damage

A baby’s brain is like a flower, if it’s stressed, it wilts; If the flower is nourished, it blooms.

Those are the telling words used to open the film, Effects of Domestic Violence on Children. As our brains grow, they create a blueprint for every new experience we have, the sounds, the touches and the sights. We may not remember what happens to us as a baby but our experiences are forever etched in our brains and create the building blocks of our lives.

Dear Hopeful Henry,
I read your article about Halloween safety, thank you for the information on the artificial sweetener now showing up in peanut butters. I was hoping you could advise on what other food items are bad for my dog.

Thanks,
Betty

Betty, so glad you found the information from last week’s article useful and your question is a great one. To answer your question with the most accuracy I obtained this list from the ASPCA Poison Control Center.

Over a dozen earthquakes have struck the region Wednesday, the largest being a magnitude 3.0, at 7:22 a.m. according to the Nevada Seismological Lab.

A 2.4 magnitude earthquake was registered at 7:23 a.m. followed by a 2.0, also at 7:23 a.m. and a 1.2 at 7:44 a.m. The earthquakes were centered around 9 miles southeast of Carson City. The other five in that area ranged in magnitude from .1 to 1.2.

There was a small .1 quake near Carnelian Bay at 9:39 a.m. Wednesday, followed by two at Topaz Lake and one in Reno.

Last year, it was the "Bear Selfie" craze that showed how people can disrespect nature. This year, the issue can be known as "Tree Tagging."

Nobody was injured when a crane being operated at the new Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe toppled over on Wednesday afternoon.

The crane, owned by Connolly Crane out of Gardnerville, NV, was getting ready to move when the operator released the brake instead of the house lock according to Kelly Connolly, the owner of Connolly Crane.

The Butte Fire near Jackson, CA continues to burn but is now 74% contained. So far, 70,760 acres have burned. The destructive and deadly fire destroyed 545 homes and 356 outbuildings, as well as damaging another 42 structures. Two civilians have died in the fire.

Cal Fire is holding two community information meetings, one in each affected county. (Amador County) Monday, September 21, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. The Call Church; 18400 Ridge Road, Pine Grove, CA 95665.

6:47 p.m. - Cal Fire says containment on the Butte Fire has grown to 47 percent, with acreage burned holding at 71,780 acres.

Damage assessment shows 233 residences, 175 outbuildings and 15 other structures burned in the fire, with 6,000 additional structures still threatened.

Officials ask that area residents remain vigilant, as the fire is still active in many areas. They also ask for people to assist by calling the appropriate authorities for specific situations:

If you see trees on a highway, please call Cal-Trans at 209-948-7543.

6:15 p.m. update 9/15/15:

New evacuation advisories were put up at the scene of the large Butte Fire on Tuesday.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

8/16

2:21 a.m. - Vacation Rental Noise Disturbance - Crystal Air Drive - DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO NOISE COMPLAINT AT A RENTAL PROPERTY IN THE AREA OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. AN INFORMATION REPORT WAS GENERATED AND FORWARDED TO DEPUTY ALMOS FOR FURTHER FOLLOW-UP.

Vast areas of California's Central Valley are sinking faster than in the past as massive amounts of groundwater are pumped during the historic drought, state officials said Wednesday, citing new research by NASA scientists.

The data shows the ground is sinking nearly two inches each month in some places, putting roads, bridges and vital canals that deliver water throughout the state at growing risk of damage.

Responding to continued drone interference in fighting wildfires, Senator Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado) today announced plans to introduce legislation to help protect emergency responders engaged in their life-saving work. Senate Bill 168, co-authored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale), grants immunity to any emergency responder who damages an unmanned aircraft in the course of firefighting, air ambulance, or search-and-rescue operations.

A 78-year old man has been identified as the person responsible for killing a bear found off Pioneer Trail in South Lake Tahoe on Friday, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Janice Mackey, Information Officer for the agency, told South Tahoe Now that the bear who died was responsible for several South Lake Tahoe residential break ins that had been reported multiple times. "The break-ins caused a lot of documented damage," said Mackey.

9:20 p.m. update 7/8/15

Approximately 141 homes have water and structural damage after Wednesday's flooding in the Stephanie and Johnson Lane areas of Douglas County. It is unknown how many homes may have landscape damage.

