News

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Last week a 26-year-old man died in South Lake Tahoe after hanging himself from a tree near James Avenue. He became the twentieth person to die by suicide in El Dorado County this year. With four months left in the year, it is possible we could see more than the 22 suicide deaths in the county in 2022.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Wolf Creek Fire resources did great work on the incident today and containment is up to 50 percent. Tonight, crews will be solidifying fire breaks. Acres burned have been updated at 32.6 due to more accurate mapping.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Crews from the U.S. Forest Service - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and other agencies are working on a fire burning near the Wolf Creek Campground, south of Markleville. As of dusk on Wednesday, September 13 the fire had burned about 35 acres and is 20-25 percent contained.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - In a marathon meeting that went to the legally mandated end time of 11:59 p.m., the Douglas County School Board trustees on Tuesday voted to suspend a series of bylaws that covered everything from superintendent duties to public comment, communication, and agendas.

The trustees made it through less than half of its 34-item agenda during the eight-hour meeting, and as has been the norm in 2023, it was a contentious meeting with a majority of the public speaking during the meeting clearly on the other side of the board.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has sent a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), informing them of plans to bring the American Christian Heritage Month proclamation back to their next agenda for a new vote.

"It's the right thing to do," said Supervisor Brooke Laine. While the vote on the proclamation won't be known to that meeting, it is expected to be rescinded.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Happy Homestead Cemetery District received the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence from the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in recognition of its outstanding efforts to promote transparency and good governance.

“This award is a testament to Happy Homestead Cemetery District's commitment to open government,” said, Adria Nkala, District Manager. “Our staff is to be commended for their contributions that empower the public with information and facilitate engagement and oversight.”

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - When the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors declared July to be American Christian Heritage Month, it caught many by surprise and drew the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), leaders of other religions, proponents of "Separation of Church and State."

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Starting Monday, September 11, divers will begin removing aquatic invasive plants in Emerald Bay. Control of this one-and-a-half-acre Eurasian watermilfoil infestation in the iconic location will help protect the region’s ecosystem and water quality, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).

For 23 years, Christopher "Chris" Sneed has climbed up a rock outcropping off of US50 above Carson City, Nevada to plant a flag in honor of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. He changes the flag annually on the 10th so there is a new flag to start off 9/11 with, giving the day a new beginning with the new flag.

This year, a crowd once again gathered along the highway to watch Chris climb the rock and change the flag. Granite Construction donated their time to provide traffic control and closed down the lane next to the rock to keep the area safe for attendees.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two cubs who were hit by a vehicle in South Lake Tahoe about three weeks ago are on the mend, but their condition is concerning to many who have seen them. They were hit on Pioneer Trail, and the Bear League and others who responded have kept an eye on the two to make sure they are continuing to move around and able to get food.

Local urbanized black bear expert Toogee Sielsch said it's hard to see the bears moving around with obvious injuries, but as long as they can keep up with the momma bear they have a good chance of survival.

9/11 UPDATE: The woman who died at Lakeland Village on September 7 has been identified as 62-year-old Jacqueline Cason. She was from the Oceanside, California area and formerly of South Lake Tahoe. The next of kin has been notified.

Detectives from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department are continuing to investigate and gather more evidence. Search warrants have been executed as detectives reconstruct activities from the evening Ms. Cason died.. The cause of her death has not been determined at this time and an autopsy is scheduled.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Work to replace 9,510 linear feet of aging and undersized waterline is continuing in the Black Bart neighborhood, and traffic along Black Bart Avenue will be impacted over the next two to three weeks.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Climate change requires Californians to use water more wisely and prepare for more frequent and persistent periods of limited water supply. Two new water efficiency bills are now in place in the state as a response to more frequent droughts and dry spells. SB606 and AB1668 were created to help the state better prepare for future droughts and other effects of climate change on the State’s water supplies.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The El Dorado County Elections Department is moving into its new offices this week and will celebrate with an Open House on October 18 from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - The Nevada Department of Transportation is inviting the public to take part in an online survey to provide feedback about proposed future improvements to US 50 on Tahoe’s east shore, including potential temporary test restriping of a section of highway lanes.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - A group of citizens wants to get a ban on vacation home rentals (VHRs) in the Tahoe Township area of Douglas County and they want to have the voters decide.

