Press Release

The South Tahoe Public Utility District Board of Directors extended the COVID-19 Rate Relief Program to assist residents and businesses that are facing financial
hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The District’s COVID-19 Rate Relief Program offers a 50 percent credit up to $3,000 for the next quarterly sewer bill for customers in need.

“Extending the rate relief program is necessary because it’s obvious that the community is still suffering from the financial effects of COVID,” says Kelly Sheehan, Board President.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - A three-week long investigation into the death of a 35-year old Gardnerville man has led to the arrest of Brittany Miller of Dayton, Nev.

On December 19, 2020, Jason Kaspian was found deceased due to a suspected overdose from an opioid-based substance in his Vista Grande Drive apartment. An investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) into Kaspian's death lead them to the person they believe sold him the controlled substance.

The Barton Foundation’s 2020 virtual gala received overwhelming support from donors, raising a record-breaking $110,000 to benefit the Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. These donations are immediately being put to use, helping community members hit hardest by the pandemic: those facing food insecurity and other economic hardship, as well as healthcare workers on the frontline.

While most students across the country have been learning online this fall because of the coronavirus, a group of students at Western Nevada College (WNC) took advantage of an exciting hands-on scientific learning opportunity earlier this month.

Students and science professors gathered at Jack C. Davis Observatory’s parking lot early in the morning and sent a helium-filled balloon nearly 17 miles into the stratosphere to record high-altitude data, then retrieved the balloon’s payload, which included instruments and sensors, in a cow pasture a few towns away in Minden.

Fire Marshal Eric Guevin of the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) was recently awarded the Fire Prevention Association of Nevada (FPAN) 2020 Golden Sparky Award.

The Golden Sparky Award is the State of Nevada’s highest award for outstanding achievement in fire prevention and fire safety education for fire service personnel.

Guevin has served as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Education Network Representative for the State of Nevada. In this capacity, Eric became a vital liaison between the FPAN, the Fire Safety Educators of Nevada, and NFPA.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County health officials say another 15 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since Friday. Of those, seven are in El Dorado Hills, one in Greater Placerville; one in Cameron Park/Shingle Springs/Rescue, one in Pollock Pines/Camino/Kyburz, and five in the Lake Tahoe region.

Three of them are under the age of 18, 7 aged 18-49, 5 aged 50-64.

Another 619 people were tested for the coronavirus and 604 negative tests results were received.

There have been another 16 assumed recoveries with 104 assumed active cases.

Sierra-at-Tahoe has spent the summer developing new operational procedures regarding COVID-19 for the 2020/21 ski and ride season. They have released their new guidelines for this winter that allow everyone to enjoy the resort while staying safe and socially distant.

:These decisions have been made in compliance with local, state and federal regulations, as well as Sierra’s commitment to the National Ski Area Association’s “Ski Well, Be Well” initiative," said Sierra-at-Tahoe representatives in a press release.

Placer County fell off the state's County Data Monitoring List for COVID-19, with the rate of new positive cases in the county now dipping below that state monitoring metric.

If Placer County remains off the list for at least 14 days, K-12 schools could potentially reopen for in-person instruction. However, no other businesses would be allowed to modify their operations until the state modifies the state order.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - In response to the number of people and groups expected at a protest in Minden, Nevada on Saturday, Douglas County officials have expanded traffic controls to keep everyone safe.

Cement walls have alread been installed to block motor vehicle traffic on Water Street to allow participants to move safely and freely on foot in the area. The protest is planned for 11:00 a.m. on August 8 on the steps of the Judicial Law Enforcement Center in Minden. The road is planned to be closed until Monday.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - The Black Lives Matter (BLM) group of Carson City is planning a protest at the Judicial Law Enforcement Center (JLEC) in Minden on Saturday, August 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It is in response to a letter Sheriff Coverley sent to the Douglas County Library about its proposed diversity statement which included the words "#BlackLivesMatter." Since that time the letter has set off a fire storm with media coverage across the country.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After much discussion and deliberation, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has made the difficult decision to cancel planned interpretive programs and visitor services at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center through the end of October, including second- and third-grade conservation education field trips. In addition, they have made the decision to cancel the Fall Fish Festival this year, an event that typically draws up to 12,000 visitors over the weekend.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Twenty-five California students have been named as National Youth and Young Adult Ambassadors by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids for demonstrating leadership in fighting tobacco use in their communities.

