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Winter Storm Warning until Monday for Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A Winter Storm Warning is in place for the Lake Tahoe Basin until noon on Monday, April 6. At 10:00 a.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno said to expect heavy snow with additional snow accumulations of 8 to 16 inches, except 1 to 3 feet above 7000 feet. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph in the lower elevations and up to 90 mph over Sierra ridges.

South Lake Tahoe library offering story time and other digital services while closed

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Even though the El Dorado County library in South Lake Tahoe is closed to the public to comply with social distancing requirements, many services including storytime are offered online.

Library cards that are due to expire have been extended. All books due during their closed times will be accepted after reopening with no late fees. Their drop box is closed so no books can be dropped off.

All due dates have been extended to May 29, 2020.

Caltrans projects in South Lake Tahoe and on Echo Summit set to resume in May

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will be returning to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe this spring to complete two major projects.

El Dorado County health official orders end to all nonessential travel to Lake Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Those living in the Lake Tahoe Basin have experienced a large number of visitors and non-fulltime residents coming into the area, and today the El Dorado County Public Health Officer issued a no-travel order.

Dr. Nancy Williams issued the order to start immediately and will remain in place until April 30, 2020, unless extended or modified.

COVID-19 cases in the South Lake Tahoe area up to 9, El Dorado County at 22

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Two more positive tests for COVID-19 were received in the South Lake Tahoe region of El Dorado County, and one more in El Dorado Hills, bringing the county total up to 22.

Two of the new cases were community-acquired and one is under investigation.

The South Lake Tahoe region of the county runs from Tahoma to Meyers and includes the city of South Lake Tahoe.

To date, 849 have been tested for the virus in El Dorado County with 683 coming back negative and the results on about 144 are still pending.

South Lake Tahoe parks to remain closed during pandemic

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Parks run by the City of South Lake Tahoe that were closed for the season will remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We aren’t discouraging public access to the parks, we want our residents to get outside during this crisis,” said Public Works Director Ray Jarvis. “We are going to keep the parks closed to vehicle access though to discourage large gatherings and to continue to encourage people to follow state and federal guidelines.”

Warm Room expands and relocates to assist South Lake Tahoe homeless

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.

Barton Health's community updates and advisories on coronavirus COVID-19

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barton Health continues to adapt and respond to the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 in the community. The health and safety of patients and care providers is the top priority, and operational changes continue to evolve at Barton Memorial Hospital and across Barton’s coordinated network of medical offices in preparation for any potential surge in patient care.

Douglas County to VHR owners and tourists: Do not rent homes, Do not visit at this time

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Consistent with directives issued by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, and the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control, Douglas County is urging travelers and short-term rental owners/managers, to take this threat to our community seriously, act responsibly and refrain from renting vacation home properties to non-essential travelers at this time.

Nightly cheer in South Lake Tahoe in support of healthcare and essential workers

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Marin County has their coyote calls, New York City has their clapping, and now South Lake Tahoe will have a nightly cheer to honor and support essential workers and healthcare professionals working during the COVID-19 crisis.

Local Troy Matthews started the idea on Facebook Thursday and wants to see the community respond and go outside and give a big cheer for five minutes starting every night at 8:00 p.m.

Seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County has created a new dashboard for COVID-19 cases and it shows South Lake Tahoe leads all areas with confirmed cases.

There are 7 confirmed cases in the South Lake Tahoe region, 3 in Placerville, 4 in El Dorado Hills with the County's other 5 cases spread around the west slope.

797 people have been tested with 648 of those coming back negative for the virus. 130 are still pending.

Of the confirmed 19 cases:

9 - travel-related
1 - contact with a known case
6 - community-acquired
3 - cause under investigation

10 - male
9 - female

Winter Storm Watch in place for Lake Tahoe this weekend

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - What was originally forecast to be a sunny and mild weekend has changed into one that is calling for two different storms bringing heavy snow to the greater Lake Tahoe area.

Lake Valley Fire Protection District helping locals with food and donations

MEYERS, Calif. - The members of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) help the community every day as first responders and protecting the community, but they are now adding on a new role.

They have donated money as well as started a program to go grocery shopping for the elderly in their district or for those unable to get to the store due to coronavirus impacts.

Last week members of the district's foundation presented a check for $1,000 to Bread & Broth to help supply food to those in the community who are impacted by layoffs due to the coronavirus.

