insurance

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lime is returning to South Lake Tahoe this summer, but with some changes both visibly and financially during a new one-year trial period for 2019.

After much discussion on Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously approved a new contract with Lime that will bring up to 550 scooters to town this season, but, as reported before, the bikes are not returning.

The Council wanted to make sure not all 550 will appear on opening day at the beginning of May and will work with Lime to start slow.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Those of us living in Lake Tahoe know all too well the dangers of wildfire, but we also know the positive outcome a collaborative effort to be better prepared can do.

Residents across the West have been given their "wake up call" over the past few years as record-breaking fires have burned through communities, leaving devastation and death in their wake.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dozens of school teachers in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) filled the board room in South Lake Tahoe last Tuesday to show trustees they want a cost of living increase to their pay.

Jodi Dayberry, President of the South Tahoe Educators Association, led the teachers in their presentation to the LTUSD Board of Trustees, telling the five elected members teachers are struggling due to the high cost of living and many have second jobs and summer jobs to fill their financial void.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire Chief Jeff Meston is retiring from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) on February 28, five years and five months after he came out of retirement to head up the department.

On Friday, February 1, Meston submitted his resignation to the City.

"When I was hired by CM (City Manager) Kerry I promised to spend between 3-5 years with the City Fire Department and bring them as far as I could to be a “world class” fire department," Meston said in his resignation letter.

He feels he's accomplished what he set out to do.

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 the time of the story.

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

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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A study on the health needs of the South Lake Tahoe community has once again put mental health and mental disorders at the top of the list, followed by substance abuse, and access to healthcare services.

Every three years Barton Health conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment to identity the key health issues facing the area. They use a systematic, data-driven process to determine the health status, concerns, and needs of residents in the South Tahoe community.

The 2018 results are a follow-up to similar studies completed in 2012 and 2015.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On December 12 six South Lake Tahoe families learned the apartment building they called home was no longer habitable and they had to vacate by December 17.

As the deadline loomed panic set in for the residents of 3546 Spruce Avenue, they tried to find new housing in a city where available rentals are almost non-existent, especially for those of a lower income level without financial means to pay higher rent and deposits.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It was well below freezing but spirits warmed the air as car after car honked at the dozens of Barton Health nurses, both current and retired, picketing on both sides of Highway 50 on 3rd Street in South Lake Tahoe.

"We've had amazing support from the community," said emergency room nurse Ronnie Navarro, an 11-year employee of the hospital. That community included other local unions including the police and fire departments.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A fire at Sierra House Elementary School on November 11, 2018 was caused by an electrical overload due to “daisy chain wiring” of two power cords in a classroom.

When firefighters from Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) arrived at the school at 9:35 p.m. they found smoke once the front doors were opened and flames observed as they turned the corner near the "upper pod" wing.

Over 80 local nominees will be celebrated during the 11th annual Blue Ribbon Awards on Thursday, Nov. 8 at MontBleu Resort starting at 5:30 p.m.

The public is invited to join the Tahoe Chamber in celebrating the businesses and individuals that make the South Shore a great community to live, work and play.

Signing up for a health insurance plan can be daunting and time consuming. As a Certified Enrollment Counselor, my job is to make it easier for South Lake Tahoe families and individuals to navigate Covered California and enroll in a health care plan.

With all the talk the about health care, I have heard rumblings and rumors about what is happening with the Affordable Care Act and what is changing with insurance. Get informed! Make a free one-on-one appointment with me or one my fellow enrollment counselors, have your questions answered, and get enrolled for 2019.

Let’s face it – summer can be expensive between vacations, home improvements, the cost of children’s camps and dining out. Now that the calendar has flipped to fall, you may want to take this opportunity to check in on your financial well-being and ensure you’re on track for the remainder of the year. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

A 2.5-mile fun run (and stroll) will be held on the South Shore Sunday, September 9 to raise awareness of Hydrocephalus, a condition most have never heard of yet it affects over one million people in the United States.

