washoe county

Public comment sought for next phase of Stateline-Stateline bikeway

Plans for the next phase of a multi-agency project to connect North Lake Tahoe to South Lake Tahoe along State Route 28 with a Class 1 shared-use pathway are underway, and the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management is seeking public input.

Sheriff gives 12 tips for a safe holiday

With Black Friday just days away and the excitement of the holiday season beginning to build, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office offers Twelve Tips of Holiday Safety to help residents stay focused on personal safety.

“First and foremost, stay alert,” Sheriff Chuck Allen said. “Be careful not to get so caught up in the shopping frenzy that you lose awareness of your surroundings. If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood or while out shopping, report it to law enforcement or store security.”

Thief makes off with $15,000 in wine from Incline Village Raley's

A suspect who stole 55 bottles of wine worth approximately $15,000 is being sought by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) and they are asking for assistance from the public.

On Monday, October 23 2017 between 6:45 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., an unidentified male entered the Raley's Supermarket in the 900 block of Tahoe Boulevard and stole the high end red wine.

Some of the stolen wine included:

- Joseph Phelps 2012 Insignia red wine, valued at $239.99 per bottle
- 23 bottles of Caymus 2013 Special Select Cabernet, valued at $165.70 per bottle

Washoe County Sheriffs asking for help in locating two teens

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for any information that will assist with locating two teenagers missing from Sun Valley since last Thursday.

Jakob Palmer, age 14, and his sister Alexis Palmer, age 12, were last seen in the area of Sun Valley Boulevard and Leon Drive at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 26, 2017. They may have been heading for the Stead area.

Sheriff’s Office detectives believe the siblings may not be in immediate danger but are asking for any information that will help return them home.

E-commerce safe zone set up at Washoe County Sheriff's Office

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office now has a designated E-commerce Exchange Zone for members of the public looking for a safe, neutral location to complete online transactions.

Two parking spaces in front of the Sheriff’s headquarters at 911 Parr Boulevard in Reno are reserved specifically for e-commerce transactions. Those spaces are located near the front of the parking lot, in a well-lit area subject to 24-hour video surveillance.

August gaming report released: Area casinos see gains

Lake Tahoe, Douglas County and Carson City casinos saw an overall gain in their incomes in August, 2017 according to the monthly report released today by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

The reported gaming wins for August and difference when compared to August 2016:

South Shore casinos - $25,576,000 - up 7.02%
Carson City, Carson Valley casinos - $9,390,210 - up 8.98%
North Shore Lake Tahoe casinos - 3,149,398 - up 10.39%
State of Nevada - 989,510,649 - up 14.91%

Thieves steal over $110K in construction materials in Washoe County

Suspects are being sought after two construction sites in Washoe County lost over $110,000 in materials during late night burglaries this week.

Detectives from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating two large commercial burglaries that took place between Wednesday night and Friday morning at construction sites in different parts of the county.

Former Heavenly employee pleads guilty to child porn charges

Former Heavenly Mountain Resort employee Stephan DeGraffenreid pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison on each of the three counts.

Public's hep sought in Incline Village burglary/credit card fraud case

Two suspects are wanted in connection to an ongoing case investigation of a residential burglary that occurred in Incline Village, Nevada back on April 27. 2017.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying the pair described as a six-foot tall male, 190-210 pounds with short, buzzed dark hair and a goatee, and an adult female, approximately five-and-a-half feet tall, 180-200 pounds with dark hair reaching to mid-back.

Sparks man identified as Sand Harbor drowning victim

A 27-year-old Sparks, Nev. man has been positively identified as Saturday's drowning victim at Sand Harbor.

The Washoe County Coroner's Office told South Tahoe Now that Jose Jaime Partida was the man who died in Lake Tahoe on July 29. The cause of death is drowning.

They will be running a toxicology screening which is normal protocol and won't change the cause of death.

Man drowns at Lake Tahoe's Sand Harbor

A man drowned at Sand Harbor Saturday evening according to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO).

The man was swimming near the beach at approximately 5:00 p.m. when he drowned on July 29, 2017, according to Bob Harmon, spokesman for WCSO. Lifeguards from San Harbor got the victim to the shore and starting life-saving measures. The man was taken to an Incline Village hospital where he later died.

