Awareness

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe (HSTT) is joining local veterinarians as well as the Town of Truckee in providing free spay and neuter surgeries during World Spay Day on February 25 and February's Spay/Neuter Awareness Month around Lake Tahoe.

The procedures are available for qualifying cats or dogs in the community to mark World Spay Day on February 25th, 2020. South Lake Tahoe appointments are full that day, but there are still some available on the North Shore.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Youth participating in SOS Outreach participated in a leadership evening on Thursday evening where they listened to a panel of three South Lake Tahoe leaders and learned about how to create positive change in breakout sessions.

SOS Outreach is a national youth development nonprofit that mentors at-risk and underserved youth with positive adults through outdoor activities. Youth in their fourth year of the mentor program have been building and practicing leadership skills and other life skills over the past years and were chosen to participate on Thursday.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With vaping a growing problem in local schools, the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition (DFC) recently held an anti-vaping, anti-drug poster contest at the high school.

Six South Tahoe High School students were recognized last week for their creativity and artwork, and three of the entries will be used in an anti-vaping campaign to draw awareness to the growing problem not only in South Lake Tahoe but across the globe.

The awards went to:

1st place: Madison DialTuttle - $200
2nd place: Alexandra Otomo - $100
3rd place: Aeris Wright - $50

It was an eventful week for students and staff at South Tahoe High School. With unfortunate news, fundraisers, and the end to successful “fall sports” seasons. STHS is getting ready for Thanksgiving break.

On Campus

Thursday morning, woodshop teacher, Nathan Crnich was arrested at the STHS campus on sexual misconduct charges. While news was shocking to many, students said they feel safer.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Millions around the world participated in the Global Climate Strike this past September, trying to make their voices heard as they called for action.

A reported 7.6 million people took to the streets, the biggest climate mobilization in history. From small villages to big cities, people spoke, walked, joined hands and used their voices in defense of the climate and an end to reliance on fossil fuels.

The Amgen Tour of California race has been put on hiatus for the 2020 racing season according to an announcement Tuesday by AEG, the sports and live entertainment company that produces the race each year. Over the past 14 years, the cycling tour has showcased some of today’s best known and most decorated international cyclists, including numerous World, Olympic and National Champions. South Lake Tahoe has been a host city on both the men's and women's sides of the popular rolling festival.

It’s the terrible ‘c’ word, cancer. Almost everyone has someone in their lives battling or who has lost the fight against cancer. It takes a toll on everyone. Personally, I have a cousin who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and he likely has less than two years with his family.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A three-year effort to survey the Upper Truckee River for aquatic invasive plants has wrapped up. Community members, supported by staff from the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Resource Conservation District, and California State Parks joined together to map the plants in order to prevent their spread during major upcoming restoration projects along the river, Lake Tahoe’s largest tributary.

Hundreds of people will be coming together on September 27-28, 2019 to raise money, awareness, and hope for those battling prostate cancer. A rally started Friday with riders heading to Lake Tahoe and Reno for Street Vibrations, will continue with more rides Saturday and wrap up with a benefit dinner Saturday night at MontBleu.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As the Global Climate Strike was taking place around the world will millions of people participating, approximately 200 people in South Lake Tahoe held their own on the shores of Lake Tahoe at Lakeview Commons.

Several speakers addressed the crowd, one bigger than organizers imagined.

"This is a fantastic turnout," said organizer Stephen Wright of South Lake Tahoe. "Kids even left school."

Wright was referring to a group of students who walked from South Tahoe High to Lakeview Commons (a 4-mile trek) to join in.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Signs highlighting suicide awareness have been placed around the campus of Lake Tahoe Community College, all in preparation for the third annual Awareness Walk: Emily's Walk for Hope on Saturday.

Walk organizer Lisa Utzig Schafer of the Suicide Prevention Network got the signs up in time for the college's new student celebration. The group is inviting the community to participate in the walk that focuses on remembering those lost to suicide and to help end the stigma surrounding suicide.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev.- The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public, especially our senior population to be aware of a recent telephone scam being reported to the Sheriff’s Office. This advisement was issued in July of this year, however the Sheriff’s office is receiving reports the calls continue. Unidentified callers are telling the person answering the phone they have a warrant issued from the Sheriff’s Office or another Federal Law Enforcement Agency. The scammer is seeking large sums of money, generally $2000 to $5000 be sent via the mail in the form of pre-paid gift cards.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The third annual Awareness Walk: Emily's Walk for Hope will take place on Saturday, September 21 at Lake Tahoe Community College. The Suicide Prevention Network invites the community to participate in a walk that focuses on remembering those lost to suicide and to help end the stigma surrounding suicide.

