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At the last count there were 82 homeless persons and ten homeless families living in South Lake Tahoe, and to help protect them during the winter, the Lake Tahoe Homeless Coalition has operated a Warm Room in the city.

They too are now homeless and asked the City Council on Tuesday to move into the city-owned building at 1195 Rufus Allen Boulevard, the former home of Unity at the Lake church.

The South Tahoe Action Team (STAT) is now stronger by ten members as the most recent class of graduates was announced at Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting.

Nearly 100 residents have been trained in the program offered by South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR).

“The STAT program is designed to have neighbors helping neighbors,” said South Tahoe Fire Department Chief Jeff Meston.

Join MakeTahoe.com at Benko Art Gallery on Saturday, December 16, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. when they present the art of Bill Powell.

Make Tahoe Quantum – An Art Show (within an art show), is a monthly, curated installment presented by MakeTahoe.com at Benko Art Gallery, 3979 Lake Tahoe, Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA, (530) 600-3264, BenkoArtGallery.com.

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In their annual reorganization, the South Lake Tahoe City Council has voted in a new mayor and mayor pro tem for the year 2018.

Wendy David returns as mayor, a position she held in 2016. She was mayor pro tem during 2017.

Tom Davis returns as vice mayor for the fifth time.

"I want to thank the Council for your support," said Mayor David. "I want to look at how we want to move forward and focus on community conversation. It's what brings us together. Community conversation is the most important thing we'll do next year."

The following are the 140 incidents the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue and Cal-Tahoe JPA ambulances responded to from Nov. 22 - Dec. 10, 2017.

11/22
07:54 - 1200 block of Monument Dr - Assist invalid
09:15 - Barton Hospital - Interfacility Transfer
16:48 - 4000 block of Azure Ave - Arcing, shorted electrical equipment
18:59 - 3900 block of Saddle Rd - EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury
21:03 - 1800 block of Venice Dr - Smoke detector activation, no fire unintentional

11/23

Santa's Elves were at it again this year in South Lake Tahoe! They visited the South Lake Tahoe Children's Memorial tree for the fifth straight year, leaving behind signs of Christmas with stockings and garland.

There is a stocking at the tree for every child who is memorialized there.

The memorial was created 26 years ago when tragedy struct the local community when South Tahoe High students Rory Hrbacek, Sandy Haynes, and Casey Wells died in an vehicle accident on Pioneer Trail.

Chanukah -The Festival of Lights- for many of us brings back fond memories of childhood years and serves to renew our sense of identity. The Chanukah lights provide us with warmth, joy, strength and inspiration. Such is the purpose of a community-wide celebration to be held at the Ski Run Marina on December 12, 2017 at 5:00 p.m.

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For five years, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has been publishing "Tahoe In Depth," a newspaper highlighting Lake Tahoe and how to protect, enjoy and explore the Lake Tahoe Basin. It also highlights environmental accomplishment and projects around the lake.

'Tahoe In Depth' is mailed to all homeowners in the basin and at distribution points around the lake, and is online at http://www.trpa.org/about-trpa/press-room/tahoe-in-depth/.

A Fallbrook, California man was arrested in South Lake Tahoe Saturday after allegedly driving at a high rate of speed through Stateline while intoxicated before hitting two cars and a light pole.

Are you a college student looking for an internship this winter? Are you a retired school teacher who misses your students or providing education? Or maybe you simply love the outdoors and want to be involved in your community?

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is looking for volunteers to assist with their Winter Trek and Ski with a Ranger conservation education programs at Heavenly Mountain Resort from January through March 2018.

EpicPromise grants and donations were given away on Wednesday to dozens of non-profits who serve the communities around both Heavenly Mountain Resort and Kirkwood.

Grants and donations are given by Vail Resorts in all of the communities where they have operations and go to programs who serve youth or environmental initiatives.

This year's recipients:

Alpine County Unified School District
Alpine Watershed Group
American Youth Soccer Association #282
Austin's House
Barton Memorial Hospital Foundation (3)
Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe
Bread & Broth
CASA El Dorado

As weather permits, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has scheduled projects at Lake Tahoe and in El Dorado County. The following are the projects for the week:

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

The have been eight tremblers in the Mammoth Lakes / Mono Lake area in the last 12 hours, the smallest measured 1.2 on the Richter Scale, the largest at 3.7, according to the Nevada Seismological Laboratory on the UNR campus.

