2016

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

Thrill seekers, endurance athletes, and medical providers are gearing up for Primal Quest Lake Tahoe, a non-stop, unsupported race that attracts adventurers from Truckee to as far as New Zealand. The multi-sport expedition begins on the South Shore at Lake Tahoe August 19 or 20 and spans more than 450 miles of rugged terrain throughout the Sierra Nevada.

More than 1,500 people flocked to Gardnerville on Saturday for one of the biggest gatherings of 2016 presidential candidates in Nevada since campaign season started.

Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s Morning Nevada PAC hosted the first Basque Fry featuring five GOP contenders on the Corley Ranch southeast of town. Republican hopefuls including businesswoman Carly Fiorina, Dr. Ben Carson, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker each made pitches to the crowd as to why they should be the nominee. Former New York Gov. George Pataki was slated to appear, but did not.

Join Tahoe Heritage Foundation and Tahoe Institute for Nature Science on Friday July 14 for "Birds of Lake Tahoe" and the "Tahoe Big Year." This event will be held at Taylor Creek Visitor Center at 8:00 p.m. and is open to the public. There is a $5.00 donation to the Tahoe Heritage Foundation.

When Governor Jerry Brown told the residents of the state to cut back their water usage, he had the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) tell each region how much to cut back. That benchmark in South Lake Tahoe was 20%.

For the past three months, residents have cut much more than that. In May, water use at South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) was down 34%, followed by 24% in June and 27% in July. This is on top of the 27% reduction in water use that the district's customer have accomplished since 2007.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

The U.S. Forest Service will begin the first phase of their retrofitting of the Camp Richardson campground on July 21, something that has been in the planning stages since 2009.

During this first phase, they will remove approximately 250 trees in the campground on the north side of Highway 89. This portion of the project will last about two weeks. Work will be completed on this side of Highway 89 in October.

Phase two on the south side of Highway 89 is anticipated to begin in September 2015 and be finished by June 2016.

What started as a small group of guys from Sacramento coming to South Lake Tahoe for a fun time at celebrity golf has turned into an iconic. must-be-at part of the whole American Century Golf Championship experience.

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.

In a quest to create a signature presence for Champion's Plaza, which is on the corner of Lakeview Avenue and Highway 50, the South Lake Tahoe City Council Tuesday awarded a local artist and LTCC professor with the task.

The plaza is meant to honor all athletes from the South Shore who represent the community on the international sports scene, such as the Olympics. It will contain Foster's creation as well as podiums with the lake as a backdrop, the perfect place for photo opportunities.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is holding a "Kick-off Meeting" for the Sierra Tract Erosion Control Project, Phase 3 and 4, on June 30, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center gym located at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd.

Construction of the project is scheduled to commence in early July, 2015 and continue throughout the 2015 and 2016 summer construction seasons. The construction contractor for the project will be available to answer questions regarding construction activities and schedule.

Just as the annual parade through South Lake Tahoe on the 4th of July was gaining momentum, it has been canceled for 2015.

A disappointed JoAnn Conner, owner of the parade organizer Golden Bear Events, released the message on Facebook and via email on Thursday, June 17.

"I am sorry to have to report that the popular 4th of July Parade is cancelled this year," Conner said. "There were a couple of huge last minute hurdles that just came up. No time to overcome them."

South Tahoe High School is one of the most unique and fun schools I’ve
attended, it’s full of opportunities for students to achieve their maximum

Here is a list of road projects around the Lake Tahoe basin.

Project: State Route 89 (El Dorado County): Work continues on a $25 million project from the "Y" junction with U.S. Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe to Cascade Road, north of Camp Richardson. Curb, gutter and sidewalks will be added in the 1.1-mile four-lane section, and the highway will be widened in the two-lane section to Visitor Center Road to provide 4-foot paved shoulders on each side. Drainage systems are also being built and the roadway will be resurfaced. Completion is expected by spring 2017.

In a move to increase revenue by $13.571 million, Liberty Utilities filed an application Monday with the California Public Utilities Commission to raise rates to their 49,000 customers in the Lake Tahoe region by 17.34%.

The change would begin on January 1, 2016. Liberty Utilities said in a press release that the projected new residential rate of 16.73 cents per kwh (compared to the current 14.26 cents per kwh) is still equal or less than residential rates for neighboring electric utilities.

There may soon be two new solar projects in Nevada, one nearby in Minden and the other near Luning in Mineral County.

Liberty Utilities announced Friday that they filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proposing to build two separate solar projects that would be built in Nevada and provide renewable energy to Liberty’s customers via NV Energy’s transmission lines.

Now that weather is favorable for roadwork, Caltrans and NDot have begun their projects around Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas.

Long term projects:

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe's West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

The California Energy Commission has approved a $200,000 grant for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to create a Plug-In Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan for the Tahoe-Truckee Region.

Following the lowest snowpack ever recorded and with no end to the drought in sight, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced actions that will save water, increase enforcement to prevent wasteful water use, streamline the state's drought response and invest in new technologies that will make California more drought resilient.

Good news for shareholders of Vail Resorts Thursday after the results for the second quarter of the fiscal year were released. Vail operates real estate, ski resort and lodging segments including Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar Mountain Resorts in Lake Tahoe.

Vail Resort's net income was $115.8 million for the second fiscal quarter of 2015, representing a 95.3% increase compared to the same period last year.

Famous for the line of people leaning over its side, the Fanny Bridge at Lake Tahoe's North Shore is going to be part of a major overhaul set to begin construction in May 2016.

The Tahoe Transportation District is holding a community workshop to get feedback from residents on six proposed plans (as well as a "no build" option) for the "Wye" area where Highways 89 and 28 meet.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District is looking for a community member to fill a vacancy on the School Board of Education.

The vacancy was created after Trustee Sue Novasel resigned so she could begin a four year term on the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors after winning a seat in November's election.

The person joining the board must reside in Trustee Area #1 which is shown as a photos in this story.

A public meeting providing an overview and update on the environmental document, design elements, and next steps for SR 89/Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project is being hosted by the Tahoe Transportation District at Granlibakken Resort, Thursday, Dec. 4.