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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be a few chances for precipitation as we wrap up 2020 and head into 2021, but at this point in time the systems on the horizon aren't looking like big snow makers.

As one system leaves Monday afternoon there will be a break in snow/rain activity on Tuesday, the next weather system is projected to arrive Wednesday evening and exit quickly by Thursday morning. While the more likely scenario favors light
snow (up to 2") for the Sierra and northeast California/far northwest Nevada it could cause some morning commute issues.

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.

Last Week's Log: http://southtahoenow.com/story/12/20/2020/el-dorado-county-sheriffs-

This Week's Log:

12/20

1:37 a.m. - Vacation Home Rental - Piute St - VHR- NOISE

Snow, a good slope and a sled in hand are the ingredients needed for a fun day around Lake Tahoe, but first responders are warning the public to only use official sledding locations or that fun can turn to a bad day very quickly.

Sledding is not as harmless as it looks, just ask the roughly 20,000 kids under age of 19 in the United States involved in sledding accidents annually.

James Anthony Biller was born in Ventura, CA, July 10, 1951, to Jack and Marjorie Biller. Growing up in Ventura, he surfed, sailed, played water polo for the Ventura High Cougars, and was one of the best swimmers Ventura High had ever seen, getting his varsity letter and pin as a sophomore and setting swimming records that stood for many years after he graduated in 1969. That Jim had a love of the beach, sailing, and everything that had to do with the water was obvious to everyone around him.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The incoming storm on Christmas Day has been upgraded by the National Weather Service (NWS) to a Winter Weathet Advisory. It starts on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and is in effect until 10:00 a.m. Saturday.

Heavy snow is possible. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 8 inches, except 1 foot or more above 7000 feet possible. Exposed Sierra ridge winds could gust to 100 mph or higher.

Travel could be very difficult. Peak snowfall rates expected Friday evening into Saturday morning. Hazardous and slow travel across the Sierra expected during this time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 72 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, 20 are in El Dorado Hills, 15 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 13 in Greater Placerville, 3 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 3 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 6 in North County, 2 in South County, 4 in Lake Tahoe region. Awaiting address confirmation: 49.

One of those new cases, 8 are under the age of 18, 34 are age 18-49, 16 are aged 50-64, and 14 aged 65 or older. Total date of birth unknown: 4

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Seeing a need to help support the Latinx community, South Lake Tahoe's local social justice group, #IRunWithMaud, reached out to its members nd got to work raising funds. They spent the past several weeks gathering donations and today donated the last of almost $3,000 in food gift cards to the Family Resource Center.

"This community has been overwhelmingly impacted by COVID resulting in food insecurity," said one of the organizers Jen Dawn.

Raul I. Aguilar was one of 10 children, born on April 17, 1942 in Ameca, Jalisco, Mexico and passed away on December 19th, 2020 in South Lake Tahoe, California. In his 20's, Raul worked as a radio disc jockey and enjoyed playing and winning in chess tournaments.

Raul moved to South Lake Tahoe in the early 1970's where he later got married and had three children. Raul always worked in the service industry as a banquet server and enjoyed meeting people and catering all sorts of events along the way.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It is looking more like a white Christmas for the Lake Tahoe Basin as a Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from late Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. A stormy pattern is taking shape as another Pacific storms look to impact the Sierra and western Nevada into early next week.

Heavy snow is possible with this first storm and total snow accumulations of 3 to 8
inches are possible with 1 foot or more above 7000 feet. Exposed Sierra ridge winds could gust to 85 mph or higher.

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Facing an influx of tourists during the Governor's Regional Stay-at-Home order just as South Lake Tahoe has seen, the Town of Truckee Council unanimously passed an urgency ordinance Tuesday night to protect the public's health. Any hotel, motel or vacation home rental in use during the Stay-at-Home order can now face the revoking, suspension or denial of their Tourist Occupancy Certificate.

The Stay-at-Home order states lodging properties are to not be rented to anyone except essential workers in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officers announced 81 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, 11 are in El Dorado Hills, 16 in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, 23 in Greater Placerville, 3 in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, 6 in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, 4 in North County, 0 in South County, 16 in Lake Tahoe region. Two of these cases are awaiting address confirmation, leaving the pending address confirmation count at 49.

