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Weather conditions in the Lake Tahoe basin have been conducive to prescribed burns since fall, and as conditions permit, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit plans on continuing prescribed fire operations starting Monday, April 20, 2015.

Expect smoke from planned operations at Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive. Burns may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Living in the midst of the fourth consecutive year of drought in the Sierra Nevada brings with it a responsibility to become fire adapted. While the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) consistently thins forests, conducts prescribed burns and defensible space programs to reduce wildfire risk, they need the public's help to create Fire Adapted Communities at Lake Tahoe

The phone rings late one evening. The person at the other end of the line asks if there is a foster family available for one child for the night.

The person who answered the phone is Megan Ciampa, Regional Manager for Sierra Child & Family Services who is based in their South Lake Tahoe office. She says the hardest part of her job is to say "no" to phone calls like that. Just this week she's had to say "no" to three children and it was only Tuesday night when we talked. "Nothing hurts me more than to say no."

It was a festive and lively event at the Barton Auxiliary’s annual volunteer appreciation luncheon on Monday, April 13. More than 80 volunteers from the hospital, gift shop, and The Attic Thrift Store attended and were recognized for their service and gifts.

Several areas around the Lake Tahoe basin are slated to be burned starting Monday, April 13, as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) continues prescribed burns.

Fire operations are scheduled in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow at the following locations:

Heavenly - 70.25 acres scheduled for fire operations
Logan Creek Drive - 20 acres scheduled for fire operations

This week, as part of the first EpicPromise Week, Vail Resorts will present the first ever EpicPromise Awards to two Heavenly or Kirkwood employees for their ongoing commitment to strengthening the local community and fostering a sustainable environment. The EpicPromise Awards are being given at Vail Resorts’ mountains across the country as part of the first annual EpicPromise Week (April 6-10, 2015), a full week dedicated to celebrating Vail Resorts’ widespread commitment to creating a more promising future for generations to come.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the addition of eight new species to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) list, five of which concern California and Nevada.

They have found that there is substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that ESA protections may be warranted for the Mojave shoulderband snail, Clear Lake hitch, Relict dace, San Joaquin flower-loving fly, and Western pond turtle.

The public now has 60 days to read the findings and make comments if necessary.

News travels fast online—especially bad news. Today, everyone is a critic and every single one of your customers has the ability to instantly publish their opinion about your product or service in places where it can be seen by thousands of other potential customers. All it takes is a couple of bitter reviews to put a major dent in your business’ reputation. That’s why online reputation management should be on every small business’ agenda.

Join us for an interactive, information-filled workshop and learn how to protect your business from flamethrowers and naysayers.

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The first wave of snow showers will be wrapping up just before midnight Sunday in South Lake Tahoe, but more is on the way this week. By Wednesday, a total of 5" to 7" is expected to fall by the time the systems move out of the Tahoe basin on Wednesday. The heaviest snow is expected on Tuesday.

Here is the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations next week, beginning Monday, April 6, 2015, weather permitting. Operations are scheduled to take place in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, in the Tahoe Keys, on Luther Pass near Grass Lake, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, on upper Kingsbury Grade and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Last month, the City Manager and City Council hosted a strategic planning session with all City departments to ensure we are coordinated and pulling together to address key community issues. Community wellness is one such focus area.

While the summertime tourist to South Lake Tahoe should only be slightly affected, business owners along Highway 89 are worried about their livelihood with overnight road construction and blocked driveways.

During Thursday evening's Caltrans informational meeting at South Tahoe High, several owners of lodging properties, restaurants, sports and retail stores spoke about their concerns during the project which will last from mid-April to mid-October in 2015 and could even extend into the 2017 building season.

The former operator and members of a Diamond Springs marijuana dispensary are suing El Dorado County to recover seized marijuana, medical records and financial documents taken in a Sheriff’s Department raid last year.

The Pure Life Collective has been shuttered since the Nov. 17, 2014, raid, which resulted in the arrest of dispensary operator Kelly Chiusano. No charges have been filed.

