closed

By Sarah Jones / South Tahoe Public Utility District
Turf is one of the most water intensive landscapes and requires substantial maintenance. Non-functional lawns - ones that are rarely used — waste water and represent an ongoing cost in both time and resources for the home and business owner. From an environmental perspective, lawns tend to be over fertilized and over watered. With porous Tahoe soils, this combination can push nutrients intended for the lawn into the watershed where they

By Cheva Heck
U.S. Forest Service fire and fuels management crews will be conducting prescribed fire operations in the Andria Drive area off Kingsbury Grade in Stateline, Nev., through the rest of the week. If conditions allow, the Forest Service also may resume operations in the Angora area, focusing on the area below Angora Ridge Rd. and west of Mule Deer Circle. The number of acres will depend on weather conditions and other factors.

By Li Terrell
The South Lake Tahoe City Council met Tuesday to pass an interim budget in an effort to have more time to work out labor negotiation and budget shortfall issues that have the community up in arms. There were no comments offered by council or the public, and the motion passed unanimously. Prior to the meeting there was a closed session for bargaining units to meet, and following was another closed session for council to hear the latest of the negotiations.

By Li Terrell
To a crowd of about 200, the South Lake Tahoe City Council met to hear the 2011-12 Budget Proposal from its city manager and finance director on Thursday.  There was an obvious tension between the council and members of the public who attended the meeting, though the general sentiment of the council and city manager is that the deficit issues are not their fault, and that employee sacrifice is what is required to balance the budget.

Here is this week's fishing report for Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra and southern Oregon. This report runs this weekend through Sept. 14.

12:10 p.m. update: The Associated Press is reporting that the Carson City Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the shooter in the Carson City IHOP incident has died of his self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Update 11:45: At least three people, two uniformed members of the National Guard, have died in a shooting this morning shortly before 9 a.m. at the International House of Pancakes, IHOP, in Carson City, according to Sheriff Ken Furlong. In all, 10 people were shot, with three dead as of 11:30 a.m.

The suspected shooter, reportedly using an automatic weapon, apparently shot himself and is clingling to life, Furlong said during a press conference. Three police chaplains have also been called in to respond to and speak with families of the shooting victims. The shooting on South Carson Street has the roadway closed at both sides of Highway 395 and at Eagle Station Lane.

A couple inside the restaurant, Howard and Evelyn MacDonald from Southern California who were visiting family from Carson City, both managed to escape with other customers out of the back door of IHOP when bullets began flying. The MacDonalds said they had been eating their breakfast when they heard several shots being fired, windows breaking and an employee who came out of the kitchen yelling "Get out now!" said Howard MacDonald.

"I'll never forget that sound," said Ellen MacDonald.

Across the parking lot at Locals' BBQ, owner Ralph Swagler said witnessed much of the shooting. He said that he and his son were inside his restaurant when he saw a man pull into the IHOP parking lot i a blue minivan, where he began shooting outside the restaurant. Swagler said he then saw a body on the ground next to a motorcycle, as the male shooter began shooting from the front of the restaurant to the inside. Swagler said the weapon was a fully automatic assault-style weapon, in which he said the man fired off an entire clip, reloaded and then walked inside the IHOP and began shooting.

The shooter then walked outside restaurant, saw Swagler and his son as they attempted to lock the Locals' BBQ door, then began shooting at the restaurant, he said. And then Swagler said the gunman began shooting at the H&R Block office next door.

Stray bullets have been found all over the area, in between the McDonald's building and Casino Fandango, as well as throughout the IHOP parking lot.

Law officers from agencies around Northern Nevada are responding to scene, with officers asked to respond to Carson Tahoe and Renown Medical Center in Reno to speak with and identify the victims, according to police scanner dispatch.

Developing ....

Lake Tahoe — Big Blue, as it is referred to by many — is North America’s Largest Alpine Lake and the Jewel of the High Sierra ... and the Reno Tahoe Territory of the Nevada Commission on Tourism and Bike the West will host the 9th Annual Tour de Tahoe — Bike Big Blue bicycle ride on Sunday, Sept. 11. This 72-mile shoreline ride has been booked as of Sept. 2 online registration has been closed. Call 800-565-2704 and go here for more information. After Sept.

Charges against Dennis Franks, one-time owner of the now closed Broc's Puppies in South Lake Tahoe, will be reduced. It was decided in El Dorado County Superior Court this week the new grand theft...

By Don Quilici
Here is the fishing report for the week of Aug. 31 through Sept. 6. The report covers rivers, streams and lakes in Nevada, Northern California, the Sierra and Southern Oregon.