service

I'm proud to be an American,
Where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
Who gave that right to me.
And I'd gladly stand up next to you,
And defend Her still today.
'Cause there ain't no doubt,
I love this land, God Bless the U.S.A.

A storm that didn't match predictions has moved east of Lake Tahoe, leaving behind fresh snow and clearing skies. Forecasts call for warming days and chilly nights around Lake Tahoe.

The storm hit the Reno and Carson City area the hardes, with lake-effect snow which dropped from 6 to about 18 inches. The deepest Reno-area snow fell in Stead, Panther Valley and Cold Springs. Over 36,000 Nevada Energy customers were without power overnight, causing some schools to close Tuesday.

The forecast for South Lake Tahoe from the National Weather Service:

Residents are waking up to a fresh layer of snow in South Lake Tahoe Monday morning, with more snow due later in the day.

Just over an inch of fresh snow fell at lake level.

As of 8:30 a.m., chain controls were lifted over Echo Summit but remain on I-80, Hwy 88 at Ham's Station,

The National Weather Service forecast says to expect more snow showers Monday morning, mainly after 10 a.m. There is even a chance for some thunder.

All six vehicles pulled out of Kiowa Ponds by volunteers from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office HASTY Team on Make A Difference Day, October 24 were reported as stolen according to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.

Five of the cars were reported stolen between 1996 and 1998, the sixth in 2007. Three of the vehicles were reported stolen in Reno, two from Sparks and one from Sacramento, CA. All agencies involved have been notified of the recovery.

The long awaited first storm of the winter has hit the Sierra Nevada, much to the excitement of ski resorts, skiers and those wanting an end to the drought.

While this weather front isn't supposed to leave much behind at lake level, the upper elevations may see over a foot of snow.

Here is the updated weather forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today - Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 10am. High near 41. West wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) lifted fire restrictions on National Forest System lands on Friday, October 30, 2015.

“While conditions have allowed the Forest Service to lift fire restrictions, wildfires can still occur,” said Fire Management Officer, Kit Bailey. “Visitors to our National Forests need to educate themselves about how to safely build and extinguish a campfire, and should continue to be careful and remember that campfires are only allowed in certain areas.”

North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations over the next few weeks in various locations around the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Depending on daily weather forecasts, operations are planned in the following areas:

East Side of Second Creek Drainage - 3 acres
East Side of Third Creek Drainage - 10 acres
Douglas County - Zephyr Cove Park near Warrior Way - 8 acres
Hwy 89/ Grass Lake Rd - 122 acres
Meeks Bay/Meeks Meadow - 285 acres

El Dorado County Connections - One Stop has free services to help people who need a job.

"We can help anyone who is having trouble finding a job," said Jenny Wilson, Program Supervisor with Connections - One Stop. "We want to help people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. This includes dislocated workers, such as people who have been affected by a lay-off or business downsizing. Displaced homemakers and self-employed individuals may also qualify for services."

El Dorado County Animal Services announced today that their incoming business mailbox in Shingle Springs was broken into over the weekend.

"Anyone who may have mailed a check to our office in Diamond Springs in the past week may want to give us a call to confirm that we received it," said Henry Brzezinski, Chief of El Dorado County Animal Services.

The Postal Service is in the process of repairing the mailbox. In the meantime, Animal Services' mail will be collected at the post office and Animal Services will pick it up daily, according to Brzezinski.

These are challenging times for businesses and many entrepreneurs are left without the guidance necessary to build sustainable businesses. Fortunately, the Tahoe Tactical Team is available to assist current and prospective business owners in their entrepreneurial journey. This past week, the Tahoe Tactical Team expanded its business coaching program to include businesses and entrepreneurs in Douglas County due to a grant from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

The Nevada Department of Transportation is urging residents to help protect water quality by preventing and reporting illicit drainage and discharge onto state roads and transportation facilities.

Illicit discharge is anything entering a roadway drainage system that is not natural stormwater. Pesticides, construction dirt or materials, as well as materials from neighboring properties and roadway runoff containing fertilizers, vehicle oil and chemicals are examples.