This area is a very active earthquake area, with swarms not unusual as it is one of the most seismically active volcanic regions in California. In 2014, there were more than 600 registered earthquakes in Mammoth in 36 hours.

El Dorado County was selected as the "2017 Paving the Way" award by the Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) einner on December 6. This single award ecognizes a community that has achieved exceptional economic development results during the year.

“For the last 18 months, El Dorado County has developed and executed a strategic approach to economic development in order to elevate the profile of our part of the Greater Sacramento Region,” said Don Ashton, the County’s Chief Administrative Officer.

While snow is falling along the southern part of the U.S. from Texas to Virginia, Lake Tahoe is experiencing a high pressure system with dry conditions with valley inversions, cold nights and light winds for the next 10 days. Daytime highs will be 5-8 degrees above average, and the overnight lows will be below average.

Air stagnation forecast from limited mixing and light winds which will promote hazy skies and potential air quality issues under the 5,000 foot level.

Highs in the low-50s, lows under 20 is in the forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

Almost 200,000 people have been evacuated from their homes as six large fires continue to burn out of control in Southern California. 500 confirmed structures have been destroyed and 23,000 homes are still threatened.

The largest of the fire, the Thomas Fire, has burned 115,000 acres and is five percent contained. It is in Ventura County between Hwy 150 and Hwy 126, north of Santa Paula.

The Creek Fire has burned 15,323 acres and is now 20 percent contained. It is Los Angeles County east of Sylmar.

Flu season is ramping up and the El Dorado County Public Health is reminding people to get vaccinated. Two Washoe County residents in their 80s died this week due to the flu.

“Thanksgiving week was the first week this fall that the numbers of people in the U.S. who saw their healthcare providers for flu-like symptoms were higher than baseline, heralding the onset of the flu season,” said El Dorado County Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams. “Vaccination can prevent the flu.”

The South Lake Tahoe Cancer League's Annual See's Candy Sale is underway 1074 Emerald Bay Rd, at the Y, next to Beach Hut Deli. The store is open from noon to 5:30 PM daily through December 24th. All the proceeds go to help local cancer patients be transported to their medical treatment, and also receive small grants to help with their expenses while undergoing treatment.For more information, call 542-4649 or 318-6840.

The conversations and attitudes we have with children about food can be linked to their eating habits. Use these new sayings developed by childhood obesity researchers to help guide children in a healthier direction during the holidays and beyond:

Old: Clean your plate.
New: Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full.

Getting new coats as gifts and need a place for your gently used old ones? The South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Department is holding their annual Coats for Kids Drive starting December 26, 2017.

Bins will be set up at the two stations, Station 1 at 1252 Ski Run Boulevard and Station 2 at 2101 Lake Tahoe Boulevard from December 26 - January 31, 2018. The donated coats will be distributed to Choices for Children and Tahoe Youth & Family Services and will keep kids, from the little ones to teenagers, warm and protected from Tahoe's cold winter.

The 2018 Winter Trek conservation program for fifth-grade students will run from January 9 to March 29, and sign-ups with U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) for the popular program begin December 18.

Fifth-grade teachers may reserve a spot by calling the Forest Supervisor’s office at 530-543-2789, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Field trips are generally three hours long and are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, weather permitting.

Arctic sea ice loss of the magnitude expected in the next few decades could impact California’s rainfall and exacerbate future droughts, according to new research released December 5, 2017 led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists.

The study said the melting ice could leave California vulnerable to a recurrence of the severe drought suffered in recent years, as a result of high pressure systems that push away rain-bearing storms, according to the LLNL press release.

Over 60 fire-fighting personnel from the Tahoe Basin Operational Area have been deployed to the Thomas Fire which is burning out of control in Ventura County, Calif. 15 engines, making up three strike crews, will be joining one thousand others fighting the fire which started at approximately 6:28 p.m. Monday evening.

A man who was visiting Lake Tahoe is now in the U.C. Davis Burn Center after falling asleep in front of a fireplace and catching on fire.

Just after midnight on December 5, Tahoe Douglas Fire crews responded to the Ridge Tahoe on a call of a man burned in a fire in one of their rooms. The unidentified man fell asleep in front of a gas fireplace. He awoke to find himself on fire and called for help. Firemen extinguished the fire and the man was transported via Cal Star to the burn center. He was reported to have severe burns to just under 50 percent of his body.