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Citations, warnings and medical assistance were given to 169 people during holiday celebrations on South Lake Tahoe beaches operated by the U.S. Forest Service on July 4th.

• 32 - Personal Possession of marijuana (Cites and Warnings)
• 31 - Minors in Possession of Alcohol (Cites)
• 8 – Combination of Arrests for Disorderly Conduct, Cocaine, Crystal Meth, LSD, Pills, Warrant, & Probation Violations
• 12 - 415 Incidents
• 72 – Alcohol Prohibition violations (Cites and Warnings)
• 14 – Medical Aids

Les Schwab Tire Center of South Lake Tahoe is hosting their 4th Annual Locals Car Show on Sunday, July 6 at the "Y" area tire store.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. locals can show off their car, trucks, 4x4s and motorcycles for a $40 fee which included a bag of goodies. Everyone is welcome to attend and view the cars, have hot dogs, get cars washed, watch "the tire burn", listen to live music and enjoy the community event. There are also raffles and prizes.

All proceeds go to support Project 44, the foster family awareness program in South Lake Tahoe.

The dream of a dedicated bike path along the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe moved one step closer to reality with a vote by the Tahoe Fund board of directors to launch a new campaign to raise $750,000 for the trail. The private money raised by the Tahoe Fund would help the Tahoe Transportation District secure $12.5 million in public funding for the new bike path from Incline Village south to Sand Harbor on the lake’s northeast corner.

The likelihood of four-year degrees coming to Lake Tahoe Community College just got a major boost. A bill authorizing California’s Community College System to launch a limited baccalaureate degree pilot program was just approved by the State Assembly Committee on Higher Education. Senate Bill 850 (SB 850) allows 15 California community colleges to offer one 4-year degree as early as January 1, 2015, and starting no later than the 2017-18 academic year. The bill already passed through the state Senate back in May by a 34-0 vote.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe will host its annual Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue Beach Cleanups at five locations throughout Lake Tahoe on July 5. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to join the effort from Tahoe City to Nevada Beach and South Shore.

Local health officers have a common recipe for keeping their counties’ children healthy: Make sure children and their parents have ready access to doctors. Provide prenatal care for young mothers. Educate families on healthy habits. Keep kids active and in school.

The El Dorado County Grand Jury has released their final report for the 2013-14 year and several South Lake Tahoe situations have been brought to light.

According to Jury Foreman Neil Cunningham, the jury compiled 20 reports and recommendations which were created as they followed up on inquiries from citizens and Grand Jury required inspections.

After lengthy debate during Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, a 3-2 vote changed the direction of the second phase of the plastic bag ban.

In January, 2014, a ban on single use bags was implemented for all grocery stores and food vendors in the city limits. That portion of the ban has not changed. What has changed is the second phase which was going to expand the ban to retail stores starting on October 15, 2014.

The City of South Lake Tahoe made several strategic moves in 2010, allowing them to survive the financial crisis which caused so many problems in 2010. As the Five Year Financial Forecast is presented during Tuesday's City Council Meeting, it will be evident that it is time again to make more strategic moves to stay in the black and be sustainable. One such move should be a focus on growing the local economy.

The 2014 Valhalla Art, Music and Theatre Festival begins On Wednesday, June 25th with a concert featuring award winning songwriter and guitar player Ray Bonneville with very special guest Lance Canales and the Flood opening the show.

Lovers of all genres of music will appreciate these renowned American Roots and Blues artists. The Boathouse Theatre’s rear doors will be open to the lake view for this special evening! Advance tickets are $20 and $22 at the door. Information and tickets are on line at www.valhallatahoe.com or by calling 530-541-4975.

The Tahoe Youth and Family Services Board of Directors has announced that Christopher Croft will take the position as the agency's new Executive Director. Croft comes to TYFS from Tacoma, Washington where he was the Family Division Director of The Rescue Mission, a non-profit agency that provides shelter, counseling and meals for homeless men, women and children.

