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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a new Winter Weather Advisory for Monday at 4:00 p.m. to Tuesday morning at 4:00 a.m. This new advisory is due to what is known as "lake effect snow." Six more inches of snow can drop on the south shore of Lake Tahoe area this evening.

Lake effect occurs when a mass of unstable cold air moves over a mass of water that is warm in comparison. The lake provides moisture for the band of weather moving over it.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After Governor Newsom announced the state would be giving the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) almost $10 million, the local nonprofit quickly bought three motels to meet its goal of ending homelessness in South Lake Tahoe. The September announcement of the Project Homekey grant came with an end-of-the-year deadline so California communities would get the ball rolling on sheltering the chronic homeless.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County join the rest of the Greater Sacramento Region and will remain under a regional stay-at-home order due to declining hospital ICU bed availability.

Today the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced the most recent statistics on COVID-19, including data on intensive care unit (ICU) capacity across the state. Based on ICU data, four regions, San Joaquin Valley, Southern California, Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area continue under the Regional Stay at Home Order.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The incoming storm on Christmas Day has been upgraded by the National Weather Service (NWS) to a Winter Weathet Advisory. It starts on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and is in effect until 10:00 a.m. Saturday.

Heavy snow is possible. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 8 inches, except 1 foot or more above 7000 feet possible. Exposed Sierra ridge winds could gust to 100 mph or higher.

Travel could be very difficult. Peak snowfall rates expected Friday evening into Saturday morning. Hazardous and slow travel across the Sierra expected during this time.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. = After consultation with the Douglas County officials, the towns, public safety agencies, and Douglas County Emergency Management it was determined in-person public holiday events in the towns of Gardnerville, Genoa, and Minden have been canceled. This includes the 25th annual Parade of Lights hosted by the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce. County officials said the action was deemed necessary for the safety of the community, due to the most recent State directive limiting public gatherings to no more than 50 people.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - The least populated county in California is just to the south of Lake Tahoe. Alpine County, population about 1,200, includes the towns of Markleeville, Woodfords, Kirkwood and Bear Valley. While not big, Alpine County is experiencing a surge of COVID-19 cases just like the rest of the country.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are two new weather watches issued for the Lake Tahoe Basin this week, but most of the impacts will be above the 6500 foot elevation.

First come the winds. A High Wind Watch is in effect Tuesday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Winds will be front the south 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible. Stronger wind gusts to 75 mph are possible in Nevada for wind-prone areas along and west of Highway 395 and Interstate 580. Exposed ridges are likely to gust over 100 mph.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce Board recently asked the nine City Council candidates ten questions they felt were of most importance to its members. The questions focused mainly on topics relating to things that will or may affect both the local small businesses and the community in general.

Their board made the decision to not endorse a specific candidate this election, but instead rank them based on how much they align with the South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce goals based on their answers to the questions below.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are three open seats on the South Tahoe Public Utility Board of Directors this election season, two for a four-year term and one for a two-year term.

South Tahoe Now reached out to the candidates and below are their answers to a set of questions. For the two four-year terms, incumbent Kelly Sheehan is running for reelection, Duane Wallace is running after being appointed to fill Jim Jones's spot on the board until this election, and they are joined by David Peterson.

As a mother and as a physician, I understand there are many unknowns right now for moms as they prepare to deliver their babies. Despite the challenges we face with the COVID-19 pandemic, Barton Health continues to provide compassionate care that puts mothers and babies first. Barton’s practices in place honor the needs of mother and child while upholding everyone’s health and safety.

When we look at our community’s health, there are many other factors that determine a person’s ability to thrive - beyond health care services. Social determinants of health are defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as the conditions in places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect outcomes for health and quality of life. These determinants are complex, and can be deeply rooted; including income and employment opportunities, housing instability, food insecurity, family and social support, transportation, and adverse life effects.

Census results shape the future of communities, as census data informs how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed for health clinics, school lunch programs, disaster recovery initiatives, and other critical programs and services for the next 10 years.

