safety

As they were preparing to power up the hotel and casino during Sunday's power outage, MontBleu's generator had a malfunction, sending smoke billowing out of the resort.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Department responded. "We responded to a generator malfunction," said Eric Guevin, Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshall. "The generator unit was producing a substantial amount of smoke and we had to shut it down."

MontBleu got another generator up and running and emergency power was sent to the casino and hotel.

"It's a challenge to make sure they are all safe," said Eric Guevin, Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshall. He was commenting on the increased number of calls his department received on the the 4th of July when tens of thousands of visitors come to the Lake Tahoe basin to celebrate. When more people come to Lake Tahoe the fire department sees a large increase in service calls.

"Our rescue crews were kept busy," according to Guevin.

The spring and summer weather is here and many of us are starting or planning to start those home improvement projects that just can’t be done in the cold and wet months. Maybe we have also heard about the dangers that can be present when working on surfaces that contain lead. As many of us now know, any home that was constructed prior to 1978 may have lead-based paint or lead containing finishes on any of the painted or varnished surfaces on the exterior and interior of the home and on outbuildings, fences and other surfaces as well.

The chemical treatment of invasive plants by the U.S. Forest Service in Lake Tahoe will continue through the summer at about 70 different locations totaling 12.5 acres. In South Lake Tahoe the treatment will take place at the Angora wildfire area, Baldwin Beach meadow, Burke Creek trail, Luther Pass campground, Heavenly Creek Meadow, Heavenly Ski Area, Rabe Meadow and the Spooner Summit fire station as well as at several urban lots that the Forest Service controls.

The 3rd Annual Race the Lake of the Sky hits the waters of South Lake Tahoe this weekend.

Started in 2012 by South Tahoe Stand Up Paddle, Race the Lake of the Sky is a premiere flat-water SUP race and was dubbed the top pick for the best stand up paddle event of the year in 2013 by pro SUP athlete Anthony Vela. The event offers a stunning location as the backdrop in drawing hundreds of participants, novice and elite alike. Various races include short course. They wrap it all up with a 14 mile race to Emerald Bay and Back on Sunday.

SATURDAY June 28th, 2014

Can you survive the next wildfire in Lake Tahoe? Yes, if your community is prepared.

The Lake Tahoe Basin's firefighting agencies and UNR Cooperative Education have come together to promote the "Fire Adapted Community Concept." This type of community has five elements:

1. Community Protection - Well-designed fuelbreaks and safe areas protect the community.
2. Defensible Space - Proper management of vegetation surrounding the home reduces the wildfire threat.
3. Access - Good access helps emergency responders arrive in a timely manner.

The El Dorado County Grand Jury has released their final report for the 2013-14 year and several South Lake Tahoe situations have been brought to light.

According to Jury Foreman Neil Cunningham, the jury compiled 20 reports and recommendations which were created as they followed up on inquiries from citizens and Grand Jury required inspections.

Several agencies are coming together on Saturday, June 21st for the first Wildfire Safety Expo in South Lake Tahoe.

The threat of wildfire is extremely high this fire season due to record drought conditions in the West. To provide information on creating home evacuation plans, preparing for fire, creating defensible space, the expo has been created.

The expo will be held in the TJ Maxx parking lot from noon to 3 p.m.

Several Troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol, as well as other employees for the Department of Public Safety, will be volunteering their time to raise money for Special Olympics Nevada and California on Saturday, June 14, 2014 in the Hard Rock Café in Stateline between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and between 5 p.m and 9 p.m.

The NHP and DPS will be assisting the wait staff as they serve patrons in order to earn "special tips."

UPDATE June 13, 2014 10:46 a.m. - The search for Vernon “Cody” Matthews over the last few days has not revealed any new information indicating his whereabouts. Sheriff D’Agostini is still dedicated to determining Cody’s location and search operations are continuing. Search and Rescue personnel from El Dorado, Solano, Placer and Contra Costa Counties are on scene along with personnel from the Bay Area Mountain Rescue team and the California Rescue Dog Association. A helicopter from the California Highway Patrol will also be assisting in todays search.

