el dorado

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors has appointed Patricia Charles-Heathers as the new director of the Health and Human Services Agency.

During their meeting on August 16, 2016, they approved her appointment to take over the agency once headed by the County's current Chief Administrative Officer, Donald Ashton. They had been without a person in the top spot since his promotion in May.

Charles-Heathers has worked for the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency for over four years during which time she served as their assistant director.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by summer 2017.

On August 23 and 24, El Dorado County road crews will be in the area of Black Bart, Barbara and Martin Avenues in South Lake Tahoe to do slurry seal work.

They will implement daytime reversing traffic controls in the area and those using the roads can expect delays up to ten minutes. These dates are estimates and are subject to change due to weather or other variables.

A 22-year-old man from Oakland, Calif., drowned off the shore of South Lake Tahoe on Saturday after a jet skiing accident.

At 6:10 p.m. August 13, a person at the Timber Cover Marina reported an over due jet skier. Officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to the pier where they learned two men had been thrown off a rented jet ski after hitting a wave about 100 yards off the the marina. One man was able to swim back to the jet ski, but the other man, Raeshon Williams, did not. Neither man was wearing a life jacket.

A fire just off of Cameron Park Drive is causing backups on Highway 50 in the eastbound lanes. So far, what we know is that several power poles in the Burdock Road area are on fire. El Dorado County Sheriff's deputies have blocked off traffic on Cameron Park Drive heading south to Burdock.

Highway 50 has resulting traffic, my according to CHP that is a result of people watching the flames and smoke which can be seen from the road.

Former Mayor and current City Councilman Hal Cole will not be running for a sixth term this November, so the filing period for candidates has been extended by five days.

This Friday, August 12 was the original deadline, but that was only in the case of an incumbent running for their current seat. JoAnn Conner has filed papers to run for re-election, but Cole has decided to hand off the hand to a new Council member.

The deadline to turn in paperwork has been extended to Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.

12:30 p.m. update: As of 12:00 p.m., all power has been restored to Liberty Utilities customers in South Lake Tahoe.

The driver of a Ford Explorer crashed into an electric pole near the corner of Pioneer Trail and Al Tahoe at approximately 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. The unidentified driver was extricated from his vehicle and flown to Renown Medican Center in Reno according to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

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A South Lake Tahoe man is in the El Dorado County Jail, facing several charges after an alleged hit and run accident at the corner of Sierra Blvd. and Lake Tahoe Blvd. on Saturday.

An unidentified man was crossing the street in the crosswalk at the intersection of Lake Tahoe Blvd. and Sierra Blvd. when he was struck by 66-year-old Gary J. Stanton.

All 50 states and 167 countries have reported incidents of trafficking according to the National Trafficking Resource Center. They further report that the fourth ranked destination in the U.S. for trafficking is California.

The United States is taking a pro-active role in stopping this crime. Both the Democrats and Republicans announced at their conventions that they have priortized the fight to combat labor and sex trafficking.

On July 28, 71-year-old Rosalynn Saxsenmeier wandered away from her camping spot in the Silver Valley Campground at Lake Alpine at 2:00 p.m. and hasn't been seen since.

Many agencies are assisting in the search and combing a 100-mile area for the El Granada (Half Moon Bay area), Calif., woman. A "Silver Alert" has been issued via the California Highway Patrol as well. Search and rescue teams from El Dorado, Tuolumne, Marin, Contra Costa, Placer and Calaveras counties have been joined by K-9 crews, CA Office of Emergency Services and the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by summer 2017.

The seasonal dog closure of the Upper Truckee Marsh ends on Sunday, July 31.

Each year, the California Tahoe Conservancy closing the marsh to dogs from May 1 through July 31 to protect the critical breeding habitat for special, threatened, and endangered species.

A 22-year-old El Dorado Hills man is behind bars on suspicion of robbing several area banks between June 29 and July 25 from Stateline to Folsom with his face covered in bandages, earning him the nickname, the Bandaged Bandit.

On July 25 at 2:35 p.m., the US Bank on White Rock Road in El Dorado Hills was robbed by a suspect who fled into a wooded area southeast of the bank. Deputies from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol officers and helicopter started searching the area.

Two women were returned to El Dorado County jail on Sunday, accused of robbing men after bringing them to their motel rooms.

Allegedly, 23-year-old Ashley Benn and 24-year-old Loorna Daniels of Oakland brought men to their motel rooms in South Lake Tahoe on the promise of sex. Once in the rooms, they allegedly robbed the men.

After releases from jail after posting bail for felony robbery, they were both rearrested after more victims came forward according to Sgt. Travis Cabral of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

The mobile food pantry from El Dorado County Food Bank will be in South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, July 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the American Legion parking lot. For over 15 years the non-profit has brought food to the South Shore. Besides the food bags from local residents in need, the food bank also delivers to several non-profits in town including Senior Plaza and Bread and Broth.

During the summer and fall, extra fresh produce is added to the distributions.

Work along Pioneer Trail will continue through mid-October to move power lines underground from Black Bart Court to just south of Golden Bear Trail.

A contractor for Liberty Utilities has already started on the project which could result in traffic delays.

Approximately 5,800 feet of overhead power lines (as well as communication lines owned by AT&T and Charter Communications) are being relocated underground. The work is expected to continue through mid-October this year, and will be completed next year during the allowed construction time period of May-October.

1:30 p.m. 7/20/16 update: The man who died while kayaking in Lake Tahoe on Tuesday has been identified as 43-year-old Paul Anthony Aguirre of Rio Linda, Calif. Aguirre was in South Lake Tahoe with his family, his fiancée, and his fiancée's family.

Aguirre had been paddling in a privately owned kayak in the area of El Dorado Beach when family members lost sight of him and a call went out for help at 4:49 p.m.

The victim was located at the water’s surface, approximately 300 yards off of the shoreline of El Dorado Beach, where the depth was approximately 10 feet.

6:50 p.m. update - The gondola is no longer threatened by the Montreal Fire. The fires are contained at this time and expected to be controlled soon. Wrap up of fire activity is expected at 9:00 p.m. but personnel will remain on the scene to watch overnight.

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LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by summer 2017.

It is dark. It is 2:00 a.m. on Friday, July 15 at the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) in Placerville. It is early, but not too early to prevent a group of people to come see Camino resident Hervé Leconte leave on his 65-mile run to the EDSO building in South Lake Tahoe.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding a deaf woman who went missing in the Pollock Pines area back on July 8.

Kimberly Gillespie, 42, was last seen possibly walking in a rural area east of Pollock Pines. She is a white female adult, 5’2″ tall and weighs approximately 140 pounds. Kimberly has brown hair, brown eyes and has disabilities that affect her memory and mobility.

She was last seen wearing a sleeveless shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes.

A South Lake Tahoe man is sitting in the El Dorado County Jail on charges of attempted kidnapping, kidnapping, violation of a restraining order, and spousal battery.

55-year-old Steven Ray Baldwin was arrested on July 6, 2016 after he entered the apartment of an ex-girlfriend the prior day. She was able to escape, but Baldwin is accused of then grabbing her by the hand and wrist, and forcibly returning her to the apartment.

Baldwin fled prior to the arrival of police, but other officers located him the next night and arrested him.

South Lake Tahoe resident Ronald Scott Williams was sentenced to three years in State Prison on Friday, July 8.

In El Dorado County Superior Court, the 27-year-old was found guilty of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor age 14-15.

Williams was originally arrested on September 29, 2015 on an arrest warrant for the crime committed in the County area of the South Shore on August 4, 2015. He had been out on bail until his sentencing.

Beach wrestling is returning to South Lake Tahoe and everyone is invited to participate. Local wrestling coaches Ryan Wallace and Dave Borges are continuing with the success of their inaugural event in 2015, and holding their 2nd annual tournament on Saturday, July 16 at 9:00 a.m. on El Dorado Beach at Lakeview Commons.

Once again, South Tahoe Stand Up Paddle and the Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe are sponsoring the event along with the help of the South Lake Tahoe Police Activities League (PAL).