washington

Laura Fisher of Washington, Illinois has been identified as the third victim in Saturday's single vehicle rollover accident on Highway 50 in Churchill County that also claimed the life of South Lake Tahoe Police Officer Mark Hounsell and his wife Jeanne.

The 33-year-old Fisher was visiting the Hounsells.

The Nevada Highway Patrol investigation details indicate a white 2004 Chevrolet Suburban driven by Minden resident Mark Hounsell, 42, was traveling westbound on US Highway 50. Six other occupants were in the vehicle including his wife Jeanne, 34, Fisher, four children.

Sports and entertainment stars, including many of the current and future Hall of Famers, MVPs and stars who golf in South Lake Tahoe's annual celebrity tournament, will be teeing it up in the inaugural Diamond Resorts Invitational celebrity golf tournament at the Golden Bear Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 14-16, 2016.

Sierra Nevada College is under new leadership with the appointment of Dr. Alan Walker, who started his tenure as president of Nevada’s only private college in September.

With flags lining the American Legion in South Lake Tahoe, the community bowed their heads and remembered those that lost their lives on the dark day, September 11, 2011.

Fourteen years ago 2,977 people died as terrorists hijacked four passenger planes, smashing two into the World Trade Center in New York. A third jetliner rammed into the Pentagon outside Washington while a fourth one crash-landed on an empty field in Pennsylvania.

Wildfire and invasive species weren't the only topics of this year's Tahoe Summit. With the theme "Connecting Lake Tahoe’s Environment and Economy Through Innovation and Transportation,” speakers at Monday's event also talked of the importance of improved roadways and access for alternative modes of transportation that will support the anticipated increase in numbers of visitors to Lake Tahoe.

More than 1,500 people flocked to Gardnerville on Saturday for one of the biggest gatherings of 2016 presidential candidates in Nevada since campaign season started.

Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s Morning Nevada PAC hosted the first Basque Fry featuring five GOP contenders on the Corley Ranch southeast of town. Republican hopefuls including businesswoman Carly Fiorina, Dr. Ben Carson, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker each made pitches to the crowd as to why they should be the nominee. Former New York Gov. George Pataki was slated to appear, but did not.

The underwater scenes could be straight out of "Creature of the Black Lagoon." Long feathery tendrils of green plants, growing at alarming rates in the Tahoe Keys and attracting fish not before known in the crystal blue waters of the lake.

The plant described here is better known as the Eurasian Watermilfoil. It is joined by another nuisance non-native plant, the curlyleaf pondweed, in creating problems in the waters of the Tahoe Keys.

Kyburz Fire 667 personnel. Lowell Fire 771 personnel. Washington Fire 1,113 personnel.

These recent fires in the forests near Lake Tahoe have had hundreds of fire fighters on the ground, digging fire lines, cutting down trees and putting out fires. It's not an easy job, the hours are sometimes endless or never enough. But those that do it, love it.

The U.S. Forest Service has been training the next front line of defense against forest fires.

Just a day after people celebrated the opening of highways through the Washington Fire area south of Markleeville, a mudslide has closed Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass. The road is closed 2.4 miles south of town.

A strong thunderstorm formed over the northwest half of the fire Wednesday, bringing heavy rains and frequent lightning.

The long-range forecast doesn’t bode well for the interior West as it chokes on a fourth year of drought and smoke from wildfires.

With the fire season ramping up and temperatures starting to soar, drought and fire dominated the discussion at the Western Governors’ Association annual meeting being held this week at Incline Village on the shores of Lake Tahoe.

Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has chaired the group for the past year, made drought his signature initiative, bringing together water experts and managers to develop best practices for water management and drought preparation.

Firefighters on the Washington Fire lines south of Markleeville enjoyed lighter winds as they fought the flames on Tuesday, but the winds were just strong enough to push some smoke into the Lake Tahoe basin.

Temperatures near Markleeville were 81-85 degrees with winds in the fire area moving up slope/up valley at 5 mph to 10 mph. Ridge top winds were light in the morning.

Calm winds are expected for the rest of the week with temperatures in the 90s.

There is a slight chance for thunderstorms and showers through Monday, June 29.

Liberty Utilities has cancelled the planned power outage scheduled for parts of Alpine County due to the current Washington Fire in the Markleeville area.

The outage was scheduled for June 24th and July 1st to allow Liberty crews to replace some power poles in the area.

Liberty will notify its customers when this necessary maintenance will occur once new
dates have been scheduled.