If you haven’t completed the 2020 Census yet, you can still respond online, by phone, or by mail. The deadline to respond is September 30, 2020. There are still census takers out in neighborhoods trying to wrap up the county. For more information, visit https://my2020census.gov/.

Top 5 states to respond:
Idaho - 99.8%

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) was able to refinance $15.15 million in general obligation bonds in September, saving property owners in the district $3,335,698 in property taxes.

With low interest rates brought about by the pandemic and economic uncertainty, LTUSD refinanced two series of their Election of 2008 General Obligation Bonds.

“With interest rates near historic lows, we wanted to take this opportunity to save our community money, particularly in light of the downturn in the economy,” said LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler.

There are over 40 major fires currently burning in California, filling skies with heavy smoke from the ocean to the Sierra up and down the state. While there are no fires in the Lake Tahoe Basin, there are a few close enough to be responsible for sending smoke into the region. The closest is the Fork Fire east of Lake Tahoe about 13 miles northeast of Pollock Pines. To the south is the Slink Fire and northwest is the large North Complex.

Fork Fire

Statistics on the Fork Fire have not been updated all day. As of 11:00 a.m. Wednesday the estimated size was 2,500 acres.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The message was clear during Tuesday's emergency City Council meeting: Disregard the safety of people in South Lake Tahoe - Face a fine.

For almost four hours the South Lake Tahoe City Council listened to several residents commenting on a desired city response to the pandemic. While many other discusses will be coming up in the near future, the council took steps towards protecting the community with leverage and enforcement.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barton Memorial Hospital has been designated as a Blue Distinction® Center for Knee & Hip Replacement. Solidifying a legacy of orthopedic care in the Lake Tahoe region, this national certification marks Barton’s expertise in delivering high-quality medical services and better patient outcomes with knee and hip replacement surgeries.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to start the school year August 31 in the first of a four phases - Distance Learning.

It is undeniable that the areas hit the hardest economically by the COVID-19 pandemic are those heavily reliant on tourism. South Lake Tahoe is unquestionably one of these areas, suffering not only because of the closure of its tourist economy but suffering higher infection rates due to the very tourism it relies upon. It is for these reasons that so much of the focus of the El Dorado Community Foundation, who serves all of El Dorado County, has been directed toward South Lake Tahoe. We recognized very early on that South Lake Tahoe would be the hardest hit region in the county.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - When the three parking lots with 90 spaces were created last year in Incline Village for the popular East Shore Trail, they were free but all were told paid parking was coming in the near future.

That time has now come.

Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) has unveiled the Park Tahoe pilot program at the trailhead north of Ponderosa Rand Road. The lots were created to expand off-highway parking options along the high traffic area of SR28 between Incline Village and Sand Harbor State Park.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe has 17 percent of El Dorado County's population but around half of the confirmed COVID-19 cases. With a steady increase in confirmed cases over the last few weeks combined with the 4th of July influx of visitors, the County's Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams is looking at the possibility of more restrictive measures for businesses and the public.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Attention parents of local first graders! Every first grader enrolled in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) or at Zephyr Cove Elementary School will get a brand-new, hardbound book they can keep forever!

When parents go to their LTUSD school’s designated Materials Collection Date on June 9 or June 10, one new book will be gifted to each child along with a free puppet.

Parents of first graders at Zephyr Cove Elementary will be contacted prior to the last day of school with additional details for book and puppet pickup.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Given the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 and how open or not the state of California may be in the months to come, Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) has announced its Summer and Fall quarter class formats that will allow high-quality education to continue in the safest manner possible.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will be conducting a 1:00 p.m. special meeting on April 29, 2020, to discuss recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic impacts to local businesses in Douglas County. The county is actively seeking public comment from residents in regard to economic impacts on local business in Douglas County.

4/20 Update: The response was huge this weekend and all of the seedlings the Sugar Pine Foundation had to give way were gone in the first day! They have 2,000 more to distribute on Saturday, April 25 at 9:00 a.m. while supplies last, except at the Mountain Hardware location.