Expect to see some smoke around the Lake Tahoe basin this week as the U.S. Forest Service continues their prescribed fire operations.

Starting Monday, March 30, 2015, weather permitting, the burning of hand piles of wood and slash will take place in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, on Luther Pass near Grass Lake, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

Beaches, parks, trailheads, campgrounds and popular Lake Tahoe viewing areas will start opening on April 1 for the 2015 season, almost two months ahead of schedule.

A mild winter has allowed the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) to start opening the popular areas but they won't be fully opened since they won't be fully staffed until closer to summer.

Local rivers may be eligible for inclusions in the National Wild and Scenic River system, and the Forest Service is asking for public comment as they evaluate the rivers in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

A webinar will be held on March 31, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. to explain the process being used for evaluation by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU).

The LTBMU encourages public comment as part of the evaluation process, which is in response to objections raised during the LTBMU Land Management Plan revision.

In honor of WWII veterans, the Wings of Freedom Tour will make a stop at the Minden-Tahoe airport June 1-3, 2015 as part of their 110 day U.S. tour.

Plans making the trip will include the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Nine-O-Nine," WWII Heavy Bomber, Consolidated B-24 Liberator "Witchcraft" and P-51 Mustang fighter. This is a rare opportunity to visit, explore and learn about these unique and rare treasures of aviation history. There are only eight B-17s still able to fly in the U.S. and the B-24 and P-51 are the only ones remaining in service.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is asking for public input on a proposal to reconstruct the Kingsbury Stinger Trail near Kingsbury Grade. The Stinger Trail runs approximately 2.75 miles from Genoa Peak Road (Forest Road 14N32) to Terrace View Drive on lower Kingsbury Grade and is open to all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and mountain bikes. The trail is very steep in places, is prone to erosion, crosses private land for approximately 280 feet on the lower segment and no longer meets current Forest Service standards for safety and sustainability.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service are expected to conduct prescribed fire operations around the Tahoe Basin next week, beginning Monday, March 16, 2015, weather permitting.

Operations are scheduled southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Edgewood Canyon on lower Kingsbury Grade and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore. Operations may last through the next several weeks, as long as conditions allow.

Tahoe Douglas Rotary has been a part of the South Shore community since 1962, and, as are the other 1.2 million Rotarians in the world, are bound by a commong purpose, Service Above Self. The club felt it was an ideal fit to recognize police and fire professionals in the community who make sacrifies every day to serve and protect.

This week, South Tahoe Now has been highlighting each of this year's winners of the inagural First Responder Community Hero Award.

Tahoe Douglas Rotary has been a part of the South Shore community since 1962, and, as are the other 1.2 million Rotarians in the world, are bound by a commong purpose, Service Above Self. The club felt it was an ideal fit to recognize police and fire professionals in the community who make sacrifies every day to serve and protect.

This week, South Tahoe Now has been highlighting each of this year's winners of the inagural First Responder Community Hero Award.

Most people elected to special district boards receive no compensation to oversee the agencies that provide services such as water or local park maintenance.

But some district directors receive annual salaries approaching $20,000 and health benefits for a position that has few requirements besides preparing for and attending meetings.

Of the nearly 1,000 special district board members in the capital region, about 70 percent received no compensation, The Sacramento Bee found in an analysis of 2013 salary data recently released by the California State Controller's Office.

Smoke be seen around the lake starting on Monday, March 9 due to the Nevadd Division of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service fire operations.

Burning is scheduled to take place southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore, Slaughterhouse Canyon and Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park north of Spooner Summit.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

After five years overseeing nearly 40 percent of Utah's land, Juan Palma retires Friday as the state director for the Bureau of Land Management.

While many state and local leaders would rather evict the federal agency from Utah, they don't feel the same way about Palma.

An easygoing leader who was able to navigate the fraught politics of public lands management in Utah, Palma is respected by environmentalists and oil and gas developers alike.