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Drivers without seat belts on focus of CHP holiday weekend enforcement

Buckle up when driving not only this holiday season as you head to Lake Tahoe, but each and every day no matter where you drive. As the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day weekend is a busy time on California roadways. To help segue into summer safely, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will conduct a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).

Lake Spirit Awards celebrate dedication to Lake Tahoe

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) recognized four people for their commitment to protecting and enhancing Lake Tahoe’s environment with Lake Spirit Awards on Wednesday.

People whose passions include building new paths and trails led the way in nominations this year, with improving mountain biking routes, creating new multi-use paths, and advancing pedestrian and bicycle safety among the interests of the award winners.

Remembering Bill Morgan

We at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are mourning the passing of Bill Morgan. In the pantheon of people who have contributed mightily to the agency’s success, Bill is in the top tier. He was executive director from April 1, 1985 to September 30, 1989, one of the most tumultuous times for TRPA. There is a high likelihood that there would be no TRPA if Bill had not been at the helm and found ways to bring disparate parties together.

Karin Holmes named permanent principal at Sierra House

Karin Holmes can now take the "Interim Principal" off her name tag and add "Principal."

During last week's Lake Tahoe Unified School District(LTUSD) Board of Trustees meeting, the new position was made official.

"We're fortunate to have Karin Holmes," said LTUSD Superintendent Dr. James Tarwater. "She is an outstanding educator."

In July 2017, Holmes was given the interim principal job at Sierra House Elementary after Ryan Galles left the district for a job in Vacaville.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Report

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

5/3

11:00 a.m. - Contempt of Court/Violation of Court Order - Cherry Hills Cr - A TAHOE RESIDENT REPORTED THAT A NEIGHBOR HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY VIOLATING A RESTRAINING ORDER.

Four vying for El Dorado County Supervisor, District 5

There are four people running for El Dorado County Supervisor for the 5th District on June 5: Incumbent Sue Novasel and challengers Kenny Curtzwiler, Norma Santiago and Jeffrey Spencer. The 5th District covers Pollock Pines to South Lake Tahoe and Tahoma.

South Tahoe Now asked each candidate the same questions, and here are all of their answers, exactly as they were presented to us.

Sue Novasel
Occupation: El Dorado County Supervisor – District V
Past political history:
2015 – Present: County Supervisor, District V

Food trucks, VHRs, new interim city manager all part of SLT City Council meeting

The South Lake Tahoe City Council will take a look at vacation home rental (VHR) fines at their meeting on Tuesday, May 15. In a story that has had national attention, the $1,000 fines for violations of parking, noise and other ordinances for each the renter and homeowner have become the spotlight.

Council will look at the fines and rules for parking and bear boxes, and the fact that both renter and homeowners are fined for each instance.

Incident at South Tahoe Middle School not bullying as reported on social media

A couple of social media posts with accusations of bullying in a South Lake Tahoe school this week have led to outrage, several concerned parents, backlash and sign carrying parents in front of the school Friday morning.

While bullying is still prevalent across the country, what happened at South Tahoe Middle School (STMS) this week has been determined by all involved, including school officials, parents and law enforcement, to not be bullying but more of a wrong choice while playing with a friend.

One student threw rocks at their friend during a school break, hitting them.

Changes ahead for South Shore bus services

One thing is certain, something has to change or there will not be enough money to operate buses around the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. What isn't certain is how those changes will look, where extra funding can come from, or if services will have to be cut.

During Friday's Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) board meeting, options to keep a sustainable transit system in place for Lake Tahoe were discussed. Buses continue to operate at a loss and that cannot continue, according to the TTD staff.

FIrst phase of El Dorado County VHR ordinance closer to approval

Weather has not be the best friend of those wanting to get a revised vacation home rental (VHR) ordinance for El Dorado County. Snow and unsafe travel conditions for staff driving to South Lake Tahoe from Placerville for the meetings lead to the cancellation of the March 3 and March 24 meetings, and the original February 1 meeting had to be stopped due to overcrowding. The next Board of Supervisors meeting on VHRs will be in South Lake Tahoe on May 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the South Tahoe Middle School multi-purpose room.