1:35 p.m. update on 6/23/15

The fire figures were updated this afternoon. At 8 a.m. they report almost 16,000 acres, then downsized a bit at noon to 13,562 after analyzing infrared reports. The 1:35 p.m. update is as follows:

The Washington Fire is actively burning. It is spreading due to both fuel-and-slope-driven forces and in some some drainages off of the East Fork Carson River. It has also spread to the north and to the east.

Fire is burning in hazardous and inaccessible terrain and approaching an increasing number of structures and impacting travel corridors.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to from May 18 to May 24, 2015. They responded to 167 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

5/18
Unlicensed driver at Lake Tahoe Blvd & Tahoe Keys Blvd
Trespassing in the 3900 block of Aspen Ave
Resisting in the 800 block of Gardner St

5/19
Drunk in Public in the 4100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drunk in Public in the 800 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Spousal Abuse in the 700 block of Emerald Bay Rd

Gaming in Nevada is about to see some changes. And casino owners hope that will bring a whole new generation of gamers. Video Gamers.

The Nevada Legislature has approved a bill that will allow the industry to adapt. They plan to add in games that are skill-based. Meaning that your skills can improve your odds of winning. And they think that will be a winner overall.

Chris Moyer is with the American Gaming Association in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Ski Team announced its nominations for the 2015-16 season Thursday, identifying 51 total athletes on the A, B, C, and D Teams for next season.

Women
A Team
- Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA; Mammoth Mountain Ski Team; 7/3/1984)
- Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team 3/9/1984)
- Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO; Rowmark Ski Academy; 9/19/1989)
- Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; 8/17/1988)
- Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO; Burke Mountain Academy; 3/13/1995)

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to from April 23 to May 3, 2015. They responded to 325 calls during the 11 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

4/23
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Battery in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd

4/24
Domestic Battery in the 3500 block of Bobby Grey Circle
Burglary in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drunk in Public in the 900 block of Emerald Bay Rd

Lake Tahoe SummerFest’s fourth season, “Passport to a World of Music,” will bring Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn to audiences July 31 – Aug. 16 (www.TahoeSummerFest.org). The three weekend series of nine different concerts will transport attendees through masterpieces translated by renowned artists and a nationally acclaimed orchestra of 40 players.

You may have noticed hazy skies in Lake Tahoe this weekend, and again today, but they aren't from any fires in the Sierra. The smoke is from catastrophic grassland fires in Siberia which have burned almost 800 square miles.

The Siberian Times is reporting the wind whipped blazes in Siberia have killed 33 people after farmers burned dried grass that got out of control. The damage was especially acute in Khakassia republic where 1,328 homes were destroyed or badly damaged, leaving 4.694 people without shelter, but the area around the city of Chita was also badly hit.

Long awaited BevMo! opened with much fanfare Friday morning to a large crowd in South Lake Tahoe. A line of an estimated 225 people formed in front of the store prior to the 9 a.m. ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony.

First in line was local resident Dayton Hirsch. "I didn't think I'd be first when I got here at 7:15 a.m.," Hirsch said. As he walked in the door he, and the next 499 people, all received a mini-soft sided cooler complete with a martini shaker, drink recipe book, cup and assorted BevMo! and vendor gifts.

The Lake Tahoe Community College and Lake Tahoe Unified School District Boards of Trustees will hold a joint meeting on Tuesday, March 24.

During the meeting, two people from the Los Rios Community College will provide an overview of "Get Focused, Stay Focused!" a career and educational course that LTUSD officials hope to bring to South Tahoe High next year.

The Friends of the Library, in partnership with the Lake Tahoe Historical Society, are excited to present "Pyramid Lake and the Imagined West". Author Dr. Bernard Mergen is in Reno for new exhibit of this very historically significant Lake and will be coming to the library to share the history of Pyramid Lake from the 1840s to the present in an educational and entertaining way.

Location

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of January 23 to January 29, 2015. They responded to 167 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

1/23
No Arrests

1/24
Spousal Abuse in the 2600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drug Offense in the 1000 block of Al Tahoe Blvd

1/25
Drunk in Public in the 900 block of Park Ave
DUI at Tahoe Keys Blvd & Lake Tahoe Blvd
DUI at Pioneer Trail & Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrant in the 3500 block of Shirley Ave

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of January 16 to January 22, 2015. They responded to 164 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

1/16
DUI on Montreal Rd
Warrant served in the 1000 block of Julie Lane
DUI at 15th St and Eloise Ave
Spousal Abuse in the 3400 block of Sussex Ave

1/17
DUI in the 3900 block of Pioneer Trail
"Other" Misdemeanor in the 3900 block of Pioneer Trail
Resisting in the 900 block of Silver Dollar