A South Lake Tahoe woman has become the 11th resident of El Dorado County to die from COVID-19. Elda Yadira Dueñas passed away at Barton Memorial Hospital on December 16, 2020.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) successfully purchased El Nido Motel using some of the awarded Project Homekey funding. The property will provide much-needed affordable housing and supportive services for the most vulnerable local seniors, people with disabilities, and others at high risk of cold exposure and COVID-19 illness. The first client move-ins began last week, including medically fragile seniors who were living unsheltered in our community for many years.

2020 has been a year of incredible challenges and changes for our organization. At Live Violence Free, we worked hard to continue to meet the needs of our community. Our resilient staff, volunteers, and board members have risen to the challenge and provided stabilizing support to the community, and we are here every step of the way.

It was a great honor to serve as a member of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees for the last four years. As previously reported, I am stepping aside to focus on my career and raising my beautiful baby girl. I said many times while I was on the Board that every family in the District was my family, and every child in the District was my responsibility. Now that I have a child of my own, I think the parents of LTUSD will understand when I say that I need to focus on my own family for the time being.

El Dorado County, Placer County and Town of Truckee representatives have sent a letter to Airbnb, asking for assistance stopping short-term rentals (STR) during the current Stay at Home Order. They told the vacation rental booking company that their help is needed to stop the spread of COVID-19 and asked them to not allow rentals in Truckee and the California side of Lake Tahoe during the order which is through at least January 1.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Bank of the West's South Lake Tahoe branch has had to close temporarily due to a staffing shortage. A representative at the bank's branch in Carson City said it is a COVID-related closure and some staff has been in quarantine as they await test results. This has been a problem at many area banks since the pandemic started.

Once staff can be assembled to reopen safely, expect the doors to the branch at 2161 Lake Tahoe Boulevard to open once again.

Christmas started early for this guy once the pandemic hit. I put my Christmas lights up over the 4th of July and for a short while started watching Christmas movies too to try and get that feel-good feeling happening. Okay, I also did it because I wanted to watch movies where no one was wearing a mask and hugging one another without fear of being exposed. I’ve always enjoyed movies for their pure escapism and who doesn’t want to escape what we’ve been through already ya know? I also like being wrapped around a movie completely.

A Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputy was shot and suffered serious injuries late Sunday night following an incident in Gardnerville. Two suspects are in custody.

The incident happened before 11:30 p.m. in the area of Gilman and Douglas streets, near Sharkey's casino, according to dispatch reports.

The condition of the officer is unknown at this time. He was flown by Care Flight to the trauma ward at Renown Medical Center in Reno. According to dispatch, the deputy was struck by gunfire in the neck.

Seven outstanding restoration, sustainability, and construction projects were recognized as recipients of Best in the Basin awards by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) during an online meeting of the agency’s Governing Board. The projects and programs each exhibit outstanding planning and execution and lead the way in environmental stewardship in the Lake Tahoe Region, according to the agency.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Electric vehicle owners can now charge their cars for free at Bank of America’s South Lake Tahoe branch. Three new charging stations have been installed at the bank, located at 3344 Lake Tahoe Boulevard.

They have a range in power from 150 kilowatt (kW) to 350kW and were installed through the bank's partnership with Electrify America.

"Bank of America is committed to helping accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and is working to reduce its own operational footprint," a bank representative said in a press release.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With most of the Heavenly Holidays events canceled at the Heavenly Village this year, one event was still able to be held - the annual Breakfast with Santa.

The breakfast, moved outside this year due to COVID-19, was held each Saturday in December with the guest stars, Santa and Mrs. Claus. A limited number of tickets were available and each breakfast sold out.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The following is a list of the long term and short term projects the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has scheduled for the week around Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra and El Dorado County. At this time there is no work scheduled for the South Lake Tahoe area.

Most traffic-interfering work will be restricted from 6 a.m. Thursday, December 24 until 10 p.m. Sunday, December 27 due to the Christmas holiday weekend.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Del Laine has left her mark on South Lake Tahoe in ways that many local residents might not know. She was a mover and shaker, whose focus was on making the city a better place. Her most important role, though, was promoting the well-being of women.

This pioneer died Dec. 18, 2020, at home from natural causes, with family at her side. She was 90.

She was born Dolores Mae Wright on March 20, 1930, in Oakland, Calif., to Mabel Paulson and Leslie Wright.