washington
GOP targets child tax break for illegal immigrant
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 4:19pmWASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans are looking to deny child tax credits to illegal immigrants - refund checks averaging $1,800 a family - in an effort that has roused anger among Hispanics and some Dem...
Calif. and NY considering foreclosure-abuse deal
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/06/2012 - 11:17amWASHINGTON (AP) - California and New York were considering Monday whether to join most other states in backing a long-awaited settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses. The deal would require t...
Be an effective communicator during a crisis Get tips on disaster planning during SBA/Agility webinar
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/04/2012 - 5:00amWASHINGTON - Because it's easy for even the best leader to be overwhelmed when a crisis hits and misinformation shows up in a twitter feed, managing the flow of information about your company is cr...
Solution to crumbling roads, bridges elusive
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 4:34pmWASHINGTON - The nation's crumbling roads, bridges and transit systems are at the point of hindering U.S. economic growth, but Congress is struggling to come up with a solution.The problems are num...
Home prices dropped in November in most US cities
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 9:01amWASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. home prices fell for a third straight month in nearly all cities tracked by a major index. The declines show that most homeowners are not reaping the benefits from some signs...
California passes new auto emission rules
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:33pmSAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Seeking to influence other states and Washington, California air regulators passed sweeping auto emission standards Friday that include a mandate to have 1.4 million electric a...
Pass on the doughnuts, but feast on the funny with Kevin Jordan
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 9:01amIt's not too often the Improv features a comedian who started out in law enforcement. Billy D. Washington was one if the first black cops in Houston, and he incorporates that into his act in a v...
Full Text of President Obama's State of the Union address; GOP response
Submitted by Editor on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 6:47pm
The following is the complete text of President Obama's State of the Union address as written.
Remarks of President Barack Obama - As Prepared for Delivery
State of the Union Address
"An America Built to Last"
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Washington, DC
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:
Obama to take on economy in State of the Union
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 9:12amWASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is ready to reclaim the spotlight with a plea for economic fairness in a State of Union address that opposition Republicans panned in advance as a rehash of...
World not quite as hot in 2011; ranks 11th warmest
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/20/2012 - 12:33pmWASHINGTON (AP) - The world last year wasn't quite as warm as it has been for most of the past decade, government scientists said Thursday, but it continues a general trend of rising temperatures.T...
Fewer layoffs, lower inflation give economy a lift
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/20/2012 - 12:22pmWASHINGTON - The economy is off to a fast start in 2012.The outlook for hiring has brightened as applications for unemployment benefits near a four-year low.Adding to the optimism, inflation remain...
Washoe Drive Fire: 1 dead, 3,700 acres burned, more than 20 structures lost
Submitted by Editor on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 2:07pm
View Washoe Drive Fire (1/19/2012) in a larger map
UPDATE 10PM: Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said tonight the Washoe Drive Fire has consumed and estimated 3,700 acres, burned at least 20 structures and has resulted in one fatality.
Hernandez would not go into details of how the person died. He said the 250+ firefighters on the scene have stopped the forward progress of the fire. He said the fire started in the East Lake area, and then followed the Highway 395 corridor north, where it was stopped just south of Galena High School.
Highway 395 will be closed until further notice due to damage to debris and damage to guard rails, power poles and other item near the roadway. Gov. Brian Sandoval told state workers who commute by this route to stay home Friday. Evacuations have been lifted for the Galena area. About 2,000 people are still unable to go back to their homes tonight.
Hernandez said firefighters saved more than 800 homes that were in the path of this destructive fire.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
****
UPDATE 9PM: Reno Fire officials report forward progress on Washoe Drive fire has stopped. Fire behavior is moderating due to diminishing winds, lowering termperatures and increasing humidity/moisture moving over the Sierra Nevada/Carson Range. Fire burns more than 3,000 acres with zero containment; 10,000 evacuated; no count on home and structure losses.
