4th of july

Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) has released the name of the 93-year-old man who died after a single car crash on SR207/Kingsbury Grade on July 20.

World War II veteran John Jacob Filas of Zephyr Cove was driving his Ford Ranger when it drifted off the road and crashed into a tree. NHP responded to the 2:44 p.m. accident. Filas was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center where he later died due to his injuries.

Well before the fireworks are set off above Lake Tahoe at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, families will be able enjoy a plethora of activities along the South Shore.

The day starts off with the Annual South Lake Tahoe 4th of July Parade at 10 a.m. The procession will start at the SLT Recreation Center, to Highway 50 and down to Cardinale Way past the "Y." It will be over by 11 a.m.

It may seem like lyrics from the Five Man Electrical Band: Sign, sign, everywhere a sign; Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind' Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Everyone wants to enjoy the South Lake Tahoe area on the 4th of July holiday weekend. In order to keep everyone safe there are rules and regulations in place to do so.

1. Portable Charcoal Grills Prohibited on All Forest Service Beaches. You can use the limited number of Forest Service provided grills.
2. Campfires are not permitted on National Forest beaches or in the general forest.

What began two years ago as an organized response to firework debris found on South Lake Tahoe beaches has turned into a major community wide trash pick up effort, gathering what beach goers left behind after the 4th of July activities.

But cleaning up beaches on the South Shore isn't anything new for long-time local Kenny Curtzwiler. One could call him the 'Godfather of Tahoe Beach Clean Ups."

With illegal and unattended campfires the cause of over 90% of wildfires in the Lake Tahoe Basin, new fire restrictions go into place on July 1, 2015. Campfires and charcoal barbecues will be restricted to designated recreation sites, and other fire-related activities are prohibited until the end of fire season.

“Increased fire danger due to the ongoing drought combined with warmer and dryer weather is a big concern for the basin," said U.S. Forest Service fire management officer, Kit Bailey. "Fire restrictions help reduce the possibility of human caused fires.”

Just as the annual parade through South Lake Tahoe on the 4th of July was gaining momentum, it has been canceled for 2015.

A disappointed JoAnn Conner, owner of the parade organizer Golden Bear Events, released the message on Facebook and via email on Thursday, June 17.

"I am sorry to have to report that the popular 4th of July Parade is cancelled this year," Conner said. "There were a couple of huge last minute hurdles that just came up. No time to overcome them."

A trip to South Lake Tahoe for the 4th of July fireworks turned deadly in 2014 for a couple from Dixon, CA when the motorcycle they were riding was struck by a drunk driver in the Twin Bridges area.

Megan Hickel, 28, was sentenced on Monday to 12 years in state prison for killing the couple, 48-year-old Richard Schwab and his wife Kelly, age 49.

El Dorado County Superior Court Presiding Judge Suzanne Kingsbury handed down the sentence after Hickel pled guilty to two counts gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

May 30-31 Valhalla Renaissance Faire @ Camp Richardson
Wagon Train Rendezvous @ Zephyr Cove / Wagon Train parade
June 01 Phat Caddy Monday @ Fat Cat Cafe
June 02 DJ Dakini, Oneness, Lo-G @ Whisky Dicks
June 03 Chad Bushnell @ Hard Rock Hotel
June 03-07 Heath Hyche @ Improv at Harveys
June 04 Ike and Martin @ Jimmy's at The Landing
Lacey, LaBella, and Richardson @ Cottonwood Bar & Grill
Serina Williams, Lost Whiskey Engine @ Moody's Bistro
June 05-06 Bias and Dunn @ Bar of America
The George Souza Trio @ Moody's Bistro
June 05 Superlicious @ Hard Rock Hotel

The Lake Valley Fire Protection District is one of two members of the California Tahoe Emergency Services Operations Authority (JPA). The JPA has a contract with the County of El Dorado to provide Advanced Life Support Ambulance Services to the California side of the Lake Tahoe South Shore as well as a portion of Alpine County. The JPA has been providing this since 2001.

Citations, warnings and medical assistance were given to 169 people during holiday celebrations on South Lake Tahoe beaches operated by the U.S. Forest Service on July 4th.

• 32 - Personal Possession of marijuana (Cites and Warnings)
• 31 - Minors in Possession of Alcohol (Cites)
• 8 – Combination of Arrests for Disorderly Conduct, Cocaine, Crystal Meth, LSD, Pills, Warrant, & Probation Violations
• 12 - 415 Incidents
• 72 – Alcohol Prohibition violations (Cites and Warnings)
• 14 – Medical Aids

Thousands flocked to Lake Tahoe beaches for the 4th of July and left behind thousands of pounds of trash. Several groups have been participating in the Adopt a Beach cleanup program that is getting volunteers out to clean up the mess, both trash and fireworks debris.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe had over 120 volunteers participate in their annual Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue Beach Cleanup. They cleaned at Commons Beach in Tahoe City, Nevada Beach and Zephyr Shoals on the East Shore, and Kiva, Regan and El Dorado beaches on the South Shore for a total of about 3 miles of shoreline.

