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The size of the Kyburz Fire burning in El Dorado County has been adjusted from 600 acres down to 160 acres as of 9:53 p.m., according to the U.S. Forest Service. Highway 50 has been reopened under controlled measures between South Lake Tahoe and the Meyers area and Pollock Pines, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Rat poison used on illegal marijuana grows is killing fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada, according to a recent study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California, Davis, the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station, UC Berkeley, and the Integral Ecology Research Center in Humboldt County, Calif.

Lake Tahoe Community College’s summer lineup includes many brand-new classes that educate and enlighten while entertaining learners. Students can earn college credits while studying a variety of subjects, from the roots of rock n’ roll to the fundamentals of food and wine pairings. Classes begin July 1, and registering early guarantees students a spot.

Here is a sampling of new summer classes LTCC is offering:

Headed to Lake Tahoe for the Independence Day holiday? The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit asks residents and visitors to help protect public safety and the environment, and keep wildfire prevention in mind while celebrating.

Possession of fireworks of any kind, including sparklers, is illegal in the Lake Tahoe Basin and campfires are not permitted on National Forest beaches or in the general forest. For those planning to barbecue on the beach, the Forest Service requires the use of portable gas stoves.

A great day in history for people with disabilities was marked on July 26, 1987 when the United States Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Although each state has enacted its own laws to enhance the federal law and protect their own citizens, the ADA remains the primary civil rights law for people living with a disability.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin work on the Upper Truckee River Reach 5 Restoration Project on Monday, June 24.

The project will replace the existing stream channel with a new channel that is more stable and is connected to the adjacent floodplain, which will provide a better aquatic habitat, support a healthier meadow ecosystem, and reduce the amount of fine sediment that reaches Lake Tahoe.

Does your business or home have inadequate Internet service? Or maybe you don't have Internet service at all.
The Gold Country Broadband Consortium is working to provide choices for affordable Internet service throughout a four-county region, including the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The Consortium is hosting a meeting on Monday, June 24, to hear residents' and business' concerns about Internet service in the South Lake Tahoe and Meyers areas. The meeting will be from 6:45 to 8 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Complex, 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd. (Aspen Room).

UPDATE 8:02PM: State Route 207 Kingsbury Grade is now open to motorists with controls. Please use caution around firefighters and equipment that remain working the fire.

Fire personnel will remain on scene to gain further containment of this fire. The cause of this fire is still under investigation.

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UPDATE: 7:17PM: Around 200 firefighters remain on scene tonight on the Kings fire on the Carson Valley side of Kingsbury Grade near Lake Tahoe. The fire is approximately 4 to 5 acres in size, Douglas County authorities report. Containment is estimated by 8 p.m.

A new smart phone and tablet app designed to highlight beaches around Lake Tahoe, where they are and how to get to them, has been launched in a partnership with the Tahoe Fund and the California Tahoe Conservancy. The aim is to help more than 2 million Tahoe visitors find their way to the perfect beach outing on the public shores.

Lake Tahoe Community College’s 2020 Vision Session planned for this Saturday, June 8 has been canceled. The college and community are mourning the loss of several members of our college family.

Out of respect for those who passed and their family members and friends, LTCC is postponing the visioning session until Fall 2013. An announcement with a new date and time for this important session will come soon.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science will host the fourth annual Lake Tahoe Bird Festival on Saturday, June 8, followed by the third annual Native Species Festival on Sunday, June 9.

Residents and visitors are invited to attend these free family events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89.

June 8 event:

Barton Health has partnered with the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center, a service of Tahoe Forest Health System, located in Truckee and an affiliate of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, to expand its oncology services for cancer patients who reside in the South Lake Tahoe area.

Using advanced technology through Barton’s Telehealth for Tahoe Program, cancer patients undergoing treatment at Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center can meet with their physicians via “real-time” videoconferencing.