Emily’s Walk for Hope was founded in 2017 by longtime local, Susan Alessi. Susan is the mother of Emily Ann Alessi, born and raised in South Lake Tahoe who died by suicide in 2014.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The 2nd annual Reef’s Run for Hydrocephalus Awareness will be held at Round Hill Pines Resort on Sunday, September 8 at 8:30 a.m.

The run is in support of Reef Woldt, a three-year-old South Lake Tahoe boy with hydrocephalus, and all others will the condition that affects more than one million Americans.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, LifePoint Church, Awaken are hosting a Human Trafficking Awareness Seminar with John Vanek. The nationally recognized anti-human trafficking consultant and speaker is returning to the area for the seminar at LifePoint Church on Wednesday, August 7, 2019, at 6:00 p.m.

During a wildfire, small hot embers can be carried miles ahead of a wildfire. When these embers land on something easily combustible on or near your home, it is in jeopardy of burning, even if it is not in the path of the flame front. Your home can survive when the embers arrive.

The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities is sharing a list of places homes are vulnerable to embers and how to prepare your homes along with an "Ember Awareness Checklist". The numbers match those in the photo:

1. Wood Roof

The Northern Nevada Women & Philanthropy Forum is designed to bring awareness to the impact that women have on philanthropy--it is a day-long platform to discuss current trends in giving, the wealth transfer that women are leading, and philanthropy in the digital age.

Location

Welcome to summer! The solstice officially arrived Friday at 8:54 a.m., welcoming in the longest day of the year. As the snowpack melts away, and the lake fills above rim, we enter the warm and dry months that we relish after winter. As Lake Tahoe’s landscape begins to dry out, wildfire danger will grow.

Our respite from the seasonal dangers of wildfire here in the basin is coming to an end. With temperatures climbing, relative humidity lowering, and afternoon winds blowing across the lake, the basin will become susceptible to wildfire.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With electrical transmission lines found to be at fault in recent California fires, agencies responsible for supplying electricity to communities have been creating plans to prevent fires in the future.

Both companies that supply power to Lake Tahoe, NV Energy and Liberty Utilities, have announced new mitigation efforts to reduce the risk of fire.

Even with the increase in anti-distracted driving campaigns, abusers of this law are on the rise according to data received during the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April.

During April, 19,850 citations were issued to drivers who violated California’s hands-free cell phone laws. This is a 3.6 percent increase from April 2018.

Today I witnessed selflessness in it’s purest form. Here is an athlete cheering on another whose abilities are more physically challenged than his own. He recognizes the effort it takes for his friend to accomplish the task before him. Ryan Willfords, who is in the wheelchair, is a long time friend of Michael Cotter his faithful encourager.

South Tahoe High School students took the week to promote end-of-year events and commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month. Testing begins, sports end and school spirit is running wild.

On Campus
STHS is taking time to observe Mental Health Awareness Month in May by sending out advice to students, including posting positive comments on social media, writing for fun, and learning a new skill. Here’s what some students plan to do:

Senior Tess Devine is attending therapy more regularly to strengthen her mental health.

LAKE TAHOE, CA/NV - The award-winning documentary "Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future" will be shown at three locations around Lake Tahoe in the coming weeks, starting on Thursday, May 30 in Incline Village.

Wilder Than Wild is a one-hour documentary that reveals how fire suppression and climate change have exposed Western landscapes to large, high-intensity wildfires. The film goes on to explore strategies that are being developed to help mitigate the impact of these fires.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A full day of earth-friendly events and activities returns to South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, April 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bijou Community Park, located at 1201 Al Tahoe Boulevard.

Earth Day recognizes, celebrates and promotes our region’s unique beauty while educating people about its environmental issues. South Lake Tahoe’s free event includes children’s activities, local vendors, environmental booths, nature walks with Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, and live “river rock and mountain blues” by Boot Juice.