legal

2020 has been a year of incredible challenges and changes for our organization. At Live Violence Free, we worked hard to continue to meet the needs of our community. Our resilient staff, volunteers, and board members have risen to the challenge and provided stabilizing support to the community, and we are here every step of the way.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officials say another 35 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, 15 are in El Dorado Hills, 4 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 1 in Greater Placerville, 2 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 1 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 13 in Lake Tahoe region. There is one less awaiting address confirmation, awaiting address confirmation for 12.

One of those new cases, one is under the age of 18, 26 are aged 18-49, seven are aged 50-64, and one aged 65 or older.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - A new court commissioner has been announced by the El Dorado County Superior Court. After an extensive search and vetting process, Gary
S. Slossberg was appointed by Presiding Judge Suzanne Kingsbury.

Slossberg will be based in Placerville but will serve in all of the courts in El Dorado County. He will specialize in cases involving family law, child support, domestic violence and civil harassment, juvenile dependency and delinquency, traffic, limited civil cases, as well as overflow matters as assigned by the Presiding Judge.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There has been much discussion in the community about the City of South Lake Tahoe's new Shared Rental Ordinance, one that is up for a vote during the November 3 City Council meeting.

A shared rental, also known as a hosted rental, is one where a person rents a portion of their home to a visitor on a short term basis* while they are still living in the home. They are not new in South Lake Tahoe, but the focus has been on creating an ordinance for them as a large number of people started obtaining business licenses for shared rentals in recent months.

I continue to remark in several recent Road Beats, that Honda is on a roll, after testing this new Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring, I have to report that the roll is still accelerating and rather quickly, including its price. Here is a car with loads of utility, outstanding performance, great fuel economy, superb handling and good comfort for a sticker price not $22,380 with the boat ride from Swindon, Wiltshire, England, but $29,780. That’s right a price bump of about 30 percent for the Touring model.

Christmas tree permits for National Forest lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin will be available for purchase online through Recreation.gov beginning November 16, 2020. Details about designated cutting areas, dates and types of trees that may be cut can be found at https://www.recreation.gov/tree-permits/ltbmu.

Forest officials everywhere are saying: Recreate Responsibly.

Despite large campaigns about fire restrictions and "pack it in pack it out," many visitors to the Eldorado National Forest are not acting responsibly.

Fire and law enforcement officers had another busy weekend contacting a record numbers of visitors about campfires they had made that are not allowed under the current fire restrictions in the Eldorado National Forest.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If you were planning on setting off fireworks around Lake Tahoe this 4th of July, you can forget about it. They are illegal around the lake and in neighboring counties. A mild winter and a large amount of forest fuels put the area at a high risk of fire this summer, and fireworks could be devastating.

Without the official fireworks shows at the north and south ends of the lake, many fear people will resort to the fireworks bought at roadside stands and Indian reservations. While those are legal in the areas they are sold, they are not legal at Lake Tahoe.

In an all-new vehicle in what can be considered a new size class for SUVs, Lia’s new Telluride has hit a Grand Slam (Salami, if you are Italian or a Yankee Fan), but not an ordinary Grand Slam, but this one landed on River Avenue or Waveland Avenue if you’re a Cubby. I used those exact words about Kia’s sibling, the Hyundai Palisade. It is flat out one of the two best SUVs I have ever driven with performance, ride, handling, quiet, comfort and economy levels that put it immediately at the top of its class and almost every other class. Telluride is also simply a Class act.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire season is upon us and many restrictions are now in effect where outdoor burning, campfires, and fire pits are concerned. 2020 started out with the driest February on record since the 1850s, and there is an increased fire danger posed by dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region.

It is important to understand that with all of the different fire areas around Lake Tahoe, there are different rules.

It has been about a year and a half since I last tested a Hyundai Ioniq hybrid, a base model stickering for just $23,210. This time around, my tester was a near top of the line limited. Essentially, they are the same vehicle except for content. But that doesn’t mean that this base unit is a stripper? It isn’t as it comes standard with power windows, mirrors, backup camera, and most everything else one could want.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After a dozen years as a trustee on the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education, Barbara Bannar has resigned. To fill her spot as the trustee from Area 5 (pictured above), applications are being accepted until May 15, 2020.