According to the U.S. National Weather Service, South Lake Tahoe will see highs from the 40s to 60s during the daytime all week, with lows in the 30s.

Sunday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Monday - Sunny, with a high near 64. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday Night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday - Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Lake Tahoe has been recognized for another important conservation success. Our region’s proactive, collaborative strategy to protect Tahoe yellow cress, begun almost 15 years ago, is working so well that the plant does not need additional protections under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Hundreds of mourners attended the memorial service for South Lake Tahoe Police officer Mark Hounsell and his wife Jeanne on Saturday at the LifePoint Church in Minden, Nev.

An large crowd of family, friends and law enforcement paid their respects both along the route from the funeral home in Carson City to the church and at the church.

The California Transportation Commission announced this week that it will award nearly $9 million in Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant funding to help complete three major bike and pedestrian projects in the City of South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City.

Members of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway Partnership applied for the grants. The partnership formed several years ago to secure funding for critical trail segments to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety and complete the Lake Tahoe Bikeway, a comprehensive multi-use trail network for the Lake Tahoe Region.

The three "Super Scoopers" that called South lake Tahoe home this summer left the airport on Tuesday, October 20. One plane is still under contract with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and headed to Oklahoma for the winter while the other two Bombardier CL415 firefighting plans are now off contract with the USFS and flew off to unknown destinations.

The company that owns the planes, Aero-Flite, Inc is located in Spokane, Wash.

There will be a memorial service for South Lake Tahoe Police Officer Mark Hounsell and his wife, Jeanne Hounsell on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at LifePoint Church in Minden, Nev.

The couple was killed along with a family friend in a single vehicle rollover accident near Fallon, Nev on Saturday, October 17. Hounsell's four children were also in the car, but survived with minor to moderate injuries.

The Tahoe Chamber announced the nominations Tuesday for the 2015 Blue Ribbon Awards. There were 150 nominations received from the community for their annual awards program that recognizes exceptional South Shore businesses for excellence in service, entrepreneurship and experience among other areas.

As the camping season of 2015 draws to an end, Tahoe Valley Campground will celebrate over 40 years in business with a Tahoe Chamber ribbon cutting ceremony, barbecue and horseshoe tournament on October 22 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The community is invited to attend.

“We are very proud to celebrate another successful summer here at Tahoe Valley Campground,” Resort Manager Duane Jakob said. “We are so happy to be part of this community for the past 40 years and look forward to the future as the South Shore continues to be a world renowned destination.”

The annual salmon run up South Lake Tahoe's Taylor Creek has seen far fewer numbers of kokanee than in years past, and not only have the crowds noticed, but so have the bears.

Speculation for the cause is the warmer water at the mouth of Taylor Creek.

"The spawn relies heavily on the presence of high water flow, which under normal conditions would be due to precipitation that comes with colder temperatures," said Lisa Heron, Public Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service.

With the drought of the last four years, its hard to know what "normal" is anymore.

Expect to see smoke in the Christmas Valley and Meyers areas of the South Shore as the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit begins prescribed fire operations on Saturday, October 17. They plan to start the season by burning 122 acres of hand piles near Grass Lake Road off southbound Highway 89. They will continue on the project over the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Expect to see smoke travel in a north/northeast direction.

After weeks of reported management problems at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in South Lake Tahoe, owners David and Jon Park have terminated their relationship with W-G Stateline and Warner Hospitality of Las Vegas. Instead, they will use on-site, local management.

From quality shopping, accommodations, recreation and dining options to the myriad service providers and businesses, the Blue Ribbon Awards honor all that business should be. This important awards program salutes those businesses that are making significant contributions to the South Shore economy.

Location

8:00 a.m. update 10/12/15: Authorities spent Sunday removing parts of the plane that remained in trees surrounding the crash site that claimed the lives of two people in South Lake Tahoe.

Investigators say the plane hit trees before crashing behind a home on Tionontati Street just before 5:36 p.m. Saturday, October 10. A fire started which scorched the home.

The force of the crash broke a large tree just feet away from the house.