what to do

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The public is being invited to give input on the 56-Acre Project in the heart of South Lake Tahoe. As the City of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County work out the financial arrangement of using county land, plans are underway for how it will look. Through a grant, the California Tahoe Conservancy gave the funds needed to create the master plan for the area.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. During the month of September, the El Dorado County (EDC) Behavioral Health Division encourages the community to “know the signs, find the words, and reach out” to prevent suicide, as well as learn about local suicide prevention resources.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It has been a few weeks (though it may seem like months) since business shut their doors, nonessential workers were asked to stay home and nonessential travel came to a screeching halt in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County has announced three new COVID-19 cases. As of 4:45 p.m. Friday, March 27, 12 people have tested positive for the virus. Health officials said the virus has been identified in both the West Slope and South Lake Tahoe areas.

There have been no numbers released on how many confirmed cases are in each area.

The best way to prevent the spread is to stay inside, and if going to an essential service such as the grocery store, maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The long-discussed 56-acre parcel in the middle of South Lake Tahoe is finally seeing movement again, and both the South Lake Tahoe City Council and El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (BOS) supporting further conversation. A formal agreement between the two is expected later in 2020 with another one-two years of public meetings, consultant review, and planning before plans are implemented. The California Tahoe Conservancy is funding the cost of the consultant, just as they did 30 years ago.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Yellowjackets - they seem to appear whenever you sit down for your picnic lunch or other outside dining enjoyment in Lake Tahoe, especially in the months of July and August.

While the uninvited guests have some redeeming qualities they are predatory, sting pets and humans and are capable of stinging multiple times. Their aggressive behavior ruins many the outside activity. Yellowjackets are actually wasps but shouldn't be confused with other wasps, such as hornets and paper wasps. They are often mistakenly called "bees" (as in "meat bees").

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Neighborhoods Group is hosting a fire preparedness meeting on Tuesday, June 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center.

Are you prepared in the case of a fire? Do you know how to evacuate? Do you have your emergency plans in place?

If not, this meeting will help the community plan and prepare together. Neighbors are working together to take action to prevent loss of life and property in the case of a wildland fire.

Learn what to do, what to take, where to go before, during and after an evacuation.

Attend a free parenting two-night workshop, No Drama Discipline, at Lake Tahoe Community College on May 14 and 21, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

No Drama Discipline unlocks the secrets of discipline; what works and what does not, and why - and what to do when you are pulling your hair out. We will discuss the insights and techniques to make you a better parent as written by Dan Siegel and Tina Bryson in the book, No-Drama Discipline.

The following is the second in a series of stories on being a community that is prepared for wildfire.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Vegetation fires are natural and were normal before policies were created to suppress them for fear of uncontrollable and destructive wildfires as seen in the late 1800s. When some of the first residents arrived in Lake Tahoe between the Gold Rush and Silver Strike, it was common to see just six-seven Jeffrey Pines per acre. Trees in the Tahoe Basin were clear cut to provide the lumber for building mines under Virginia City.

Did you know that Medicare has an ombudsman to help you resolve complaints you may have about your healthcare?

Congress created the job of Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman to assist people with Medicare with their inquiries, complaints, grievances, appeals, and requests for information.

The Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman also shares information with Congress, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and other organizations about what works well and what doesn’t work well to improve the quality of the care you get through Medicare.

He’s not Romeo.

I know that you think that when he told you that he would love you forever, take care of you, and accept you, that he really meant it. Maybe it was the 13th “What are you doing?” text that made you believe he really cared. Maybe it was his “Is that your other boyfriend?” response when he saw you talking to another man that made you believe he truly valued you. Maybe it was when he said “No one will love you like I love you” that made you believe he was the only person that would truly accept you.

STATELINE, Nev. - A full service pet concierge is now open in Lake Tahoe, one that offers pet grooming, day care, massage, a self-service dog wash and activities for our four-legged friends like hiking, walking and swimming.

