News

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The pattern of thunderstorms and the chance of rain and hail continue throughout the region this weekend. Even though Friday only has a 15 percent chance of rain, there is a daily risk of thunderstorms, including hail up to nickel size, gusty winds up to 50 mph, and lightning. There is an increased risk of locally heavy rains and flash flooding, especially from Saturday through Monday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.

If you plan to be outside, pay close attention to the conditions and have a way to receive alerts and weather info.

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) collaborated with the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office in a recent undercover operation targeting unlicensed contractors. The operation, conducted in late May in the Lake Tahoe area, resulted in seven unlicensed persons receiving a Notice to Appear in criminal court for allegedly acting in the capacity of a contractor without the required license. These suspects now face legal consequences, including fines and potential imprisonment.

The Forest Health Community Working Group invites the public to discuss their efforts in restoring Alpine County after fire, flood, and mudslides.

The meeting will be held at Turtle Rock Park Community Center in Markleeville on June 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Discuss post-fire restorations, restoration timelines, upcoming field trips, updates, as well as question and answer period with project managers.

There will be state and private forestry groups, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Alpine Fire Safe Council present.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is preparing for the upcoming Carson Valley Days Celebration June 8-11. This year’s theme is “Aloha, Carson Valley!”

Due to the high volume of traffic within the Minden/Gardnerville town areas, please use extra precautions when traveling through the towns. If you need to travel across town prior to the parade, please plan ahead.

With summer arriving in Tahoe, residents and visitors are looking forward to spending time on the Lake’s sparkling blue waters. To protect that treasured experience and the Lake’s water quality, public, private, and nonprofit partners have come together to inform recreators about the threat of aquatic invasive species – harmful, non-native plants and animals. Without a watchful eye and preventative action, invasive species could proliferate, turning those blue waters a murky green.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A reenactment of the wagon trains which once carried gold-seekers and those in search of a better life and free land started off at Lake Tahoe Sunday. The week-long history lesson will be traveling on US50 to Placerville, just like the annual event has since 1949.

The wagons, horses, and riders took a lunch break on Sunday in front of the Lake Tahoe Historical Museum, Art League, and CalOES ambulance station. The public enjoyed chatting with the participants, petting the horses, and learning more about the wagon train.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – After 31 years of serving the community at South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD), General Manager John Thiel is pulling anchor and heading to southern California as the new general manager of the West Valley Water District. A national recruitment is underway to find his successor.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A two-vehicle collision at Lake Tahoe on Thursday morning left two people with minor injuries and traffic tied up for a couple of hours until the crash site could be cleared.

The Nevada State Police Highway Division responded to the crash near Mile Marker 8 in Douglas County just after 11 a.m. on June 1.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - A man was rescued from along the Carson River on Wednesday after being listed as a missing person in Alpine County.

On Sunday, May 28, a vehicle was located abandoned along SR88 in Woodfords Canyon. After law enforcement contacted the registered owner of the vehicle it was determined the vehicle had been taken without permission, and that the owner's adult son was also missing.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - Drivers will see lane closures and travel delays on State Route 431 (Mt. Rose Highway) in Incline Village June 1-9 as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) repaves the road as part of continuing highway improvements.

MINDEN, Nev. – Two men were arrested Tuesday morning by deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) on multiple charges.

On Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at about 6:27 a.m., DCSO deputies responded to the Smith’s Food and Drug gas station in Gardnerville for a report of an attempted carjacking. Two subjects, one of whom allegedly was pointing a firearm, attempted to take a vehicle, which was being fueled at Smith's. The suspects were not able to start the vehicle and fled on foot.

Deputies found the suspects in a neighborhood east of Smiths and they were taken into custody.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Every year the public is warned about the dangers of cold water shock, but every year, people die in Lake Tahoe not due to a lack of swimming skill or hypothermia, but often due to cold water shock.

"The sudden lowering of skin temperature on immersion in cold water represents one of the most profound stimuli that the body can encounter," according to Golden and Tipton in Essentials of Sea Survival.