Runners (and walkers) will start at Shoreline of Tahoe on Kahle Drive in Stateline and end at Round Hill Pines Beach Resort. The cost is $40 for those 15 and older, $20 for kids 14 and under. Those running the course will start at 8:30 a.m., and walkers/strollers start at 8:45 a.m.

Costumes and tutus are encouraged, as well as the wearing of "Hydrocephalus Blue."

It's back to school from youth at the south end of Lake Tahoe on Monday, August 27. Both Lake Tahoe Unified School Distrist and Douglas County School District open their doors and welcome back students for the 2018/19 school year.

All school offices are open and available to help with registration and scheduling needs and to pick up schedules.

The new multi-million dollar Robert Maloff Center at Barton Memorial Hospital is stunning, resembling a high-end health club instead of the medical and wellness center it is. Inside its wood, glass and stone walls is the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness, bringing together services needed by those recovering from injuries and surgery into one building.

Sting operations in Zephyr Cove and South Lake Tahoe caught 16 people posing as licensed contractors. The California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) teamed with the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) in South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, May 16, and the following day in Zephyr Cove, Nevada.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The man burned in Wednesday's engine explosion on Kingsbury Grade has been identified as Ronald Svetlik of Stateline. He is currently in critical condition at the U.C. Davis Burn Center with third degree burns over 30 percent of his body, including his scalp, face, eyes, lips, hands, palms, arms and legs.

Medicare helps to pay for a wide variety of health services, from flu shots to hospital stays, and from preventive health screenings to hospice care.

But it doesn’t cover everything. And it doesn’t cover all your out-of-pocket costs.

Many services covered by Medicare require co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles. You can purchase supplemental insurance to cover these “gaps” in Medicare.

Such coverage is called Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap. Some Medigap policies also cover certain benefits that Medicare doesn’t, like emergency care in a foreign country.

Law enforcement from both California and Nevada are reminding motorists to not drink and drive, especially during Super Bowl weekend which seen an increase of drunk drivers on the road. As friends and family gather to watch the game Sunday, February 4, please designate a sober driver before the game between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles begins.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) have teamed up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind motorists to not drive while intoxicated.

Over the next two weeks, Northern Nevada residents can expect to see double or even triple the normal law enforcement presence. The Nevada Highway Patrol has joined forces with law enforcement agencies statewide to crack down on impaired driving, and has an important message for the public: if you’ll be drinking, designate a sober driver, and if you drive impaired, you will be arrested.

Christmas is a little brighter this Christmas for ten South Lake Tahoe area families who received a box full of food from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) and Blue Shield of California.

The El Dorado Hills based insurance company paid for the food for families throughout the county, and the deputies delivered them.

"It felt really good. I was glad we could do something like this, especially this time of year," said Deputy Vince DeLeon who has been with the Sheriff's Office for 17 years and helped do the deliveries.

Two people face drug trafficking and transportation charges after deputies recovered more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine and around a half pound of heroin during a traffic stop early Wednesday morning, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Arrested were Kimberly Ann Lopes, 36, and Danny Lyle Jensen II, 38, both of Las Vegas. Each face two level 3 charges of trafficking controlled substances, 1 count each of transportation of controlled substances, and 1 count each of possession of controlled substances for sales.

Signing up for a health insurance plan can be daunting and time consuming. As a Certified Enrollment Counselor, my job is to make it easier for South Lake Tahoe families and individuals to navigate Covered California and enroll in a health care plan.

With all the talk the about health care, I have heard rumblings and rumors about what is happening with the Affordable Care Act and what is changing with insurance. Get informed! Make a free one-on-one appointment with me or one my fellow enrollment counselors, have your questions answered, and get enrolled for 2018.

Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15 through December 7, 2017. This enrollment period is one of the few times Medicare beneficiaries can change, enroll into or dis-enroll from, a Part D drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan (such as an HMO). Changes to plans are effective January 1, 2018.