2015

History shows time and time again our greatest accomplishments at Lake Tahoe are achieved when people work together. In the past, Tahoe was known as a place where unproductive interactions between stakeholders led to a stunning decay in our environment and our economic vitality, creating a region that seemed frozen in time.

We face major environmental challenges at Tahoe, including the uncertainties of climate change. And as Albert Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Liberty Utilities will begin construction to upgrade its existing 650 electrical line on or around August 3. Prior to this date, the public may see materials staged and vegetation management activities occur in preparation for the project.

If you have ever been a part of fantasy football, you know the intensity that surrounds the draft. There is strategy, grief, mouthing off, gloating and a whole lot of intense fun.

That was evident Wednesday during the 6th Annual SiriusXM Fantasy Football Draft held live at the Hard Rock Lake Tahoe.

Twelve celebrities and SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio hosts spent two hours filling their rosters for the 2015 football season.

Actor/comedian Rob Riggle had the first draft pick and took Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The City of South Lake Tahoe will be hosting a public meeting for the community to review three initial design concepts for future improvements to the Regan Beach Public Park on Tuesday, July 28th from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in the gym at the Recreation and Swim Complex, located at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd.

Previous public meetings to gather public input were held in 2014 and 2015. Recently an online survey was posted for community members who could not attend meetings to submit their comments.

If there are any questions, contact Jim Marino at jmarino@cityofslt.us.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will resume work this week at Angora Creek near South Lake Tahoe. Crews will construct 700 feet of new stream channel to replace the existing Angora Creek channel, which was rerouted and straightened in the early 1900s to accommodate livestock grazing. Seneca Pond, constructed in 1964 when the area was under private ownership, will be returned to a wetland.

With school starting on August 31, its now time for children entering South Lake Tahoe schools for the first time to register,

Kindergartners need to be registered at their designated elementary school, as determined by location. Boundaries are available for viewing at www.ltusd.org or a map can be picked up at the Education Center at 1021 Al Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe.

The fourth annual Fall Festival and Chili Cook Off is building for Saturday, September 12, 2015, at the South Tahoe Recreation Complex on Rufus Allen Blvd.in South Lake Tahoe. The event will start at 10:00 a.m. with vendors and a vintage car show. Vendors will offer products and services for the home, including items like hand crafted furniture and lamps, small plants, local artists and authors, candles, and gift items. Liberty Energy, the Lake Tahoe Humane Society, Christmas Cheer, and the Cancer League will be on hand to explain the services available for our community.

Former South Lake Tahoe orthopaedic surgeon and U.S. Ski Team doctor, J. Richard Steadman, MD, will be inducted into the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Hall of Fame on Friday, July 10th, during the Society’s Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. AOSSM Hall of Famers are individuals in the sports medicine community who have contributed immensely and set themselves apart from others in the field.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council once again addressed temporary craft shows on Tuesday, discussing many issues from displays, appearance, juries, and subjective verbiage including "quality," "nice" and "tidy," all of which were all part of the draft city ordinance they were reviewing.

Dealing with craft shows is nothing new for the council, having voted in 2013 to limit the number of shows in city limits to four per site with a maximum of eight per summer season.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Jeff Meston made a presentation Tuesday, asking for an alteration to the Cal Tahoe JPA agreement for City provided ambulance services.

Meston wants the City to remain a part of the JPA, but hand over ambulance duties to Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD).

Join Tahoe-Douglas Rotary with Super Bowl MVP and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young and other celebrity players from the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship for a breakfast buffet and interactive question and answer panel discussion.

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear personal insights from the players about their careers and experience playing alongside 80 of the biggest sports and entertainment stars at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

A single car rollover accident on Pioneer Trail in South Lake Tahoe in the early mornings hours on Friday led to the arrest of the driver, and a trip to the hospital for his passenger.

On July 3, 2015, at about 2:00 a.m., the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to a reported single vehicle rollover traffic collision on Pioneer Trail near Woodbine Road. When officers arrived on scene, they found a blue Chevrolet Trailblazer resting on its roof.

