employees

New figures show mass layoffs last year in California were the lowest in four-years. California employers took 4,378 "mass layoff actions" last year, meaning layoffs involving at least 50 workers.
"In terms of the last couple of years it's actually down which is a good sign," said Todd Johnson, an economist with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics which released the data. California posted the lowest number of mass layoff actions since 2007. Those actions resulted in 377,413 people losing their jobs.

The worst possible outcome for Mammoth Lakes has come true. The town filed decided to declare municipal bankruptcy Monday morning, July 2. The Town Council took the action unanimously.
"It's wish this hadn't happened," said Mayor Matthew Lehman, "but it's not the way the cards fell for us."
The town immediately issued a press release regarding the Town council decision.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has restructured, reorganized and rejuvenated the Reserve Deputy Program. After being in existence for over 20 years, the Reserve Deputy Sheriff program was dwindling. At Sheriff D’Agostini’s direction the program has more than doubled in size and continues to grow.

Loop road poop road, you do realize that the state is going to do what they want, how they want and when they want with concerns to the Loop road. This is probably the best chance we have to get out of our financial obligation with regards to pensions, healthcare, unsound financial decisions, raising taxes, giving away the keys to the city to every con artist around and quite possibly the clap.

The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce opposes the increase in taxes for business owners.
Measure B proposes assessing greater fees based on the number of employees and gross receipts without the perspective of costs. To tax on gross without allowances for costs is not a “fair tax.”

A group of South Tahoe High School students joined Edgewood employees, conservation experts and officials on May 19 to plant new nursery grown stems of the threatened plant, Tahoe yellow cress on the beach at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Edgewood Companies is participating in a volunteer program called the Tahoe Yellow Cress Stewardship Program and has been assisting with inventory surveys as far back as 1979.

Saddle up for Western Days on Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Complex barbecue area. Sponsored by K-Tahoe and Golden Bear Events, the Western Days will feature a barbecue, music, games cowboy poetry and vendors.

MINDEN, Nev. - The ongoing budget crisis in the Douglas County School District has come crashing down on school employees and a host of programs.At the beginning of May, the district office notifie...

Carson City, Nev. - This time of year is a perfect occasion to Be a Force of Nature and the Nevada Division of Emergency Management is proud to be promoting severe weather preparedness week. To help spread the word and make its employees and members of the community better prepared, the Nevada Division of Emergency Management is committed to being a leader for weather-readiness by knowing the risk, taking action and being an example.

CARSON CITY – A little-known benefit of Nevada’s public employee pension plan is the right to purchase up to five years of service towards retirement.
Referred to by some as “air time,” or the ability to add years of retirement without actually putting in the time in a public sector job, the benefit can allow state and local government workers to retire early, collecting annual pensions years before they would be eligible otherwise.

Nevada’s polices of low taxes and small government ranked it 18th among states in its ability to compete and grow its economy, according to a report released today by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Imagine a place at Lake Tahoe where local bands can go to play, with quality sound and lighting — and live performances streamed across the Internet to be potentially heard around the world.
That vision could become a reality this year under a new partnership between Coyote Grill owner Leland Faegre and South Lake Tahoe-based KTHO radio.

Mount Tallac High School staff and students would like to thank Mike Allen, Vail Resorts and all the incredible employees of Heavenly Ski Resort for a great day of riding and skiing. As part of a g...

MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa in Stateline, Nev., Lake Tahoe announced today that Jef Bauer, General Manager, resigned effective immediately.
Bauer served as general manager since October 2010, according to a news release. A reason for his departure was not given.

Heavenly Mountain Resort at South Shore Lake Tahoe is officially the world’s most popular ski and snowboard resort on Facebook.

CARSON CITY – A national nonprofit organization seeking fundamental reforms to state budgeting today sent a letter to the nation’s governors urging them to follow General Motors’ lead and freeze defined benefit pensions for all public employees.

(Editor's note: The following ran in the January issue of the Tahoe Mountain News. The second part of the series that examines public agency salaries for managers is in the February issue, on newsstands now.)

Here are the latest salaries and benefits available for the South Lake Tahoe Public Utilities Commission, the South Lake Tahoe City Council, El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, the Douglas County (Nevada) Board of County Commissioners, the Lake Tahoe Unified School District board and the board of the Douglas County School District.

Teams of super heroes, penguins, pirates and other characters jumped into Lake Tahoe last winter, and on March 17, they’ll do it again. You’re invited to join them as Special Olympics Northern California and Nevada co-host Polar Plunge® 2012 at Zephyr Cove, South Lake Tahoe. The event is open to all and will include entertainment, a costume contest, and prizes, as well as Special Olympics athletes, coaches, and volunteers who will share their experiences with the organization’s inspiring programs.

After three nationwide searches Douglas County Manager Steve Mokrohisky found the person he wanted for the top finance job right in his own back yard. The pick was Christine Vuletich, the City of South Lake Tahoe's director of finance.
Vuletich has resigned to take the position in Douglas County offered to her this week by Mokrohisky, where she will serve as the assistant county manager/chief financial officer.

Update 2PM: The Following is from South Lake Tahoe Police Department Lt. David Stevenson regarding the Wells Fargo bank robbery that happened late this morning.

Frontline employee appreciation day includes all retail and hospitality employees in the Lake Tahoe area. Each employee must show a recent paycheck stub and valid driver’s license at the Season Pass Office in the Village Plaza to receive a free ticket. Frontline employee appreciation days are the last Wednesday of every month.
For more information, see kirkwood.com

View Washoe Drive Fire (1/19/2012) in a larger map

UPDATE 10PM: Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said tonight the Washoe Drive Fire has consumed and estimated 3,700 acres, burned at least 20 structures and has resulted in one fatality.
Hernandez would not go into details of how the person died. He said the 250+ firefighters on the scene have stopped the forward progress of the fire. He said the fire started in the East Lake area, and then followed the Highway 395 corridor north, where it was stopped just south of Galena High School.
Highway 395 will be closed until further notice due to damage to debris and damage to guard rails, power poles and other item near the roadway. Gov. Brian Sandoval told state workers who commute by this route to stay home Friday. Evacuations have been lifted for the Galena area. About 2,000 people are still unable to go back to their homes tonight.
Hernandez said firefighters saved more than 800 homes that were in the path of this destructive fire.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
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UPDATE 9PM: Reno Fire officials report forward progress on Washoe Drive fire has stopped. Fire behavior is moderating due to diminishing winds, lowering termperatures and increasing humidity/moisture moving over the Sierra Nevada/Carson Range. Fire burns more than 3,000 acres with zero containment; 10,000 evacuated; no count on home and structure losses.

U.S. Highway-395 remains closed between 1.8 miles north of Carson City to the Junction of SR 341/431 (Mt. Rose Junction) in south Reno. U.S. Highway 395 could remained closed on Friday (1/20) through the morning commute - make alternate plans.
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At 4:40 pm Thursday, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, under his constitutional and statutory authority, made a state declaration of emergency which qualifies local governments for federal assistance associated with this event. The National Guard is on standby at the request of Sandoval and Washoe County. California has also provided fire assistance as part of a Governor to Governor agreement with Jerry Brown.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire,” Sandoval said. “Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety have also engaged with local responders.”
Additionally, Nevada has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75 percent funding assistance for eligible costs. The request was made by the Nevada Division of Forestry on behalf of Washoe County at the onset of the fire.

More below the fold.

Here is the fishing report through Jan. 17 for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, the Sierra and Southern Oregon.

As we enjoy the holiday season, we'd like to address an important issue for all of us at Lake Tahoe: slope safety. The safety of our guests and employees is our highest priority and for years we...