

Tyler’s outstanding academic achievement, involvement in high school sports, leadership, and volunteer work in the community earned her this scholarship that is renewable yearly up to $4,000.