Cultivating a passion and appreciation for the outdoors is a year-round task, and Heavenly Mountain Resort is stepping up to the challenge by expanding its summer operations to include more interactive, family-friendly learning experiences.

“Lake Tahoe is a year-round destination, and there is a tremendous opportunity to offer more summer activities at the top of the Gondola,” said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager. “Our hope is that visitors of all ages and backgrounds are able to create life-long connections to our National Forests through adventure, play and recreation.”

Lake Tahoe isn’t the only beautiful thing people will be gazing at this summer because the Artist-In-Residence program is sure to catch the eye of many at the annual summer-long Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival.

Thinning of trees for fuels reduction and forest health begins this week on National Forest System lands between Montgomery Estates and Sierra Tract in South Lake Tahoe.

The contractor has begun mobilizing equipment and will begin cutting trees within the next few days. The Forest Service has closed the area from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily through July 26 for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and falling trees.

The Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Coordination Committee will host a free public forum on Thursday, May 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Inn By The Lake, located at 3300 Lake Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

The Forest Service will hold a meeting Thursday, May 30, to answer questions and provide information about its Upper Truckee River restoration project.

The project area is located east of the Lake Tahoe Airport runway and west of the Washoan subdivision in the Tahoe Paradise residential area. The meeting will provide an overview of the activities that will occur this summer, and how these will limit public access during construction due to safety concerns associated with heavy equipment operation.

In honor of Peace Officer Memorial Week, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department invites you and your family to attend our annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 15th at 4:00 pm at the South Lake Tahoe Police Department located at 1352 Johnson Blvd.

South Lake Tahoe Police will be honoring award recipients; Officer Angie Kallstrom — Meritorious Service, Officer Barret Rider — Meritorious Service, Officer Nick Carlquist — Meritorious Service, Dispatcher Linda Clark —Distinguished Service, Rudolph Pakes — Citizen Award of Merit, and Peggy Goularte — Citizen Award of Merit.

Nevada Rural Housing Authority Mourns Death of Board Commissioner, Former Chairman, Vice Chairman, Tom Cook

Carson City, Nevada-- The Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA) staff, along with its Board of Commissioners, are mourning the death of Commission member, Tom Cook. Cook died at Carson Tahoe Hospital, while surrounded by loving family, on April 25, 2013.

Applications are being taken for the 2013-2014 El Dorado County Grand Jury. Nineteen jurors will be picked to serve for a year beginning July 1.

The El Dorado Civil Grand Jury is an investigatory body created for the protection of society and the enforcement of the law. It is an arm of the Court and a representative of the public. Although it is an arm of the Court, it operates independently of direct Court supervision. It is a check against governmental authority. It is not a branch of the County, nor is it answerable to the District Attorney.

Dear Community Members, 

In recent months, Barton Memorial Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Facility has been challenged with keeping patients, staff and the facility in its entirety, safe from the effects of the California senate bill, AB97.

If passed, this bill would create devastating cuts to reimbursement for Medi-Cal services provided by distinct part skilled nursing facilities (DP/SNFs) throughout the state, including South Lake Tahoe’s only long- term-care-facility located at Barton Memorial.

Restoring the Upper Truckee River and the 2013 home building season allocations both received the green light Wednesday from the Governing Board of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Now is a great time to invest in Lake Tahoe, whether it's a vacation rental, long term rental, multi-units/apartments or retail buildings. With the continued low interest rates and property prices still considered low, now is the time to pull the trigger before it's too late. I advise my clients that waiting will not help their situation. The biggest challenge is the lack of homes for sale. The key to to watch for new listings as they get posted to the MLS system.

Where else have you been able to entrust the subject of motherhood to such a dazzling collection of celebrated American writers and local Lake Tahoe talent? Motherhood Out Loud will take the stage at MontBleu May 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and May 12 at 3 p.m. It is a moving hilarious theatrical event perfect for a Mother’s Day weekend outing. Go here for tickets, call (530) 541-4975 or stop by the MontBleu Box Office.