Tahoe’s rugged landscape and mild summer temperatures attract a mountain of sports events. From large events such as America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride and the Lake Tahoe Marathon to local favorites like the Tahoe Kids Triathlon, there is sports event for every ability and age group. Barton Health’s medical staff is gearing up for many of these events, but not just to compete.

The Board of Directors of California’s South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and myself want to thank South Shore residents for voting in the June 3rd primary. Voting is the opportunity for government to be brought into alignment with the wishes of its citizens. Voting is that precious American right to elect candidates to public office who will govern and shape the future of the community.

The Draft Tahoe Valley Area Plan and accompanying documents were released Wednesday, paving the way for finalization after agency and public review and upcoming comment periods. After community meetings and months of review and planning, the "Town Center" concept has been adopted along with "Greenbelt" portions.

The plan reflects the City of South Lake Tahoe's effort to rekindle the economic vitality and spirit of the Tahoe Valley Community. The plan outlines the community's strategy for resurrection.

Paid Parking Is A User Fee

There are many people in this community that want to see more positive changes made. Those include bike paths, road repair or replacement, more public art, a BMX track, improvements at the Skate Park and other recreational areas. They want more events at Lakeview Commons, like the summer concert series, which the City helps support for the locals and visitors alike. They like the upgrades around Harrison Avenue and free parking lot being built next to the Tribune building. All of these pull millions from the City’s General Fund.

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for El Dorado County Supervisor and Douglas County Sheriff. This is the last of the submitted responses. Candidates Sue Novasel, Kenny Curtzwiler and Angela Swanson were the only County Supervisor candidates to respond, and Douglas County Sheriff candidates Ron Pierini and Dave Brady were the only Sheriff candidates to respond. We thank those that took the time to reply.

1) What do you see as the Number 1 issue facing residents of District 5?

For every day a student misses school it costs the Lake Tahoe Unified School District about $60 in lost revenue. With a budget centered around an average attendance of 95%, every time the figures dip below the average, it is a concern not only for the student's learning experience, but also for an already tight budget.

In a world full of acronyms it may be difficult to keep up on what they all mean. Here are two that you may want to learn as they have an impact on students in not only the Lake Tahoe Unified School District, but in the entire state of California.

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) replaces California's nearly half-century-old, state-controlled school finance system with one that promises more local control as well as greater transparency and fairness. LCFF is designed to provide school districts with flexibility to direct resources to meet student's needs.

The following is an opinion article and does not necessarily reflect the views of South Tahoe Now:

El Dorado County led the state in 2013 with an estimated 79% of families reading to their children on a daily basis according to Children Now, a national organization for people who care about children and want to ensure that they are the top public priority.

A coalition of all counties present at the lake along with residents, environmental groups, legislators and business groups were behind the Tahoe Regional Plan and urged its adoption in 2012. Since that time, the Sierra Club and "Friends of the West Shore" have sued (in February 2013) to oppose the plan, lost their motion (April 2014) and now, as of May 7, have filed an appeal to the court's decision to uphold the 2012 Lake Tahoe Regional Plan.

During April's South Lake Tahoe Drug Take Back Day, over 50 pounds of prescription drugs were dropped off anonymously in the bins location in the Safeway parking lot. This is about a 27% increase over last year's efforts.

Getting unused prescription drugs out of the home is a major step in accomplishing two major goals of Drug Take Back Day: Keeping drugs out of the landfills and water systems and keep drugs out of the hands of people who they weren't prescribed for.

Most likely you've heard about the National Day of Giving coming up on Tuesday, May 6. But what is it? Hundreds of community foundations across the country have joined in a 24-hour giving challenge through a national campaign called the National Day of Giving. Named "Give Where You Live," and designed exclusively for our own community, this virtual event showcases El Dorado County nonprofits and gives you the opportunity to support them by funding specific needs.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District recently held a recognition and promotional ceremony at MontBleu Resort.

Fourteen firefighters were recognized with service awards, including 20 year veterans Battalion Chief Jim Antti and Captain Chuck Salerno.

“Fire Chief Ben Sharit challenged 20 new firefighters and staff members to continue the important work we do every day in our community,” says Eric Guevin, Fire Marshal spokesperson for the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District.