transportation

After Nevada Governor Sandoval toured the flood damaged areas of Western Nevada, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and their emergency contractors jumped on their long list of repair needs after the flooding damaged several state routes.

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 Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.

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2:53 a.m. - Felon in possession of Stun Gun - Edgewood Circle - 48-YEAR-OLD MALE ARRESTED FOR FELON IN POSSESSION OF A STUN GUN

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Crews from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) are headed to SR207/Kingsbury Grade to investigate a sinkhole which has resulted in another closure of the main connection between Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley.

A sinkhole formed Sunday night in the same general area of the previous erosion which kept the road closed for 4 days. Crews will determine if is the the exact drainage pipe impacted before, or if it is a new one according to Meg Ragonese of NDOT.

The road is closed from Tramway to Foothill Blvd, leaving the lake side from Highway 50 to Tramway open.

Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has announced that State Route 207/Kingsbury Grade, the main connection between South Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley is back open after temporary repairs were made to stabilize the sink hole.

"We actually put in an interim repair and in the spring or early summer we'll come back and completely reinstall the eroding drainage pipe that caused the sinkhole," said Meg Ragonese, NDOT Public Information Officer.

She told South Tahoe Now to remind motorists that even though the road is open tonight, chains or snow tires are required.

With the heavy rain and high snow levels associated with an atmospheric river hitting the Sierra and Lake Tahoe this weekend, the City of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County are reminding citizens that sand bags are available, free of charge.

During wet storms, residents may find themselves with flooding issues around their homes and garages.

Sand bags are available year-round at the City’s Streets and Snow Removal Yard located at 1160 Rufus Allen Blvd. Their operating hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The 2016 South Lake Tahoe three-day long music festival, SnowGlobe, is over, and the thousands of of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) fans are headed home after enjoying themselves during the outdoor concert. Like with most festivals of this type, most of the arrests and citations issued by South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO), and Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) were for underage drinking.

Early tabulations show that during SnowGlobe this year there were 238 arrests, 148 of those were citations to minors in possession of alcohol.

Denim is now the state’s official fabric to recognize its role in California history, and every autographed collectible sold in California must come with a certificate that verifies it's not a forgery. Those are just two of 898 new laws facing Californians in 2017.

Here are just a few of them compiled in part by California Highway Patrol (CHP):

Last touches are being finished at the temporary concert venue on the South Lake Tahoe community field to prepare for estimated 15,000 people who will be attending SnowGlobe 2016. From December 29-31, 2016, electronic music fans will fill the town, and organizers have put some new transportation plans in place to accommodate the crowd attending the almost sold out concert.

Four years ago this month, TRPA approved the 2012 Regional Plan. The landmark plan charts a course to restore Lake Tahoe’s environment and revitalize our communities and it was forged through Herculean work by California, Nevada, local governments, the public, and dozens of other partners.

Many Tahoe Basin stakeholders once questioned if we could work together, but the Regional Plan ushered in an era of collaboration. Today, the answer is how can we work together more efficiently. By building and strengthening partnerships we have made remarkable progress. This year was no different.

Caltrans is hosting a community meeting on Thursday, December 15 to present design alternatives for a U.S. Highway 50 safety project in the Camino area of El Dorado County, a project that will overlap major highway projects on the Lake Tahoe side of the mountain.

The meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Camino Elementary School, 3060 Snows Road, Camino. A project presentation will take place at 5:45 p.m.

Are you a college student looking to intern for the winter? Are you a retired school teacher but miss your students, love to snowshoe and want to give back to the community? Or maybe you simply love the outdoors and working with children and want to be involved in your community. The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is seeking volunteers to assist with the 2017 Winter Trek Conservation Education Program that begins January 2017, at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

It's time once again for the South Lake Tahoe Cancer League's annual See's Candy Store. Starting December 1, and going until December 24 if supplies last, the community can stop by their shop at the "Y" and help the non-profit group raise the funds needed to help local residents with cancer.

Seven-days-a-week the Cancer League will have their candy store open from noon to 5:00 p.m. in a previously vacant shop next to Beachhut Deli, just a few doors down from Starbucks in the Raley's/KMart center.

