progress

1/1/17 update 3:20 p.m. - A local restaurant manager has been identified as one of the victims in the South Lake Tahoe New Year's fire that destroyed both sides of Round Hill duplex.

Joanna Janowicz, manager of Casey's, an American Cantina at the Round Hill mall, her five-year-old son and boyfriend were out to dinner when fire broke out in their home, destroying all of their belongings and killing their three pets.

Four years ago this month, TRPA approved the 2012 Regional Plan. The landmark plan charts a course to restore Lake Tahoe’s environment and revitalize our communities and it was forged through Herculean work by California, Nevada, local governments, the public, and dozens of other partners.

Many Tahoe Basin stakeholders once questioned if we could work together, but the Regional Plan ushered in an era of collaboration. Today, the answer is how can we work together more efficiently. By building and strengthening partnerships we have made remarkable progress. This year was no different.

Approximately $158 million was spent on Lake Tahoe water quality improvement projects around Lake Tahoe in 2016, and Caltrans is not done.

In 2017 two major projects will get underway, one on each end of the lake.

During the busy 2016 season, Caltrans and its contractors completed work on two projects on State Highway 89 and made significant progress on a third.

What happened in 2016:

By now, most people have heard: Federal courts upheld the 2012 Regional Plan for Lake Tahoe, affirming the blueprint that maintains development caps and strengthens environmental protections while encouraging community revitalization, redevelopment, and updated infrastructure.

Capturing the most attention these days is the traffic in our small communities from millions of people who drive up to enjoy our lake. And the transportation system is where TRPA is giving more focused attention to benefit Tahoe’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

Construction on the new three mile shared-use path from Incline Village to Sand Harbor has ended for the season.

During this year's phase one, crews built an underpass beneath the highway to bring the upcoming shared use path from the east to west side of the road near the Flume Trail. In addition, work began on the three new parking areas located near the Ponderosa Ranch and Tunnel Creek Café that will provide safer options for the one million recreationists who visit the area each year. This year’s efforts also included the relocation of a sewer (effluent) pipe near Hidden Beach.

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Ted Long, 77, attorney and lecturer, 21 years full time skiing here since 1965.

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations

In order to be a successful community on the South Shore, the state line needs to become a blur and both sides need to work together. There should be no "us" and "them" but a collective "we."

When travelers come to Lake Tahoe they don't see a state line, or a direction on the compass, they see a beautiful recreational paradise that just a few people are able to call home, but millions can call a vacation destination.

Since 1999, Sierra at Tahoe has rewarded South Shore school children with a free pass to the resort if they complete two consecutive semesters with straight A's.

With an average of 346 passes given out annually (with a high of 377 and 361 this year), Sierra at Tahoe has shown they are committed to supporting local school children.

The Lake Tahoe Basin saw continued environmental improvement over the last four years, but faces major challenges from climate change, according to a draft 2015 Threshold Evaluation Report released by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).

The report offers a detailed assessment of the health of Lake Tahoe and its treasured natural environment as indicated by 178 threshold standards in nine categories: Air quality, water quality, soil conservation, vegetation, fisheries, wildlife, scenic resources, noise, and recreation.

At the Lake Tahoe Summit last month, we saw the power of what we can accomplish when we work together. Progress over the last two decades was showcased when President Obama made his first-ever visit to Tahoe and said conservation and restoration efforts like ours are more important than ever as the nation works to adapt to a changing climate and create a more resilient environment.

More money is headed to preserve and restore Lake Tahoe. In Washington Wednesday the U.S. Senate passed its $415 million version of 2015's Lake Tahoe Restoration Act by a vote of 95-3.

The money for Lake Tahoe is part of the $10 billion Water Resources Development Act of 2016.

This is the first time the funding legislation to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act has cleared the full Senate even though its has succeeded at the committee level several times.

"We're here to celebrate because we love Lake Tahoe," Nevada Senator Harry Reid said at the 20th annual Lake Tahoe Summit on Wednesday. Reid, who started the focus on Lake Tahoe along with President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore with the first Summit in 1997.

"Like a World Series team who can't rest on their laurels," said Reid, "we need to build on progress."

Reid went on with his World Series antidote and introduced the "All Star Lineup" at the 20th Summit, his last in office as he won't be seeking reelection after serving the state in Washington since 1987.