U.S. Highway-395 remains closed between 1.8 miles north of Carson City to the Junction of SR 341/431 (Mt. Rose Junction) in south Reno. U.S. Highway 395 could remained closed on Friday (1/20) through the morning commute - make alternate plans.
***
At 4:40 pm Thursday, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, under his constitutional and statutory authority, made a state declaration of emergency which qualifies local governments for federal assistance associated with this event. The National Guard is on standby at the request of Sandoval and Washoe County. California has also provided fire assistance as part of a Governor to Governor agreement with Jerry Brown.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire,” Sandoval said. “Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety have also engaged with local responders.”
Additionally, Nevada has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75 percent funding assistance for eligible costs. The request was made by the Nevada Division of Forestry on behalf of Washoe County at the onset of the fire.
More below the fold.
Silicon Valley Versus Hollywood, A Q&A on contested Internet anti-piracy bills
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 10:05amWASHINGTON (AP) - Online piracy costs U.S. copyright owners and producers billions of dollars every year, but legislation in Congress to block foreign Internet thieves and swindlers has met strong ...
Obamas mark King's birthday with volunteer outing
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 11:33amWASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama evoked Martin Luther King, Jr.'s own words about public service Monday as Obama and his family celebrated the life of the late civil rights leader with a...
OBITUARY: WALLY ROTHGEB
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 7:02amWALLY ROTHGEB, SR., 89, passed away peacefully at his home in Ketchum, Idaho on January 5, 2012. Born July 26, 1922 in Wenatchee, Washington, the only child of Clyde and Wanda Rothgeb, Wally lea...
Nevada Governor Questions $6 Million In Legal Fees To Defend Freeway Construction Lawsuit
Submitted by Editor on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 11:32amCARSON CITY — A legal firm retained by the state Department of Transportation to defend against a contractor dispute over construction of a section of the Carson City bypass has racked up $6 million in fees so far and the costs could still go higher.
Gov. Brian Sandoval today expressed concern about the amount of legal fees in the case involving a $40 million claim by Utah-based Ames Construction, which built the first phase of the U.S. 395 bypass in the capital that opened in February of 2006.
High court to hear environmental case from Idaho
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 10:03amWASHINGTON (AP) - Mike Sackett remembers what he thought when he saw the eye-popping fines of more than $30,000 a day that the Environmental Protection Agency was threatening to impose on him over ...
DOJ opinion 'important day' in efforts to legalize
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/30/2011 - 9:46amBy Karoun Demirjian, Las Vegas Sun. WASHINGTON — A Department of Justice opinion released last week declares that Internet gaming transactions are legal ...www.laketahoenews.net/.../doj-opinion-import...
D.C. tax drama averted, for a while
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 8:45amWASHINGTON - Their isolation complete, House Republicans on Thursday caved to demands by President Barack Obama, congressional Democrats and fellow Republicans for a short-term renewal of payroll t...
Economy ends tough 2011 on a surprising upswing
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/21/2011 - 11:20amWASHINGTON (AP) - The economy is ending 2011 on a roll.The job market is healthier. Americans are spending lustily on holiday gifts. A long-awaited turnaround for the depressed housing industry may...
Nevada's unemployment rate drops, but still highest in the nation
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/21/2011 - 5:00amWASHINGTON (AP) - Unemployment rates fell in 43 states in November, reflecting a modest pickup in the nation's job market.The Labor Department says only three states reported increases in their une...
U.S. urges states to ban all driver cell phone use
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 2:15pmWASHINGTON (AP) - Texting, emailing or chatting on a cell phone while driving is simply too dangerous to be allowed, federal safety investigators declared Tuesday, urging all states to impose total...
Retail sales rise for sixth consecutive month
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/13/2011 - 8:41amWASHINGTON (AP) - The start of the crucial holiday shopping season in November helped fuel the sixth straight monthly increase in retail sales. Gift-buying Americans spent more on clothing and elec...