No injuries have been reported.

Douglas County has activated a flood hot line for residents who have been affected by the flooding. The number to call is (775) 782-6262 or visit douglasflood2015@gmail.com.

South Lake Tahoe Police are investigating several recent acts of vandalism and arson at both South Tahoe and Mt. Tallac High Schools. On June 12, 14 and 15, vandals broke into the men's and women's bathrooms at Mt. Tallac High and set fire to towels and other paper items in and around the buildings. In April, vandals did the same thing after prying open the door, causing damage to the interior.

There was graffiti at South Tahoe High on the back side of the building as well.

Those of us living in the Sierra Nevada are well aware of the drought and of the growing threat of wildfires caused by dry conditions. Due to the threat of catastrophic wildfires in the West, three major players at the government level have called for reforms in the way the federal government funds wildfire suppression efforts.

An early morning fire in the Round Hill neighborhood on the South Shore was caused by a faulty hot tub.

A person near the home at Seminole Way saw smoke and flames and alerted the three residents of the home at 4:48 a.m. They all got out safely.

It appears that something inside the hot tub caused a fire which ignite the hot tub cover and skirting around the tub. Flames got to the siding of the home and burned about a 10 foot by 20 foot section according to Eric Guevin, Fire Marshal of the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department.

Heavy rains in February caused part of the rock face at Cave Rock to fall into the lanes of traffic on Highway 50. A temporary fix was completed at that time.

Depending on the weather, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) plans on closing two lanes in order to further evaluate the damage and secure the Cave Rock rock face and slope on U.S. 50, Lake Tahoe following recent rockfall.

It’s Wildfire Awareness Month at Tahoe, and with the summer tourist season around the corner, we must all remember that drought has left our Region with severely dry forest conditions and an extreme risk of wildfire. This summer we need to think about “when” not “if” another fire will happen. All of us have important roles to play in preventing the next wildfire, and in making sure our homes, families, and communities are prepared for it.

Mental illness affects 1 in 5 children and 1 in 8 adults.

50% of us will experience a mental health challenge in our lifetime.

These are significant numbers, and because of them, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in South Lake Tahoe, May 10-16 is Mental Health Awareness Week. During a recent City Council meeting, the Mayor signed a proclamation to show the City's support of this significant week.

It took South Lake Tahoe firefighters just 15 minutes to put out an early morning fire in the Sierra Tract neighborhood that caused one minor injury and claimed the lives of two dogs that lived in the house.

The emergency call came into dispatch at 1:32 a.m. Thursday, April 30. Nine units responded from the South Lake Tahoe, Cal Fire, Lake Valley Fire and Tahoe Douglas Fire departments with a total of 16 personnel. Once the fire was under control, Tahoe Douglas units were released to cover the city while others stayed on scene for over two hours to clean up the scene.

You may have noticed hazy skies in Lake Tahoe this weekend, and again today, but they aren't from any fires in the Sierra. The smoke is from catastrophic grassland fires in Siberia which have burned almost 800 square miles.

The Siberian Times is reporting the wind whipped blazes in Siberia have killed 33 people after farmers burned dried grass that got out of control. The damage was especially acute in Khakassia republic where 1,328 homes were destroyed or badly damaged, leaving 4.694 people without shelter, but the area around the city of Chita was also badly hit.

It is always a treat for me to see people in our community who display the American flag at their business and/or at home. Over the years this always reminds me of our Nation, our Constitution, and the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Thanks to all of your readers who do so. While we are not a perfect Nation, government or people, our form of representative government gives us the greatest ability to make changes that improves the life, opportunities, and liberties of our citizens and all those who live here.

Clarity levels at Lake Tahoe in 2014 showed the biggest improvements in more than a decade, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis, who have studied the lake for the last half century.

The improvements are in part due to continuous work from the Lake Tahoe community to lower pollutants to the lake. They were also influenced by the drought, as reduced precipitation meant fewer contaminants flowed into Lake Tahoe, particularly during the summer, when clarity levels were the highest recorded since 2002.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

2/22
4 p.m. - Driving on a Suspended/Revoked License - Lake Tahoe Blvd - A 27-YEAR OLD MALE DRIVER WAS CITED/RELEASED FOR DRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE AND NO IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE.