Traffic

GARDNERVILLE, Nev. — Emergency crews responded to the scene of a fatal traffic accident at Highway 88 and Mottsville that occurred at 6:28 p.m. Friday.

One person was killed and four people were injured in the accident, which was reported at 6:28 p.m., according to Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Duncan Dauber. It was the second serious crash at the intersection Friday.

Three vehicles — a red Ford Taurus, a silver BMW and a white Honda SUV — were involved in the accident.

Sheriff Ron Pierini recently announced the graduation of two Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies from the State of Nevada Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Law Enforcement Academy.

Douglas County Deputies Matthew Sampson and Steven Kimbrell graduated from the academy on Thursday, November 19, 2015, after attending the academy for four months. The P.O.S.T. academy is located at the State of Nevada Stewart Training Facility, in Carson City, Nev.

Anyone on the roads today noticed a big influx of travelers, both inside the Tahoe basin and on the state's highways.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) advises motorists that experts are predicting a slight increase in all methods of travel nationwide, with about 47 million people traveling either by car or airplane for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The traffic caution sign on Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe near the intersection of Lyons Avenue displayed what many drivers in the area have been waiting for.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. They responded to 446 calls between November 2 and 18, 2015.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

11/2
Petty Theft in the 1700 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drug Offense in the 800 block of Tallac Ave
Drug Offense in the 3600 block of Spruce Ave

11/3
Warrant in the 2600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Weapons in the 1400 block of Melba Ave
DUI in the 3600 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

11/4

This past summer was Lake Tahoe’s busiest tourist season in recent memory. With the economy rebounding and major population growth projected for nearby metropolitan areas, this summer is also a harbinger of change. We must be prepared to meet the challenges of increased visitation in the future.

California continues to experience high numbers of motorcycle-involved collision deaths and injuries, and because of this the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has been awarded a grant to promote motorcycle safety and awareness.

The goal of "Have a Good Ride II" is to reduce the number of motorcycle-involved fatal and injurty traffic collisions statewide.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

Halloween is often recognized as a holiday that offers just as much fun for adults as it does for children. Youngsters may look forward to a night of trick-or-treating, but many adults choose to partake in the festivities, too – oftentimes with alcohol included. While Halloween may be a spooky night, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and California Highway Patrol (CHP) want to help ensure that it is also a safe one. If you plan on making alcohol a part of your celebrations this year, designating a sober driver or finding a safe ride home should be a top priority.

The Lake Tahoe Unified School Board student representative is now junior Sarah Smith. She was sworn in by Board President Barbara Bannar at the last meeting.

South Lake Tahoe's Cork & More is not going to close at the end of the month as previously announced. The media coverage of their closing brought potential buyers out of the woodwork. Stay tuned to see if a sale is successful.

Over the past three years, a new master plan for the South Lake Tahoe airport has been in the creation process, from the awarding of a $315,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2012 to community outreach to Tuesday's presentation on a final design plan.

There's an old joke about the seasons in Lake Tahoe: There are two seasons in Lake Tahoe. Winter, and Road Construction.

While the "winter" comment may not be as it once was, there is no question about "road construction" as it now goes from May through October.

Part of living in the mountains is sharing our best weather months with construction workers, road controls and traffic cones. Residents get that. But what drivers went through during the 2015 construction on highways 50 and 89 was not only inexcusable, it was preventable.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

A man from Homewood, CA was arrested and cited on September 25, 2015 for allegedly furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors during the South Lake Tahoe Police Department's "Decoy Shoulder Tap Operation."

Mark Finlayson, 38, was approached by a minor under the direct supervision of a peace officer outside a store in the area of Emerald Bay Road and Lake Tahoe Blvd. The minor asked Finlayson to buy them alcohol, stating they were underage and couldn't purchase the alcohol by themselves.

Finlayson faces a minimum $1000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

9/20

4:30 a.m. - Vacation Rental - Aravaipa St - DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO A NOISE COMPLAINT AT A VACATION RENTAL

10:40 a.m. - Vacation Rental Violation - Susquehanna Dr - 27-YEAR-OLD MAN CITED AND RELEASED FOR TRASH AND REFUSE ISSUES AT A VACATION RENTAL HOME.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

More than 100 vehicles and floats will be in Saturday's parade that will be celebrating the City of South Lake Tahoe's 50th anniversary. Along with the moving entries there will also be 500 people walking along the route.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

9/6

4:20 a.m. - Noise complaint from Vacation Home - Prospector Trail - DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO A NOISE COMPLAINT AT A VACATION RENTAL.

11:40 a.m. - Vacation Home Report - Toppewetah Street - REPORT DOCUMENTS REPORTED VHR PERMIT VIOLATION.

What once took hours of City of South Lake Tahoe staff time as well as weeks for applicants to get answers may soon be a one hour process.

Since it was organized in 2014, the City Attorney has been working with departments to update each section of the City Code. For portions that pertains to zoning, land use, development standards and building standards, City staff looked at ways to streamline the process and remove permit process portions of the code where possible.

Ten million dollars of Nevada state highway funds will be spent on pedestrian enhancements in the Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe areas over the next year.

The first $300,000 will be spent on a Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) project that began Tuesday that is relocating a crosswalk and adding safety signs on Highway 28 in the Incline Village.

A 64-year-old South Lake Tahoe man wanted on multiple sex abuse charges was arrested at a Carson City casino on Monday, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Samuel John Hernandez was arrested at 2:31 p.m. in the 3800 block of South Carson Street after a brief pursuit by deputies. He was considered a fugitive from justice in South Lake Tahoe on El Dorado County, Calif., warrant charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. Hernandez is being held on $500,000.