public safety

There will be a special meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Monday, June 2 starting at 9:00 a.m. in Council Chambers at the airport.

Cannabis is the topic of the main reason for the meeting, both a vote on a tax measure for the November ballot and a public hearing on the zoning and regulations of adult use cannibus businesses and the medical marijuana dispensary.

Due to high water in Lake Tahoe, the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) has announced that they will temporarily close portions of some South Lake Tahoe beaches for public safety and to protect sensitive habitat and areas prone to erosion.

This news affects the Upper Truckee Marsh and three CTC beaches near Lakeview Commons (see map above), both areas heavily used during the 4th of July holiday.

Recreationalists that frequent these beaches will need to make alternative plans. CTC asks for patience and cooperation during this time of high water.

Troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol, as well as other employees for the Department of Public Safety will be volunteering their time to raise money for Special Olympics of Nevada and California on Thursday June 14, 2018. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, located in South Lake Tahoe, is where all of the fun will be taking place during the lunch and dinner hours. Patrons will enjoy the NHP and other public safety employees serving as volunteer waiters and waitresses as they assist the restaurant staff that day while they work for “special tips.”

The public is invited to attend a Memorial Day ceremony at the Happy Homestead Cemetery, 1261 Johnson Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe, on Monday, May 28, 2018, at 11:00 a.m.

The annual remembrance event is hosted by the American Legion Post 795 of South Lake Tahoe and their Ladies Auxiliary. After the ceremony, locals and visitors are invited for cake and refreshments at the American Legion Hall on Lake Tahoe Blvd.

Several Lake Tahoe agencies have joined together to 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 the bear being killed, fines and/or jail time for violators. Every year law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat and/or are damaging property. In some cases, the animals are euthanized.

Become part of the solution and help save our Tahoe bears!

There are four people running for El Dorado County Supervisor for the 5th District on June 5: Incumbent Sue Novasel and challengers Kenny Curtzwiler, Norma Santiago and Jeffrey Spencer. The 5th District covers Pollock Pines to South Lake Tahoe and Tahoma.

South Tahoe Now asked each candidate the same questions, and here are all of their answers, exactly as they were presented to us.

Sue Novasel
Occupation: El Dorado County Supervisor – District V
Past political history:
2015 – Present: County Supervisor, District V

Kudos and acknowledgements are starting to line up for Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini as he wraps up more than 45 years of serving the public of Nevada.

Nevada Governor Sandoval has proclaimed Wednesday, May 16, 2018 to be Sheriff Ron Pierini Day.

New members were added to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team this week after completing a 48-hour academy where they were certified as a Nevada Wilderness Search and Rescue Technician (NWSRT), a nationally recognized credential.

The graduation for the 13 community members was held on April 17, 2018 in Minden, Nev.

This has been National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, so what better time to sit down with the women who answer 911 calls in South Lake Tahoe who are the first step in protecting homes, property and people and the unsung heroes of the community.

With an average of 300 to 400 calls going into dispatch each month, staff has to be ready to handle an emergency at every moment through their shift, which in South Lake Tahoe is normally 10 hours long, though they can be up to 12 hours.

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.

MEYERS and SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Don Ashton has been making the rounds to communities throughout the county, explaining the budget through an informative presentation and discussion.

Most of the communities Ashton has visited have had 15-20 citizens in attendance, all asking questions and giving input in the budget process as Ashton and the Supervisors figure out how to save $20M over the next four years to meet CalPers pension liabilities.

Troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol, as well as other employees for the Department of Public Safety will be volunteering their time to raise money for Special Olympics of Nevada and California on Friday March 16, 2018. The Hard Rock Café, located in Harvey’s Casino, is where all of the fun will be taking place during the dinner hours from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Patrons will enjoy their staff serving as volunteer waiters and waitresses as they assist the restaurant staff that day while they work for “special tips.”

Mountaintop cameras from the University of Nevada, Reno spotted or tracked 240 fires in Nevada and California in 2017. This helped to keep firefighters more situationally aware and able to mount appropriate responses more rapidly over tens of thousands of square miles of forests and rangelands, including rural communities.

