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The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) will resume prescribed fire operations this week in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Operations will continue over the next several weeks, conditions and weather permitting. Smoke may be visible.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 376 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since Thursday. Of those, 38 are in El Dorado Hills, 67 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 130 in Greater Placerville, 4 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 38 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 14 in North County, 8 in South County, 51 in Lake Tahoe region. Awaiting address confirmation from today's count: 0. Total now awaiting address confirmation: 58.

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 and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma, and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at the time of the story.

Last Week's Log: http://southtahoenow.com/story/12/27/2020/el-dorado-county-sheriffs-report

This Week's Log:

12/27

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County join the rest of the Greater Sacramento Region and will remain under a regional stay-at-home order due to declining hospital ICU bed availability.

Today the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19, including data on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity across the state. Based on ICU data, four regions, San Joaquin Valley, Southern California, Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area continue under the Regional Stay at Home Order.

Through the pandemic, legislative sessions in Sacramento were canceled just as they were across the country, not giving the time needed to add new legislation. As a result, in 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom signed the lowest number of laws since 1967, just 372. In comparison, in 2019 there were 870 new laws, 1016 in 2018 and 859 in 2017.

Many of the new laws are centered around COVID-19, addressing systemic racism, employee rights and policing. For a full list, select 2020 here.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 70 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, 14 are in El Dorado Hills, 17 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 23 in Greater Placerville, 4 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 3 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 6 in North County, 2 in South County, 0 in Lake Tahoe region. Awaiting address confirmation: 1. Total now awaiting address confirmation: 58.

Of those new cases, 6 are under the age of 18, 29 are age 18-49, 16 are aged 50-64, and 19 aged 65 or older. Total date of birth unknown: 4

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 36 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, 6 are in El Dorado Hills, 4 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 14 in Greater Placerville, -2 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 0 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 0 in North County, 2 in South County, 8 in Lake Tahoe region. Awaiting address confirmation: 3. Total now awaiting address confirmation: 57.

One of those new cases, -1 are under the age of 18, 24 are age 18-49, 7 are aged 50-64, and 6 aged 65 or older. Total date of birth unknown: 4

PHILLIPS STATIONS, Calif. - The Sierra snow pack was measured at 93 percent of average on Thursday at Phillips Station, west of Lake Tahoe, the first of the winter 2020 snow pack surveys.

A team from California Department of Water Resources (DWR) found 30.5 inches of snow with 10.5 inches of snow water equivalent (SWE).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 104 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, 14 are in El Dorado Hills, 19 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 44 in Greater Placerville, 6 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 5 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 5 in North County, 1 in South County, 8 in Lake Tahoe region. Awaiting address confirmation: 2. Total now awaiting address confirmation: 54.

One of those new cases, 9 are under the age of 18, 40 are age 18-49, 20 are aged 50-64, and 35 aged 65 or older. Total date of birth unknown: 4

STATELINE, Nev. - Nevada’s non-restricted gaming licensees reported a total “gaming win” of $771,162,743 for the month of November 2020, the sixth month of casinos reopening in the state after being closed due to the coronavirus. This amounts to a 17.75 percent decrease compared to November 2019, when licensees reported a gaming win of $937,533,406, according to the monthly report released by the Nevada Gaming Control Board today.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 414 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since Thursday. Of those, 67 are in El Dorado Hills, 67 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 140 in Greater Placerville, 30 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 30 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 20 in North County, 7 in South County, 50 in Lake Tahoe region. Awaiting address confirmation: 3. Total now awaiting address confirmation: 52.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A late Christmas Day weather system dropped several inches of snow around Lake Tahoe. A second colder system will be on its heels Sunday night into Monday and will provide chances for another round of snow. Additional fast moving storms are possible going into 2021.

Ski resorts are reporting the following 24-four snowfall reports at the beginning of operations Saturday:

Heavenly - 3"
Sierra-at-Tahoe - 7"
Kirkwood - 8"
Homewood - 7"
Squaw/Alpine - 12"
Northstar - 5"
Mt. Rose - 10"
Diamond Peak - 4"

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 72 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, 20 are in El Dorado Hills, 15 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 13 in Greater Placerville, 3 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 3 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 6 in North County, 2 in South County, 4 in Lake Tahoe region. Awaiting address confirmation: 49.