Overall, the 4th of July was busy but things went pretty well according to Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini. "A lot of people enjoyed the 4th in Lake Tahoe," he said. "We scheduled a lot of deputies to handle the extra crowds and didn't see a lot of problems. We managed well and were prepared."

Nevada Beach has been an alcohol free beach for the holiday since the 1990s which is something Sheriff Pierini said needed to be done. "Having that ordinance made a big difference," he said.

Communities across the country are celebrating America's Independence Day and South Lake Tahoe is no different.

Thousands of visitors have come to town to enjoy fireworks, BBQs and family fun. There are many ways to celebrate Friday:

Head out to watch the 3rd Annual Fourth of July Parade at 10 a.m. Cars, trucks and other vehicles will set out from Les Schwab Tires at the Y and head down Highway 50 to the American Legion where there will be a BBQ. Sit along the street (the best views are on the same side of the street as the parade will be moving).

"I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival," the 2nd President of the United States John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail. "It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."

Adams wrote of the country's celebration of America's independence on July 4.

South Lake Tahoe will have many of those activities for everyone to enjoy, including a parade!

This year’s Independence and Labor Day fireworks display challenge has proved that Tahoe South is a team. As in other situations I recall over the years, we come together in times of crisis and demonstrate that we care deeply about this special place we call home. This summer, we as a community are forming a new team – Team Fireworks – and every member counts.

They’ve been called unpleasant names that can’t be printed. They’ve received death threats. For a few days one may even assume they were hated. That was then.

They’re being called courageous. They’re being called heroes. They’re being thanked for caring about our environment and bringing the effect of fireworks in the lake to the forefront. That is now.

The message to Joseph and Joan Truxler is simple and clear: Meet with us, come up with a solution and drop your lawsuit by April 4. If the suit isn't dropped by then the South Lake Tahoe 4th of July Fireworks display will be canceled.

With Tahoe South’s two annual fireworks celebrations meeting all state and federal standards throughout their 30-year history, area tourism officials strongly denounced a lawsuit that could threaten the annual July Fourth and Labor Day events as totally unnecessary.

In November, Joseph and Joan Truxler, of Zephyr Cove, Nev., filed a federal lawsuit against the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and Pyro Spectaculars North alleging the twice-annual fireworks shows violated the Clean Water Act.

This was the 16th annual after 4th of July cleanup performed by Skibum Family Inc. Our crew starts at 7AM and empty's all the garbage cans as well as rakes the lawn areas picking up what is left behind by tourists and locals alike. We cover the entire El Dorado Beach walkway, sitting area, BBQ area and boat ramp. We then head down Lakeview Avenue stopping at the side streets to pick up garbage then continue down to Reagen Beach and finish at the wedding park area. STR lets us dump for free. No surprises in the garbage which came in at about 5100 pounds.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office reports the 2013, 4th of July celebration in Douglas County and around Lake Tahoe went well.

The celebratory crowds in the Stateline, Round Hill and Zephyr Cove areas of Lake Tahoe were large and with exception of a few altercations in the downtown Casino Core area, Nevada Beach and Zephyr Cove Beach, the crowd was relatively well behaved. Motorists were cooperative with the road closures and traffic control required for the fireworks display.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Feb. 6-12.

Below is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Dec. 12-18. We want to note a big fish caught by Eric St. Denis of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., pictured above. Eric caught a 28-pound, 9-ounce Mackinaw trout at Lake Tahoe on Dec. 9, at 10:30 a.m. Photos courtesy of Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters.
The Lake Tahoe record for Mackinaw Trout is a 37-pound, 6-ounce (44 inches in length) trophy caught by Robert Aronsen, way back in 1974. To date, only a handful of Macks have been caught that have weighed 30 pounds or more.

There are so many real issues we face as a city and significant problems we must solve. But not today!
Today, this week, this month, this season is all about the fun. It’s summer in Tahoe and the weather is glorious.
Take off your shoes and run in the sand. See how far you can walk out into the lake before your feet tingle with the cold. Grab your beach chair and a book. Ride a jet ski or a mountain bike. Hike a forested trail the ends in an amazing vista. Find a hidden waterfall or cove. Watch nature unfold in all its glory.