working together

2020 has been a year of incredible challenges and changes for our organization. At Live Violence Free, we worked hard to continue to meet the needs of our community. Our resilient staff, volunteers, and board members have risen to the challenge and provided stabilizing support to the community, and we are here every step of the way.

South Lake Tahoe has earned “Safe Travels stamp and global protocols” recognition as part of a progressive group working to restore confidence in travel from the World Travel & Tourism Council.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are three open seats on the South Tahoe Public Utility Board of Directors this election season, two for a four-year term and one for a two-year term.

South Tahoe Now reached out to the candidates and below are their answers to a set of questions. For the two four-year terms, incumbent Kelly Sheehan is running for reelection, Duane Wallace is running after being appointed to fill Jim Jones's spot on the board until this election, and they are joined by David Peterson.

South Tahoe Now reached out to all nine candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council and provided the same list of questions to each one of them. Once a day their answers will be published in the order received.

Today's candidate is Douglas Williams

Profession: Hospitality

How many years in SLT: 10 years

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The community is invited to a webinar to review the City of South Lake Tahoe's draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) on Wednesday, September 9 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The City has completed its draft CAP and is in the midst of the public review period. This CAP is critical for reducing emissions in the region and will also provide benefits to the community through supporting local economic development, improving wildfire resilience, reducing air pollution, improving traffic conditions, and improving public health and quality of life.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif. - The 24th annual Lake Tahoe Summit has moved to a virtual format this year. U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada will be hosting the event that will feature Olympian David Wise as the keynote speaker.

Since the first Lake Tahoe Summit in 1997, the area’s congressional representatives have pledged to keep working together and with local, state, and private sector partners to restore Tahoe’s environment, improve forest health, and confront climate change.

Masks or face coverings are now required to be worn in the Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) terminal’s public areas, by order of Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. The face coverings order was announced Wednesday.

Due to the change, signage describing the new rules is in place and highly visible.

If ever there was a time to draw on the healing powers of Lake Tahoe, it’s now. The COVID crisis, complete with loss of life and wide-ranging financial impacts, is being compounded by human struggle and a wellspring of social justice demonstrations that are gripping the nation. One of our core values at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is collaboration -- building collaborative relationships to protect Lake Tahoe. I can tell you that Tahoe's successes have not ever come from reinforcing divisions. The imagined “us vs them" simply creates false divides.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Spring is in full swing in the Tahoe Basin and Tahoe black bears are searching for food. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears results in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues as well as fines and possible jail time for violators. Each year, local law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat or are damaging property. In some cases, the bear must be euthanized.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) as relocated its Warm Room operations to the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center in order to provide a 24/7 shelter for the most vulnerable residents until at least April 30.

In addition to their expanded operations they have also made the following changes:

● Set up 8 isolation bays for people experiencing non-COVID-19 symptoms.
● Providing 22 private motel rooms for our vulnerable seniors and those experiencing complex underlying health conditions.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dr. Todd Cutler is officially the new superintendent for Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD). The Board of Trustees unanimously approved his contract and he was introduced to the standing room only crowd that gathered to meet him.

He and his wife Dee Dee were at the meeting to meet the community.

"This is a dream come true," said Dr. Cutler. "I have always wanted to come home. This is such a cool place."

Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra’s $300 sponsorship and manpower donation, Bread & Broth (B&B) volunteers were able to prepare and serve another great dinner on January 13. Ever since the inception of B&B’s Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) sponsorship program back in 2012, the Kiwanis Club has been adopting the second Monday dinner in the month of January. The Club was one of the first organizations to host an AAD and they have been a consistent supporter of B&B’s goal of easing hunger in our community.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The December edition of the City of South Lake Tahoe's "At Lake Level" has been released by City Manager Frank Rush. This month Rush covers SnowGlobe, the 56-acre site and a possible new Fire/EMS station for the community.

56-Acre Site

The Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation has announced a donation of $18,057 to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) to enhance wildfire suppression capabilities on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. This donation will result in the expansion of strategic and tactical Wildfire Pre Attack plans covering the entire Lake Tahoe Basin. Pre Attack Plans help first responders by identifying critical infrastructure, vulnerable population groups, evacuation routes, water sources, Temporary Refuge Areas, and locations where forests have been thinned before a wildfire strikes.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. “For anyone who has lost a friend or loved one to suicide, this month can be especially hard,” said Jamie Samboceti, Deputy Director of the El Dorado County Behavioral Health Division. “We hope that by supporting one another and working together to raise awareness about suicide, we can ultimately save lives.”

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.

A geyser of water and natural gas on Senaca Drive in Meyers on August 6 brought out a full response from South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD), Southwest Gas (SWG), Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) and El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO).

STPUD responded to the call of a water leak and upon arrival found water gushing from a broken water main. They also smelled gas so called SWG and 911. LVFPD and EDSO secured the area and helped evacuate residents and divert water to minimize property damage.

We’ve finally settled into a spectacular Tahoe summer. Like a shooting star, summer is fleeting, with the Fourth of July already in our review mirror. With all the outdoor recreation that summer affords us here at Lake Tahoe, here’s one more experience worth noting.

If you’re looking for a stunningly beautiful bike ride or a perfect pathway on which to take a walk, the new East Shore Tahoe Trail is unparalleled. Dignitaries recently gathered to celebrate the trail’s grand opening at the end of June. The path is a three-mile link between the south end of Incline Village and Sand Harbor.

A 400-acre plume of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) has been found in some of the South Lake Tahoe groundwater and the agencies tasked with protecting the local drinking supply will be updating the community on cleanup efforts and the status of the plume on Wednesday, June 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the South Lake Tahoe City Council Chambers at the airport.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A family friendly event has been planned by the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless at their Tahoe Beach Bash on Saturday, July 20 from noon - 4:00 p.m.

This year’s event is being held at The Beach Retreat and Lodge located at 3411 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe. The Beach Bash includes live music, beachside barbecue, silent auction, games, a bounce house, face painting, beautiful lake views, beer and wine tasting, Homebrew for the Homeless’s home-brewed beer contest, and more.

All proceeds go to Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless.

Liberty Utilities and the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) are working together on a proposal to reduce the risk of unwanted wildfires on approximately 6,300 acres of forest in the Lake Tahoe Basin along 55 miles of power line corridors.

The Liberty Utilities Resilience Corridors Project would help create healthier and more resilient forests while reducing the risk of unwanted wildfires that could ignite either from vegetation coming in contact with utility infrastructure or failures of infrastructure.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was found in drinking water wells in South Lake Tahoe near the "Y" in 1989, and it remains in the groundwater today, forming a containment plume from the intersection of Highway 50 and State Route 89 and heading toward Lake Tahoe through the Tahoe Keys.

The following is a letter created by the four agencies currently working together to try and find a solution to the traffic problem in Meyers as visitors exit Lake Tahoe after a weekend. A public meeting was held on Friday night and that story will be carried on Saturday.

2018 was an extraordinary year for Lake Tahoe, and one of the region’s most successful years in decades. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) assisted by dozens of partners approved landmark programs and projects, including a new Shoreline Plan, a comprehensive update of TRPA’s development rights system, and the U.S. 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project.