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A federal judge Monday dismissed a number of claims made by plaintiffs Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore challenging the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan Update recently approved by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and ordered the them to pay upfront TRPA’s costs associated with assembling the administrative record for the pending litigation.

John Gerald Poland, 44, of South Lake Tahoe, pleaded guilty Wednesday by a federal grand jury for multiple counts of witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, and the State of California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (SLEDNET Task Force). Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

A Fresno man was sentenced Monday to prison on marijuana trafficking and conspiracy charges, in which he had grow operations in El Dorado, Placer and Tehama counties and then he and partners distributed the marijuana throughout the country.
Uriel Ochoa-Espindola, 44, received a sentence of 17.5 years, according to U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner.
Below is a U.S. Justice Department news release:

Out of more than 100 applications from around the country, Corral Trail located in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. was chosen as one of four “flow trails” to be voted on Bell Helmet’s Facebook page.

The other two trail types selected were pump tracks/bike park and downhill. Bell Helmets is offering up to $100,000 in technical assistance grants to fund three new mountain bike projects to be built by International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Trail Solutions through the Bell Built Grant.

A federal judge has upheld a decision preventing proposed development at Homewood Mountain Resort from moving forward until a downsized project gets a closer look.Late last month U.S. District C...

A 26-year-old Placerville man pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner said.

Dylan Hudson was in charge of an interstate marijuana-trafficking conspiracy, according to court documents. More than 1,100 pounds of processed marijuana, more than $329,000 in cash, and eight firearms were seized during the course of the investigation.

U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. sentenced Erika Michele Carlton, 38, of Roseville, to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for theft from an Indian tribal government, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Judge England also ordered her to pay $236,050 in restitution.

This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service and the Placer County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.

Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that an expansion plan for Homewood Mountain Resort on the shores of Lake Tahoe would not be allowed to move forward without further considering a scaled-back alternative with less environmental impact. The Sierra Club, which joined with a local environmental group and Earthjustice to bring the suit against the resort, is calling the decision a victory. But so is Tahoe's regional planning agency, because, it says, at least the judge did not say the environmental review was flawed.

It took the judge in the MV Transportation-STATA court case the entire day to finally tell all the parties they are going to mediation. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Gregg Zive on Jan. 17 also ruled on a slew of motions. All parties have until Feb. 19 to let Zive know who the mediator will be and when the sessions will begin.

RENO, Nev. (AP) - The Bureau of Land Management can resume its roundup of dozens of wild mustangs in northern Nevada, but wranglers must limit their use of electric cattle prods and take other step...

Gennaro "Gino" DiMatteo, 43, of South Lake Tahoe, pled guilty Wednesday to count two of the indictment, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. DiMatteo is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.

HOMEWOOD, Calif. - Regional conservation groups are celebrating a federal judge's ruling to send a proposed Sierra ski resort expansion back to the drawing board, a decision viewed by local gove...

HOMEWOOD, Calif. - Nearly one year to the day since a lawsuit was filed, a federal judge has sent a proposed Lake Tahoe ski resort expansion back to the drawing board.

LOS ANGELES - A U.S. judge gave preliminary approval Friday to a $1 billion-plus settlement with Toyota Motor Corp. in cases involving problems of sudden, unintended acceleration by its vehicles, a...

Judge Dave Gamble's retirement party on Friday resembled one of his court sessions: Lots of straight talk, humor, compassion and a bit of faith.More than 300 people crowded into the Shannon Ball...

A federal court judge is scheduled to hear arguments regarding the release of former South Lake Tahoe medical marijuana dispensary owner Gino DiMatteo next week.A bail review hearing for DiMatteo i...

Federal prosecutors have dropped a marijuana distribution charge against a South Lake Tahoe man who landed a small airplane in Nebraska carrying 175 pounds of marijuana earlier this year.
On Oct. 9, a federal judge granted prosecutors' request to dismiss the distribution charge against 29-year-old Justin Woodcock.

A federal judge has sentenced a South Lake Tahoe resident to more than three years in prison for embezzling clients' money.U.S. District Court Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. sentenced Lori Zoval, 47,...

A Lake Tahoe conservation group has prevailed in its appeal of a court ruling over a major development at the lake.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the League to Save Lake Tahoe on Thursday in an ongoing legal battle against the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency over its approval of the Sierra Colina project on Tahoe’s South Shore.

The Lake Tahoe Community College Theatre Arts Department celebrates the 60th anniversary of the longest-running show of any play in history with Agatha Christie's "The Mouse Trap." Auditions are on Sunday Sept. 16, Tuesday, September 18 at 7 p.m. in the Duke Theatre. Casting 8 men and women of various ages.

The former pot club owner who prosecutors say bribed a South Lake Tahoe City Councilmember is now getting out of jail - 12 days after his arrest. A judge gave Gino DiMatteo clearance Wednesday to post $100,000 after proof was presented the money will not come from illegal activities.
Prosecutors were also supposed to publicly present basic evidence for the first time Wednesday on the charges against DiMatteo, but the defense team asked that portion of the hearing be pushed back so they have more time to prepare an argument.