change

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Twenty-five California students have been named as National Youth and Young Adult Ambassadors by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for demonstrating leadership in fighting tobacco use in their communities.

These young leaders were among 133 youth and young adults from 33 states who participated in the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Digital Advocacy Symposium, a five-day online training session focused on building advocacy, communications and leadership skills.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - EL Dorado County health officials report 13 new cases of COVID-19 with 10 in the Lake Tahoe Region, and one in each El Dorado Hills, North County and Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue. Of the new cases, five are male, eight are female, eight are aged 18-49, three aged 50-64 and two are 65 or over.

There have been an estimated ten new recoveries, leaving 174 active cases.

Testing sites were able to conduct 187 new tests.

Springboarding off a course-record 63 during day two on Saturday, former American professional tennis star Mardy Fish captured victory in the 31st American Century Championship tournament victory Sunday afternoon at Edgewood Tahoe South Golf Course.

This year’s event is being played without fans at the Edgewood Course due to the coronavirus pandemic, creating a unique experience for players in the popular celebrity tournament that typically attracts large galleries.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Mardy Fish won the 31st American Century Championship (ACC) at Edgewood Tahoe on Sunday with a three-round total of 76 in the Stableford scoring system used at the popular celebrity golf tournament.

Fish followed up his record round on Saturday with a rather ordinary 21-point effort Sunday, but it was enough to claim his first title at Tahoe. He's had five top-five finishes at Edgewood in six previous appearances in the ACC.

STATELINE, Nev. - It's been 23 years in the making, and today was the first physical step to bringing the new Tahoe South Event Center to existence. The fence is up around the parking lot at MontBleu Resort, and the first shovels of dirt were moved during a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees will hear a draft proposal on what the reopening of school in the fall will look like at during a special meeting on July 14 at 5:00 p.m.

"We are in a unique time for public schools. We have been challenged to create plans for the start of the 2020/21 school year that will provide a quality education for our students and at the same time provide safety for us all. This is not an easy task," new LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler said in his weekly email to staff, parents, and the public.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If they were flowers on the ground or money in trees, most would welcome them. But they aren't. And love them or hate them, they’re back!

Miller moths, or the army cutworm, have become a nuisance in many parts of Lake Tahoe over the last few weeks, but not all areas have been affected. Those who have them around their homes are seeing dozens each night, swarming around their lights both inside and outside.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There will be some very big shoes to fill when finding a replacement for retiring El Dorado County Undersheriff Randy Peshon. On Tuesday, June 30, Peshon will be putting his badge on for the very last time. For 43 years he's been in some level of law enforcement, the last 33 years in El Dorado County.

During his career in El Dorado County, Peshon has been at the forefront of change from implementing a change in culture at the jail in South Lake Tahoe to getting the new Public Safety Facility built under budget and ahead of schedule.

Masks or face coverings are now required to be worn in the Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) terminal’s public areas, by order of Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. The face coverings order was announced Wednesday.

Due to the change, signage describing the new rules is in place and highly visible.

The California Tahoe Conservancy Board will meet online on Thursday, June 25 at 9:30 a.m. to consider authorization for awarding grants related to public access improvements, climate change adaptation, and forest restoration. The Board will consider approving a combined $1.3 million in recreation and public access improvement grants and $676,000 in forest health grants

Some of those grants:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dr. James Tarwater will be bringing his 54-year career in education to a close this month as he passes the torch to the new Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) superintendent June 30.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The local community is invited to participate in an online survey to give input on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies that have been brainstormed for the City of South Lake Tahoe's Climate Action Plan (CAP).

If ever there was a time to draw on the healing powers of Lake Tahoe, it’s now. The COVID crisis, complete with loss of life and wide-ranging financial impacts, is being compounded by human struggle and a wellspring of social justice demonstrations that are gripping the nation. One of our core values at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is collaboration -- building collaborative relationships to protect Lake Tahoe. I can tell you that Tahoe's successes have not ever come from reinforcing divisions. The imagined “us vs them" simply creates false divides.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Scientists and researchers have been watching the clarity of Lake Tahoe for decades, rejoicing when one can see almost 100 feet down into the iconic body of water, sadness when clarity drops to record levels.

