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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Four businesses were recognized in Douglas County today for their community spirit and extra efforts during the pandemic.

This was the eighth year businesses were awarded with Spotlight Awards. Instead of the normal seven industry categories, this year businesses were honored for doing "something outstanding" during COVID-19.

This year’s awards were announced at the hybrid Critical Issues Conference held on September 30, 2021.

MARKLEEVILLE, Calif. — Most people travel to Hope Valley and Alpine County for a visual treat each fall, and now a new week-long event will offer a culinary treat for the taste buds.

The Alpine County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with area businesses, is offering a new type of visitor adventure - Taste of Alpine. The week-long event is an opportunity for customers to visit communities throughout the county and take in all that the local restaurants have to offer, from full-course dining to appetizers and drink specials.

Weather conditions have been favorable for firefighters, allowing them to get a containment line around 83 percent of the Caldor Fire. It is 221,775 acres in size. High pressure moved over the fire area which helped reduce winds but did bring in higher temperatures during the day.

"This fire is still a sleeping giant," said Mike Wakoski, the new incident commander assigned to the Caldor Fire. "This is a big fire."

The Caldor Fire is the 15th largest in California history and almost 350 square miles.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Alumni and the South Lake Tahoe community are invited to join South Tahoe High students, staff, faculty, school board members, special guests, and Superintendent Cutler on Friday, October 1 for the school's annual Homecoming Parade.

The theme of this year's parade is "Local Heroes/Superheroes."

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) recently secured a $65,750 grant, allowing for another vital piece to be added to the college’s overall efforts to reconnect with adult learners who have some earned college credits, but no credential or degree.

This grant will further fund a new program called Reconnect to Complete, which helps LTCC to ensure that adult learners in the South Shore community are provided with clear pathways to social mobility and economic stability through education.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The fifth annual "Fright at the Fairgrounds" will be held every Friday and Saturday through the month of October.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) puts on the event for the community at the county's fairgrounds located off Pinenut Road in Gardnerville starting October 1 and running through Halloween Night on October 31.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Through the Linking Tahoe Grant Program, the
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has announced the seven projects that were awarded a total of $11 million in funding over the next three years.

The winning transportation-based projects across the Tahoe Region will reduce congestion, expand regional trails, provide free transit, support sustainable recreation and tourism, assist with Caldor Fire recovery work, improve lake clarity, and create climate resiliency. The grants help fund and implement the different projects.

All active registered California voters in the last two years were mailed ballots as a safety measure due to the pandemic. Now that practice will be permanent after Governor Newsom signed AB37 into law.

With ballots mailed to the registered voters, participation in creased. The Bill had been created to increase access to democracy and enfranchise more voters. The Governor also signed legislation increasing transparency and integrity in elections

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been 79 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday in El Dorado County.

Pollock Pines, Camino, Kyburz - 822 cases - +6 - The 14-day new case rate is 58 with 427 per 100,000 residents.
El Dorado Hills - 3212 cases - +17 - The 14-day new case rate is 107 with 252 per 100,000 residents.
Diamond Springs, El Dorado - 730 cases - +6 - The 14-day new case rate is 35 with 372 per 100,000 residents.
North County - 792 cases - +7 - The 14-day new case rate is 38 with 262 per 100,000 residents.

Fire is part of our past, our present and our future. What we do today will affect how we survive the next Caldor Fire. Our fire season gets longer and more severe every year. So far this year, California has seen four of the largest wildfires in its history, and the Dixie Fire, the second-largest in state history, is still burning after two months.

What can we do to protect homes, neighborhoods and communities and make them more resilient to fire hazards? Hear from two UC Davis experts on these and related questions Sept. 30:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A cold front will bring increasing winds tarting Sunday and going through Tuesday with heightened fire weather and gusty lake wind concerns on Monday and much cooler temperatures by the middle of next week. Chances for light precipitation return next week, mainly in northeast
California and near the Sierra.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning and a Lake Wind Advisory, both in effect from September 27, 12:00 a.m. until September 28, 5:00 a,m.

The South Lake Tahoe forecast for the week from NWS Reno:

Volunteers of all ages and skill levels are invited to this fun, hands-on restoration event, the annual Tahoe Stewardship Day. By pitching in, you will help improve the ecosystem functions and wildlife habitats that surround Lake Tahoe.

Following the catastrophic Caldor Fire, upcoming winter storms threaten to wash tons of erodible soils and sediment off of steep, scorched mountain slopes and into the creeks and rivers that flow into Lake Tahoe. Healthy streams, meadows and wetlands act as natural pollution filters to Keep Tahoe Blue. Help us heal the land to Keep Tahoe Blue!

The Caldor Fire remains at 76 percent contained and is now measured at 221,774 acres, or 346 square miles.