FBI warns of possible cyber crimes during coronavirus pandemic

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The FBI anticipates cyber actors will exploit increased use of virtual environments by government agencies, the private sector, private organizations, and individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Computer systems and virtual environments provide essential communication services for telework and education, in addition to conducting regular business. The criminal, or cyber actor, will exploit vulnerabilities in these systems to steal sensitive information, target individuals and businesses performing financial transactions, and engage in extortion.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District students will not return this school year

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Governor Newsom said it was a possibility two weeks ago, California’s schools chief Tony Thurmond recommended the state’s public schools prepare to provide distance learning through the end of their school years on Tuesday, and now today, it became a reality in South Lake Tahoe.

El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) announced they are taking a safety-first approach and immediate action to extend the school facility closures through the end of the school year.

South Lake Tahoe second home owners asked to leave under some circumstances

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Owners of vacation rentals or second homes located in South Lake Tahoe may not use them as long as the Governor's "Stay at Home" order is in place unless are doing so under allowable circumstances.

Sierra snowpack at 66% of April 1 average; Statewide it is 53% of average

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The precipitation of March did not do enough to boost the snowpack in the Sierra to high figures, but it did give surveyors better figures than the 47 percent of average one month ago. The manual measurement of the snowpack at Phillips Station near Sierra-at-Tahoe showed the snow depth was 43.5 inches with a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 16.5 inches. This is 66 percent of the April 1 average at that location southwest of Lake Tahoe.

South Lake Tahoe City Council does not approve eviction protection action for businesses

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - During their special meeting Wednesday, the South Lake Tahoe City Council discussed three topics related to the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

One of their action items was to vote on an urgency ordinance that would establish a moratorium on commercial evictions due to COVID-19. During their emergency meeting on March 20, 2020, the Council unanimously supported a provision to put a temporary moratorium on residential evictions.

Arrests leading to jail bookings are down in El Dorado County during the pandemic

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Arrests in South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County are down as a result of "Stay at Home" directives from the State, County, and City.

Though exact numbers are not yet available, a look at the daily arrest logs shows a large decrease. County-wide there were three arrests Sunday and five arrests on Monday, when one month ago there were 32 between the same two days of the month, a reduction of 75 percent.

Census Day: Use time at home to help shape the future of the community

Today is Census Day, the day that determines who is counted in the 2020 Census and where they are counted.

Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities Weekly Tip: Make a Family Evacuation Plan

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Due to Stay at Home orders in place it may be several weeks before the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities is able to do normal outreach, they are providing weekly tips on how to prepare for wildfire inside the home.

This Week's Tip: Make a Family Evacuation Plan

El Dorado County Stay at Home directive extended until April 30

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams today issued a directive extending the amount of time County residents are to remain at home except to engage in “essential activities.” The extension now goes to Thursday, April 30, 2020.

Residents are asked to stay in their homes as much as possible to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Only essential business and essential travel is permissible by the order.

18 cases of COVID-19 now in EL Dorado County; 6 in Douglas County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been three more positive COVID-19 cases in El Dorado County, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 18 as of 4:00 p.m. March 31.

County officials said the virus has been identified on the West Slope and in South Lake Tahoe, but the number of each case in each area is not known.

Carson City Health and Human Services on Tuesday morning reported one new positive case of COVID-19 in the Quad County region: Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, and Storey counties. This brings the total number of cases in the Quad-County region to 12.

Tahoe Youth & Family Services to host live chat on coping with the coronavirus pandemic

Event Date: 
April 15, 2020 - 1:00pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Tahoe Youth and Family services will launch their first Facebook Live! Chat to help area residents face the stress created by the current coronavirus pandemic starting on April 15, 2020, at 1:00 p.m.

The nonprofit's licensed clinical social workers will be joined by their licensed and certified drug and alcohol counselors to answer questions and provide tools and tips to help maintain mental health during these difficult and challenging times.

The panel will take questions both before the event and during the broadcast.

Tahoe Transportation District providing bus service during pandemic; Changes possible

STATELINE, Nev. – As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves, Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) continues to operate regular transit services for essential workers and services during the shelter-in-place order. TTD understands that public transportation is part of the community’s critical infrastructure and is committed to ensuring that transit services remain safe and reliable.

South Lake Tahoe City Council to address COVID-19 related items Wednesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, April 1 at 9:00 a.m. to address the formation of a South Lake Tahoe COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force Subcommittee, a moratorium on commercial evictions, and citations and fines for violations of the State of California's Stay at Home order.

Barton Health accepting the medical supplies in high demand and short supply

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As people watch the news they see the stories about a global shortage of the supplies needed by medical professionals fighting the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Barton Health is South Lake Tahoe is preparing for a potential influx of patients seeking care and is making every effort to ensure their supplies are adequate. They are working with regional health partners, new and existing vendors, local businesses and community members to procure the personal protective equipment (PPE) that may be needed to keep their healthcare workers and patients safe.

