retirement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It was a special ceremony November 6, 2020, one that honored the police service of K9 Tara as she left her home for the last time. After surviving cancer surgery that resulted in the loss of one leg two years ago, K9 Tara was put to sleep after being hit by the disease once again.

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.

With about four million 18-year-olds nation-wide able to vote in the November 3 election, local voting advocates are reaching out to first-time voters to help them register in South Lake Tahoe.

On Thursday, August 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., a group of volunteers will be at Regan Beach on the lawn to help get those first-time voters registered.

Bring identification and wear a mask.

Coordinator Holly Greenough, former principal at Tallac High School, use to registere students at the high school, but since her retirement and her group of volunteers moving, she changed venues.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the past 27 years, Frank Kovac has been with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD).

When he landed in South Lake Tahoe Kovac already had spent time teaching at Fairfax High School, Emerson Junior High, James Rutter Middle School, and Paul Revere Middle School, but he found his niche beginning locally at South Tahoe Middle School.

After one year at STMS Kovac took the position as athletics and activities director at South Tahoe High School (STHS), a position he held for five years.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Law enforcement has come a long way in South Lake Tahoe since the first police department started on July 1, 1967. At that time there were 30 sworn male officers who were chosen from a list of more than 400 applicants who wanted to be part of the first police department for the new city. They were tested in Seal Beach, Roseville, and South Lake Tahoe then interviewed in Los Angeles and Sacramento.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City Council will hold their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 14 starting at 9:00 a.m. with a closed session at 8:45 a.m.

This will be an online meeting that can be followed on Charter Channel 21 or via the City's website, https://cityofslt.us/. Remote public participation is allowed by email or phone (instructions below).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In just two weeks the City of South Lake Tahoe will be saying goodbye to its sixth police chief since becoming incorporated in 1965.

Chief Brian Uhler will be wrapping up a 40-year career in law enforcement when he retires from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) on March 12, 2020. He has been the second-longest serving chief, coming within a couple of months of the City's second police chief, John Crow.

This letter is in response to Toni Hall and Tom Yant whose letters were printed on 2/14/20 (“Why I will be voting ‘No’ on Measure B” and “LVFPD needs to budget for equipment from its big lard pot”). I want to begin by saying YES on Measure B!

I have to wonder if either of them contacted Lake Valley Fire Protection District with their questions, as their information is misleading and incorrect. Our Fire District is available to talk with you about Measure B (530-577-3737), or you can go to their website (lakevalleyfire.org).

Measure B is up for a vote. I am voting NO because the Lake Valley Fire Protection District spends most of its revenue on salaries and benefits leaving nothing to pay for new equipment.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - One of South Lake Tahoe's Golden Girls, Maddie Bowman, has announced her retirement from competitive halfpipe freeskiing on Monday.

In an announcement, U.S. Ski & Snowboard said Bowman, Olympic gold medalist, X Games gold medalist and seven-year member of the U.S. Freeski Team, is stepping away and leaving in her tracks a lasting legacy of triumph, perseverance, and progression.

PLACERVILLE, Calif. - Eldorado National Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree announced that he will retire on January 6, 2020, completing a career that spanned 50 years.

There are many issues facing the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in the coming weeks and months and District V Supervisor Sue Novasel will hold a series of town hall meetings to discuss them. Topping the list are the fire stations operated by the Meeks Bay Fire Protection District, vacation home rentals, the lack of an El Dorado County Sheriff's deputy living in the area, County road work, snow removal, and fire insurance.

The first meeting will be on Wednesday, September 11 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Marie Sluchak Community Park in Tahoma.

The 30th annual American Century Championship is just one week away, July 9 – 14, 2019. Celebrities from the world of sports, television, comedy and more are headed to Edgewood Tahoe once again. Here are 30+ fun facts about the popular celebrity golf tournament.

1. CLEAR BAG POLICY

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The Board of Supervisors will hold a public meeting on June 17 to go over the El Dorado County Fiscal Year 2019-20 Recommended Budget of $688.7 million. This special meeting starts at 10:00 a.m. and will be held in the Board's Placerville meeting room at 330 Fair Lane.

The County's Chief Administrative Officer, Don Ashton delivered the budget to the supervisors and it is also available online for review. State law mandates that the Recommended Budget be submitted to the Board on or before June 30th of each year.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Since its arrival, the 2013 model Ferrara ladder truck the City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) purchased has been been a "lemon," and now they have reached a settlement with the manufacturer, Ferrara Fire Apparatus of Holden, Louisiana.

In 2014, City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) took possession of a 2013 model Ferrara ladder truck at the tune of almost $1,050,000. It was purchased to replace the aging ladder truck SLTFR had from 1982 and was paid for with funds from California sales tax money devoted to public safety.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With about $8 million in unassigned General Fund reserves, the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted last week to spend about $2.5 million for the replacement of four pieces of critical snow removal equipment and the purchase of one new piece of equipment.

The Department of Public Works has thirty-one pieces of heavy equipment assigned to snow removal operations for use on roads, the airport, facilities, parks, and
trails. Some of that equipment can do double duty and work during non-winter months including loaders, pick-up trucks, and tractors.

Good Morning Lake Tahoe Skiers & Riders!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day and another Beautiful Spring Like Day… Temps will warm up on the Slopes, affecting the Machine Groomed & Skier Rider Packed Powder, and will be softening with warm temps… Use the Sunscreen today… Ski & Ride with Care & Be Safe!

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.

Lake Valley Fire Protection District Director Dave Huber has retired after serving seven years as a volunteer firefighter and 28 years on their Board of Directors.

During his term as a director, Huber helped start the Cal Tahoe Emergency Services Operations Authority ambulance program where he also served as a board member.

How serious is the problem of financial stress? Seventy-seven percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 41% give themselves a C, D or F in personal finance, and 28% don’t pay their bills on time, according to citations in a recent white paper from Financial Fitness Group (see 1 and 2 below).

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.

Everyone knows what goes downhill, but the South Tahoe Public Utility District knows how to recycle it into 381,000 kilowatts of electricity per year. A recent feature article by the Association of California Water Agencies pointed out that STPUD is one of only a handful of utility districts in the entire world that can claim 100% reuse of wastewater and bio solids. Here’s how. We use centrifuges instead of the usual pollution causing burners. That allows us to make fertilizer for ranch land.

There are still a few days left for those interested in running for public office this November, but several candidates have completed the process to qualify for the ballot. The following number of seats will be open: El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (1), LTUSD School Board (2) , City Council (3), City Clerk (1), City Treasurer (1), South Tahoe Public Utility District (3), Tahoe Paradise Recreation and Park District, and Lake Tahoe Community College Board of Trustees (3).

The deadline to complete the candidate process is August 10, 2018.