It is important for those on, and in, the lake to understand the phrase "1-10-1." This refers to the three critical phases of cold water immersion.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is a chance for flooding from rain and runoff at Lake Tahoe on Monday afternoon, enough for a Flood Watch May 29 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Daily thunderstorm potential remains with the Sierra and Western Nevada through the week, with up to 70 percent chances through Memorial Day. The potential for storms decreases by mid to late week (up to 20 percent chance), but won`t completely disappear. Storms this week will be capable of heavy rain, lightning, gusty, erratic winds, and even small hail.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - As Lake Tahoe’s water level nears its maximum height from a record snowpack, agencies helping protect the region from aquatic invasive species (AIS) are preparing watercraft inspection stations and new equipment for paddlers for the season ahead.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) manage the nationally recognized boat inspection program to prevent the spread of AIS by ensuring all watercraft are Clean, Drained, and Dry before entering the waters of the Lake Tahoe Region.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following calls only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma, and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at the time of the story.

May 18 - May 24, 2023

5/18

No Reports

5/19

01:20 SUSP VEH STOP - Officer initiated activity at Prospector Trl, South Lake Tahoe. Disposition: CHECKS CLEAR.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The term "Know Before You Go" is always important, but over the unofficial start of summer this weekend, it is more important than ever to be aware of what the current situation is around Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. Warm temperatures have accelerated the melting of the Sierra Nevada’s enormous snowpack and rivers, streams, and creeks are running high, fast, and cold.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – As temperatures start to warm and snow begins to melt, a new crop of bear cubs are emerging from winter dens with their mothers. Yearlings, which were born last year, are also on the move. Some are still with their mother bears, some are solo after separating before denning, and some may be showing signs of disease.

Cubs of the year, born around the beginning of February, are sticking close to their mothers, and learning survival skills in the wild to prepare them for living on their own in about one year.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – There are a limited number of pier allocations allowed every two years at Lake Tahoe, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) will be accepting lottery entries for those allocations between June 1 and June 30, 2023.

The 2018 Shoreline Plan lifted a longstanding moratorium on new shorezone structures and placed a cap on the number of private piers and buoys allowed at Lake Tahoe. A maximum of 128 private piers and 1,486 private moorings will be allowed along the shore of Lake Tahoe, with allotments awarded through periodic lotteries until the cap is met.

UPDATE 8:30AM TUESDAY: There is now one-way controlled traffic through the stretch on SR88.

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State Route 88 was closed Monday night between Picketts Junction and Crystal Springs East after a rapidly deteriorating roadway was discovered. There is no estimated time for the reopening of the closure according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

For current conditions on the road, check https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The 4th quarter sales tax report for South Lake Tahoe shows receipts from October-December 2022 were above those of the prior year by 6.3 percent. Excluding reporting adjustments, receipts for the period were up 8.5 percent.

While many areas of the state saw a decline in dollars spent on transportation, the City had a healthy increase, according to its quarterly report from the finance department. The severe weather likely caused the increase in spending on construction materials and supplies sold by outlets in the business-industry group.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following calls only pertain to the South and West Shore, including Meyers, South Lake Tahoe, Meeks Bay, Tahoma, and the Echo Summit area. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at the time of the story.

May 11 - May 17, 2023

5/11

09:58 CIVIL INCIDENT - Officer initiated activity at Pioneer Trl, South Lake Tahoe. Disposition: ADVISED.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fireworks are returning to South Lake Tahoe on the 4th of July. The popular Lights on the Lake show hosted by the Tahoe Douglas Visitor's Authority will start at 9:45 p.m. The fireworks will be launched off barges on Lake Tahoe near Edgewood Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The following is a list of calls the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to during the week of April 17-April 30, 2023. Location Checks are when officers search an area at a certain address. Transient/Homeless arrests/citations and calls are those normally categorized in other columns (Drunk in Public, Trespassing, etc.) but stats are collected separately.

Log for April 17 - April 30, 2023

4/17

01:36 Emergency Hang-up - Occurred at El Nido Motel on Lake Tahoe Blvd. Disposition: CLEAR NO FURTHER.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The weekend is ending with showers and thunderstorms as an area of low pressure and increased moisture came over the region. During the coming week, there will be a steady warmup that will exacerbate snowmelt and cause stream and river rise regionwide. Most areas will be dry for the early part of the week, then shower and thunderstorm chances arrive as early as Thursday afternoon through next weekend.

The weekly forecast for South Lake Tahoe from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Monday - Sunny, with a high near 72. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph.