community

As January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, one might ask, “exactly what is human trafficking?”

Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by means of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, for the purpose of exploitation. Sex trafficking is defined as a commercial sex act that is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age. Of particular note is the automatic classification of trafficking in children under 18 years of age.

Thursday, January 17, 2019 - Due to current unsafe road conditions and weather forecast, school officials have called for a snow day in the following districts:

Lake Tahoe Unified School District (South Lake Tahoe)
Truckee Tahoe Unified School District (North Lake Tahoe and Truckee)
Douglas County Schools at Lake Tahoe (Whittell High and Zephyr Cove Elementary)
Lake Tahoe Community College
Pollock Pines Elementary School District

Incline Village schools will have a digital school day as the campuses are closed.

Save the Date! Tahoe Arts Project holds their 7th annual Dancing With the Tahoe Stars at MontBleu Casino Resort of Saturday, March 2, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets will be $10-$60 and are available at tahoeartsproject.tix.com

For more information please call Tahoe Arts Project at 530 542-3632

The local celebrities this year are:

Tracy Kettleson from Bert's
Amy Jackson from Mt. Tallac High
Dentist Dr. Deanna Brothers
Realtor Ellen Camacho
Matt Slater from Barton Orthopaedics
Luca Genasci from Lake Tahoe Aleworx
Jared Benvenuto from Aloha Ice Cream

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As part of their annual tasks the South Lake Tahoe City Council today appointed locals to several boards. In some cases there were not enough applicants while in the case of the planning commission, more applied that the number of open seats.

Seven applications were received for the appointment of five members to the Planning Commission. Selected were incumbents Diana Madson, Kili Ongoy and Jenna Palacio along with new members Natalia Wieczorek and Mason Hibbard.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Almost two years after their executive director embezzled almost $60,000 from the Lake Tahoe Humane Society (LTHS), the nonprofit tasked with helping local pets, is folding after 51 years of serving the South Lake Tahoe community.

A new board of directors had taken several steps, including the sale of their Emerald Bay Road building and laying off of employees, to get LTHS back on their feet but could never get the nonprofit's community standing back.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The investigation into the murder of two Gardnerville, Nevada women continues and Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley urges the community to remain vigilant and to pay attention in their neighborhoods.

During the evening of January 9-10, 56-year-old Connie Koontz was murdered in her home on James Road and sometime in the overnight hours of January 12-13, 74-year-old Sophia Renken was also murdered in her home.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) responded to the 900 block of Dresslerville Road in Gardnerville on the report of a deceased person at approximately 1:20 p.m.

According to County officials, the DCSO initial investigation has resulted in this incident being classified as a homicide and belief this case is related to the murder a few days ago of a Gardnerville woman on nearby James Road.

GARDNERVILLE, Nev. - A 56-year-old Gardnerville resident was murdered in her home on James Road in the Gardnerville Ranchos and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) is asking all residents to use caution as the murderer remains a threat to the community.

During either the evening of January 9 or the early morning hours of January 10, an unknown suspect entered the home of Connie Koontz and killed her.

"The Sheriff’s Office is asking you to be vigilant in locking all of your doors and windows and report any suspicious activity immediately," said DCSO Undersheriff Ron Elges.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A fire that damaged the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church on Wednesday has prompted services to be discontinued as well as moving of the weekly Bread & Broth Second Serving.

The free Friday night meal is moved to St. Theresa Church from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Due to the damage, changes are until further notice.

For those who may have questions, call (530) 544-3757 or (530) 545-2623.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A fire at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church on Wednesday evening caused an estimated $50,000 in damage according to South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR).

At 6:20 p.m. on January 9, a call was received by the police department's dispatch center about a fire at the church, located at 2733 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Not only did two engines, a squad truck and battalion chief respond for SLTFR, Lake Valley Fire sent in an engine and battalion chief and Tahoe Douglas Fire contributed a fire truck, ambulance and chief.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - SnowGlobe’s 2018 is over but their donations to the local community will continue for months, years and decades to come.

SnowGlobe donated fresh food, water, personal items and clothing to 11 local charities, including Live Violence Free, The Warm Room (Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless), South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club, Christmas Cheer, Tahoe Youth & Family Services, St. Theresa’s Church and their Bread & Broth program, Focus, Case de Fida, and the Reno/Sparks Gospel Mission.

Looking at the economic news is enough to give you pause with rising interest rates, stock market volatility and real estate experiencing declining sales numbers and the reduction of appreciation. Our market (Lake Tahoe) will see a small negative impact from interest rates as they affect affordability but the last item, equity growth, will impact our market the greatest. The public is staying in their homes for a longer period historically and supported through the increase in remodeling, appliance and flooring sales.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The first baby of the new year has arrived in South Lake Tahoe at Barton Health's Family Birthing Center. On January 2, 2019 at 5:38 p.m., a baby boy weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 21" long was born to local residents Mordey and Shaina Richler.

This is the fourth child for the Richlers, who run Chabad Jewish Center. As customary with his parent's faith, Baby Richler will be named when he is eight days old.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A public memorial for the first superior court judge in the community, the Honorable Terrence M. Finney, will be held on Friday, January 4, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Department 3 of the South Lake Tahoe courthouse.

Finney passed away on November 7, 2018 at the age of 84.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Former City Manager Nancy Kerry has been hired as the new town manager for Frisco, Colorado, a mountain hamlet that is an international skier destination due to its proximity to four resorts - Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As we say goodbye to one year, and welcome in another, I would be remiss without saying a big "Thank You" to all of the South Tahoe Now readers, contributors and advertisers!

As the only daily digital newspaper serving South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area it is a tough job to be get everything needed to everybody, but I try! I appreciate the tips and ideas, thank you.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A study on the health needs of the South Lake Tahoe community has once again put mental health and mental disorders at the top of the list, followed by substance abuse, and access to healthcare services.

Every three years Barton Health conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment to identity the key health issues facing the area. They use a systematic, data-driven process to determine the health status, concerns, and needs of residents in the South Tahoe community.

The 2018 results are a follow-up to similar studies completed in 2012 and 2015.

“The opportunity to give back to the community is a gift,” shared Mary Griffin as she volunteered at Bread & Broth’s Monday Meal on December 17th. Mary along with Lori Hargan, Sierra Williams, and Kelley and Larry Pedigo were all sponsor crew members for Camp Richardson Resort’s Adopt A Day of Nourishment sponsorship and the evening meal they hosted. “Thank you for giving the staff of Camp Richardson that gift,” Mary added.

Monsignor Murrough Wallace, who served the South Lake Tahoe community at the St. Theresa Parish from 1993 to 2003, has been accused by a man who said Wallace and another priest sexually abused him in 1985 when he was 17.

The accuser, known as John Doe in court documents, said he was volunteering at Camp Pendola when the alleged abuse took place.

Due to the allegations, Wallace, who is now 82 and retired, had to withdraw from ministry until more facts could be gathered, according to Bishop Soto of the Sacramento Diocese.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The snow has fallen and the kids are out of school so it's time for many to hit the Sierra. Skiers and boarders have the slopes but where do sledders and those just wanting to play go?

Many stop on the highway and pull onto the shoulder (well, sort of) and head to the patch of snow. This behavior is causing problems for law enforcement, other drivers and is an accident waiting to happen.

Snowglobe 2018 is here! We are asking local residents to please give the new sound
engineering a chance. The Snowglobe organization has committed to changes this year and they are hoping to reduce the sound to livable levels. The sound restrictions for this event remain the same and the City’s reporting process remains the same as in previous years. The following information is provided to help local residents.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - When Laura Alvarez De Ruiz, her husband and three children found themselves homeless just a week before Christmas their future was uncertain.

De Ruiz and her family filled one of six apartments at 3546 Spruce Avenue until December 17. That was when they had to vacate their home after the landlord failed to provide safe housing for residents and the City of South Lake Tahoe shut it down.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In less than one week thousands of electronic dance music and festival fans will flock to South Lake Tahoe for th eighth annual SnowGlobe Music Festival which runs December 29-31.

Before anything started to be assembled at the Community Playfields on Al Tahoe Blvd., which are home to SnowGlobe, three different types of mats went onto the field surface to protect it from damage, almost 240,000 square feet total. In 2017 the new fields suffered major damange before local youth ever got a chance to play on them, something SnowGlobe organizers repaired.

With the holiday season just around the corner and the children starting their winter break, the South Lake Tahoe Association of REALTORS® (“STAR”) would like to thank everyone who participated in the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe’s Wish Tree this holiday season. It was a huge success, with a collection of donations from Realtors, members of the Tahoe Arts Alliance and community members at large.