1:50 p.m. update 8/21: Fire officials have updated the acreage burned in Saturday's fire at the Carson River Resort. 29 acres burned have burned and fire fighters are in mop up mode.

The fire is now 60 percent contained.

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8:00 a.m. update 8/21: Firefighters have been able to get a 40 percent containment line around the Carson Fire which has burned 50 acres around the Carson River Resort south of Markleeville.

UPDATE 11AM 8/15: The Shooting Fire is now 80 percent contained and remains non-threatening to structures with a total of 252 acres burned, SFIDC spokeswoman Shannon Brophy said.

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UPDATE 8PM: The Shooting Fire is 40 percent contained with eyes on all fire lines from multiple fire agencies, said Carson City Fire Department spokeswoman Stacey Belt. Mapping has the fire size to be between 200 to 300 acres, she said. Several fire crews will remain on scene to close the containment gap.
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7:20 p.m. update 8-7-16: Firefighters will soon be in clean up mode on the Alder Fire after they made good progress today. They strengthened lines today increasing the containment of the fire to 60 percent.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

9:00 a.m. update 8-7-16: Firefighters made good progress on the Alder Fire overnight and the fire is now 40 percent contained. The amount of brush and timber burned has been updated to 25 acres.

With higher than average temperatures in the Sierra this week it is important to know the warning signs of too much exposure to the heat. It is important to stay hydrated and limit times outdoors in the direct sun.

Heat Exhaustion: According to WebMD, heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that can occur after you've been exposed to high temperatures, and it often is accompanied by dehydration.

There are two types of heat exhaustion:
Water depletion. Signs include excessive thirst, weakness, headache, and loss of consciousness.

8:30 p.m. update: East Fork Fire Protection responded to a wildland fire at around noon today. The fire was in the Pine Nut Range near the Ruby Mine area. The fire was a slow growth fire and has been mostly contained. The majority of the fire appears to be on private property.

Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service and Nevada Department of Forestry all assisted with suppression efforts. The efforts are winding down, resources are being released from the fire and the crews are in the mop up stage.

8:30 p.m. update 7/4/16: Firefighters working on the Trailhead Fire in El Dorado County gained a lot of ground Monday, getting a containment line around 50 percent of the fire. So far, 5,444 acres have burned.

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.

6/19

12:27 a.m. - Vacation Rental Issue - Koru St

3:14 a.m. - Violation of Restraining Order - South Lake Tahoe - 50-YEAR-OLD MAN ARRESTED FOR RESTRAINING ORDER VIOLATION

3:03 p.m. - Grand Theft - Emigrant Rd - A SUSPICIOUS CIVIL MATTER OCCURRED

The hot, dry days of summer will soon be upon us. Preparing your home for wildfire is more important than ever. And now is a good time to get started. June is “Wildfire Awareness Month” in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and members of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team are asking all Tahoe residents and visitors to “Think First to Keep Tahoe Fire Safe”

A year ago, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors signed a resolution to participate in the Stepping Up initiative. The initiative, signed by two hundred fifty counties, has one lofty goal: reduce the number of adults with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

What has changed in the last year?

Interior designer, Jessie Marchesseau, recently opened Revive Interior Design – a full-service interior design and home staging firm that serves communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Marchesseau, originally from Montana, has lived in the Lake Tahoe region for more than 15 years and has worked in local interior design and real estate industries for more than a decade. In addition to being a Tahoe local, Marchesseau has sold and designed homes in both California and Nevada, and understands the complexities of mountain and lake living.

Two upcoming series of classes offered by the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Department will train participants to become water safety instructors and lifeguards.

The American Red Cross Blended Learning Water Safety Instructor Class and participants must register for this class by April 28 at www.cslt.sportssignup.com. American Red Cross Certified Instructor Larry Phippen will be teaching the calls that trains candidates to teach courses and presentations in the Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety Program.

The third annual Mental Health Forum in South Lake Tahoe today brought together almost 60 people who are dedicated to helping the mental and behavioral health in the community.

Hosted by Barton Health, this year's forum participants shared the progress they've made on strategies for mental health and local service gaps that were generated during the 2015 event.

Jeanne Nelson from the South Lake Tahoe chapter of NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) was very pleased with the outcome Thursday.