sierra

It was a beautiful Thanksgiving Day in South Lake Tahoe, but things are about to change.

Another system is headed into the Lake Tahoe basin on Friday, bringing with it winds 20-30 mph with prolonged wind gusts from 30-55 mph. The wind advisory is in effect from 10:00 a.m. Friday to 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

Waves are expected to be 2-4 feet with the highest ones on the north and east shores.

Lake Tahoe-based Weidinger Public Relations was recognized with three awards for various campaigns at the Public Relations Society of America, Sierra Nevada Chapter Silver Spikes Awards, Nov. 17 at the Whitney Peak Hotel in Reno.

Weidinger PR received awards for each of its three entries: one Silver Spike and two Awards of Excellence.

The firm won the Silver Spike award in the category, Special Events and Observances, 1 or 2 Days, for their planning of the Edgewood Tahoe Lodge groundbreaking.

Expect a windy and snowy weekend in South Lake Tahoe! Ski resorts on the South Shore had to postpone opening days, so maybe Mother Nature will be helping them out!

There is a wind advisory in place for South Lake Tahoe in advance of the winter storm headed our way. Expect winds 15-25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph overnight Friday, increasing Saturday to 20-30 mph and gusts to 55 mph. Ridgetop winds could gust up to 110 mph. Waves on the lake are expected to be 2-5' with the highest on the north and east shore.

The winds subside slightly as a winter storm moves in.

It's a "win-win" situation for South Lake Tahoe area businesses, shoppers and diners starting November 26 when the Tahoe Chamber launches their GO Local & Win! campaign. Those enjoying local businesses are rewarded for shopping and dining locally and will earn credit for every $25 spent and have a chance to win hundreds of dollars in cash and gifts.

Business owners and operators also win during the "GO Local & Win" campaign as they have an opportunity to promote and expand their base of customers or clientele.

Five Douglas County businesses were recently cited for selling alcohol to minors.

On November 2, Douglas County Sheriff's Office visited 28 businesses with liquor licenses to determine if they were being compliant with state law and not selling to minors.

Wal-Mart North County, Maverick, World Market, Grocery Outlet and Lucky Discount Liquor all received citations for furnishing alcohol to people under the age of 21. The employees who sold the alcohol was also cited.

The following businesses were checked and they successfully passed the alcohol compliance check.

The future of the Blue Granite Climbing Gym in South Lake Tahoe was made much clearer Thursday during the South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission meeting.

Nearly 300 community members attended the Tahoe Chamber's 9th annual Blue Ribbon Awards Thursday night at the Hard Rock Lake Tahoe and joined in the celebration of seven awards that honor exceptional South Shore businesses for their excellence in service, entrepreneurship, tourism and experience.

The following are the 2016 Blue Ribbon Awards winners:

Geotourism Award - Sponsored by Bike the West
Winner: Taylor Creek Visitors Center, United Sates Forest Service
Honorable Mention: Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

Tourism Award - Sponsored by Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority

It's been four months since the 27th annual celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe, but area nonprofits continue to reap financial rewards from the tournament sponsor, American Century.

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.

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.

Tamara Wallace, 46, Retired Businesswoman/Chamber Exec

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

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today issued a ruling to uphold the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan created by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). After approval of the plan in December 2012, a lawsuit was filed by the Tahoe Area Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore to block implementation of the plan in February 2013.

The popular “Plates for Powder” program and offers skiers and boarders two free lift tickets at one of ten resorts in Lake Tahoe if they purchase the new Lake Tahoe license plate in either California or Nevada.

“The mountains are covered in white from this weekend’s storm signaling that ski season is almost here,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “Get ready to ski at one of the 10 resorts in Tahoe who generously support this great program by purchasing your new California or Nevada Tahoe plate today.”

The next storm heading to South Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada is bringing with it much cooler temperatures and snow. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the region from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday for areas above 6,500 feet.

Snow accumulations should be 6" to 18" above 7,000 feet with up to 6" down to 6,500 feet. Up to 2" at lake level are possible.

The snow levels wills tart around the 7,000 ft level, lowersing to 6,000 feet by late Sunday morning.