It may seem like lyrics from the Five Man Electrical Band: Sign, sign, everywhere a sign; Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind' Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Everyone wants to enjoy the South Lake Tahoe area on the 4th of July holiday weekend. In order to keep everyone safe there are rules and regulations in place to do so.

1. Portable Charcoal Grills Prohibited on All Forest Service Beaches. You can use the limited number of Forest Service provided grills.
2. Campfires are not permitted on National Forest beaches or in the general forest.

The California Tahoe Conservancy announced today that construction of the first phase of the South Tahoe Greenway Shared Use Trail will begin on Monday, July 6, 2015. The new bike and pedestrian trail extends about a half of a mile between Herbert Avenue and Glenwood Way and is scheduled to be completed by August.

A proposed solar panel project on 260 acres of Park Cattle Company land won approval by the Douglas County Planning Commission in May, but residents opposing the solar farm with its 148,277 panels are fighting back. They are taking their complaints to the July 2 meeting of the Douglas County Commissioners led by local residents Steve and Mary Walker who filed an appeal right after approval of the planning commission.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to from June 22 to June 28, 2015. They responded to 206 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

6/22
Drunk in Public in the 3800 block of Pioneer Trail

6/23
Unlicensed driver at Lake Tahoe Blvd and Lyons Ave

6/24
Drug Offense in the 2100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Unlicensed driver at Chonokis Rd and Rocky Point RdBart

6/25
Fraud in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd

The City of South Lake Tahoe has announced a fourth and final public meeting about the newly released Airport Master Plan - Draft Phase 2 report on Tuesday, June 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. It will be held at the Lake Tahoe Airport.

The City initiated this Airport Master Plan Update in 2013, with funding support from the FAA, in order to determine the current and future potential of the Airport. The recommended development will be presented in three planning periods; short-term (2015 to 2019), intermediate term (2020 to 2024), and long-term (2025 to 2034).

9:00 p.m. update:

This just in from the Douglas County Sheriff's Department: On June 27, 2015, at approximately 6:17 p.m., the East Fork Fire District in Douglas County responded to a report of several wildland fires along the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

There have been reports of six fires along the west side of the Carson Valley.

East Fork Fire, along with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have responded to the multiple fires and are working to access each of the fires.

A bird found in the El Dorado Hills area of the county tested positive for West Nile Virus this week.

The bird, a Western Scrub Jay, was found on June 16 and is the first bird of the year to be found to have the virus. So far this year, West Nile virus activity has been reported in 26 California counties, including neighboring Sacramento and Placer counties.

No human cases of the virus have been reported in California thus far in 2015.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials are asking Burning Man organizers to provide "excessive" comforts such as flushing toilets, washers and dryers, and vanity mirrors in a compound for high-level government officials staying in Black Rock City.

A Burning Man spokesman estimated the compound would cost the event more than $1 million, bringing its 2015 permit fees to about $5 million. The renderings of the compound obtained by the RGJ also show various accommodations set aside for VIP visitors but don't indicate who the visiting dignitaries will be.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to from June 15 to June 21, 2015. They responded to 208 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

6/15
Resisting in the 1100 block of 3rd St
Drunk in Public in the 3400 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

6/16
Vandalism in the 1700 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Disturbance in the 800 block of Stateline Ave
Unlicensed Driver in the 3500 block of Blackwood Rd
Drunk in Public in the 2200 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

Lake Tahoe Community College’s (LTCC) Annual Commencement Ceremony will be held Friday, June 26 at 6 p.m. on the Community Playfield next to the LTCC Gymnasium. This year’s theme is “Leaving a Legacy,” meant to encourage students to continue to find ways to create and contribute to change in their communities after graduation, and throughout their lives.

A 70-year-old man from Yuma, Arizona died after being struck by a car on Pioneer Trail in South Lake Tahoe.

Northstar California Resort is rolling out the red carpet for ladies all summer long with specialized mountain bike events and activities designed to fit the schedules and coaching needs of local women.

During the 2014-15 winter season, Vail Resorts launched the 4Her initiative, offering one-on-one ski and snowboard instruction for women, by women. This summer, Northstar is continuing the trend of customized activities that are women-centric.