Harmon said bystanders estimated the victim to be in his late 20s.

Teen reported missing in Lake Tahoe area found safe

2:00 p.m. update: From Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong: Juvenile Sean Ascuaga of Reno was located at Marlette Dam. He was found safe and unharmed, but will be checked by paramedics before transporting back to Carson City to family members.

* * *
Search teams from Carson City and Washoe County are looking for a missing 17-year-old male who has been reported missing and was last seen in the Chimney Beach area of Lake Tahoe on Monday afternoon.

One simple item will help save lives when on Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE - Boating, rafting, kayaking and paddling are just a few ways to enjoy beautiful Lake Tahoe, but they come with simple safety precautions and preparations to ensure that day is complete and enjoyable.

"People are very excited to get on the water," said Edwin Lyngar, Nevada Department of Wildlife's (NDOW) Water Educator. "Take safety precautions as you can't depend on luck."

Lyngar as well as both California and Nevada water safety experts were at Sand Harbor last week to inform the public about how easy it is to be safe on the water.

New trail map released by Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

A new Lake Tahoe bike map has been released by the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition that details the latest trails and points of interest all around the lake with separated bike trails, on-road bike lanes and designated bicycle routes.

The paper map will be available for free at Lake Tahoe area visitor centers and bike shops or can be viewed and downloaded on line www.tahoebike.org/where-to-ride/bike-map/.

Importance of understanding dangers of cold water shock

With recent water tragedies in Lake Tahoe we are republishing this 2016 article.

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

New fire now burning near Spanish Springs

Crews with Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Department of Forestry and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District have responded to a new fire burning near Spanish Springs and the Pyramid Highway. Dubbed the Winnemucca Ranch Fire, flames have consumed 1,500 acres since starting at 6:25 p.m. Tuesday.

Both ground and air resources are on scene.

At least 11 homes are threatened, according to Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District.

Ironwood Road is being evacuated, according to the Washoe County Sheriff.

Another warm week in store for South Lake Tahoe but no records expected

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Records aren't expected to fall this week, but South Lake Tahoe will continue to see warm and sunny days. Winds will increase on Monday and Tuesday.

South Lake Tahoe broke records three of last seven days with all time highs of 90 on June 19, 87 on June 20 and 86 on June 21.

Records and forecast temperatures this week:
June 26 - 89 (2015) - 81
June 27 - 87 (1981) - 78
June 28 - 89 (2013) - 78
June 29 - 89 (2013) - 81
June 30 - 89 (2013) - 81
July 1 - 92 (2013) - 82
July 2 - 90 (2013) - 86

Body found in Truckee River near Verdi identified as missing woman

A body found in the Truckee River on Thursday night has been positively identified by the Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office as 32-year-old Sarah Duncan, the woman who went missing Wednesday after falling into the river.

She was seen falling from a raft in the Truckee River near Crystal Peak Park. A search by the Swift water rescue teams from Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and the Reno Fire Department took place Wednesday afternoon.

Search called off for woman missing in Truckee River near Verdi

6/22/17 11:00 p.m. update: The Washoe County Sheriff's Office HASTY team has located the body of a woman in Truckee River about two miles east of Crystal Peak Park. It is not confirmed if it is the body of Sarah Duncan who went missing in the same area on Wednesday. The Washoe County Medical Examiner needs to confirm identification.

* * *
Swift water rescue teams from Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and the Reno Fire Department spend Wednesday afternoon in the Truckee River, searching for a missing woman.

Woman rescued from Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe

6/12/17 8:00 p.m. update - The woman who was rescued from the river, Stephanie Waggoner of Minden, Nev., has died as result falling off her paddleboard in South Lake Tahoe. The Washoe County Coroner's Office will likely release the cause of death Tuesday or Wednesday.

* * *
A 50-year-old woman from the Carson Valley nearly drowned in South Lake Tahoe Wednesday after she fell off her paddle board and got caught underwater in the cold and swift Upper Truckee River.

Monthly gaming figures released: Lake Tahoe and Nevada both show gains

Casinos on the South Shore are once again on the positive end of the monthly income report from the Nevada Gaming Board (NGB) released Wednesday.