Volvo has been on a serious roll with some new product that is off the charts like the new S90, V90, XC90, and XC60 and their sales growth indicates renewed customer enthusiasm. But now we have the new XC40 which was rewarded recently with the European Car of the Year for 2018. So, it was with much anticipation that I awaited the arrival of the new XC40.

In the coming days and weeks, you will see a recall petition circulating for me. I voted my conscience on an item before the city council and certain members of the public disagreed with that vote.

It’s been over two years since my last visit with this second and a half-generation Tundra (the second generation was introduced in 2008 and heavily refreshed in 2014). My last review remarked how Toyota finally made the Tundra into a real “Cowboy Cadillac” (it’s built near San Antonio, Texas) with a ride smoother than a baby’s butt. This new Tundra feels even a bit smoother, perhaps a little less jiggly over Caltrans challenged pavement. And my tester was the new TRD Pro edition.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and the El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson are investigating possible illegal and improper predatory towing practices.

SLTPD has received several informal complaints from the public about the possible illegal tow practices that involve cars removed from private parking areas near the Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe.

The complains involve a tow company improperly holding stored vehicles longer than necessary, thus adding extra storage fees to the vehicle's owner.

Can one event make a difference? We believe it does, one life at a time.

New laws will be going into effect in California in the new year, putting into place California legislature action during 2019. There are many changes including road safety and distracted driving penalties, roadkill rules, minimum wage, independent workers and rent caps.

Except where noted, these laws are effective January 1, 2020:

Traffic Safety

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is highlighting several new laws passed this year:

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The family of actress Anna Faris had a brush with danger in North Lake Tahoe during the Thanksgiving holiday. The group of 13 rented a vacation home in the 100 block of Tahoma Drive in Tahoe City. Two of them felt ill and went to the hospital where it was determined they were suffering from Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - Years of legal battles between the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) and resident Aaron Katz appear to be drawing to a close after the Nevada Supreme Court on Friday affirmed a 2016 ruling that Katz pay almost $230,000 of attorney fees and costs.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is another delay in cannabis businesses being able to move forward in South Lake Tahoe.

Local business owner John Runnels filed a temporary injunction against the City of South Lake Tahoe, the City Council and the Development Services Director Kevin Fabino in Superior Court in Sacramento Friday afternoon. That action has put a temporary halt to all cannabis-related permits being processed in the city until a December 20 court date.

Great Food, Good Drinks, Raffle and Live Music: Brews, Bites & the Birches at the Great Basin Brewing Company Taps & Tanks! A fundraiser to support the work of Nevada Legal Services. Join us for a fun night featuring live music from The Birches! We will also hold a silent auction and raffle drawing during the evening with raffle tickets available for purchase. The event begins at 6:00 pm on Thursday, November 21, at the Great Basin Brewing Company Taps & Tanks. Tickets are $30 and proceeds go to Nevada Legal Services, a non-profit legal services organization serving Nevadans across the state.

Location

In an all-new vehicle in what can be considered a new size class for SUVs, Hyundai’s new Palisade has hit a Grand Slam (Salami, if you are Italian or a Yankee Fan), but not an ordinary Grand Slam, but this one landed on River Avenue or Waveland Avenue if you’re a Cubby. It is flat out the best SUV I have ever driven with performance, ride, handling, quiet, comfort and economy levels that put it immediately at the top of its class and almost every other class. Palisade is simply a Class act.

Times are good for the auto industry, everyone makes good cars and it’s been that way for about a decade. That goes for full-size trucks, too. But some cars are better than good, some are great and some super-great and Honda/Acura makes great cars and a few super great ones. This new Acura RDX is almost super-great like I would call the Acura TLX SH-AWD A-Spec.

If Acura new radio system was more user-friendly as it’s claimed to be it might make the super great rating. Sometimes it wouldn’t respond to my finger touch. The idea works, but the execution didn’t work all the time.