government.

Briant Benson, 59, of El Dorado Hills, pleaded guilty today to tax evasion after failing to file tax returns or pay any personal income tax to the IRS, despite receiving at least $2 million dollars in income.

It was an overflowing crowd at the Tahoe Beach Retreat on Wednesday evening at the housing forum hosted by the Tahoe Regional Young Professionals. A well informed panel of experts in the field of affordable housing answered a slew of questions from both the in-house crowd, and those able to ask from home via a live-stream telecast.

What was evident after two hours of discussion is that there is no one single answer to the issue of affordable housing and it will take much more than a wave of a magic wand to bring about a solution.

Officials from the Oakland Raiders met with Northern lawmakers on Wednesday to pitch their plan to relocate to Las Vegas, including a new stadium and possibly holding training camp in Reno.

The Raiders have expressed interest in moving from Oakland and have publicly stated a desire to move to Las Vegas, but want a new stadium as part of the package. Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Majestic Realty Co. have been courting the team, and a plan has been released that would call for $750 million in public funding.

Health 2 Humanity Corp.(H2H), a hygiene products company started by 2013 South Tahoe High grad, and current Chapman University student John Cefalu, is taking another step forward in helping people around the world with a newly launched crowdfunding campaign.

H2H plans to use funds raised in the campaign to further expand globally their hygiene solutions in developing countries with their sustainable product and #NoMoreDirtyHands campaign.

Innovation in the United States: Myths and Realities is the topic at this event in Incline Village on Sept. 15, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Views are a given when in South Lake Tahoe, but being able to combine dining, drinking with mountains, blue sky and airplanes is a treat that the new Flight Deck Sports Bar & Grill at the Lake Tahoe Airport is hoping to highlight.

"Getting people out to the airport is a goal," said new co-owner Tina Shannon. "The beauty and the sunsets out here are amazing."

Tina, who along with husband Mike have reopened the Flight Deck, which shares the airport with the government center for South Lake Tahoe. They opened on June 22 and celebrated a grand opening on Wednesday.

South Lake Tahoe natives Nicole Riegel Smith and Chris Smith have returned to their hometown, this time as college graduates with an expertise in brewing beer and a desire to open a new business on the South Shore.

Plans have been submitted and the work will soon begin on the Smith's venture. South Lake Brewing Company. They have signed the lease for the long vacant Ace Hardware building on the corner of Tata Lane and Lake Tahoe Blvd.

Depending on where you live on the South Shore, you may be able to have a wood fire in your outdoor fire pit, or, maybe not.

Restrictions differ between Tahoe Douglas Fire Department and the City of South Lake Tahoe and Lake Valley Fire Departments.

Cal Fire and the U.S Forest Service also have fire regulations to be aware of.

South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler has written the following in response to an opinion piece written by South Tahoe High junior Noah Jackson that was posted on South Tahoe Now June 9 concerning massage parlors.

The California State Primary is Tuesday, June 7, and there are a few local items on the ballot.

The following are summaries of what voters on the lake side of El Dorado County will be voting on. If people are unsure of their polling place, visit this site, input your address and birthdate: http://elections.edcgov.us/lookup.fwx

Measure A - The preamble of the County Charter will be changed if passed. The proposed wording is below, with :

Four new projects in South Lake Tahoe will be moving forward after the City was awarded $3 million in grants from the federal government through TRPA's Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO).

The money will be used for the following:

$1.8 million for design and construction of the Sierra Boulevard Complete Street Project
$510,000 for construction of the Tahoe Valley Greenbelt Project
$390,000 for purchase of a Sander vehicle replacement
$200,000 for the design and engineering of the Lake Tahoe Boulevard Bike Trail

Drought conditions and resulting bark beetle infestations have caused pervasive tree mortality across the Central and Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is estimated that there are over 29 million dead trees and this number continues to grow on a daily basis. El Dorado County is not immune to this epidemic as there are thousands of dead and dying trees threatening public safety and infrastructure.