The woman behind South Lake Tahoe police composite drawings

Connecting with victims and witnesses after a crime is not just the job of law enforcement, its also the job of composite sketch artists.

Imagine talking to a child who just witnessed a horrific crime, a woman who has just been raped, or a man who beaten up as another man murdered, and needing them to remember the face of the perpetrator.

Two classic movies focus of talks at Western Nevada College

Fifty years have elapsed since the release of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which creatively tried to make sense of the past and speculated about the future.

Northern Nevada lecturer Mike Thomas will review that 1968 blockbuster film and its impact on a generation during his presentation on Saturday, April 14 at Western Nevada College’s Jack C. Davis Observatory in Carson City. Thomas will also provide a lecture on “Old West Lawmen” on Friday, April 13 at the observatory.

Tahoe Truckee Snapshot Day

Event Date: 
May 19, 2018 - 9:00am

Join the fun as we capture the water quality of the Tahoe Truckee Watershed through this hands-on monitoring event. Meet at Lake Tahoe Community College Aspen Room Saturday, May 19 at 9 am. Teams led by trained team leaders will then go out to local streams and rivers throughout South Tahoe to collect data to create a snapshot in time of water quality. The data collected can be used for restoration projects and overall watershed protection.

Wear layers, sunglasses, sun hat and sunscreen. Be prepared to possibly wade in the water. Bring a reusable water bottle.

Location

Lake Tahoe Community College
United States

El Dorado County man gets 7 years for cannabis sales and honey oil lab

A Cameron Park man is looking at seven years in prison after he plead guilty on March 29, 2018 to illegally manufacturing concentrated cannabis, commonly referred to as Butane Honey Oil, and illegally transporting/shipping marijuana across the United States.

Michael Ryan Wills, 31, was the subject of investigations by El Dorado County Sheriff narcotics detectives with the assistance from the United States Postal Inspector’s Service over two years.

Another step towards South Lake Tahoe cannabis ordinance

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be an ordinance regulating the retail sale of cannabis in South Lake Tahoe, that is certain, but when it will be in place is uncertain.

During a special meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council Tuesday afternoon and evening, several areas were discussed from zoning to processes, and many were narrowed down enough so the acting City Attorney, Sergio Rudin, can bring a draft back at the April 17 council meeting. If there are no major changes that document can be voted on as a "first reading" with an ordinance 30 days later.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Report

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

3/14

12:35 p.m. - Theft: Use of Credit Card - 3rd Ave, Tahoma - R/P REPORTED FRAUDULENT CHARGES MADE ON A CREDIT CARD

El Dorado County Sheriff's Report

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

3/4

3:20 p.m. - Vandalism - BLitzen Rd - R/P CLAIMS THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE CAUSED BY THE 41-YEAR-OLD MALE SUSPECT.

Lake Tahoe Community College closing at 3PM Friday due to snow

Lake Tahoe Community College will be closing at 3:00 p.m. on Friday March 16 due to a continuing winter storm that is dumping considerable amounts of snow both at lake level and over mountain passes.

All classes and scheduled events planned for 3:00 p.m. or later are cancelled.

Whiteout conditions, strong winds and hazardous driving environments led college leadership to call for an early closure.

They will update their website and Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, so please check these for any further updates.

Men wanted in connection to El Dorado County homicide captured in Carson City

3/15/18 UPDATE: Two men arrested early Wednesday at a Carson City home have been identified and now face murder charges in El Dorado County, Calif.

Chase Bomar, 19, and Cody Bomar, 21, were taken into custody after Carson City Sheriff’s Office SWAT responded to assist El Dorado County authorities at a home in the 1200 block of Palo Verde Drive.

The men were wanted in connection to the fatal stabbing of Jeremy Fortuin, 42, of Pollock Pines. The stabbing happened on Pony Express Trail in Cedar Grove on the west slope of El Dorado County.

High speed pursuit ends in Carson City with suspect dead

A high speed pursuit on U.S. Highway 50 East through Lyon County ended when the suspect vehicle left the roadway near Flint and Highway 50 in Carson City. The suspect reportedly had a gunshot wound to the head when he was found by law enforcement officers and died at the scene.

The vehicle was a white Dodge Durango rental vehicle with California license plates. The vehicle pursuit, according to police scanner monitors, reportedly started at USA Parkway, then into Dayton and Mound House, exceeding speeds of 100 mph. No officers were injured.

Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters headed to Lake Tahoe with Los Lobos

Music icon Robert Plant is bringing his Carry Fire tour to the lake on June 23, 2018 at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys. He will be performing with his band, The Sensational Space Shifters. Los Lobos will be their opening act.

The English singer, songwriter, and musician is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin. He formed The Sensational Space Shifters in 2012 and since then they have toured and released albums, the latest of which is Carry Fire.

Sierra snowpack up to 39% of average, last week it was at 7%

PHILLIPS STATION, CALIF. - In 2017, the water content on March 1 at Phillips Station was measured at 185 percent of normal. One year later it is a different story, but much better than just a week ago.

The water content of the snow measured at Phillips Station on March 5, 2018 is 39 percent of the historical average with the 41.1" snow at the measuring spot 14 miles west of Lake Tahoe containing a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 9.4".

The SWE is the amount of water that would come out of the snow if melted all at once.

Opinion: TRTA, USFS and partners more important now than ever

Non-profit partners of government agencies play a critical role in managing trails, recreation, planning and other essential activities taking place on public lands. Locally, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) is the region’s largest non-profit trail organization and has the primary responsibility for managing and maintaining about 200 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails in and around the Tahoe Basin in partnership with the US Forest Service (USFS) and NV State Parks.

Lake Tahoe area schools closed Friday

Students around the Lake Tahoe basin are going to enjoy another Snow Day on Friday. The following closures are in place:

Lake Tahoe Unified: For the safety of our students and staff
All Schools Will be CLOSED today due to Road and Continuing Blizzard conditions.
All school activities are cancelled unless notified otherwise.

All Douglas County School District schools are CLOSED for today.

Incline Village schools are closed.

LTCC raises their bond grade to AA

After receiving high marks for a second time from both Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Financial Services and Moody’s Investor Service in their bond ratings reports, Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is ready to issue its second set of bonds for sale with the Measure F general obligation bond.

Tahoma murder suspect identified

LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Sunday's suspicious death in Tahoma has officially been ruled a homicide by El Dorado County Sheriff’s Detectives.

Jeremy David Virgo, 47, was arrested for murder after a chase ensued after deputies from El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) responded to shots being fired in the area of Timber Wolf Drive and Alder Street in the West Shore community of Tahoma.

Special City Council meeting to decide Kerry's fate; Meston outlines plans

News spread through South Lake Tahoe this week that surprised and shocked many, the City Council's decision to put City Manager Nancy Kerry on indefinite leave. The council will be meeting in closed session on Monday, February 12, 2018 to discuss the situation. Their agenda item, "PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE/DISMISSAL/RELEASE Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b)" starts at 9:00 a.m.

That section of code allows special and closed session meetings to consider the appointment, employment, evaluation of performance, discipline, or dismissal of a public employee.

Sierra House Elementary holds Olympic Games ceremony

Sierra House Elementary School celebrated the opening of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games on Friday morning with lots of excitement. They had the torch, the cheering fans, the Olympic flag and the national anthem.

A torch relay started at 9:15 a.m. with torch bearing students running their portion of the relay before passing it on to the next runner. The relay circled the school a few times, with each passing of a runner drawing cheers from the crowd of students, parents and faculty.

Lake Tahoe Community College student awarded car

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) student Marissa Smith was awarded a refurbished Subaru Thursday during a ceremony at the campus in South Lake Tahoe.

Marissa revealed an unparalleled sense of optimism and perseverance over some rather large life obstacles in an essay she submitted to the college. Dozens of other students also submitted essays but Marissa's caught the judge's attention due to the challenges she has had to hurdle.

South Lake Tahoe man sentenced to 183-years to life for brutal attack

A former motel maintenance worker at a South Lake Tahoe motel has been sentenced to 183 years to life for the brutal sexual assault of a 22-year-old Macedonian exchange student in 2015.

Manuel Ovidio Ramos-Munoz was found guilty in November, 2017 on seven felony counts, including kidnapping for the purpose of committing a sexual assault, as well as six additional counts and numerous special allegations relating to the subsequent sexual assault of the victim.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue holds annual awards ceremony

An overflowing crowd of family, friends and community members filled the City Council chambers Monday as South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue held their 5th annual awards ceremony.