Weather will play a major factor on the Caldor Fire through Tuesday morning as a Red Flag Warning has been declared over the area from midnight Sunday until 5:00 a.m. Tuesday.

Fire personnel are preparing to respond accordingly to the critical fire weather, just as they have been during the duration of the fire.

Southwest winds will strengthen overnight and tomorrow and by Monday evening gusts along the ridgetops are expected to peak between 50 to 60 mph.

Due to a number of contributing factors, the South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge's 18th Kid’s Fishing Day has been canceled for 2021.

The club announced they made the difficult decision to cancel due to the ongoing Caldor Fire, the condition of Lake Baron, and lingering COVID-19 restrictions.

This is the second year in a row that the Lodge will not be able to hold the event which had been held for the previous 17 years. 

On Friday there were 32 new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County and two new deaths, and for the week in Douglas County there were 119 new cases and three new deaths.

El Dorado County

Pollock Pines, Camino, Kyburz - 816 cases - +5 - The 14-day new case rate is 56 with 413 per 100,000 residents.
El Dorado Hills - 3195 cases - +9 - The 14-day new case rate is 126 with 297 per 100,000 residents.
Diamond Springs, El Dorado - 722 cases - +6 - The 14-day new case rate is 38 with 404 per 100,000 residents.

Plan an arts weekend getaway in the beautiful Carson Valley for Oct. 8-10, 2021. They are putting on a show and not just one of the awesome fall colors!

Seven studios with 25 artists are featured on the 2021 Carson Valley Art Studio Tour. The Tour includes the studios of painter Teri Sweeney, Mixed media paintings and jewelry artist, Pam Brekas, western watercolor artist, Sheri Greves-Neilson, oil artist, Barbara Gustafson, painter La Vonne Vasick, Copper Kiln pottery Sharon Randall, and Gardnerville Station.

Vail Resorts announced they are planning 19 new chairlifts, including 12 high-speed lifts, a new 8-person high-speed gondola and six new fixed-grip lifts as part of its $315-$325 million capital investment plan for next year.

This is an unprecedented number of on-mountain projects, in what will be the Company’s largest single-year investment into the guest experience. All improvements are subject to government approval and completion for the 2022/23 ski and board season will depend on the timing of that approval.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - While we will ultimately learn the facts of the
disappearance and death of Gabby Petito, this tragic case sparks an important conversation about the intricacies of domestic violence, the power dynamics involved, stereotypes of victims, how we can understand the potential signs of domestic violence, and the best ways to support survivors.

Today’s northeast winds allowed crews to engage in a strategic firing operation between the areas of Margaret Lake and Strawberry Creek. Crews strengthened control lines in this area and two Type 1 Hot Shot Crews introduced low intensity ground fire to eliminate unburned vegetation along the Schneider Camp 4X4 Trail. The purpose of this operation is to prohibit the possible spread of un-contained fire towards Christmas Valley and Alpine County. The operation will continue into the evening, and firefighters will remain on scene overnight to eliminate remaining heat along the trail.

The Caldor Fire started on August 14, 2021, at 6:54 p.m. The following day, as the massive smoke plume billowed above on August 15, it was not long before I could see it rising over the treetops to the east.

I watched websites begin posting the evacuation orders.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There have been 34 new cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County since yesterday.

Pollock Pines, Camino, Kyburz - 808 cases - +7 - The 14-day new case rate is 62 with 457 per 100,000 residents.
El Dorado Hills - 3182 cases - +5 - The 14-day new case rate is 132 with 311 per 100,000 residents.
Diamond Springs, El Dorado - 716 cases - +2 - The 14-day new case rate is 42 with 447 per 100,000 residents.
North County - 783 cases - +2 - The 14-day new case rate is 44 with 304 per 100,000 residents.

Out of an abundance of caution due to the latest developments of the Caldor Fire, the difficult decision has been made to postpone the Welcome Back Tahoe, Honoring Our Heroes Community Event originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25. It was going to be held at Lake Tahoe Community College in conjunction with the Tahoe Brewfest. The Brewfest will still take place with family-friend activities including food trucks, and activities. The only entry charge is for those tasting beers.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The first in a series of in-person workshops to discuss potential solutions to the spread of aquatic weeds that threaten all of Lake Tahoe is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 9. It will be held at the Tahoe Keys Pavilion at the end of Ala Wai Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

A proposed permit for an aquatic weeds control methods test (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or NPDES) is currently under consideration before the Lahontan Water Board.

Join the Tahoe Chamber for the next Town Hall on Friday, September 24 at 11:00 a.m. The focus will be on the impacts of the Caldor Fire on the South Shore.

City officials and key agencies will provide behind-the-scenes insight on the recent evacuations and provide an update on fire containment and forest restoration.

The Virtual Town Hall is free to attend and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to be answered following the presentations. To join, pre-register at tahoechamber.org/events.

The following speakers will be participating: