sacramento

1. Bargains. Admit it, that’s why we shop at thrift stores. We love bargains. At the new Goodwill store located at 1069 Emerald Bay Road in the former Pier 1 building, you’ll find 8,000 square feet of high-quality donated clothing, furniture and household items, as well as a wide variety of brand-new products at low prices. Don’t we all want our paychecks to stretch a little bit further? And if you’re lucky…

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 774 calls between June 14 and July 4, 2016.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

6/14
Spousal Abuse in the 900 block of Alameda Ave
Drug Offense in the 1000 block of Johnson Blvd
Warrant in the 2200 block of Barton Ave
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Al Tahoe

6/15
DUI at Tallac and Lake Tahoe Blvd
Evading in the 2100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrant in the 1000 block of Johnson Blvd
Battery in the 800 block of Los Angeles Ave

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has adopted 156 projects, valued at $583 million, to support needed upkeep on California’s aging roads and bridges, make upgrades to transit and rail systems and encourage use of alternative forms of transportation, including biking and walking. One major project in South Lake Tahoe has been adopted.

The California Highway Patrol and Uber are joining forces to promote awareness about safe, alternative transportation options to drunk driving during the July 4 holiday weekend.

This holiday is one of the deadliest for drunk driving crashes. South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has partnered with Uber to prevent drunk driving in South Lake Tahoe.

Uber reached out to the nonprofits to make sure that Tahoe is safe, and to do so they are trying to get as many of their drivers out on the road as possible.

Heavenly Mountain Resort has created Epic Discovery Kids, a program offering free access to Heavenly’s new Epic Discovery summer activities to 2,000 kids from Lake Tahoe schools and non-profits as well as regional non-profits.

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) and Sierra Nevada College (SNC Tahoe) are co-hosting an Open House on Thursday, June 16 at 5:00 p.m. in LTCC’s Board/Aspen Room to explore offering an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Global Business Management from LTCC’s South Lake Tahoe campus. The two colleges are seeking community and student input to gauge the level of interest in the program. As the partnership between LTCC and SNC moves forward, it will bring an accredited four-year bachelor’s degree option to LTCC’s South Shore campus for the first time.

A Sacramento area lawyer called the "Serial ADA lawsuit filer" by the San Jose Mercury News is back in South Lake Tahoe according to several recent reports from local businesses.

Between 2009-11, Carmichael attorney Scott Johnson inundated small businesses with letters requesting they bring buildings in line with access laws for the disabled. He followed up the letters with several lawsuits in South Lake Tahoe.

The fifth suspect in the January 30, 2016 murder of an Amador County man at the Beverly Lodge in South Lake Tahoe has been arrested. 26-year-old Dion Jermaine Vacarro, a former resident of Solano County, Calif., was arrested in Oklahoma City on suspicion of the murder on Dennis Wright, Jr. after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Brad D. Wlcek, of Lafayette, Calif., died Wednesday, May 18, 216. He was 27.

He was born on Feb. 7, 1989, in Derry, N.H. The family moved to Ridgefield where he spent his primary school years. In 2000, the family moved to Danville, Calif., where he completed his education graduating from San Ramon Valley High School class of 2007. Following graduation he attended the California State University, San Francisco.

With thousands of fans lining the streets of Santa Rosa, Team KATUSHA’s star sprinter Alexander Kristoff (NOR) catapulted to a stage win, his eighth of the season, by a rim over all-time Amgen Tour of California stage win record holder Peter Sagan (SVK) of Tinkoff, who had spent much of the 109.1-mile day in a breakaway. The Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease™ Women’s Race Empowered with SRAM also spent the day in Santa Rosa, with cycling’s winningest woman Marianne Vos (NED) cinching the victory for Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team.

All eyes are on California this week as the Amgen Tour of California gets underway in San Diego on Sunday, May 15. One of the most important races on the international cycling calendar, Amgen brings some of the brightest cycling stars in the world to the state as they travel 782 miles in different stages from Southern to Northern California for eight days.

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.