NDOT invites Nevadans to participate in "Walk and Roll Wednesdays"

CARSON CITY, Nev. - The Nevada Department of Transportation is launching “Walk and Roll Wednesdays” to give socially-distanced Nevada families the opportunity for healthy and fun outdoor activity.

North Lake Tahoe artists selected for East Shore Trail mural

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - A husband and wife artist team from North Lake Tahoe has been selected to paint the tunnel mural on the popular new Tahoe East Shore Trail. Over 34 people responded to the public call for submissions by the Tahoe Fund and a team of local nonprofits, private section and government agencies collaborated to select the winner.

Stay at Home in South Lake Tahoe: Police and City addressing concerns

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Ever since Governor Newsom issued a 'Stay at Home' order on March 19, 2020, there has been confusion on what businesses are essential and what the public can and cannot do. The order was created to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Alpine County has first confirmed case of COVID-19

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Today the Alpine County Health Department was notified of the first laboratory-confirmed case of the new coronavirus COVID-19 infection in an Alpine County resident. The individual is recovering at home and was never hospitalized.

Alpine County is located south of Lake Tahoe, has a population of 1,120 and is 743 square miles in size and includes Markleeville and Bear Valley.

An investigation has determined the person was exposed and acquired the infection in a location distant from Alpine County. This person and their household "have

Vail CEO and his wife donate $2.5M to communities their resorts are located

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Once again, Vail Resorts' CEO Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam are giving back to the communities where their employees live and where their company operates.

Today, they announced a donation of more than $2.5 million to provide immediate support to those areas as all contend with the severe impacts of COVID-19.

Immediate emergency relief grants will total $1.5 million and will be distributed to communities including South Lake Tahoe.

Fifteen confirmed cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Health & Human Services has announced three new positive cases of COVID-19 in the county, bringing the total to 15. The County does no update figures on weekends so the three new cases are since Friday.

As of March 30, 2020, the virus has been detected on both the West Slope and South Lake Tahoe.

To date, 565 tests have been given with 450 coming back as negative and just over 100 are still pending.

Placer County COVID-19 update: 57 cases including some at Lake Tahoe; 2 deaths

PLACER COUNTY, Calif. - The County of Placer Health & Human Services now reports 57 confirmed cases of coronavirus COVID-19 with two deaths from the virus.

Confirmed cases have been identified in the following areas - Auburn, Carnelian Bay, Granite Bay, Kings Beach, Lincoln, Loomis, Meadow Vista, Newcastle, Olympic Valley, Rocklin, and Roseville. However, testing is still limited.

Washoe County reports their first death of a resident from COVID-19

In a Monday morning press conference, Washoe County updated the community on the current COVID-19 situation as they continue to urge residents to stay at home to prevent its spread.

The first Washoe County resident died from COVID-19 over the weekend. He was in his 49s and the case is under investigation. It is unknown at this time if the man has underlying health conditions.

“We’re devastated to learn that a Washoe County resident has died due to COVID-19,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer for Washoe County. “Our thoughts are with the family at this time.”

Douglas County virtual meeting access information

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Public meetings have gone to a virtual format to protect the public against health threats posed by the coronavirus and COVID-19. Promoting social distancing and reducing public gatherings have led local governments to create materials and procedures for the public to still participate and to follow the Brown Act.

Douglas County Commissioners will no longer have a physical location designated for their meetings and copies of the agenda will no longer be physically posted.

Meeting materials will be posted on the following websites:

South Lake Tahoe forecast: Lots of sun, near average daytime temperature

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If you looked at the 7-day forecast on Sunday morning you may have been excited...high 50s at the end of the week followed by a 60 on Easter Sunday. That all went awry by afternoon as the weather models show a cold front dropping further south than originally planned and into northern California and Nevada with the jet stream near the Oregon border.

There will now be increased winds for Wednesday through Friday afternoons, particularly for thee Sierra ridges. The highs decreased and will now be closer to average and a chance of precipitation lingers.

Virtual meeting a time to explore Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) will be hosting their weekly meetings via ZOOM for the next few weeks due to Stay at Home orders to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The club is inviting women in the community to check out their group of good-hearted women working to enhance the lives of women and youth on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe.

Please feel free to join their weekly virtual meeting on Thursdays at 7:30 a.m.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Report

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 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.

Calls Added to Last Week's Report:

No reports were added to last week's daily call logs.

This Week's Report:

Tahoe Network Weekly Tip: Preparing for wildfire while indoors

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Have you been cleaning out closets, homeschooling, or figuring out what to do in the weeks ahead? With residents staying home and not traveling due to the coronavirus, the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities will be sending out weekly tips on how to prepare for wildfire while inside.