Linda Dengler, a Kingsbury Grade resident, said she and other county residents want to have an initiative on a 2024 ballot and they need help gathering the needed 4,388 signatures in order to get it on the ballot. The petition states VHRs would be eliminated from all residential zones by Dec. 31, 2027.

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Caltrans is advising motorists of continued traffic-interfering work on State Highway 28 in North Lake Tahoe next week after a break during the Labor Day holiday.

Southwest Gas and its contractor, Q&D Construction, continue to work on a gas line replacement project on Highway 28 between Tahoe City and Kings Beach.

One-way traffic control is scheduled to resume between Watson Creek and Ridgewood Road in Carnelian Bay from Tuesday, September 5 at 8 p.m. until Friday, September 8 at noon. No work is scheduled on the weekend.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) is offering free or low-cost preschool programs in South Lake Tahoe and there are currently openings available in all five of their top-rated preschool classrooms. Due to both federal and state funding, there are two convenient preschool locations on the South Shore, one at the Y and one in mid-town.

What makes their programs so exceptional?

-Highly qualified teachers with bachelor’s degrees
-Low teacher/child ratios
-Play-based / social-emotional learning curriculums

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Headed to the Tahoe Basin for one last summer camping trip? Black bear biologists who work in the Tahoe Basin every day have some advice and thoughts to share.

When you choose to visit the Lake Tahoe Basin, you are headed to the heart of bear country at a time when the Tahoe Basin’s black bears will be especially active and persistent in their search for food to prepare for leaner times ahead in the fall and winter. Sometimes, the easiest food for them to find is human food and garbage.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - NV Energy will be replacing poles, removing hazard trees, and replacing equipment along State Route 28 beginning on September 5, and going through mid-late September. This work is related to the NV Energy Resilience Corridors Project and the company's Natural Disaster Protection Plan, which is aimed at protecting the community from the increased risk of wildfires and other natural disasters.

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board is urging fishermen and recreational users to stay out of the water at Indian Creek Reservoir located in Alpine County. Localized areas of the lake were tested to confirm that the lake is being impacted by Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). The lake is posted with a lakewide recreational advisory of “DANGER” to alert lake users of the elevated risk.

Recreators are encouraged to follow the below guidance until further notice.
Danger
• Stay out of the water until further notice, including watercraft.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - A Washoe County man who allegedly sold fentanyl and other drugs in the parking lot at Incline Village High School was arrested after an investigation by detectives with the Regional Narcotics Unit (RNU). They arrested 20-year-old Ramon Navarro for 22 felony counts of various narcotics offenses after they identified him as the source of drugs infiltrating the hallways of the high school on the north shore of Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A South Lake Tahoe man was arrested on suspicion of arson after the home he was living in caught fire early Tuesday morning.

At 4:05 a.m., first responders were called to the Osborne Avenue home in South Lake Tahoe on the report of a structure fire. Upon arrival, they found the home fully engulfed in flames with one of the home's residents attempting to put out the fire with a garden hose.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - A couple from El Dorado Hills was sentenced on Monday for their criminal efforts to avoid paying federal income taxes, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Brian Beland, 39, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and a $30,000 fine, and Denae Beland, 40, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The BEBOT, short for “beach robot,” was at Conolley Beach in South Lake Tahoe on Friday, showing why it is becoming a big tool in the beach-cleaning toolbox at Tahoe.

The all-electric, solar, and battery-powered, beach-cleaning robot is wrapping up its second summer of sifting through the sand at Lake Tahoe, removing small debris, bits of litter and plastics as it moves through beaches.