With three quarters of the fiscal year completed, the combination of Harrah's, Harvey's, MontBleu, Hard Rock and Lakeside Inn have had positive gains in income with a 5.39 percent increase over the same nine-month period in 2016. For the month of April, their income of $13,286,841 is up 4.55 percent, or $578,646, from April, 2016.

Bear dies after being hit by car near Incline Village

A three-year-old female bear was hit by a vehicle early Wednesday morning on SR-28 in the Memorial Point area south of Sand Harbor near Incline Village.

Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) received a call at 12:40 a.m. by a passing motorist on May 31 of an injured bear lying in the roadway. When deputies responded they found the badly injured bear who was breathing but unable to move.

Retired Washoe Sheriff K9 dies from medical complications

Ben, a retired Washoe County Sheriff’s Office K9, passed away from medical complications this weekend. In service from 2006-2014, K9 Ben was paired with Deputy Cole Bunyard who was at the German Shepherd's side when he died.

The retired Bunyard and Ben were involved a number of assignments over their 8 year together on the force, including Patrol and Highway Interdiction. K9 Ben was also a valued tracker for lost people. K9 Ben and Deputy Bunyard were assigned as the resident deputy in Gerlach between 2010 and 2014.

240 building allocations released by TRPA to Lake Tahoe jurisdictions

In a unanimous decision during their May 24 meeting, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board voted to release 240 housing allocations to jurisdictions in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

After concern was raised during their April 26 meeting, the TRPA Governing Board's Local Government Committee met on May 11 to address the use of residential

Jasper the bear dies after being shot; Sheriff responds to shooting

Jasper, the bear shot by a deputy in Incline Village on Saturday has died as a result of her injuries.

"I am saddened to hear of the passing of the bear from yesterday's incident in Incline Village involving one of our deputies," said Washoe County Sheriff Chuck Allen. "We appreciate the efforts made by the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The Sheriff's Office will thoroughly review the incident and take whatever measures are deemed appropriate."

Deputy accidentally shoots bear with live bullet in Lake Tahoe

A Washoe County Sheriff's deputy trying to scare off a group of bears in Incline Village Saturday morning shot the mother bear with a live round instead of a rubber round.

At approximately 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2017, deputies responded to a report of a group of bears near residences in the area of Driver Way and Village Boulevard in Incline Village.

On arrival, deputies encountered a mother bear and three cubs. This group of bears had been previously identified as food aggressive and deputies have had numerous encounters with this group in recent weeks.

Flood Advisory issued for the Truckee River from North Lake Tahoe to Reno

Water management officials increased the flow out of Lake Tahoe Wednesday afternoon, prompting warnings of minor flooding along the Truckee River from the dam to Truckee, and abnormally high flows along the river through Reno and Sparks. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood advisory for Placer, Nevada, and Southern Washoe County County through 2:45 p.m. Tuesday May 2.

Winners of TRPA Lake Spirit Awards announced

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) honored four people with Lake Spirit Awards Wednesday who have shown exceptional commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe and fostering a spirit of collaboration in their work and volunteer time.

This year’s award winners do everything from helping protect Lake Tahoe communities from wildfire and aquatic invasive species to promoting alternative transportation and sustainable lifestyles.

South Shore gaming income drops in March; State is up over 7%

Casinos on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe had a gaming "win" of $16,742,788 in March, 2.3 percent less than they did in the same month last year according to a report released today by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

The gaming "win" represents the computed income of casinos before business expenses and taxes.

Even with a loss in March, local casinos are still 5.45 percent up from 2016.

Local man arrested on burglary charges after found inside Al Tahoe Post Office

A South Lake Tahoe man remains behind bars today after being arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of burglary.

On April 24 at 2:00 a.m., South Lake Tahoe Police officers responding to an alarm found 21-year-old Zachary L. Mulcahy wearing a stolen postal employee jacket inside the locked portion of the main post office. Mulcahy is accused of breaking into mailboxes while inside as he had allegedly had mail on his person that didn't belong to him.

Law enforcement round up 23 gang members - 11 of them arrested in Reno

A lengthy, multi-agency gang investigation in the Reno and Stockton areas led to the arrest of 23 people, including one correctional officer on Wednesday, April 12, 2017.

