law enforcement

September 11, 2001 at 5:51 a.m. PST/ 8:51 a.m. local New York time. Its one of those days, and times, that people remember what they were doing at the exact moment the images of the first airplane guided by terrorists hitting a tower of the World Trade Center.

September 11, 2001 at 6:03 a.m. PST/ 9:03 a.m. local New York time. As most of the nation was watching their televisions or listening to their radios, the second tower of the World Trade Center was hit by another airplane.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Locals and visitors are welcome to join the American Legion Post 795 of South Lake Tahoe as they hold a commemorative ceremony honoring the victims and first responders of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

The 11:00 a.m. ceremony will be held at the Legion Hall located at 2748 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Post members and the Ladies Auxiliary will also be providing refreshments after the ceremony.

South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County police, deputies and CHP officers from the west and east slopes of the county joined together over the holiday weekend to participate in "Avoid the 6," a zero tolerance for impaired driving campaign. Their efforts netted 55 offenders for the deadly drime.

There were roving DUI saturation patrols to find the impaired drivers.

A 63-year-old man diving in Lake Tahoe near Glenbrook Bay died on Monday, September 5.

Marine Patrols from Douglas County Sheriff, Washoe County Sheriff and El Dorado County Sheriff, along with Tahoe Douglas Fire all responded to the distress call of a scuba diver in trouble just after 10:00 a.m.

The owner of Advanced Financial Services (AFS) in Placerville pleaded guilty to filing more than 250 false claims for refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) along with two of her employees. They all face large fines and years in jail.

Its not every day that a community is able to welcome the President of the United States, and South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding communities are preparing for his August 31 visit.

Helicopters could be seen over the South Shore Monday, and on the ground, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue worked with the Nevada National Air Guard Fire Department at the Lake Tahoe airport.

Local law enforcement and the Secret Service held meetings to go over procedures and protocol.

Donald Trump and the almost 900 attendees at Friday night's fundraising dinner at Harrah's Tahoe most likely didn't see or hear the protesters outside, but passing cars and pedestrians sure did.

A small group of protesters started standing on the corner of Stateline Avenue and Lake Tahoe Blvd at 5:00 p.m., waiving signs and chanting anti-Trump sentiments. Honks and clapping greeted the group outside, while those inside paid $200 to $500 a person to attend the 2016 Battle Ground Dinner, sponsored by the Nevada Republican Party.

Re/Max Realty of Gardnerville delivered over 125 bags of treats to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office as a sign of appreciation to local law enforcement.

Sheriff Pierini expressed his great appreciation at the efforts of the real estate agents of Re\MAX who worked together to create the treats and show their support to all of the employees who work tirelessly at the various their duties in Administration, Patrol, Jail, and Investigations, along with support personnel.

Jeanne Koerner from Re\MAX brought the baskets to the sheriff’s office.

Due to some sobering facts, El Dorado County District Attorney's Office is ramping up efforts in preventing drunk driving.

While the full-time population in the county is fairly small, a large number of visitors increase those numbers during ski season, holidays, gold country and winery visits, gambling at Red Hawk and Stateline, and during trips to Apple Hill.

El Dorado County ranks fifth worst in the state for lethal drunk driving incidents involving drivers between the ages of 21 and 34, and third worst in the state for drunk driving incidents involving drivers under the age of 21.

A South Lake Tahoe man is behind bars after being identified as a possible suspect in at least one of the recent assault crimes in the community.

Oscar Raygoza Huerta, 23 of South Lake Tahoe, was arrested on Friday, August 5 on charges of assault intent to commit mayhem or rape, a felony. He is currently in the El Dorado County jail on a $100,000 bail hold.

Last week, South Lake Tahoe Police detectives released sketches of the suspect created after interviews with two of the victims. Leads from those photos led to the arrest.

Marijuana Brownie Incident - During the last weekend of July, a group of women visited South Lake Tahoe for a bachelorette party. During the visit, the women willfully ingested marijuana brownies they obtained through a ride-share company. Within a few hours, 10 of the women were taken to the emergency room in South Lake Tahoe. Eight of the ten were later admitted to the hospital for treatment. While many would have you believe marijuana is a harmless drug, those of us in the public safety arena have seen increases in medical emergencies from marijuana ingestion.

Fifteen officers from three Northern Nevada agencies recently completed "Operation Safe Streets," putting them in touch with dozens of high risk offenders in the Carson City, Douglas County, Washoe County and Lyon County areas.

Nevada Department of Public Safety- Division of Parole and Probation in collaboration with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office made the contacts on July 29 and July 30, resulting in 11 arrests.

