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1:15 p.m. UPDATE: Sean Purdy has been arrested. WCSO deputies just arrested Amador County fugitive Sean Purdy. Washoe County Sheriff Balaam expressed his deep appreciation to all the deputies and investigators from multiple agencies who have tenaciously worked for the safety of the community during the past 12 hours. He was arrested in the Memorial Point area just north of Sand Harbor near Incline Village. Details of the arrest are coming.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The latest storm hit quickly Sunday morning, bringing snow to South Lake Tahoe area roads and, with those, chain controls, traffic issues and collisions.

Drivers heading west over Echo Summit have been attempting short cuts through Lake Tahoe Blvd., Mandan Street, Sawmill Road and North Upper Truckee, and because of that they are creating a mess with double parking as they put on chains and blocking the roadway.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Holiday travel may be impacted as a storm system is bringing gusty winds to the Sierra and Lake Tahoe this week along with a period of snow on Sunday. Below average temperatures will continue through the remainder of this year, with some weak storm systems possibly producing light snow accumulations and slick roads at times.

Seasonal restrictions are now in place for over snow vehicles (OSV) in areas inside the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest including Hope Valley and Red Lake.

Prohibitions are detailed on the attached maps and include bans on traveling on and off forest development roads and trails.

(Web page for Red Lake order and Map HERE)

(Web page for Hope Valley order and Map HERE)

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Road controls are dropping on many of the Sierra's highways as the latest of storms passes through. Rain prevailed for much of the weekend, but not before ski resorts received a foot of new snow.

Heavenly Mountain Resort reports 12" of new snow, Sierra-at-Tahoe 14", Kirkwood 12" and Squaw Valley 16" in the last 24 hours. The West Slope experienced an afternoon and evening of heavy rain, thunder and lightning, and fog. Lake Tahoe is forecast to receive some of that freezing fog on Sunday night.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Chain controls over many mountain roads are being lifted this morning as the beautiful blue skies Lake Tahoe is famous for are appearing from behind the clouds.

As of 11:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving, Caltrans has removed chain controls from US50 at Echo Summit but there is a small pocket from Fresh Pond to Sly Park that requires them at this time.

5:00 p.m. Update: Expect a snowy night and slow-moving over roads in the Sierra. Chains controls on US50 are now up starting in Cedar Grove, west of Pollock Pines, at Pioneer on SR88, and above Gold Run on I80.

At this hour, traffic is at a standstill on I80 after multiple spinouts and crashes all the way to the California-Nevada state line.

CHP is also reporting some issues on US50 west of Echo Summit with two spots were cars are off the roadway, as well as SR88 near Christmas Valley.

MEYERS, Calif. - Residents attending the El Dorado County Town Hall meeting in Meyers on Thursday didn't hear what they wanted to about the upcoming winter and any plans that could be put in place to alleviate traffic jams in neighborhoods.

As is the case with all meetings concerning traffic in Meyers, there were several audience members with ideas from instituting maximum vehicles allowed in the Lake Tahoe Basin to turn restrictions and road closures during specific hours.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will begin the sale of Christmas tree permits on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Permits cost $10 each payable by cash, check or credit card (though they prefer the quicker transaction of cash).

There is a change to the policy this year - only one permit will be allowed per family or per address, instead of the previous two. They said by limiting permits to one per family, more will enjoy cutting down a tree this year.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - When the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) revised their Forest Plan over 10 years ago, many wanted them to include changes to snowmobile and other winter travel access to public lands at the same time. With the amount of public comment and the recognized need to have its own plan, they separated the two.

In 2011, LTBMU started a collaborative group to develop a proposed action plan for Winter Recreation and Over Snow Vehicle (OSV) use in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

9:00 p.m. update: Both lanes pf US50 have been cleared and are open to through traffic.

5:20 p.m. update: Westbound traffic is being allowed to move. Shortly, one-way controlled traffic will begin.

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Traffic is backed up on US50 near Kyburz after a downed power line fell onto the roadway October 27. According to Caltrans, both eastbound and westbound traffic is stopped.

The incident started at 2:55 p.m. Sunday and as of 4:15 p.m., there is no estimated time of clearing.

