federal

If you experienced damage during the recent storms, now is the time to start tracking it and report to the State and Federal Government. The City of Sough Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County and the State of California all declared a State of Emergency in order to pave the way for relief funds to come to the area.

The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) wants families to know that, no matter what their immigration status is, South Lake Tahoe schools are a safe zone and all students are provided access to education.

Community members spoke before LTUSD trustees Tuesday, showing their support for all families and students in the district in light of President Trump's focus on immigrants. They asked the Board to take a strong and public stance against hate and to openly proclaim schools to be safe for all students, no matter their color, religion, nationality or immigration status.

After a series of storms fondly dubbed by South Lake Tahoe locals as "Januburied" and "Snowmaggedon" hit the Lake Tahoe region in January, the water levels in the lake have risen to the highest levels since 2013.

As of January 28, 2017, Lake Tahoe is at an elevation of 6225.08, 2.08 feet above its natural rim of 6,223 feet above sea level. The lake is considered full at the legal limit of 6,229.1 ft, so there is still quite a big of storage left, 482,400 acres of water to be exact.

After California suffered through two weeks of storms, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Monday, paving the way for cities and counties to get reimbursed for storm damage.

The City of South Lake Tahoe declared a state of emergency at their City Council meeting last week and is now going through the community to assess the damage.

In their ongoing battle with aquatic invasive plants in the Tahoe Keys, the area's property owners association has applied for a permit to test herbicides in the lagoon in 2018.

South Lake Tahoe residents in South Lake Tahoe have been receiving calls from people pretending to be from Microsoft, and the SLT Police Department wants to alert the public on the scam.

A local senior couple was recently contacted, and the scammers told them they had overpaid Microsoft in the past and Microsoft wanted to refund them the money. The scammer had the victims turn on their computer and give them remote access.

Friday's board meeting of the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) was delayed almost two hours due to ice on the road near near Zephyr Cove, causing it to close, and those weren't the only icy conditions on the South Shore that day.

The other ice could be felt during the meeting as conflict of interest, ethics, integrity, suspicious actions and lack of transparency were the theme of the day.

All three items on the agenda Friday were placed there amid a stressed relationship between the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County and Patrick Wright, the Executive Director of the CTC.

The Douglas County road crews cannot work anymore hours over the three-day weekend due to their having reached the maximum number of driving hours allowed due to flooding and snow conditions in the Carson Valley over the last week.

Hours are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The Douglas County staff can resume regular duty on Tuesday January 17, 2017 at 7:00 a.m. If an emergency arises, staff may be called in after 5:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Four years ago this month, TRPA approved the 2012 Regional Plan. The landmark plan charts a course to restore Lake Tahoe’s environment and revitalize our communities and it was forged through Herculean work by California, Nevada, local governments, the public, and dozens of other partners.

Many Tahoe Basin stakeholders once questioned if we could work together, but the Regional Plan ushered in an era of collaboration. Today, the answer is how can we work together more efficiently. By building and strengthening partnerships we have made remarkable progress. This year was no different.

Late Friday night, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the U.S. Senate in passing the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016, which will bring $415 million in future funding to Lake Tahoe over the next seven years. The decision brought cheers from many local agencies, including the League to Save lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a grant agreement at their meeting this week, paving the way for $1 million from Sutter Health to come into the community to help house the chronically homeless.

The county will use the money to purchase housing units for participants in Placer County’s Whole Person Care Pilot program which coordinates physical health, behavioral health and social services for the homeless and others with poor health outcomes. Those in the program will receive rental subsidies and supportive services through the grant funding.

Vail Resorts has called on the United States Congress to approve the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2015. This Act provides $415 million in funding and reauthorizes important Lake Tahoe restoration activities that began in 1997 and refocuses federal, state and local efforts toward reducing wildfire threats, improving water quality and clarity, and combating invasive species. All of these are important to the local economy at one of the most visited lakes in the world.

An individual alleges he was burned while sledding because of a controlled fire conducted by a federal agency that was hidden and left burning.

Gianfranco Rufino filed a complaint on Nov. 16, 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against United States, alleging negligence.

By now, most people have heard: Federal courts upheld the 2012 Regional Plan for Lake Tahoe, affirming the blueprint that maintains development caps and strengthens environmental protections while encouraging community revitalization, redevelopment, and updated infrastructure.

Capturing the most attention these days is the traffic in our small communities from millions of people who drive up to enjoy our lake. And the transportation system is where TRPA is giving more focused attention to benefit Tahoe’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

The community is invited to an Open House at the new Teen Resource Room at South Tahoe High on Wednesday, November 16 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in room C-1 at the school which is located at 1735 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe.

Students use the room to get needed clothing including hats and coats, school supplies and food, as well as bicycles. Counseling services are also offered in the room.

A new federal law goes into effect on December 1 that entitles salaried employees to get overtime pay if they make less than $47,476 per year. To help people understand this change they are holding a lunchtime workshop on Wednesday, November 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Tahoe Mountain Lab.

According to the White House, an estimated 4.2 million white collar workers will become entitled to overtime pay when they work extra hours as a result of the new rule, and wages for workers will increase by $12 billion over the next 10 years.

Many are ready for this election to be over the national level with the negativity surrounding the campaigns. On a local level there are several choices before voters.

If you have not already submitted your ballots, find your polling place here:

California
Nevada

If you live in the South Lake Tahoe City limits, you are able to vote for two of ten candidates for City Council (in alphabetical order):

Brooke Laine
Dan McLaughlin
Jason Collin
JoAnn Conner

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Brooke Laine, 52, Branch Manager, US Bank, Born and raised in SLT

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

According to Tahoe Transportation District at the presentation to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, “‘While the project and its alternatives focus on directing traffic flow around the casino corridor and creating a more walkable and bikeable downtown area, the creation of affordable housing is at the heart of the project,’ said Hasty.”

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today issued a ruling to uphold the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan created by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). After approval of the plan in December 2012, a lawsuit was filed by the Tahoe Area Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore to block implementation of the plan in February 2013.

Nevada is one of the few states that celebrate its Admission Day, and boy do we throw a party. A parade, competitions of strength and facial hair, hot air balloons, bloody marys, a carnival, pow wow, and free chili are just a few of the festivities awaiting the capital city on Saturday.

The party begins Friday this year with a ribbon cutting celebration of the 'new' downtown. The Nevada State Museum hits its 75th Anniversary this year and will have a day full of fun and surprises. Keep reading to see where you need to take advantage of all the best this holiday weekend has to offer.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors have unanimously voted in favor of a resolution opposing the passage of California Proposition 64 which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and over in the state.

I've never met anyone that likes taxes, but we pay them to fund the things we need in our lives: fire protection, law enforcement, education, roads, and services, just to name a few.

In November, Measure U is before the voters of South Lake Tahoe. A "yes" vote will add an extra 1/2 percent to the sales tax on non-food items purchased in the city limits. Currently, the tax is eight percent so the increase works out to be an extra five cents on every ten dollars purchased. It is estimated the tax increase would bring in an extra $2.5 million to the City.

We've all seen the recent NFL player's protest over the treatment of blacks by not standing during the playing of the National Anthem at games. While I don’t agree with their method, it made me think about the way people respect the flag in general.

When growing up I always heard "Don't let the flag touch the ground," "The flag is only outside during daylight hours and not during rain or bad weather," and, as a Girl Scout, I learned how to fold the flag in the correct manner and learned the flag had to be burned if it was mistreated.