Latest Stories

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. El Dorado District Attorney Vern Pierson said he is outraged at the discovery that dozens of prisoners have been released early from state prison after being convicted in El Dorado County, including two who have since been arrested and convicted for committing new violent crimes.  
 
One of the released prisoners threatened violence against law enforcement officers who contacted him after he re-offended. 
 

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Hot temperatures and smoke continue into Monday. A
moderate to high risk for heat health impacts continue for sensitive
populations as well as those planning outside activities for extended periods. Increased afternoon breezes are forecast for Monday and Tuesday with cooler conditions by mid-week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.

The Tahoe Chamber has announced two leadership changes at the top, CEO Steve Teshara is stepping down and Director of Operations Emily Abernathy is leaving to take on a new position with the City of South Lake Tahoe.

The Tahoe Chamber Executive Committee and Steve Teshara jointly announced this week that Teshara is stepping down to return to his focus on handling its governmental relations.

Late-Nite Productions is bringing "The Un-Ophishal Phish Afterparty" featuring Phutureprimitive to Xhale Nightclub at Stateline on Tuesday, August 31 at 11:00 p.m.

Dance the night away after the Phish show at Harvey's Outdoor Arena.

Advance tickets are available for $20 at Ticketweb.com or at the door on the night of the event.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A scared Christmas Valley homeowner who encountered a bear standing on her rear paws on his deck, fired one shot at the bear who then ran off.

SUNDAY UPDATE: The Fay Fire remains at 3 acres and is 30 percent contained. 16 firefighters worked overnight to secure the Fay Fire. Their efforts combined with helicopter support helped keep the wildfire from spreading.

Eight smokejumpers will be assigned to the Fay Fire later today and help secure the perimeter and mop up areas of heat.

For more information regarding wildfires on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, call: 775-434-8201.

7:00PM UPDATE: Three Helicopters took turns dropping water on the Fay Fire throughout the Day.

The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) has announced the launch of #TakeTahoeTransit, a campaign to encourage visitors and locals at and around Lake Tahoe to leave their cars behind to support the region’s broader environmental and safety goals.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In accordance with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regulations, Barton Memorial Hospital will now require proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test within the past 72 hours when visiting within the hospital or the Barton Skilled Nursing Facility. The safety of our patients and staff continues to be our top priority.

This is the weekly wrap up for counties around Lake Tahoe. Monday through Thursday we will be posting South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County, then weekly stats for everyone else on Fridays.

El Dorado County

There have been 28 new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County since yesterday.

Pollock Pines, Camino, Kyburz - 615 cases - +6 - The 14-day new case rate is 37 with 273 per 100,000 residents.
El Dorado Hills - 2629 cases - +11 - The 14-day new case rate is 155 with 365 per 100,000 residents.

Twenty-five years ago, national, state, and local leaders gathered on the shores of Lake Tahoe for the first Lake Tahoe Summit to form a partnership for the protection and restoration of a national treasure. As this major milestone in Lake Tahoe’s restoration approaches, the Tahoe Region can look back on significant environmental improvements from one of the most comprehensive watershed conservation programs in the nation.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been 73 new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County since yesterday. Due to the rising cases, Barton Memorial Hospital has reinstated its Incident Command to prepare for the increase in the number of people who need care in our community due to COVID-19. The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is an incident management system, which supports hospitals and healthcare organizations in their emergency management planning, response, and recovery capabilities for unplanned and planned events.

For the health and safety of staff and patients, and per California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regulations, Barton Health has updated its visitation policy: any visitors to Barton Memorial Hospital, must show proof of full COVID vaccination OR a negative COVID test taken no more than 72 hours prior to their visit.

Any patient within the hospital who plans to have a visitor, should review this important update—we ask that you encourage your visitors to prepare for these changes and allow extra time to complete their verification process.

For fully vaccinated visitors:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe City Manager, Joe Irvin, has appointed Anush Nejad as the new Director of Public Works, effective September 7. He will be replacing the retiring Ray Jarvis.

Join Dr. Geoff Schladow, director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, for an entertaining public presentation about the most important factors that affected the health of Lake Tahoe last year.

The annual report was released in July and found Lake Tahoe’s water clarity measurements, which are indicators of the health of the watershed, averaged 62.9 feet through 2020,

The South Tahoe Public Utility District water main flushing project in the Tahoe Sierra neighborhood has been extended through August 20, 2021. The District is flushing the water mains to ensure high quality drinking water and recommends residents not use water while the District is flushing the waterline on their street, as the water may be cloudy or discolored.

District staff will distribute door hangers one to two business days before the work is planned and will knock on doors the day the work will occur.

On July 4th, lightning struck a tree in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Alpine County, California, igniting a small fire that smoldered for days in a quarter acre of rugged terrain. According to Sheriff Rick Stephens, California’s fire-fighting agency, CalFire, dispatched a crew to put it out. But they were told to “stand down” by the U.S. Forest Service, which proceeded to “monitor” the fire instead. That is to say, they did precisely nothing.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The next Coffee With The Mayor is on Wednesday, August 11 at 9:00 a.m. It will be held in front of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department at 1352 Johnson Blvd.

Mayor Wallace and Chief Stevenson will discuss homelessness and mental health, and litter mitigation and enforcement.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Three vehicles were involved in a head-on collision on SR89 just after 6:00 a.m. on Friday, August 6, 2021.

The California Highway Patrol's (CHP) preliminary investigation shows the driver of a Dodge Ram Pickup was traveling southbound on SR89 near Luther Pass. For unknown reasons, the 56-year-old male driver from Placerville allowed his truck to drift over the center line into the path of oncoming northbound traffic.

6:30PM UPDATE: Tahoe--Federal arrest warrants were executed today for four individuals involved in a drug trafficking organization operating in and around South Lake Tahoe, Calif., and Stateline, Nev. During a coordinated law enforcement operation this morning, agents and officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, U.S.

National 811 day is on 8/11 and used as a time to remind the public to call 811 before digging.

This important day is set aside to remind people there are thousands of miles of underground utilities buried in our communities. This includes natural gas, electricity, communications, water, sewer and other essential services people in our communities rely on. Whether you are a homeowner or contractor, digging without calling 811 to mark these lines is a potentially dangerous and disruptive risk people should not take.

With an uptick in COVID-19 cases and some jurisdictions re-instituting indoor mask requirements, it’s a good time to ensure businesses are well stocked with PPE (personal protective equipment).

Thanks to a grant from the California Office of Emergency Services, and through joint efforts with El Dorado County and the City of South Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Prosperity Center is continuing to offer free masks and hand sanitizer to local business owners based in El Dorado County.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been 196 new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County since Friday. Due to the rising cases, Barton Memorial Hospital has reinstated its Incident Command to prepare for the increase in the number of people who need care in our community due to COVID-19. The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is an incident management system, which supports hospitals and healthcare organizations in their emergency management planning, response, and recovery capabilities for unplanned and planned events.

After missing last year’s tennis tournament, 234 people returned for 37th annual Hersh Herschman Memorial Tahoe Classic at Zephyr Cove Park last weekend. The four-day annual event brought people from nine states to our area for competitive and fun tennis.

The tournament is the biggest fundraiser for the Zephyr Cove Tennis Club Foundation. The money raised from the event, including a silent auction and raffle, will help to continue to provide the only organized recreational tennis, with a growing kids program, on the South Shore.

On Wednesday, August 25, at 6:30 p.m., Chautauquan Doug Mishler will portray Nikola Tesla at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.

Best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system, Nikola Tesla was an inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and futurist.