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 press time and the story will be updated when provided.

5/1
12:55 p.m. - Vandalism - Cold Creek Trail - 25-YEAR-OLD MALE SUBJECT ARRESTED AFTER HE DESTROYED A BEDROOM

7:30 p.m. - Dumping on Government Property - Bridge Rd - UNKNOWN SUBJECT(S) DUMPED TRASH IN A STATE PARK

5/2

10:35 a.m. update: The "all clear" is about to be given at the El Dorado County Government Center. The bomb has been considered a hoax device meant to cause the major response by law enforcement that it did, according to SLTPD Chief Brian Uhler. Evidence is being gathered and roads will soon reopen.

At approximately 6:35 a.m. this morning, a groundskeeper working at the El Dorado County Courthouse located at 1354 Johnson Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe noticed a suspicious device in front of the courthouse.

Catherine "Cat" Fuller has been selected for the Community Health Nurse/Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) position at the Douglas County Community Health Clinic.

After a nationwide recruitment, Carson City Health and Human Services along with Douglas County selected Fuller which included an interview process which began in February, 2016 and included a panel of nursing, social services, and administrative leadership from the Carson City and Douglas County Community Health and Social Services agencies.

The Barton Foundation has $50,000 to give away in grant funding to groups in the South Lake Tahoe area who work to improve community health.

During their annual grant cycles, Barton provides funds to programs and organizations, and this year they will award grants to those who address mental health, substance abuse, and access to healthcare services.

When people visit Tahoe for the first time, they marvel at the extraordinary natural landscape and fresh, clean air. At the same time, some are shocked at the dilapidated condition of the built environment: rundown buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and tired-looking development. The paradox is compelling. Despite TRPA’s mandate to harmonize the natural and human-made landscapes so that they blend together, outdated development that preceded environmental standards now serves as blight in our community.

It has been about 18 months since the Cal Tahoe JPA voted to spend $192,000 on badly needed EKG monitors for the nine ambulances that serve the South Lake Tahoe and Meyers area. As of March 31, not a dime has been spent due to a division between the two fire departments that are part of the JPA.

"I don't want public safety to get in the way of politics," said SLT City Councilman Tom Davis at Thursday's emergency JPA meeting. Davis is one of two Council representatives on the JPA board. The other is Mayor Wendy David.

Last week, March 15th and 16th, an estimated 75 volunteers participated in the South Shore Business Walk coordinated by the Tahoe Chamber, Tahoe Prosperity Center, El Dorado County, and the Lake Tahoe Adult Education Consortium to collect workforce data from local businesses.

Rarely do I use this space to comment upon political issues within our community. That said, with the “politicization” of the US Hwy 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project I felt the need to share some background and perspectives for consideration.

The event has already raised over $45,000, even though the shaving doesn't begin until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. This is the fifth consecutive year for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation event, Brave the Shave for Kids with Cancer, in South Lake Tahoe. They have moved it this year to the Heavenly Mountain Resort California Lodge located at 3860 Saddle Road.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity that funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.

WHAT: St. Baldrick’s Foundation Brave the Shave for Kids at Heavenly

In an effort to target young smokers and keep them away from the harm of nicotine, the California Assembly voted to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 on Thursday. If it passes the Senate, California would be among the first states to raise the smoking age. Hawaii has already done so, and it appears New Jersey isn't far behind.

Last year, the state Senate approved the bill but it stalled for months in the Assembly, so many legislature observers in Sacramento think the move to raise the smoking age won't face much opposition.

Dr. James Tarwater, Superintendent of Lake Tahoe Unified Schools, will provide an overview of student data at the next LTUSD School Board meeting on Tuesday, February 9.

The latest round of funding through the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) includes more than $3 million for projects to help reduce wildfire risk in Lake Tahoe communities.

The funding award for Lake Tahoe is part of nearly $40 million going to projects around Nevada to reduce wildfire risk, conserve landscapes, restore wildlife habitat, and improve public recreation. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the funding awards this January.