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STATELINE, Nev. - Using the MLK Day of Service to volunteer, staff from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) spent Monday picking up trash around the informal sled hill between Heavenly Village and Harrah's Tahoe.

The 11 volunteers picked up 68.5 lbs of trash equaling 90 gallons of volume. TRPA is part of the League to Save Lake Tahoe Blue Crew and have committed their volunteers to working in the area twice a month. They'll be back later this week to clean along Montreal Road and Van Sickle Bi-State Park.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has begun closing recreational facilities for the winter season. Seasonal closures apply to many National Forest recreation sites in the Tahoe Basin including beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and forest roads.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - We have all seen the photos of trash left behind on beaches, trails, parking lots and surrounding dumpsters not only in Lake Tahoe but across the country. This is only the tip of the problem and managing our trash is key to prevent landfills being overflowed with our unnecessary waste.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Trash has been the topic of conversation around Lake Tahoe this summer with the influx of visitors during the pandemic and much more trash found left behind. In a few stories this week we will be looking at efforts and education to keep things clean.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With months of people being under "Stay at Home" orders, and if the past few days are any indication, this holiday weekend will be busy at Lake Tahoe as people get out in the fresh air, hike, bike, go to the beach and get on the water.

The July Fourth holiday at Lake Tahoe will look a bit different this year with firework shows canceled, social distancing, the requirement of face coverings in public places and growing concerns about responsible recreation.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Spring is in full swing in the Tahoe Basin and Tahoe black bears are searching for food. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears results in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues as well as fines and possible jail time for violators. Each year, local law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat or are damaging property. In some cases, the bear must be euthanized.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - There will be no Earth Day Celebration festivals around the lake this year, but Lake Tahoe and Truckee event organizers have created a virtual version with daily activities for the whole family.

Despite the current global situation, everyone can still celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day thanks to the team at The Tahoe Fund spearheaded a group via their Take Care program that has provided daily activities and challenges for students and parents to participate in over the course of the week.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Many know the annual winter SnowGlobe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe as a gathering of electronic music fans in the cold outdoors, but they may not know about the behind the scenes efforts to make the event sustainable and to ensure they leave no trace behind where it comes to products used and trash.

To help them in these efforts, Waste Free Earth is on board to create an environment of sustainability through strict guidelines for vendors and sponsors, recycling waste bins throughout the event, and daily trash pickup and sorting.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's that time of year again when the Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) begins the winter closure of their recreational facilities around the Lake Tahoe Basin. Seasonal closures apply to many Forest Service recreation sites including beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and National Forest roads.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be another fire in California, but when and where cannot be predicted and is unknown - but what is known is there will be another community that is devastated by wildland fire.

Residents around Lake Tahoe and the Sierra know this all too well and have been talking about concerns of wildfire threats in and around the Tahoe Basin. Those conversations have turned into plans and the City of South Lake Tahoe has just released an interactive website to help both residents and visitors map out an evacuation plan based on their neighborhood.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is more to do in South Lake Tahoe on the 4th of July than watch one of the top fireworks shows in the west.

To start off the holiday, the City of South Lake Tahoe is organizing the annual 4th of July parade down Highway 50 from Ski Run Boulevard to Bijou Community Park on Al Tahoe Boulevard starting at 10:00 a.m.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is taking a first, big step toward helping address the lack of affordable student housing in the community by leasing a five-unit apartment building near Ski Run Blvd.

The college's trustees gave authority to school administration to sign a five-year lease with the owner of that apartment building during their meeting Tuesday evenings. The lease starts on July 2, 2019.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Lake Tahoe natural resource and law enforcement agencies remind residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal at all times while in bear country. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears can result in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues, as well as fines and possible jail time for violators. Each year law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat or are damaging property. In some cases, the bear must be euthanized.

Several campgrounds, day-use and picnic areas, roads and beaches on National Forest lands around Lake Tahoe are being closed up for the winter season.

Campgrounds already closed include Bayview, Fallen Leaf, Kaspian, Meeks Bay, Nevada Beach and William Kent. Day-use areas and beaches closed include Baldwin, Kaspian, Meeks Bay, Nevada Beach, Pope and William Kent.

The Tallac Historic Site closed up at the end of September though the grounds remain open.

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 time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

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12:34 a.m. - Bear Break-in - Country Club Dr

Citing a lack of bear boxes and contractors to install them, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department has extended the July 31, 2018 deadline their installation at vacation home rentals (VHRs) for two months.

The new ordinance that went into effect December 22, 2017 gave homeowners of the VHRs until this month to have them installed. While hundreds have been installed, there are still many waiting to get them in the ground and they are on waiting lists.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) had their hands full on Tuesday before, during and after the first of two Phish concerts at the outdoor arena at Harveys Lake Tahoe.

Trash including empty alcohol bottles and beer boxes littered much of the open space surrounding Stateline and Cedar Avenues where hundreds of fans lined the streets. In addition to the trash, pop-up tents with vendors starting selling clothing and other items illegally.

The owner of the corner property, chateau at the Village, sent out crews to help clean, according to SLTPD Lt. David Stevenson.

There will be a series of five public meetings in Douglas County to discuss proposed code amendment changes to their Vacation Home Rental Ordinance. In the old code, vacation home rentals (VHRs) were only allowed in the Tahoe Township (lake portion of the county), but the proposed changes will include VHRs in all areas.

Other proposed changes in the ordinance include:

All VHRs must have a contact person in Douglas County and the property manager must be licensed by the State of Nevada Division of Real Estate.
Unpermitted homes will be fined $500 per day up to $10,000.

If you haven't already bagged up your pine needles this spring, now you have a chance to earn a free or discounted beer. Perhaps you've been waiting for the rain to stop so you can start filling those garbage bag, a Lake Tahoe ritual.

Now you can participate in a social media campaign to quench your thirst when done.

In an attempt to keep trash contained and not easy for wildlife to access, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors approved a new ordinance Tuesday that has rules for single family residents, multi-unit complexes, businesses and vacation home rentals (VHRs).

The ordinance affects those living in the unincorporated area of the Lake Tahoe Basin, including Meyers and Tahoma.

There will be progressive enforcement by the El Dorado County Environmental Management Department:

South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County will be joining thousands of communities across the United States when they participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration “National Drug Take Back" on Saturday, April 28.

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 Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

Some of those recently added to last week's log:

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2:10 p.m. - Disorderly Conduct: Alcohol - Sierra-at-Tahoe - ADULT MALE WAS ARRESTED FOR PUBLIC INTOXICATION

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Residents in South Lake Tahoe will soon be paying more for garbage pick-up after the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted 4-1 to approve South Tahoe Refuse's request to raise rates for residential customers by 8.81 percent, the biggest one-time increase ever added to the service.

The rate increase will go into effect January 1, 2018.

The monthly rate for SLT customers will go from $26.55 to #28.89 for unlimited service, and increase of $2.34. Qualified seniors (65 and over and part of Liberty Utilities Care program) will pay an extra $1.95, taking their monthly rate to $24.15.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will soon begin closing recreational facilities and forest roads around the Lake Tahoe Basin for the winter season. Seasonal closures apply to many Forest Service recreation sites including beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and forest roads. Keep in mind that Tahoe Valley and Zephyr Cove Resort campgrounds remain open year-round along with Camp Richardson and Zephyr Cove resorts and beaches.