The 14th Annual Halloween Treat Street will be held at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) on Halloween from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the school's physical education building. This is a safe, warm (and dry) indoor event hosted by radio station KRLT 93.9FM/KOWL 1490AM.

The 38th Annual Freaker's Ball, Lake Tahoe’s largest, oldest and most extravagant Halloween party, brings the wild with a four-ring costume circus in the Convention Center, Opal Ultra Lounge and Blu Nightclub venues at MontBleu on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. Cost is $35 prior to Saturday, then $40 at the door if tickets are available. Costume contest with prizes.

On Friday, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino holds the 2nd Annual Rockin’ Dead Halloween Bash inside Vinyl starting at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $25. Costume contest with prizes.

Two storms are headed to Lake Tahoe and each will bring rain, wind and a chance of snow.

The first storm will hit Thursday into Friday, with the other one right on its tail Saturday night into Sunday.

Storm one:

Hurricane Seymour off the coast of Mexico will bring heavy rainfall that will likely cause travel delays, especially for those driving across the Sierra. The peak period for heavy rain looks like it will be early Friday morning. Rain will spillover into Western Nevada as well, so be prepared with ponding water on the roadway.

When one sees a vacant lot in the Lake Tahoe Basin with a California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) sign placed on a tree within its borders, it normally that means the parcel will remain vacant.

And in most cases, that is true.

In the basin, CTC owns 4,780 parcels of land totaling 6,400 acres, many of those parcels are about 1/4 acre in size. In the 1980s and 1990s, most of these smaller lots were purchased due to their being deemed environmentally sensitive. If a lot, or a portion of a lot, was once considered to be sensitive, they are permanently protected and cannot be built upon.

School physical education at one time was full of jumping jacks, sit ups, pull ups and push ups. Today's physical education at schools has taken on a whole new focus, and Sierra House Elementary in South Lake Tahoe is being honored for what they do on a daily basis.

The school received recognition for their outstanding efforts in creating an active school environment under First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, Her plan is dedicated to ensuring 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the norm in K-12 schools.

The graphics and news released this week for the seasonal drought outlook for the Sierra Nevada and the rest of the west look rather grim for those wanting a big winter and extra water to replenish lakes, reservoirs and rivers.

According to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), the drought ends for some parts of Northern California, but mild temperatures and below average precipitation will cause the drought to continue.

The Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce has announced the nominees for their annual Blue Ribbon Awards with 80 nominations from the community. The program recognizes businesses and individuals who excel in working as one in an effort to improve the quality of life on the South Shore.

A missing aircraft and its pilot were located Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. in a rugged area of the Sierra Nevada southwest of Lake Schmidell, which is west of Maggie's Peak and Lake Tahoe.

Searchers found the wreckage as a result of a photograph taken by a Civil Air Patrol crew who was flying in the probable location of the missing aircraft. The coordinates from the photograph were passed along to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s ground team who hiked into the site and confirmed the crashed aircraft and a deceased male victim outside of the plane.

Since Friday morning, rain has pummeled many areas of the Sierra Nevada. As of 8:00 a.m. Sunday, South Lake Tahoe had received 2.54" of rain, with more on the way. By Monday morning, a trace of new snow could be seen on the South Shore.

UPDATE 1:00PM 10/15/16: The Little Valley Fire in Washoe Valley has now burned 3,460 acres with 5 percent containment. Four injuries due to smoke inhalation have been reported.

The Sierra Front Type III Incident Management Team reports that 22 residences and 17-outbuildings have been destroyed. 500 structures are still under threat.

Interstate 580 is open in both directions, as is old U.S. Highway 395. Franktown Road, the area where most of the home damage is, remains closed.

Our world is rapidly changing, including the coastal and inland waters. Conservation is essential in order to preserve these areas and the fish that live there but water conservation is a complex subject. Find out what is being done and the issues California's coast and inland waters are confronted with at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center on Thursday, November 3.

Join Dr. Nann Fangue to learn how we can conserve our imperiled fishes and find solutions by understanding physiological specializations that allow animals to survive and thrive in complex environments.