4/24
2:37 p.m. - Operating Motorcycle without proper license - Lake Tahoe Blvd - 37-year-old-male cited

6:00 p.m. - Manufacturing of Controlled Substance - Plum St - A BHO LAB EXPLOSION WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. - Suspect is a 36-year-old man.

4/25

What does a police officer do after they retire?

Hunt for Bigfoot, of course.

That is what South Lake Tahoe Police Officer Donna Kingman said she'll be doing after hanging up her shield after 29 years of working in the community. Her official last day is April 30, but Thursday was her last shift working in uniform.

Of course, she won't be hunting for Bigfoot in cold, shaded areas as she'll be seeking sun and a life of being "footloose and fancy free."

Sunday night's honey oil lab explosion in a South Lake Tahoe home could have been much, much worse. Neighboring homes could have burned, people could have died.

While the incident on Plum Street is still under investigation by the South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team (SLEDNET), and few details have been released, the subject is one of not only local concern, but one of national concern.

A relatively weak Spring storm is headed to Lake Tahoe, bringing with it modest rain and snow amounts as it moves through the Sierra and western Nevada on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Snow levels will be down to around 4500 - 5500 feet. Although it will be cold enough for widespread snow showers, there won't be much in the way of snow totals with this storm though the West Slope should see more than the Lake Tahoe Basin and Reno. On Wednesday, the NWS in Sacramento forecast 4"-8" for the higher elevations.

The definition of a massage parlor according to Wikipedia is: A place where massage services are provided. Some massage parlors are fronts for prostitution and the term "massage parlor" has also become a euphemism for a brothel, to the annoyance of professional masseurs.

The National Park Service has opened up a new front in the fight over the names of historic hotels and other beloved landmarks at Yosemite National Park.

The agency has asked a federal trademark board to cancel trademarks obtained by the company that previously ran the park’s hotels, restaurants and outdoor activities, the Sacramento Bee reported Friday. Those trademarks include the name, “The Ahwahnee,” which was used on a luxurious stone and timber hotel with stunning views of the park’s fabled granite peaks, and “Curry Village,” a woodsy family-friendly lodging complex.

The California Highway Patrol officer who was hit by a SUV on Interstate 80 Saturday has succumbed to his injuries.

Nathan Daniel Taylor was struck by the vehicle as he was investigating a traffic collision in the area of westbound I-80 at Castle Peak Road in the Gold Run area.

The officer suffered major injuries, including two broken legs and internal injuries, and was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, NV, where he succumbed to his injuries late Sunday night.

This is part two in a series of a look into Human Trafficking in South Lake Tahoe.

Human trafficking. Its not just a Third World problem, its not just a big city problem, and its not a poor or rich problem. There are millions around the world who are victims to human trafficking, a business that is estimated to be a $32 billion industry.

And its happening in our backyard.

The facts are sobering.

Three training programs taking place at Lake Tahoe Community College Tuesday are giving the community an opportunity to become more aware about both local and national exploitation of children.

National speaker Deanna Graves, founder of Traffick911, is in South Lake Tahoe to educate attendees on how they can combat the trafficking of our most vulnerable population, the foster child.

Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will conduct travel surveys with visitors and residents at several recreational and commercial locations throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin starting Friday, Feb. 19, 2016.

Ari Ramos, a 2004 graduate of South Tahoe High, is running across the country to bring awareness to obesity. She is using all 2,700 miles of the journey to engage with school children and communities about healthy lifestyles.

Ari touched the Atlantic Ocean and left Jacksonville, Florida on January 28. Today, Tuesday, February 16, she is 350 miles away in Fort Walton Beach.

With the massive traffic jam created by travelers trying to get out of South Lake Tahoe during the snowstorm January 31, several options have been discussed to prevent a repeat, especially with a large holiday crowd this weekend.

Long the dream of many in South Lake Tahoe, a four-year educational opportunity is on target to break ground in the spring of 2017 on the grounds of Lake Tahoe Community College. The Lisa and Robert Maloff University Center will then be built and open in the fall of 2018.