There will soon be a new ordinance in the City of South Lake Tahoe that will regulate massages, massage establishments and massage therapists.

"We will be raising the level of standards to legitimize the industry," said Mayor Wendy David.

There are currently 125 licensed massage therapists in the City, and an unknown number of people who are not. The new ordinance will be in place to make all comply and be licensed therapists in 90 days, or they cannot conduct business.

Ted Kennedy continues to show his appreciation for local heroes through his South Lake Tahoe restaurants.

Kennedy, who on the ownership team of Base Camp Pizza, California Burger, Azul Latin Kitchen and now, the Lakeside Beach House, shows gratitude on a weekly basis. Those in uniform and teachers get a free meal at any of his four restaurants (police officers, sheriff's deputies, fire personnel, nurses and those on active duty).

"This is to thank them, and show that we appreciate their service," said Kennedy. "They are our local heroes."

Larry Ford will present “Virgil Earp: The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Wednesday, July 20, at 6:30 pm.

Location

The most common misunderstanding about swimming in Lake Tahoe is that people can suffer from hypothermia, which leads to death. The real truth is that "cold water shock" will kill much quicker than hypothermia ever will.

"The sudden lowering of skin temperature on immersion in cold water represents one of the most profound stimuli that the body can encounter." Golden and Tipton in Essentials of Sea Survival

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is increasing their educational campaign for boaters and swimmers to understand the dangers of cold water at Lake Tahoe.

Tens of thousands of people will be enjoying the Lights on the Lake fireworks show over Lake Tahoe Monday, most of them unaware of the hundreds of hours of work put into their enjoyment.

"We love out job," said Zambelli Fireworks Western Region Project Manager John Hagan. "We can use explosives to make people happy."

Zambelli is the company hired to produce the 25 minute pyrotechnic show over Lake Tahoe on July 4, starting at 9:45 p.m.

Fire and law enforcement officers across the State are working together to confiscate illegal fireworks and get them off the street. In Placer County, an announced inspection of all vehicles going through the Truckee agricultural station netted 1,882 pounds of illegal fireworks, resulting in 20 misdemeanor citations and seven felony arrests.

In another operation, CAL FIRE joined a multi-agency fireworks seizure operation in San Bernardino County that resulted in the confiscation of 25,406 pounds of illegal fireworks, 51 misdemeanor citations issued, as well as two felony arrests.

The California Highway Patrol and Uber are joining forces to promote awareness about safe, alternative transportation options to drunk driving during the July 4 holiday weekend.

This holiday is one of the deadliest for drunk driving crashes. South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has partnered with Uber to prevent drunk driving in South Lake Tahoe.

Uber reached out to the nonprofits to make sure that Tahoe is safe, and to do so they are trying to get as many of their drivers out on the road as possible.

The Fourth of July holiday period is the busiest time of year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. For those visiting during the holiday and attending one of the firework displays over the lake, expect extremely crowded conditions and excess traffic. Because of the Basin’s high elevation, expect intense sunlight during the day and much lower temperatures at night. Bring sunscreen, a jacket, and carry a flashlight. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.

This spring Live Violence Free, in collaboration with a multitude of partners, has been fortunate enough to expand the annual Girls Empowerment Retreat and organize the first ever Boys Empowerment Event. With the generosity of funding from Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra and MacDuff’s Public House, Live Violence Free worked closely with South Tahoe Middle School to engage 7th and 8th grade girls and boys in discovering their true potential for greatness.

Many people find law enforcement officers intimidating and unapproachable, so the South Lake Tahoe CHP office is holding "Coffee with a Cop" on Friday, June 24 starting at 9:00 a.m. at Alpina Coffee Cafe on Emerald Bay Road.

All community members are invited to stop by and chat, discuss community issues, have coffee, and build relationships.

Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the Department’s work in El Dorado County’s neighborhoods.

In the early morning hours of June 10, 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was walking to the school bus stop in South Lake Tahoe when Philip and Nancy Garrido abducted her and imprisoned her for 18 years in the back yard of their Antioch California home. The only clues came from the sole eye witness to the kidnapping, Carl Probyn – Jaycee’s step father, who provided information on the car and one of the occupants.

Massage parlors are formally known for giving massages as well as allowing an opportunity for relaxation, however, local massage parlors have recently been accused of giving “happy endings” at the end of their sessions, which is considered prostitution. Without question, this activity is giving our beautiful town a bad reputation, creating the possibility of an economic downturn, and an increase in local crime.