Washoe County Sheriff reacts to Reno newspaper story

In 2015 and 2016 the Washoe County Detention Facility was faced with a spike of in-custody deaths. Each of these resulted in a thorough and thoughtful investigation to help us better understand and mitigate critical community-wide issues that permeate our facility. These investigations helped lead to changes and pursuits aimed at prevention.

Man hospitalized after being hit by drunk driver in Incline Village

An early morning vehicle versus pedestrian collision in Incline Village has sent one man to the hospital and one man to jail on DUI charges.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies responded to the accident at Tanger Street near Oriole Way at 2:45 a.m. on Friday, April 7.

Their investigation led deputies to arrest the driver of the vehicle, 33-year-old Bradley Perry, for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Resulting in Substantial Bodily Harm.

Heavenly employee arrested on child exploitation and pornography charges

A 26-year-old male employee at the Heavenly Mountain Resort children’s ski school was officially charged Wednesday for child exploitation and possession of child pornography after images were found on an electronic device at the resort.

Stephan L. DeGraffenreid of Gardnerville was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of possession of child pornography.

Two women identified as suspects in Nevada burglaries

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office has warrants out for the arrest of two women in connection with a series of burglaries and burglary-related crimes in the county. One of the suspects is also a suspect in a number of burglaries currently under investigation by the Truckee Police Department, and the Carson City and Douglas County Sheriff’s Offices.

South Shore casino income drops 7% in February, Nevada down over 4%

Most regions of Nevada saw a drop in income in February when compared to a year ago, but year-to-date figures are still on the positive side.

Nevada’s nonrestricted gaming licensees reported a total “gaming win” of $945,597,573 for the month of February 2017. This amounts to a 4.48 percent decrease compared to February 2016, when licensees reported a gaming win of $989,909,589. For the fiscal year (July 1, 2016 through February 28, 2017), gaming win has increased 2.71 percent.

Hundreds run into Lake Tahoe for annual Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge

Individuals and teams from Carson City, Northern Nevada and Northern California took an icy cold dip into Lake Tahoe Saturday for the annual Special Olympics Polar Plunge, raising around $150,000 for the program's many functions.

The event at Zephyr Cove Resort featured more than 400 water warriors, many who dressed up in costumes for the event. Participants either ran, walked or swam in the 38-degree lake, which has experienced a rapid rise in its shoreline due to heavy snowfall this winter.

Two-car crash in Alpine County involves Washoe Tribal Police vehicle

The drivers of two Chevy Tahoe SUVs were involved in a crash at 10:55 a.m. on March 3 in Markleville, Calif.

A maroon 1999 Tahoe, driven by a 19-year-old female Markleville resident was traveling north on Diamond Valley Road just south of Chambers Lane. Behind her was a white Washoe Tribal Police 2014 Tahoe, driven by a 25-year-old male police officer.

Delayed start for North Shore schools, South Shore schools on winter break

Schools in the Tahoe Truckee and Washoe County School districts are on a two hour delayed start schedule for Wednesday, February 22.

Schools in the Lake Tahoe Unified and Douglas County School District are on winter break this week so not affected by the snow, except to go out and play in it!

All other area schools are on a normal schedule according to their websites.

Douglas County room tax may increase 1% to fund event center at Lake Tahoe

Transient Lodging License taxes may soon be increased one percent at properties in the Lake Tahoe portion of Douglas County (Lake Tahoe Township) to fund redevelopment projects including the addition of an event/convention center.

Overwhelming support for the tax increase was evident at the Douglas County Commissioner's meeting Thursday, where the elected officials voted 4-1 to approve the increase which would go into effect May 1, 2017.

Power out to much of Kingsbury Grade area on South Shore

11:20 p.m. update: Power is coming back on to many residents who've been without it much of Friday night. Nevada Energy is now showing 502 customers still out in the 89449 area, 193 in the 89410, 45 in 89448, 31 in 89460 and 4 in 89423.

Liberty Utilities outages remain the same.

* * *
10:55 p.m. update: Liberty Utilities reports more Lake Tahoe customers are without power. In El Dorado County 143 customers, and in Placer County, 105 customers are without power.