The clarity of the lake is an important indicator of the changing conditions of Lake Tahoe.

In 2019, Lake Tahoe's clarity decreased nearly eight feet from the previous year's dramatic 10-foot improvement. The average clarity in 2019 was 62.7 feet, the second-lowest on record. In 2017, the recorded clarity was 60 feet. In 1968, it was 102 feet.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities is presenting their tenth and final "Tip of the Week," an ongoing series for the public since they are unable to perform their normal community outreach services. All tips are ways people can prepare for wildfire while staying at home.

Weekly Tip #10: Connect Virtually

Wilder Than Wild Virtual Screening

The Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities (Tahoe Network), with generous support from the Tahoe Fund, is hosting a free virtual screening of the award-winning documentary Wilder than Wild: Fire, Forests, and the Future through the Tahoe Art Haus & Cinema from June 5 - June 11, 2020.

Wilder than Wild is a one-hour documentary that reveals how fire suppressioand 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.

With regions re-opening for medical treatments and elective surgeries put on hold due to COVID-19, the need for blood has increased by 25 percent compared to recent weeks. Blood donors are needed to help people through procedures previously delayed, including heart surgeries, cancer treatments, and organ/marrow transplants. Some needs never change including blood for massive trauma, childbirth complications, and emergency surgeries.

All blood types and blood components are needed for patient care now.

When a pandemic hits the best practice is one of consideration. Learn more about how Lake Tahoe Yoga is adjusting to the changes brought on by Covid-19.

Hands Off
One of the best parts of sharing the practice at Lake Tahoe Yoga is receiving physical adjustments. All of the teachers trained at the Lake Tahoe Yoga School learn how to provide supportive and effective adjustments that help you to either deepen or develop awareness during your practice.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District will be holding a regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, May 26 at 5:00 p.m., followed by closed session.

The meeting can be viewed on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHZeyuZYC9ZXKyTO2k-sJ5Q, and public comment can be made in three ways (see at the end of the story).

A provisional board member will be selected Tuesday night. Three people have applied to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Barbara Bannar. Vying to fill out her term are Chris Proctor, David Wise, and Lauri Kemper.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If you've been driving through town lately you've most likely noticed the road work on Al Tahoe Boulevard.

After a restriping/lane change pilot project in 2017 that reconfigured two of the four vehicle travel lanes and added buffered bike lanes on Al Tahoe Blvd., the rest of the project has now begun. The project has been years in the making through the planning, funding, public input, and permitting stages.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Boat ramps around Lake Tahoe will start opening this week, but at this time only vessels with an intact Lake Tahoe inspection seal can launch and no uninspected vessels from outside the Tahoe Region will be able to get on the water.

All passengers on Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) buses will be required to wear a face covering while on transit buses and in transit facilities starting Monday, May 18.

This new requirement is to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain and in line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Alpine County is grateful to report that we still have only one resident with a laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19 infection. That occurred in March, the person was not hospitalized, and has recovered. Surrounding counties continue to report either no change or a small increase in the number of cases (El Dorado – 56, with 20 in South Lake Tahoe, Douglas (NV) – 24, Calaveras – 13, Amador – 8, Tuolumne – 2, Mono - 32).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Summer-like weather around Lake Tahoe is gone for now. There is a Lake Wind Advisory in place for Lake Tahoe from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday. Stronger winds will be north of US50 and east of US395. The winds will bring a cooling trend as a low-pressure system reaches the northwest U.S. coast. From Tuesday through Thursday, below-average temperatures are expected with breezy winds and chances for rain and high elevation snow showers mainly near the Sierra and north of Interstate 80.