The staff was honored for their service doing a job that protects the lives, homes and environment of the South Lake Tahoe community and its visitors.

"Your recognition is well deserved, and well earned," said Mayor Wendy David.

SLTFR Fire Chief Jeff Meston led the ceremony which honored the following:

Firefighter/Medic of the Year: Dustin Winter
Dispatcher of the Year: Jillian Gard

Customers weigh in on Liberty Utilities in survey

The cumulative results of Liberty Utilities’ quarterly Customer Satisfaction Surveys in 2017 show improvements in corporate citizenship and communications. The survey also showed overall customer satisfaction increased by six points compared to first quarter results.

The online survey is independently conducted by JD Power, and Liberty Utilities’ results are compared with comparable electric utilities in the west. Some highlights of the 2017 survey results show:

Public meeting on growing PCE plume in South Lake Tahoe

Event Date: 
February 7, 2018 - 6:00pm

Update 1/26: Due to a scheduling conflict the meeting has been moved from Tahoe Valley Elementary School to the South Lake Tahoe City Council Chambers.

***
A 400 acre plume of contaminated groundwater will be the focus of a public meeting on February 7 in the SLT Council Chambers at the Lake Tahoe Airport from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Domestic violence suspect apprehended after hours-long standoff

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - A violation of a restraining order in South Lake Tahoe Monday afternoon led to an hours-long standoff, closed off neighborhoods and subsequent arrest of a man with a long history of violence.

On Monday, January 22, at about 4:30 p.m., the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) received a call that Brandon Bannowski, 25, had violated a Restraining Order and allegedly entered the home of his ex-girlfriend, threatened her with a baseball bat and choked her.

Women's March in South Lake Tahoe draws almost 400

It may have just been planned in the last two weeks, but the 2018 Women's March in South Lake Tahoe drew out 392 women, men and children to join hundreds of thousands of others marching around the country.

"The turnout was phenomenal," said co-organizer Meg Peart. "Its amazing how quickly our community can come together."

Peart and Kelsey Adams took an idea and reached out to the community through Facebook, friends and local news to get people out to walk the just over two mile route from Hard Rock Hotel and Lakeview Commons.

"Ski With A Ranger" returns to Heavenly

The popular program from the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Ski with a Ranger, resumes at Heavenly Mountain Resort on Friday, January 26. Every Monday and Friday, the tours will start at 1:00 p.m. at Tamarack Lodge at the top of the gondola.

The tours last approximately one-hour and continue through April 6, 2018, weather permitting.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Report

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

12/27

7:04 p.m. - Theft - Crystal Air Dr - A MALE SUBJECT ATTEMPTED TO BOOK A VACATION HOME RENTAL VIA AN AD ON THE INTERNET. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THE AD WAS A SCAM.

12/28

Suspected car thief leads police on chase from Carson City to South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) attempted to pull over a vehicle in Carson City Thursday night, but the driver refused to stop and led officers on a chase until the car crashed in the El Dorado County portion of the South Shore, over 35 miles away.

NHP followed the car up Spooner Summit on Highway 50 to Stateline. Per protocol they won't engage in high speed chases so followed him until he approached Stateline. Troopers called ahead to South Lake Tahoe, advising police that the vehicle was headed in their direction.

New Executive Chef for Edgewood Tahoe's three lakefront restaurants

There is a new chef at the helm of Edgewood Tahoe's three restaurants after the retirement of Frank Stagnaro, the resort’s executive chef for over 25 years.

Executive Chef Charles Wilson was amazed at the view from the resort that sits on the shore of Lake Tahoe.

“One of the reasons I’m here is this property,” Wilson said. “Walking into the Great Room and looking out the windows was the moment. The culinary team’s job is to match the ambiance of the resort, and this setting is truly spectacular.”

Busy New Year's holiday weekend in South Lake Tahoe and Stateline

It was a very busy holiday weekend in South Lake Tahoe, with hotels, vacation homes and the slopes full of revelers, along with the thousands of attendees at the three-day music festival, SnowGlobe.

Kudos: Bread & Broth thanks Camp Richardson

Normally the Camp Richardson Resort staff is busy seeing to the needs of their many visitors and guests but during the month of December, they shift their focus to helping the members of our community who are struggling with hunger. Through their Adopt A Day of Nourishment sponsorship, Camp Richardson hosted Bread & Broth’s Monday Meal dinner at St. Theresa Grace Hall on December 18 and provided meals for the 100 dinner guests that evening.

Full slate of South Lake Tahoe activities to enjoy as we say goodbye to 2017

Looking for somewhere to ring in the new year?

We've got you covered in South Lake Tahoe and here are some of your choices.

Hard Rock Lake Tahoe has two ways to enjoy the evening:

Starting at 9:00 p.m., enjoy live music by DJ Rizzo until the ball drops with people of all age at their Light Up The Plaza in front of the casino. This is a free event, but you can purchase an LED wristband that syncs with the music for $10 from Party HQ.

Hundreds working behind the scene to keep all safe at SnowGlobe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Leading up to SnowGlobe, days have been filled with meetings and emergency drills, staffing instructions and planning, all to create a safe atmosphere for the thousands of people in South Lake Tahoe for the three-day music festival.

As the show got underway Friday, December 26, there was a heavy presence of law enforcement and safety personnel, though many of them could not be detected as they moved about the venue in plain clothes. A drone was also in the air, surveying the crowd below.

Jamie Anderson qualifies for 2018 Winter Olympics

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson has always had success at Dew Tour events, and her Saturday second-place finish in the women’s slopestyle snowboarding final in Breckenridge, Colorado, got her something much more than another medal.

As the top American woman on the podium, Anderson qualified for her second Olympic Winter Games and earned the chance to defend her title in PyeongChang in February. She will also be able to add a medal in another event as all slopestyle riders will also compete in big air as it makes its Olympic debut.

Spotlight on You: Angela Zajic and Rah Hair Studio

A South Lake Tahoe hair salon is gaining attention from around the country because of their specialized wedding hair services, and its all because of Rah Hair Salon's owner Angelia Zajic and her team of eight stylists.

Zajic, a South Lake Tahoe native and a graduate of Whittell High School, opened Rah in 2009 after working at New Wave and in the Aveda Salon at MontBleu. It was her experience with Aveda that led Angela to creating a spa-like atmosphere at the studio which is located at 2572 Lake Tahoe Blvd #4.

South Lake Tahoe councilwoman to chair conservancy board

During their meeting Thursday, the California Tahoe Conservancy Board elected South Lake Tahoe City Councilwoman Brooke Laine as their chair. She is the City’s appointee to the Board and will be replacing longtime Chair Larry Sevison.

The Board also elected Lynn Suter as Vice Chair, filling a post vacated by former Conservancy Board Member John Hooper earlier this year.

USFS taking reservations for 5th grade snowshoe program

The 2018 Winter Trek conservation program for fifth-grade students will run from January 9 to March 29, and sign-ups with U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) for the popular program begin December 18.

Fifth-grade teachers may reserve a spot by calling the Forest Supervisor’s office at 530-543-2789, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Field trips are generally three hours long and are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, weather permitting.

Melting Arctic ice could lead to more severe droughts in California

Arctic sea ice loss of the magnitude expected in the next few decades could impact California’s rainfall and exacerbate future droughts, according to new research released December 5, 2017 led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists.

The study said the melting ice could leave California vulnerable to a recurrence of the severe drought suffered in recent years, as a result of high pressure systems that push away rain-bearing storms, according to the LLNL press release.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Report

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

11/22

4:29 p.m. - DUI over .08 - Highway 50 - AN ENFORCEMENT STOP IN TAHOE BY A SHERIFF'S SERGEANT LED TO DUI ARREST OF 25-YEAR-OLD MALE BY THE CHP.

11/24

Small child found asleep in car with hypodermic needles and pill bottles

Four people were arrested by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) after a child was found asleep in a car full of hypodermic needles and pill bottles at the Red Hawk Casino in Shingle Springs, Calif.

Security officers from the casino noticed the car in their parking structure with the occupants asleep with a child asleep in the back seat. As they looked closer they could also see many hypodermic needles and pill bottles throughout the vehicle and called the deputies.

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