By now, most people have heard: Federal courts upheld the 2012 Regional Plan for Lake Tahoe, affirming the blueprint that maintains development caps and strengthens environmental protections while encouraging community revitalization, redevelopment, and updated infrastructure.

Capturing the most attention these days is the traffic in our small communities from millions of people who drive up to enjoy our lake. And the transportation system is where TRPA is giving more focused attention to benefit Tahoe’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

South Lake Tahoe is once again on the list of "Bicycle Friendly Communities," (BFC) this time receiving the silver level.

In August, the City of South Lake Tahoe applied to become a BFC and reached out to the community to participate in a survey, the results of which are part of the judging process.

11/12 update: The Vikings' road to state has ended in Las Vegas. The boys from South Tahoe High suffered a crushing blow with a loss to Desert Pines, 56-7 in the 3A State semifinals.

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For the first time in 25 years, the South Tahoe High football team is headed to the Nevada Division 3A State football championship games in Las Vegas this weekend. The Vikings are coming off a victory over rival Truckee to head to Vegas as the number two seed from Northern Nevada.

The 28-20 win over Truckee sends South Tahoe to their first appearance at the state playoffs since 1991.

6:00 a.m. 11/9 Update: It took awhile for ballots to be counted, but 100 percent of the precincts have now been counted for El Dorado County and South Lake Tahoe. The results are unofficial as some mail-in ballots will still be tallied.

Former councilwoman Brooke Laine and hospital executive Jason Collin will be headed to the South Lake Tahoe City Council in what turned out to be a close race with local politics newcomer, Tamara Wallace. Current Councilwoman JoAnn Conner will not be returning for a second term.

SLT City Council results, the top two vote-getters win:

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Dan McLaughlin, 66, Sales Manager for Lake Tahoe Television, has lived in Lake Tahoe for 43 years.

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Brooke Laine, 52, Branch Manager, US Bank, Born and raised in SLT

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

In an effort to clear up misinformation about the proposed US50 Community
Revitalization/Loop Road Project, the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce (TahoeChamber) hosted a public meeting Thursday evening at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel. With the amount of negative public comments and voiced skepticism during past meetings, Measure T, and in social media, a larger group was expected than the 35 people who attended (and many of those were Tahoe Transportation and Tahoe Chamber staff).

It is an exciting time to live on the South Shore – during a critical point in our region’s evolution and potential. It is time to set our course: moving away from bickering and blaming, exclusionary special interests and single-industry dominance to consensus-building and proactively choosing progress. Whether we live in Nevada or California, everyone benefits from uniting towards a sustainable vision for the South Shore.

A former member of both the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and California State Assembly has been named the interim director of the El Dorado County Community Development Agency.

At the BOS meeting Tuesday, Roger Niello was appointed to fill the spot vacated when Steve Pedretti left the position for Placer County.

Niello begins his job November 2.

Before he went into public service, Niello managed the Niello Auto Group for
25 years until 1999.

Over the past three Halloweens there have been a total of six traffic deaths and 417 crashes during the past three Halloweens in Nevada, so the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) and Nevada Department of Public Safety (NDOT) has joined together to remind both drivers and pedestrians to be safe.

Four Nevada residents are now the proud owners of iconic "Welcome to Nevada" signs, old and obsolete signs that have graced the state's highways for 25 years.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) held a contest to find new owners, and nearly 14,500 residents entered the free raffle via phone, web site and social media, with winners selected randomly.

The four winners are from each region of the state: Northwest: Jennifer Bills (Reno), Southwest: Anna Thomas (from Minden), Northeast: Kaitlyn Tueller, Southeast: Breanna Kirkham.

Two hot topics for locals were discussed during a Caltrans informational meeting at the Lake Tahoe Airport on Thursday evening: A roundabout and viaduct replacement.

The 3-legged Roundabout

Citing the safety of the intersection of Highway 50 and 89 in Meyers as the catalyst, project managers, engineers and planners unveiled their plans for a three-legged roundabout at the intersection to the dozens of interested citizens who attended.