safety

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Earlier this week the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit announced all national forest recreation areas and sites in the South Shore Recreation Corridors were closed to the public with fines for individuals or groups disobeying the order.

They said the closures were to keep in alignment with current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing and to ensure the health and safety of its employees, visitors, and volunteers.

STATELINE, Nev. - In what has been a hotly debated topic for months between the five Douglas County Board of Commissioners and members of the public, the Tahoe South Events Center passed the final hurdle Thursday. In a 3-2 vote, the commissioners approved bond issuance, the final step in the approval process. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) had previously unanimously approved it.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - While determining the exact timing and scope of coronavirus’ peak in the Lake Tahoe region is difficult, Barton Health is working diligently to be prepared to respond accordingly and address the needs of patients in the community. Surge planning is almost complete including more than doubling hospital bed capacity and expanding facilities to accommodate those who may be infected by the virus.

The 2020 Census is underway and while more households across America are responding every day, there are still many that have not been heard from. Over 70 million households have responded to date, representing over 48 percent of all households in America.

The California response rate is a bit higher at 49.2 percent and 48.3 perfect of Nevadans have replied.

South Lake Tahoe is lower than most, with 20.9 percent of the population replying so far.

Other area results:
44.3 percent El Dorado County
47.9 percent Douglas County
51 percent City of Reno

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The new fire chief hired for South Lake Tahoe is no stranger to the Sierra Nevada and El Dorado County.

Clive Savacool, the former chief of the Garden Valley Fire Protection District, will be taking the helm at South Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, a position vacated when Jeff Meston retired in February 2019.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The proposed Lake Tahoe West Restoration Project is in the final planning stages and the three agencies involved, USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California Tahoe Conservancy, and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, are inviting the public to provide their input. The project is a big one, covering 59,000 acres, and will provide a science-based, all-lands approach to guide restoration approaches on the West Shore over the next two decades to increase the resilience of ecosystems and human communities.

STATELINE, Nev. - Due to the catastrophic impact of COVID-19, the Rotary Club of Tahoe-Douglas announced its immediate initial commitment and disbursement of $20,000 in cash grants to four South Lake Tahoe Community proactive support agencies - Tahoe Magic, Christmas Cheer, Giving Angels and Bread & Broth.

The club has been serving the South Shore community since 1965 and just completed an online auction in lieu of their normal annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration.

With coronavirus impacts being our community's major priority, we hope you're staying safe and encourage everyone to stay at home and follow directions from health organizations so we can return to our jobs, schools, and normal lives safely, and as soon as possible. While health wellbeing is the leading concern, the reality of long-term economic impacts from this terrible virus makes the need to plan for a secure future a priority now more than ever.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Working closely with state and county health agencies in a regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barton Health is preparing for an anticipated patient surge by more than doubling its hospital bed capacity as well as expanding its facilities to accommodate patients who may be infected by the virus.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - The Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to prohibit the use of any form of tobacco at all district-owned and operated facilities, including restrooms, spectator and concession areas.

Per Nevada statutes, marijuana and vaping use were already prohibited in all public spaces.

The move by the board was to "help protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and guests of Incline Village and Crystal Bay."

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will be returning to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe this spring to complete two major projects.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barton Health continues to adapt and respond to the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 in the community. The health and safety of patients and care providers is the top priority, and operational changes continue to evolve at Barton Memorial Hospital and across Barton’s coordinated network of medical offices in preparation for any potential surge in patient care.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The FBI anticipates cyber actors will exploit increased use of virtual environments by government agencies, the private sector, private organizations, and individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Computer systems and virtual environments provide essential communication services for telework and education, in addition to conducting regular business. The criminal, or cyber actor, will exploit vulnerabilities in these systems to steal sensitive information, target individuals and businesses performing financial transactions, and engage in extortion.

Today is Census Day, the day that determines who is counted in the 2020 Census and where they are counted.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As people watch the news they see the stories about a global shortage of the supplies needed by medical professionals fighting the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Barton Health is South Lake Tahoe is preparing for a potential influx of patients seeking care and is making every effort to ensure their supplies are adequate. They are working with regional health partners, new and existing vendors, local businesses and community members to procure the personal protective equipment (PPE) that may be needed to keep their healthcare workers and patients safe.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Today the Alpine County Health Department was notified of the first laboratory-confirmed case of the new coronavirus COVID-19 infection in an Alpine County resident. The individual is recovering at home and was never hospitalized.

Alpine County is located south of Lake Tahoe, has a population of 1,120 and is 743 square miles in size and includes Markleeville and Bear Valley.

An investigation has determined the person was exposed and acquired the infection in a location distant from Alpine County. This person and their household "have

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma, and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at the time of the story.

Calls Added to Last Week's Report:

No reports were added to last week's daily call logs.

This Week's Report:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With "Stay at Home" orders from the state down to the local government, many are learning to adjust to the things they took for granted just a month ago.

One of those is a trip to the grocery store.

Even with all South Lake Tahoe grocery stores open, it doesn't mean it should be shopping as normal, a.k.a. "pre-coronavirus days."

Most households don't have refrigerator or freezer space, or even cupboard space to not have to make a run to the grocery store once in a while. But the fewer trips one makes, the better it is to remain safe and virus-free.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe issued an emergency order Friday morning, one that gives them the power to issue administrative citations to those who violate California Governor Newsom's 'stay at home' order.

“We are taking this crisis seriously and it is important that those who don’t, know there can be consequences to ignoring the Governor’s orders,” said Interim City Manager Brad Kilger, “This is about keeping our community safe, and that’s what this city is going to do.”

Part of Kilger's role for the city is as its director of emergency services.

USDA Forest Service (USFS) has closed its developed recreation facilities on National Forest land in California in order to assist people in abiding by Governor Newsom's recent statewide shelter-in-place order.

They will be closed until at least April 30 in an attempt to avoid groups of people and promote social distancing of staying more than six feet apart during the COVID-19 crisis.

In a press release, USFS officials said that while they appreciated the public's interest in outdoor recreation they needed to close to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Operational changes, including hospital visitation, screening protocols and testing facilities, continue to be made in the wake of El Dorado County’s first reported cases of coronavirus COVID-19. The health and safety of patients and care providers is Barton’s top priority, and community spread of COVID-19 is a concern. Regardless of confirmed cases in South Lake Tahoe, the advice of Barton Health medical experts is to assume COVID-19 is in the community and stay home unless absolutely necessary, keeping a distance of 6 feet from others if you must leave the home.

The following is a press release from Barton Health, Carson Tahoe Health, Marshall Medical Center and Tahoe Forest Health System:

With the continuing spread of COVID-19 within the U.S., the healthcare providers of the greater Lake Tahoe/El Dorado Region are working closely with each other and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as California and Nevada health authorities, to care for affected individuals. We are also jointly taking steps to limit person-to-person spread within our communities.

Information about COVID-19

As we sit isolated in our homes, sequestered from our ordinary lives, we are discovering all the things we take for granted. Our freedom to move, access to food and entertainment and, most importantly, our health. Like new parents discovering how much time they squandered in their previous lives, we will eventually come to terms with our isolated existence, only to return to our ordinary lives in a shock to our discovery. Until then, we need to learn to appreciate our time with our families, learn to cope with isolation and keep ourselves and our Community safe by keeping to the plan.

STATELINE, Nev. - Rider input is needed by the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) in order to best determine their bus routes during the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19.

TTD is asking riders to contact them with what routes and runs are most important. In the meantime, they have implemented safety measures for both riders and employees to minimize the spread of COVID-19.