The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Division is gearing up for another summer season full of adventure, learning, fun and great memories. The Recreation staff is geared up to host the second annual “Spring Into Summer” Kick- Off Party on June 7, 2014 from 10am to 2pm. The event is designed to highlight summer programs, introduce Recreation Instructors and provide tours of the Recreation and Swim Complex in a fun and festive environment.

Summer is on it’s way and with it comes the risk of wildland fires. Already throughout the State many lives and homes have been in danger due to wildland fires. If your home, or the home of someone you care for is at risk, will you be notified? Have you registered for emergency notifications through the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO), Office of Emergency Services (OES), Emergency Notification System? If not, now is the time to do so. The system sends out individual alerts about public health and public safety emergencies affecting specific geographical areas.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit began a mastication project last week on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe off of Fairway Drive near Tahoe City.

The project will eliminate material left behind after thinning for fuels reduction and involves using a masticator, which is a large lawn-mower type of heavy equipment that runs over debris and chops it up into smaller pieces.

Free Drop Off of Combustibles For Nevada Residents

Clear out the combustibles from your yard and drop them off for free at the kickoff event being held for “Compost Your Combustibles 2014” at
Heavenly Boulder parking lot this Saturday, May 24th in recognition of Wildfire Awareness Month.” Drop off days will be held through the first Saturday in August.

Rake and remove pine needles and yard combustible waste to prepare your home in the case of wildfire.

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini as chairman of the Nevada Commission of Police Officers' Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) on On Tuesday, May 13, 2014.

Sheriff Pierini has been on the Commission since 2002 and the Chairman since 2006 after being appointed by three Governors, Kenny Guinn, Jim Gibbons and Brian Sandoval.

According to a press releases, selection to the non-compensated Board of Commissioners is based largely upon the appointee's commitment to professionalism and excellence within the law enforcement field.

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for Douglas County Sheriff. We will be posting them in the order received. This is the second of three to be received.

1. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department?

Fifty-three motorcyclists died on Nevada roadways in 2013, surpassing the previous year’s number of fatalities by 39 percent, according to the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval proclaimed May 2014 as Motorcycle Safety Month, focusing on the motorcycle as an important form of transportation, and reminding its riders and all motorists of important safety guidelines.

You can still buy tickets to the Inaugural Elevate Your View Leadership Lake Tahoe Summit on Saturday, May 10. This one-day conference is meant to raise awareness and empower our community to improve the future of Lake Tahoe.

Leadership Lake Tahoe is a Tahoe Chamber sponsored group that give participants one year

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for El Dorado County Supervisor. We will be posting them in the order received.

1)What do you see as the Number 1 issue facing residents of District 5?

The Third Annual Lake Tahoe Home and Garden Show will take place at the Recreation Center, 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd., in South Lake Tahoe, CA, this weekend. The popular event will be open 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM on Friday, April 25th,and from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, April 26, 2014. Admission is free to the public.

The temperatures are rising in South Lake Tahoe and residents and visitors are spending more time outdoors.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Monday that they will be opening recreation areas early. Last year's warm temperatures in April and May brought out people who wanted to enjoy the parks and beaches, only to find them still closed.

Here is a list of opening dates:

Inspiration Point, Logan Shoals, Chimney Beach, and Secret Harbor are opening on April 21.

Sawmill Pond and the Sandpit OHV areas open May 1.

Baldwin Beach and Nevada Beach and Campground open May 9.

You may see smoke in three different locations around the Lake Tahoe basin this week as U.S. Forest Service fuel reduction operations continue. Starting Monday, April 7, they will be burning near Spooner Summit on the East Shore, in the Luther Pass Campground off of Highway 89 S near South Lake Tahoe, and on the west side of Highway 89 N near Tahoma on the West Shore.

Operations are ongoing and may continue through the week and next weekend if weather, staffing, and conditions allow.

April 1st starts the month long zero tolerance campaign “It’s Not Worth It!” to highlight the fact that drivers who text and use cell phones while driving have the same driving behavior as those who are legally drunk. South Lake Tahoe California Highway Patrol officers will join others from around the state in an effort to curb these behaviors in order to reduce preventable accidents with injuries.

Crystal blue skies and a bright yellow sun shone down on the golden girls of Lake Tahoe Saturday as the communities of Meyers and South Lake Tahoe turned out in force for a welcome home parade.