Friday Schools: SLT schools open, Incline closed, 2 hour delays at others

Heavy rain and snow has created some travel issues for school buses around the lake and in Washoe County. Here is an update of school schedules for Friday, February 10:

Lake Tahoe Unified School District is open (all South Lake Tahoe Schools)

Incline Village and all of Washoe County schools are closed

Tahoe Truckee schools are on a two-hour delay

Douglas County schools at the lake are on a main bus stop schedule only

Carson City, law enforcement agencies investigate new information in threats against local judge

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office and several law enforcement agencies are investigating new information related to threats made against a Carson City judge, Sheriff Ken Furlong said Thursday.

On Wednesday, Carson City Sheriff’s Office detectives and Department of Public Safety investigators received information that an inmate at the Washoe County Sheriff’s Detention Center was being held on a 2011 felony contempt of court warrant out of Carson City.

Monthly gaming figures released: Nevada down, South Shore up

Casinos on the South Shore are once again on the positive end of the monthly income report from the Nevada Gaming Board (NGB) released Tuesday.

For the first half of the fiscal year, a combination of Harrah's, Harvey's, MontBleu, Hard Rock and Lakeside Inn have had positive gains in income with a 7.65 percent increase over the same time period in 2015.

NGB reports that casinos in the area had a "win" of $18,724,329, a gain of 4.31 percent over December 2015. South Shore casinos have a net "win" of $122,510,544 to date this fiscal year.

Tahoe RCD records largest stormwater flows at monitoring sites during recent storm

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - The January 7, 2017 storm that hit the Sierra Nevada and brought with it over 5 inches of rain before several feet of snow, also brought along some records, too.

During this storm event the Tahoe Resource Conservaton District (TRCD) Stormwater Monitoring Program measured the highest flows ever recorded at all eight of their monitoring locations since monitoring began in 2013. The Tahoe Valley site, located off Tahoe Keys Blvd., measured 1.5 million cubic feet of flow, nearly 90 percent of the flow that was observed throughout the whole 2016 water year!

More snow days announced for Monday

More schools will be having a snow day on Monday. Zephyr Cove Elementary and Whittell High School just announced their closure. The other Douglas County Schools in the valley will be on a two-hour delayed start.

Up at Tahoe Truckee School District, they are watching snow and road conditions and will make their decision at 4:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District on the South Shore already announced their snow day for January 23.

Incline Village schools will also be closed and all other Washoe County schools are on a two-hour delays.

City of South Lake Tahoe declares state of emergency to pave way for funding

The South Lake Tahoe City Council members voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency in the city after widespread flooding occurred after an atmospheric river passed over the community on January 7 and 8, 2017. The flooding was replaced by several feet of snow through January 12.

While the total impact on the community during the storm has yet to be tallied, making the declaration directs state and federal funds to South Lake Tahoe to alleviate the financial burden should major repairs be needed.

All Tahoe area schools are closed Wednesday

Here is a recap of all area school closures on Wednesday, January 11.

Lake Tahoe Unified schools are closed. Only essential staff members at the District Office and Snow Removal / Maintenance staff should report to work. All other staff are asked to please stay at home.

Both Whittell High School and Zephyr Cove Elementary School are closed today. All other Douglas County Schools are open.

All Tahoe Truckee schools and offices will be closed. There will be NO morning snow phone calls on Wednesday.

Blizzard conditions cause Lake Tahoe schools to close

If you or your child go to school in Lake Tahoe, consider yourself off for the day.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District has canceled school on Tuesday, January 10 due to blizzard conditions, extending the two-week break another day.

Lake Tahoe Community College is closed. Sierra Nevada College is closed.

Both Douglas County Schools at the lake, Zephyr Cove Elementary and George Whittell High School are closed. Jacks Valley Elementary School in the valley is closed due to flooding but all other County schools are open.

South Lake Tahoe schools closed Monday due to flooding

6:53 p.m. Sunday update - Lake Tahoe Community College will also be closed Monday, January 9. Douglas County Schools have changed their original plan and all schools will be closed.

Truckee Tahoe Schools will be evaluated at 4:00 a.m. Monday, then a message will be sent out by 4:30 a.m. if closed.

All Washoe County Schools, including Incline Village, will also be closed on Monday.

* * *

Syndicate content