Use SR 89 to SR 88 or I80 to head west from Lake Tahoe at this time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has released the "Proposed Action for the Winter Recreation and Over Snow Vehicle (OSV) Travel Management Project," and in that document are changes to snowmobile access in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

They have proposed to open OSV use (snowmobiles) to areas around the lake that have been restricted in the past and close up other areas. The plan still leaves about 50 percent of the lands managed by LTBMU open to OSV use.

The new areas proposed for OSV use

Update: The City of South Lake Tahoe has moved the ribbon-cutting ceremony to October 31 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. due to weather delays.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Five months of work on the .6 mile, $6 million Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets project will wrap up on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, with a ribbon-cutting and celebration, starting at 11:00 a.m.

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.

The Caples Fire burning southwest of Lake Tahoe is now at 2,400 acres and is 25 percent contained. The fire started as a prescribed burn but was changed to a wildland fire Thursday afternoon which allowed more resources to be sent to the scene. It is still within the planned prescribed burn project area.

Smoke is still in the Lake Tahoe Basin and Carson Valley. Smoke sensitive individuals are encouraged to reduce their exposure by avoiding smoky areas, closing windows, or staying indoors.

Update 10:00 p.m. - One person has died after the tanker truck they were driving on Highway 50 just west of South Lake Tahoe collided with the Upper Truckee River bridge near Elks Club Road.

The preliminary investigation shows that at 11:55 a.m. on Saturday, September 7 the driver of a Toyota Prius was making a right turn from Elks Club Road onto Highway 50 when he pulled out in front of the eastbound truck. According to CHP South Lake Tahoe Commander Terry Lowther, the driver of the Pruis violated the truck driver's right-of-way.

In the time that it takes to text someone, pet your dog, or order a great meal at a local restaurant, something went very wrong. An ordinary day veered sideways and I was no longer on a relaxing vacation. I was working to save someone’s life.

Location

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Highway 50 over Echo Summit may close up to 14 days this September to allow the Caltrans contractor to install new girders and demolition work on the existing bridge structure.

There will be two meetings to inform the public of the potential closure and detour (see attached map). Local residents and businesses will be issued passes to use Johnson Pass Road as a detour during the closure, which if in place would be toward the end of the month. More information on that will be provided at the meetings and not before.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For 23 years political leaders from the White House to state capitols have professed their commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe.

At the first Lake Tahoe Summit on July 27, 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore told of their commitment to keeping Tahoe blue after decades of erosion from roads, increased emissions from automobiles and boats, removal of wetlands and overgrown and dying forests were threatening its clarity.

Last week, a local motel owner told guests there would be no housekeeping because they didn’t have enough staff due to the local housing shortage. However, the issue is fast becoming not only one of supply, but also one of quality. Many homes that fit the "local's" price range are older buildings - built in the 1970s or earlier. Just like our roads, some of these older buildings are in a state of disrepair and as we know with our roads, patchwork repairs only last so long.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Caltrans is in the middle of three major projects on the South Shore, with one of them changing their scheduled construction hours.

The $7.1M roundabout construction project at the intersection of US50 and SR89 in Meyers is moving from daytime work hours to a night shift from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. starting Tuesday, August 6. Flaggers will also be conduction one-way reversing traffic control as they finish up the roundabout. The completion is expected later this month or in early September and the nighttime work schedule will remain until the project is done.

It smells like Summer! That unmistakable combination of heat, water, sunscreen and sweat is beginning to permeate the air. Are you thinking what I am? Let’s go to the beach! Before we do, though, let’s consider a few Yogic practices.

1) Bring only that which you can easily carry (Bramacarya)

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A person sitting on Nevada Beach Thursday morning saw a stream of smoke coming from the California side of the lake and called the fire department just before 10:00 a.m. The caller thought there was fire along the beach in South Lake Tahoe so a search began for the source. Other calls went into dispatch and the fire turned out to be on a strip of land near Spruce Avenue between Peninsula and Heather Lake Roads.

The fire was put out within five minutes of the arrival of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR). An area of 20' x 20' was burned.

7/9 UPDATE: This report has been updated to include lane closures that were added after press time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transporation (Caltrans) is working on roads at Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County this week. Here is a list of both long-term and short-term projects in the area.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS