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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."

To save lives and educate all Californians, especially young drivers, about the dangers of distracted driving, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), California Highway Patrol (CHP), Impact Teen Drivers, and more than 200 law enforcement agencies statewide are working together on increased education and enforcement efforts for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April and California Teen Safe Driving Week, the first week of April.

A 19-year old Silver Springs teen was killed Sunday after the car she was driving was hit by another near Fernley High School.

At approximately 12:05 p.m., Nevada Highway Patrol Troopers were called to the scene of a two vehicle head-on collision that occurred on US50 Alternate near Lyon County mile marker 11.

Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.

One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.

One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

One quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.
Approximately 70% of college students say they have been sexually coerced.

It’s been nearly a month since the suspicious disappearance of 17-year-old Hannah Thomas-Garner. Now community members are anxiously awaiting answers in the case — and are asking police to consider changing it to a criminal investigation.

Garner’s disappearance is not only affecting her family, but also her friends, classmates, and the entire Ashland community.

When Dejon Smith left home after school on December 11, like any teen facing a snow day the following day, he told his parents he was headed out for the evening. He did not tell them where he was going or with whom he would be.

Unless you're not connected to social media or watching television news in the region you have most likely heard of accusations of racism on the part of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) in their handling of the Dejon Smith missing person and subsequent death case. This claim and other rumors circulating around the case were discussed today with SLTPD Lt. Brian Williams who spoke to South Tahoe Now about the case

If you're a student in South Lake Tahoe in grades 8 through 12, you are invited to participate in the juvenile justice system through the county's Teen Court program.

Teens that go through volunteer training will serve as court personnel for real court cases where a minor has admitted to an offense and agreed to be judged by his/her peers.

The teen summer program series continues at the South Lake Tahoe Library on July 31st at 2 pm.

Make your own moving bot from batteries and a toothbrush. All supplies are provided. Just bring yourself and your imagination!

Sign up at the library.

Teen summer programs at the library continue: Use duct tape to create wallets, wrist bands, and more. All supplies are provided. Just bring yourself and your imagination! Sign up at the library.

2 pm at the South Lake Tahoe Library.

Roots and Wings Preschool is the first preschool in the state of Nevada to earn a five star rating from the state's quality review program, Silver State Stars.

The preschool is located at the Kahle Community Center in Stateline, Nevada.

The City of South Lake Tahoe Community Services department started their STAR (South Tahoe Adventure Recreation) camps this week. Youth and teens ages 6 to 16 can use this summer to explore Lake Tahoe by enjoying field trips, swimming, going to the beach and many other activities, all in a safe and fun environment.

It's that time of year again. The county fair, full of funnel cakes, carnival rides, animals, music, exhibits, wheelbarrow races, wine and beer competition and good old fashioned fun.

The El Dorado County Fair opened on Thursday and runs through Sunday, Father's Day at the fairgrounds in Placerville. The theme this year is "Photos, Fathers and Fairs."

The County Sheriff's Office invites community members to stop by their booth and see the brand new state of art patrol vehicles. They'll have a new SUV and sedan on display so people can see inside and check out their new features.

We all know that kids can't wait to get out of school, but by July they may be getting a bit bored. Or, perhaps you're wondering where your kids can going and be safe while having fun during your work day.

Start Smart is aimed at helping newly licensed and future licensed teenage drivers become aware of the responsibilities that accompany the privilege of being a licensed California driver. The program was created in an effort to preemptively reduce the incidence of teen injuries and deaths resulting from motor vehicle collisions.

April 1st starts the month long zero tolerance campaign “It’s Not Worth It!” to highlight the fact that drivers who text and use cell phones while driving have the same driving behavior as those who are legally drunk. South Lake Tahoe California Highway Patrol officers will join others from around the state in an effort to curb these behaviors in order to reduce preventable accidents with injuries.

Four people, including two locals, were arrested on Friday night during Shoulder Tap Decoy Operations at South Lake Tahoe stores that sell alcohol.

On March 15, 2014, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) arrested Stevie Smith, a 23 year old from Pasadena, Harvey Hampton, a 58 year old from South Lake Tahoe, Charles Kerr, a 72 year old from South Lake Tahoe and Hamza Salmi, a 32 year old from San Francisco. As of 10 p.m. Friday, 522 people had been arrested statewide during the largest decoy operation in California's history.

Selected among several local outstanding youth Josh Kornbeck will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the California Youth of the Year title and a $1,000 college scholarship from Tupperware Brands Corporation. As the new Youth of the Year for Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, 16-year old Josh is a true example of an extraordinary young man recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for his sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community.

SnowGlobe 2013 is just over a week away and you can find evidence of the South Lake Tahoe music festival around town.

The fields at Lake Tahoe Community College are being transformed into the largest concert arena for miles around, with three stages being erected as well as warming tents and food operations.

The Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation will have its annual signature fundraiser, The Fall Food Fest, on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Harvey’s Convention Center. This fun community event will feature great food by local restaurants, beer, wine, tequila, and vodka tasting, silent and live auctions with wonderful donations by local businesses, and live music. The money from this fundraiser is used to fund over $50,000 in grants that are given to LTUSD schools during the school year.

El Dorado County students in grades 8 through 12 are invited to participate in the juvenile justice system through the Teen Court program. Volunteer training will be held September 26, 2013 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in El Dorado County Superior Court, Department 4, located at 1354 Johnson Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe. Upon completion of the mandatory training, teens will serve as court personnel for real cases where a minor has committed an offense, admitted the offense, and chosen to be judged by his/her peers.

UPDATE: This afternoon (Friday, July 19, 2013) the South Lake Tahoe Police Department received word from the Mt. Pleasant Police Department in South Carolina that their investigation has confirmed Autumn Ellison has returned to South Carolina.

She has not yet been recovered. Nevertheless, South Carolina officials are confident she is no longer in our area. Investigators from South Carolina expressed their appreciation to our local media and public for their attention to this matter.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating a 16-year-old female who ran away from her Minden home and has been missing for about a week.

On Feb. 23, Geolyn Balleza ran away from her parent’s home in Minden. She is believed to have run away and is somewhere between Douglas County and the Reno/Sparks area, according to Douglas County authorities.

Fifteen-year-old South Shore resident Grant Swift can't quite pinpoint the moment flight first grabbed his interest.But now that the love of being airborne has taken hold, it appears unlikely to...