This is a new and expanding tool for fire managers who oversee the wildland and wildland/urban interface.

Nearly two dozen people were arrested during a monthlong Carson City area drug sweep that involved multiple agencies, the Carson City Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Team announced Friday.

The Carson City SET, with the assistance from multiple agencies to include, the Department of Public Safety Tri Net Narcotics task force, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit and the Reno Police Department Street Enforcement Team conducted the narcotics suppression operation targeting those using and selling narcotics in the Carson City area.

With the voter-approved legalization of marijuana in Nevada in 2016, local governments have been working to implement requirements of state law. Washoe County is seeking public input related to zoning, business licensing and public safety of legalized marijuana in unincorporated Washoe County.

Currently there is one dispensary in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe with Washoe County locations in Reno, Sparks and Sun Valley.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Deputies participating in a Nevada Department of Public Safety Joining Forces Distracted Driving prevention campaign this month cited more than 80 drivers for speeding and 43 drivers for cell phone use.

Joining Forces is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement program that promotes statewide enforcement in the areas of: DUI, distracted driving, seat belt, and speed and pedestrian safety. The goal of these enforcement campaigns is to save lives by increasing public awareness about the dangers of making poor choices while driving.

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.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) attempted to pull over a vehicle in Carson City Thursday night, but the driver refused to stop and led officers on a chase until the car crashed in the El Dorado County portion of the South Shore, over 35 miles away.

NHP followed the car up Spooner Summit on Highway 50 to Stateline. Per protocol they won't engage in high speed chases so followed him until he approached Stateline. Troopers called ahead to South Lake Tahoe, advising police that the vehicle was headed in their direction.

The Nevada Departments of Transportation and Public Safety are reminding Nevadans to share the road after Nevada pedestrian traffic deaths rose in 2017 amid a decline in overall statewide traffic deaths.

In 2017, Douglas County had a rise in all deaths on the road: Fatal crashes up from 5 to 9, fatalities up from 5 to 11, alcohol fatal crashes up from 1 to 2, and number of fatalities in those crashes up from 1 to 3.

Squaw Valley has created a nonprofit that will manage and distribute millions of dollars generated from the voluntary project transfer fee related to the approved redevelopment of The Village at Squaw Valley.

Named the Squaw Valley Foundation, a seven member board of directors will soon be selected and it's members will be a mix of local residents and business owners, second homeowners and a public service district appointee.

Dear Editor;

In writing this letter, I am only expressing my own opinion and not that of
any organization or entity.

Vacation Home Rentals (VHRs) in the County are out of control. As is
evidenced by the number of residents complaining about noise, parking, trash,
over-occupancy, etc, it is time for our government representatives to act and
change the current ordinance to respect our rights to live in peaceful
neighborhoods.

There are many issues surrounding VHRs that need to be addressed, but I

Have you ever made a decision that took you down the wrong path in life? Boy. I sure have.

Have you ever stumbled and fallen when facing challenges that seemed insurmountable? I’m raising my hand.

Did life ever throw you a curveball that you didn’t see coming, and perhaps you reacted in a way that didn’t serve you well? This has happened to me more times than I can count.

Do you or someone close to you struggle with addiction or mental health challenges? My family and personal relationships certainly haven’t been immune to either of these troubling issues.

Ever since we moved to South Lake Tahoe thirty eight years ago, we have been proud to call this city our home. Between our community spirit of caring and sharing, excellent schools, and the inspiring nature of the Lake and Mountains, we are truly fortunate to live in such a special place. We recently hosted our foreign exchange student from twenty years ago and we were proud to show him all of the community upgrades such as Heavenly Village, Lakeview Commons, Harrison Avenue, South Tahoe High School, and the new Whole Foods project.

he Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on Wednesday recognized 15 exceptional projects completed in 2016 with Best in Basin awards.

Now in its 27th year, TRPA’s Best in Basin awards program each year showcases projects around the lake that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s natural environment and communities.