Gardnerville

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Two people have been arrested after a deputy from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) was shot late Sunday night.

A visit with Santa Claus is challenging this year due to the pandemic, but Douglas County has been able to create a COVID-safe event with its partners.

Santa Claus and his elf Doug will be spreading some holiday cheer on December 21 in a Drive-Through Cookies and Cocoa with Santa event at the Douglas County Community and Senior Center.

Families are invited to drive through the Christmas Lane to enjoy music, crafts, hot cocoa and cookies, all from the safety of their vehicles. Letters for Santa will also be collected and socially distanced complimentary photos will be taken.

Beginning Monday, November 30, drivers will see changes to the flashing warning signals placed in advance of some traffic signals in Carson City and Douglas County, including Lake Tahoe, as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) updates the warning signals.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Law enforcement has been busy this morning with vehicles stuck in the snow around Lake Tahoe and on the surrounding mountain passes. Meyers is reporting 12" of snow, South Lake Tahoe 9.5", Genoa 7", Alpine Meadows 7" and the Gardnerville Ranchos up to 14".

This is a good day to stay off the roads. If driving, follow all controls, give yourself distance from the car in front of you, and take your time. The storm is moving out of the area but there will be some lingering snow until around 1:30 p.m.

Douglas County has released the results of a community survey on the Master Plan Text Amendment conducted in September of 2020. More than 1,500 people took the survey, which asked about Agriculture and Conservation, Economic Development, Growth Management, Land Use, Public Facilities, Services, Recreation, and Public Safety. The Master Plan text provides additional guidance on the long- term development of the County (over the next 10-20 years). The text defines current issues and needs in the community.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officials say another nine residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday. Of those, one is in El Dorado Hills, two in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, one in Diamond Springs/El Dorado, three in the Greater Placerville area, one in South County, and one in the Lake Tahoe Region.

The new cases: 1 aged 18-49, 6 aged 50-64, and 2 aged 65 or older.

Another 182 people were tested for the coronavirus and 173 negative tests results were received.

GARDNERVILLE, Nev. – The Town of Gardnerville seeks public input to help shape the future of town owned parks and open spaces. Over the last nine months town staff has been working with Wood Rodgers Inc and the town board to draft a parks and open space master plan. The plan will guide town spending and grant submittals in the upcoming decades to help the town provide unique and desired amenities to encourage and increase resident use of the parks and open spaces.

Douglas County is kicking off the process to update the Master Plan Text and is calling on residents to help shape the future of their community. A webpage has been constructed to provide the public with additional information regarding the update and public outreach has begun.

Yesterday at approximately 4:20 p.m., Carson Tahoe Health wheeled its first COVID-positive, intubated patient, Linda McCain, out of the Regional Medical Center and back home to her family.

The Gardnerville resident had been in their care for 26 days.

Staff gathered in an Honor Walk to cheer on McCain, who had been using a ventilator to assist in breathing and fighting the severe respiratory illness, COVID-19. She was brought to tears by the support of Carson Tahoe throughout her stay, as well as during her farewell, as were several staff members.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Numbers Fire is now at 18,340 acres and 98 percent contained.

The fire started on July 6 at approximately 6:50 p.m. near the Pine View Estates area south of Gardnerville. Investigators found several fires along Highway 395 that they believe are related to the Numbers Fire.

Investigators with the East Fork Fire Protection District, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service worked together over the past week to determine the origin and cause of these fires.

UPDATE 7:335 p.m.: Douglas County officials say the Numbers Fire has now reached 18,000 acres and is 0% contained. The recommended evacuations for the Bodie Flats and Pineview areas have been lifted. Only residents are allowed to these areas. Please drive safely, watch for emergency vehicles, and be ready for possible future instructions in an ever-changing situation.

Multiple local, state, and federal agencies continue to work on containing the fire using dozers, hand crews, and aircraft.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The 110th annual Carson Valley Days Festival has been canceled but the parade is still happening on Saturday, June 13 starting at 9:00 a.m. Due to health concerns with COVID-19, the popular carnival and all other events were canceled but the Douglas County Commissioners granted approval for the annual parade.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - A five-month-long investigation into the alleged methamphetamine distribution activities of a Gardnerville resident led to an early morning execution of a search warrant at the Helman Drive home of Melissa White on Friday, May 29. Arrested were White and three others, John Neese, Mark Gregg, and Lori Wright.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) says approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine was purchased from White during undercover operations and another 55.3 grams was found in the home Friday. Also located were several tabs of suspected LSD.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will be conducting special meetings on May 26 and 27, 2020 to discuss the possible adoption of the FY 2020-21 Final Budgets for Douglas County; Douglas County Redevelopment Agency; the Towns of Gardnerville, Genoa, and Minden; and the Tahoe-Douglas Transportation District.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and anticipated $3M shortfall in revenue, the County will discuss reductions in personnel, service, and supplies across all departments.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County School District has hired a new superintendent to replace the retiring Teri White.

In a unanimous decision, the board voted 7-0 to hire Keith Lewis as the next superintendent. Lewis is the District's current Human Resources executive director. He will start to transition into the position immediately and officially take over when White leaves, sometime this summer.

The Nevada Air Guard High Rollers will be honoring the men and women in healthcare who are battling COVID-19 by doing a flyover of Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada area hospitals with a C-130 on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.

152nd Airlift Wing will start from its base in Reno and pass over Renown South Medical Center at noon, and for an hour pass over the following hospitals.

Carson Tahoe Hospital, Carson City - 12:07 p.m.
Carson Valley Medical Center, Gardnerville - 12:10 p.m.
Barton Memorial Hospital, South Lake Tahoe - 12:14 p.m.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Many nonprofits have had to cancel their fundraisers due to the coronavirus, but the ladies of the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) club in South Lake Tahoe weren't going to let the virus stop them.

Their 31t annual Elegant Evening was slated to be held at Harrah's Tahoe on April 18 with a sit-down dinner, live music, and dancing, raffle, and auction. The venue closed and restrictions on meeting in groups of over 10 people were created, so what do you do with an event that brings together 500 community members?

Move it online, of course.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Department (DCSO) Is investigating a shooting that left one dead in Gardnerville.

At 9:31 p.m. on March 21, 2020, DCSO deputies responded to a report of gunshots in the area of the 1400 block of Bumblee Drive. When they arrived they found a deceased male, a victim of gunshot wounds.

Deputies located, detained and interviewed all parties they believed to be involved.

John Russell Rice Jr. died peacefully at Carson Tahoe Medical Center in Carson City, Nevada on February 23, 2020, from complications of a recently diagnosed medical condition, surrounded by family. He was 62.

John is preceded in death by his parents: father John Russell Rice Sr. of Fremont, Calif.; mother Elizabeth LaVerne Rice-Killion of South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; and his grandson Mason Allen Geist of Gardnerville, NV.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Arts Project is bringing the musical Williams brothers to the South Shore for a week of concerts for local school children that will cumulate in a free community concert on Friday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College's Duke Theatre.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The 24th annual Parade of Lights presented by the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce will be held on Saturday, December 7 starting at 5:00 p.m.

Join in for this fun and beautiful family-friendly event in the towns of Gardnerville and Minden, who have joined Main Street Gardnerville to support this event. The announcing stand and parade judges will be located at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center. The parade runs from Heritage Park in Gardnerville, down Hwy. 395 to Minden Park. This Year’s Theme is: “Favorite Holiday Movie."

MINDEN, Nev. - An alleged theft investigation at a WalMart in Douglas County led to the arrest of 23-year-old Gardnerville resident Steven Williams with the assistance of the South Lake Tahoe K-9 unit.

The incident started on Friday morning when deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) responded to the Walmart on Grant Avenue for an alleged theft investigation. They learned the suspect was driving a white sport utility vehicle.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – Single lane closures will take place on U.S. 395 south of Gardnerville the evenings of Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) replaces a cattle guard across the highway.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A 55-year-old man from Gardnerville, Nevada was arrested in South Lake Tahoe Wednesday morning after allegedly arranging to have sex with a minor.

Detectives from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) had been working on a cold case involving Robert Allen Oakes when they became aware of communications between him and the minor female from the cold case.