These young leaders were among 133 youth and young adults from 33 states who participated in the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Digital Advocacy Symposium, a five-day online training session focused on building advocacy, communications and leadership skills.

Heidi Hill Drum, CEO of the Tahoe Prosperity Center, has stepped in to serve as co-chair of the California Stewardship Network, an alliance of regional economic leaders throughout the state, which are instrumental in leading economic recovery efforts in their respective regions.

Drum, who lives on the South Shore, will serve alongside Oscar Chavez, assistant director of the Sonoma County Department of Human Services.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev, - Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) announced today that the East Shore Express, its popular summer seasonal transit service from Incline Village to Sand Harbor, will not operate in 2020. TTD plans to resume the East Shore Express service in summer 2021.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Given the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 and how open or not the state of California may be in the months to come, Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) has announced its Summer and Fall quarter class formats that will allow high-quality education to continue in the safest manner possible.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is implementing fire restrictions earlier than usual this year to reduce the number of human-caused fires and reduce firefighter exposure to COVID-19 during the current pandemic. The Humboldt-Toiyabe will enact fire restrictions prohibiting campfires and smoking outside of vehicles starting on April 15 and going until May 31, or until rescinded.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barton Health is seeking retired or available physicians, nurses, EMTs, and other medical professionals with clinical expertise to work with the hospital as it prepares to treat an influx of patients expected during the coronavirus crisis.

ALPINE COUNTY, Calif. - Today the Alpine County Health Department was notified of the first laboratory-confirmed case of the new coronavirus COVID-19 infection in an Alpine County resident. The individual is recovering at home and was never hospitalized.

Alpine County is located south of Lake Tahoe, has a population of 1,120 and is 743 square miles in size and includes Markleeville and Bear Valley.

An investigation has determined the person was exposed and acquired the infection in a location distant from Alpine County. This person and their household "have

USDA Forest Service (USFS) has closed its developed recreation facilities on National Forest land in California in order to assist people in abiding by Governor Newsom's recent statewide shelter-in-place order.

They will be closed until at least April 30 in an attempt to avoid groups of people and promote social distancing of staying more than six feet apart during the COVID-19 crisis.

In a press release, USFS officials said that while they appreciated the public's interest in outdoor recreation they needed to close to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. Vail Resorts announced Saturday that they are suspending the operations of all of their North American mountain resorts, retail stores and corporate offices beginning tomorrow, March 15, 2020, for at least one week (through March 22) to assess the rest of the season.

This includes Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Resort and Northstar in the Lake Tahoe area.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Three local residents were arrested on March 9 on various gun and theft charges after being found asleep in a vehicle on the grounds of Lake Tahoe Christian Fellowship.

At approximately 7:10 a.m., an alert officer from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) located a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the church located at 3580 Blackwood Avenue. The vehicle was occupied by two men and a woman, all who appeared to be sleeping.

Harrah's Reno will soon be coming to an end. The gaming establishment that had its humble beginning as a bingo parlor opened by Bill Harrah in 1937 has been sold to a company that will turn it into a non-gaming mixed-use center.

On Thursday, Caesars Entertainment Corporation and VICI Properties Inc. announced in a press release they signed an agreement to sell Harrah’s Reno Hotel and Casino to an affiliate of CAI Investments for $50 million.

A four-hour interview of homicide suspect Sean Purdy in Reno Friday night has led to the discovery of the body of his father, 52-year-old Lance Purdy of Pine Grove, Calif.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. The second night of the 9th annual SnowGlobe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe is in the books.

From a law enforcement side, things have been fairly quiet when compared to past years. On Monday night there were 35 citations issued by the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC), all related to minors in possession or adults furnishing alcohol to minors.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department arrested two people for public intoxication at the event.