This Week's Tip: Create a Go-Bag

Road Beat: Toyota Tundra - Not just getting it right, but getting it fun

It’s been over two years since my last visit with this second and a half-generation Tundra (the second generation was introduced in 2008 and heavily refreshed in 2014). My last review remarked how Toyota finally made the Tundra into a real “Cowboy Cadillac” (it’s built near San Antonio, Texas) with a ride smoother than a baby’s butt. This new Tundra feels even a bit smoother, perhaps a little less jiggly over Caltrans challenged pavement. And my tester was the new TRD Pro edition.

18 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washoe County; One new case in Douglas County

The Washoe County Health District is reporting that two more Washoe County residents have recovered from COVID-19 and have been released from self-isolation, increasing the count to seven recoveries.

In addition, the Health District is reporting 18 additional positive cases of COVID-19 in Washoe County, moving the total number of cases to 93 and the active case count to 86. The new numbers include a Washoe County Sheriff's deputy that was assigned to the jail.

Safe shopping for all age groups during coronavirus pandemic

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With "Stay at Home" orders from the state down to the local government, many are learning to adjust to the things they took for granted just a month ago.

One of those is a trip to the grocery store.

Even with all South Lake Tahoe grocery stores open, it doesn't mean it should be shopping as normal, a.k.a. "pre-coronavirus days."

Most households don't have refrigerator or freezer space, or even cupboard space to not have to make a run to the grocery store once in a while. But the fewer trips one makes, the better it is to remain safe and virus-free.

Lake Tahoe, Sierra and El Dorado County roadwork March 29 - April 4

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) will work on projects through the Sierra, as weather permits this winter. There are no major projects going on in the Lake Tahoe Basin until the building season begins in May. The following is their weekly schedule:

Please remember to stay home except for essential needs.
California is under a Stay-at-Home Order and only essential travel is permitted.
~ Avoid travel ~ Stay-at-Home ~ Beat COVID-19 ~
Learn more at covid19.ca.gov
#StayHomeSaveLives

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

El Dorado County COVID-19: Three new cases in county including South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County has announced three new COVID-19 cases. As of 4:45 p.m. Friday, March 27, 12 people have tested positive for the virus. Health officials said the virus has been identified in both the West Slope and South Lake Tahoe areas.

There have been no numbers released on how many confirmed cases are in each area.

The best way to prevent the spread is to stay inside, and if going to an essential service such as the grocery store, maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue reopens midtown station

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) once again has three fire stations operating in the city limits. Their Station #2 on Lake Tahoe Boulevard in the Al Tahoe neighborhood reopened at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

In 2015 the City had let Cal Tahoe JPA move the ambulance service into the station when SLTFR restructured and moved all ambulance duties over to the JPA. In return they gave up their fire station for five years.

South Lake Tahoe Police: We are in protect mode and we are not shutting down roads

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As soon as the City of South Lake Tahoe issued an emergency order that allows them to issue administrative citations to those who violate California's 'stay at home' order, social media has been ablaze with rumors about martial law.

"We are not stopping cars unless it is for a traffic violation," stressed South Lake Tahoe Interim Police Chief Shannon Laney. "We are in protect mode for the community during this pandemic.

A rumor was started via social media, warning everyone that police were stopping all cars and identification was being checked.

City of South Lake Tahoe now has power to fine those violating "Stay at Home" order

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The City of South Lake Tahoe issued an emergency order Friday morning, one that gives them the power to issue administrative citations to those who violate California Governor Newsom's 'stay at home' order.

“We are taking this crisis seriously and it is important that those who don’t, know there can be consequences to ignoring the Governor’s orders,” said Interim City Manager Brad Kilger, “This is about keeping our community safe, and that’s what this city is going to do.”

Part of Kilger's role for the city is as its director of emergency services.

Nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The El Dorado County Public Health Department has announced there are now nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of 4:00 p.m. Thursday, March 26. The County is not identifying the communities where these cases are.

This brings the total number of positive cases in the State of California to 4,040. There have been 82 deaths in the state.

Of those 3,666, 886 are community-acquired cases; 2,120 were acquired through person-to-person transmission, travel (including cruise ship passengers), repatriation, or under investigation. This includes 42 health care workers.

Barton Foundation spearheading homemade face mask project in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The fact that medical workers in the United States are in need of face masks to protect them against COVID-19 has been well-publicized in the media.

To help with an anticipated need at Barton Hospital in South Lake Tahoe, the Barton Foundation has created a homemade face mask sewing project after members of the community reached out to see how they could help.

Staff researched the best safety options and there are three masks volunteers can use, one with a filter and two simpler versions.

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