One of those new cases, 8 are under the age of 18, 34 are age 18-49, 16 are aged 50-64, and 14 aged 65 or older. Total date of birth unknown: 4

The inaugural Light Up the South Shore Holiday Contest lit up the community with some much-needed Christmas cheer. Over 50 businesses and residents competed with their festive displays for the five coveted awards. The contest was held by the Tahoe Chamber.

Congratulations to the winners:

Best in Show Award Winner: The Cork and More
Honorable Mention: South of North Brewing Company

The Clark Griswold Award Winner: Cold Water Brewery and Grill
Honorable Mention: Revive Coffee & Wine

Best Window Display Winner: Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe
Honorable Mention: Eagle Protect PBC

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Facing an influx of tourists during the Governor's Regional Stay-at-Home order just as South Lake Tahoe has seen, the Town of Truckee Council unanimously passed an urgency ordinance Tuesday night to protect the public's health. Any hotel, motel or vacation home rental in use during the Stay-at-Home order can now face the revoking, suspension or denial of their Tourist Occupancy Certificate.

The Stay-at-Home order states lodging properties are to not be rented to anyone except essential workers in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Paying it forward has spread quickly through the South Lake Tahoe community this holiday season, and now the City is joining in to help those in need while at the same time helping out small locally-owned restaurants.

The “Pay It Forward” initiative involves community members and organizations contributing money to open tabs at local restaurants. It’s a program that helps those in need and helps support the restaurants when they need it the most.

El Dorado County, Placer County and Town of Truckee representatives have sent a letter to Airbnb, asking for assistance stopping short-term rentals (STR) during the current Stay at Home Order. They told the vacation rental booking company that their help is needed to stop the spread of COVID-19 and asked them to not allow rentals in Truckee and the California side of Lake Tahoe during the order which is through at least January 1.

Christmas started early for this guy once the pandemic hit. I put my Christmas lights up over the 4th of July and for a short while started watching Christmas movies too to try and get that feel-good feeling happening. Okay, I also did it because I wanted to watch movies where no one was wearing a mask and hugging one another without fear of being exposed. I’ve always enjoyed movies for their pure escapism and who doesn’t want to escape what we’ve been through already ya know? I also like being wrapped around a movie completely.

While most students across the country have been learning online this fall because of the coronavirus, a group of students at Western Nevada College (WNC) took advantage of an exciting hands-on scientific learning opportunity earlier this month.

Students and science professors gathered at Jack C. Davis Observatory’s parking lot early in the morning and sent a helium-filled balloon nearly 17 miles into the stratosphere to record high-altitude data, then retrieved the balloon’s payload, which included instruments and sensors, in a cow pasture a few towns away in Minden.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Due to an internal issue at El Dorado County there will be no updates on figures Friday. They are reporting 90 new cases but no other information is available. Figures provided on Monday will include Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

We can tell you there are currently 25 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the county with 9 of them in the ICU at Barton and Marshall. According to the State's website, 11 of the non-ICU patients and 3 of the ICU patients are in Barton, with 14/6 at Marshall. There are currently no suspected cases at Barton.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The snow is still falling this morning so totals are not yet available, but as ski resorts opened they were reporting 3"-4" with more coming. Temperatures were too high for snow at midnight, but they have since dropped allowing snow to start falling.

The Winter Storm Advisory expires at 10:00 a.m.

Use caution on roads around Lake Tahoe as there are controls on all of them. Here are those controls as of 9:00 a.m.:

US50

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Lake Tahoe Basin from 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 16 to 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning.

Snow is expected with total snow accumulations of 3 to 8 inches for communities around Lake Tahoe and near Truckee, with amounts to near 12 inches above 7000 feet possible. Winds could gust as high as 100 mph over exposed Sierra ridges, according to NWS Reno.

Christmas Cheer, the South Lake Tahoe-based food pantry, is in need of food to give to the local community. The Tahoe Chamber has teamed up with a chamber member who is matching donations of food and cash given to Christmas Cheer this season up to $1,500.

All donating with locally purchased items and donated funds are eligible for the Chamber's Go Local Passport program. Spending locally gives the donator entries into the passport's $500 grand prize.

What is needed most this week at Christmas Cheer are hams and turkeys.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 331 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since Friday. Of those, 72 are in El Dorado Hills, 80 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 98 in Greater Placerville, 20 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 28 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 18 in North County, 3 in South County, 39 in Lake Tahoe region. 27 of the previous cases awaiting address confirmation have been completed, and the pending address confirmation count is now 78.