OBITUARY: Richard O. " R.O." Baird
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 12/10/2011 - 5:00amAug 1, 1920 ~ Nov 22, 2011Richard O. (R. O.) Baird, 91, of S Lake Tahoe, CA , formerly of Washington IL, died Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at St. Mary's Hospital in Reno NV. Born on August 1, 1920...
Lake Tahoe Restoration Act moves out of
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 10:45amWASHINGTON – Sen. Harry Reid today hailed passage of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2011 out of the Environment and Public Works Committee. The act ...www.laketahoenews.net/.../lake-tahoe-restorati...
Tahoe restoration bill gets Senate committee OK
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 12:41pmCARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - A Senate committee in Washington, D.C., has passed a renewed push for environmental projects at Lake Tahoe.The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday app...
OBITUARY: Fannie L. Funderburk, June 7, 1917 - November 22, 2011
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/06/2011 - 5:00amFANNIE FUNDERBURK was born to George and Larcey Pinkham of Washington, NC on June 7, 1917. Fannie was raised on a farm in rural North Carolina and attended Bath High School there. She saw many c...
Cuts to first-class mail to slow delivery in 2012
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 9:24amWASHINGTON (AP) - Unprecedented cuts by the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service will slow first-class delivery next spring and, for the first time in 40 years, eliminate the chance for stamped letter...
Nevada Tax Collections Remain On Track Despite Gaming Volatility
Submitted by Editor on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 4:46pm
By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Despite ongoing volatility in Nevada’s gaming industry, strong consumer buying is helping to keep the state’s tax revenues on an even keel four months into the new two-year budget, state officials say.
Nevada Seeks New State Public Schools Chief To Implement Education Reforms
Submitted by Editor on Tue, 11/22/2011 - 1:40pmBy Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada is looking for a new state public schools chief to push forward with education reforms sought by Gov. Brian Sandoval and approved by lawmakers in the 2011 legislative session.
Keith Rheault, Nevada’s superintendent of public instruction since 2004, is retiring in early April and Sandoval wants to have a new schools chief to take over the Department of Education by then.
Traditional turkey dinner will cost 13 percent more this Thanksgiving
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 10:50amWASHINGTON (AP) - Putting a traditional turkey dinner on the table is going to be pricier this Thanksgiving. The American Farm Bureau Federation reported Thursday that a meal with turkey and all th...
Autopsy provides no new details in local woman's death; investigation continues
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 11/14/2011 - 12:40pm
By Heather Gould
Investigators have no new leads in the case of a South Lake Tahoe woman whose remains were found in southern Washington state in early October. The cause of death remains undetermined after an autopsy was performed.
In July, 54-year-old Marie Hanson traveled with a neighbor to the Rainbow Gathering, a countercultural event emphasizing peace and love. She was last seen on July 7, then disappeared, leaving all her personal effects behind.
Nevada Panel Begins Work On Creating Uniform Education Data Reporting System
Submitted by Editor on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 3:56pmBy Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – It’s hard to know how well Nevada’s public school and college students are doing if there is no uniform and reliable data to view their performance over time.
Gov. Brian Sandoval is working to change that.
Invasive mussels found in Idaho, Wash. inspections
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 10:28amBOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho officials intercepted 24 boats contaminated with invasive zebra or quagga mussels and Washington decontaminated 20 boats during the last boating season - numbers that have...
Most of the unemployed no longer receive benefits
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 9:29amWASHINGTON - The jobs crisis has left so many people out of work for so long that most of America's unemployed are no longer receiving unemployment benefits. Early last year, 75 percent were receiv...
US wealth gap between young and old is widest ever
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 9:27amWASHINGTON (AP) - The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young ...
Report: Nevada Public Pension Liabilities Vastly Understated
Submitted by Editor on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 12:46amBy Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s public employee pension system is one of the better funded plans around the country, but its financial health is far poorer than taxpayers may realize because of the way the long-term liabilities are calculated, a new analysis released Wednesday says.
Opinion: Putting the climate-change debate to rest
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 9:13amOpinion: Putting the climate-change debate to rest. Posted by admin in Voices on October 30th, 2011 | no responses. By Eugene Robinson, Washington Post ...www.laketahoenews.net/.../opinion-putting-the...
Proposed food labels would rate nutrition
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 11:23amBy Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle. WASHINGTON — In an effort to contain epidemic obesity, the Institute of Medicine on Thursday recommended ...www.laketahoenews.net/.../proposed-food-labels...
President Obama expected to sign public lands ski and snowboard bill
Submitted by Editor on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 7:24pmUnderground ski and snowboarding journalism website UnofficialNetworks.com reports that President Obama is expected to sign legislation that would make snowboarding legal on public lands.
Rep. McClintock honors Army Specialist Garrett Fant in Washington
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 10/13/2011 - 11:20am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock spoke about Army Specialist Garrett Fant of South Lake Tahoe on the house floor Thursday.Fant died Sept. 26 from injuries he suffered f...
Remains found confirmed by family as Marie Hanson; Services on Saturday at Sierra Community Church
Submitted by Editor on Mon, 10/10/2011 - 1:04pm
Update 7:14PM: Marie Hanson's family has confirmed through Facebook that the remains found Sunday at the site in Washington are Marie's. Services will be held this Saturday, October 15th at Sierra Community Church, Sierra Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe at noon. More info to follow.
UPDATE 3:52PM: Searchers have found skeletal remains and jewelry in an area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest where a South Lake Tahoe woman, Marie Hanson, was last seen during the Rainbow Family gathering. The Skamania County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Monday that searchers would continue to look for other evidence to link the remains and jewelry to Hanson, 54, reported missing by family since July 9. Go here for the story.
New route between Minden and Carson City, simplified fares greet BlueGo bus riders
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 09/30/2011 - 8:12am
A simplified fare structure will greet BlueGo passengers this weekend and a new route between Minden and Carson City begins Monday, the Tahoe Transportation District announced today.
The new fare and route structure allows BlueGo to hold the line on bus fares without major price increases on its main routes and enables the transportation system to operate in a positive and sustainable manner.
Obama administration approves solar loans in Nevada, Arizona
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 7:52amWASHINGTON (AP) - The Energy Department on Wednesday approved two loan guarantees worth more than $1 billion for solar energy projects in Nevada and Arizona, two days before the expiration date of ...
Author Of New Public Pension Reform Report Says Radical Changes Needed To Protect Taxpayers
Submitted by Editor on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 1:48pmBy Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
Scott Beaulier is no fan of states borrowing money, but in his new working paper on transitioning public pensions to 401(k) style plans to reduce taxpayer liabilities to pay retirement benefits, the Troy University professor says it is an option worth considering.
800 pot plants seized in Friday raid
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 9:39amSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team members seized approximately 800 marijuana plants from a home on the 2200 block of Washington Avenue Friday.Following seve...
Washington man among 11 dead in air show crash
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 1:46pmRENO, Nev. (AP) - A 47-year-old Washington man who loved airplanes has been identified as among the 11 people killed in a Reno air show crash.Darlene McMichael told The Associated Press Tuesday tha...
Outdoors with Don Q: Visit a great website known as Modern Sportsman
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 4:07pmBy Don Quilici
If you are a sportsman or a sportswoman who hunts, fishes, camps, owns dogs, reloads ammo, cooks wild game, photographs, etc., you might want to take the time to visit www.modernsportsman.proboards.com.
About now, you're probably asking yourself, “What in the heck is this?
SIROTA: Ten years later, it's time to 'broaden the context'
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 12:12pmTen years ago this week, I, like many living in Washington at the time, was fleeing my office building. In those minutes of mayhem, I knew only what the police were screaming: Get out fast, because...
Police looking for man in S. Tahoe missing woman case
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 7:34pmMarie Hanson of South Lake Tahoe vanished after attending what she had described as a “peace rally” in the remote Washington forest on July 6. Police are ...www.laketahoenews.net/.../police-lookin...