To accommodate a growing number of travelers visiting Lake Tahoe with their pets, Hair of the Dog Pet Concierge has opened up inside the Hard Rock Hotel. Not only the above list, pet nutrition and fitness work will be added to their menu of options.

On Monday afternoon, people packed the civic auditorium to attend a community meeting to get answers to their pressing questions of evacuation orders, what’s next and who is in Shasta County to help.

One couple attending this meeting lost their home off Iron Mountain Road after living there for only 11 months.

You kind of go numb. You grab stuff like, ‘Why did I get that and not that that was right next to it?’ you know,” said Kathy Williams.

Summertime in Lake Tahoe brings not only time on the beach and trails, but special events in and around South Lake Tahoe.

Some of this weekend's events:

Tea for Three: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty at Valhalla Art, Music and Theatre. Don't miss the highly acclaimed one woman show - Tea for Three: Lady Bird, Pat and Betty. Enjoy this production that humanizes the political scene with a story both whimsical and deeply moving - a behind-the-scenes look at Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford. Share the journey of each as she deals with the fishbowl of First Ladydom.

Could South Lake Tahoe become the Napa Valley of cannabis? Could a new slogan be "Made in Tahoe, Enjoyed in California?" Or will Tahoe weed be world famous?

These are all possible, and the desire of many entrepreneurs, but the South Lake Tahoe City Council wants regulations around the cannabis industry to be done correctly, and thus slowly, to prevent unseen issues that could arise as they develop the first ordinance for adult use cannabis in South Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Since January 1, 2018 there have been 18 school shootings in the United States, 25 fatal school shootings since 1999's Columbine High School tragedy. With the deadly shooting February 14, 2018 at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many communities are looking at their own schools and their safety procedures to help prevent a repeat of a tragic event.

What is commonplace at schools across the country are drills for "shelter in place" and for students to understand what to do, and not do, in case of an emergency.

Imagine being a child who has to navigate the legal system at a young age. Since no one can expect children to know what to do there is CASA, the Court Appointed Special Advocate. These volunteers work for the best interest of children who are in the foster care system, abused, neglected and at-risk.

Think of all the people involved: social workers, attorneys, foster parents, biological parents, and more. The CASA volunteer ensures that the child's needs are being met while in the system, just as these others in their lives do.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has received multiple reports regarding a phone scam to local residents. Callers are identifying themselves to potential victims as an employee of the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). These phony IRS Agents inform the victim they have a warrant for their arrest or owe taxes. This is a scam. Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they must pay using a pre-paid debit card, credit cards or wire transfer. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There weren't just hungry customers at IHOP in South Lake Tahoe Saturday morning, a hungry bear also decided to stop by.

The large bear got into the dumpster around 8:00 a.m. as staff was taking trash out on October 14, but once in he couldn't get out.

Lots to do in South Lake Tahoe this weekend. Now that South Tahoe and Whittell High Schools had their homecoming games Friday night, the rest of the weekend can be filled with everything from helping feed local youth, buying mattresses or playing golf for the high school, honoring one of the City's first leaders and enjoying the annual Fire Fest.

There are now an estimated 102 million dead trees in California, creating unhealthy forests that are prone to major and catastrophic wildfires. Even though funds are being allocated to remove many of them, where will that timber go?
For now, there aren’t many options because of what has transpired from the government since 1968.

In that year the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior issued orders restricting the volume of timber that could be harvested from Federal lands in the West. It was updated in 1969 to limit the total harvested to 350-million-board-feet.

4:30 p.m. update: At 3:35 p.m. Friday afternoon the water was turned back on at the Tahoe Keys Marina. The two parties, Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association and Tahoe Keys Marina Management Inc., were able to work out an arrangement to get things flowing again.

The marina's lawyer Michael Matuska said he will file notice with the court to vacate the August 3 hearing as the two parties will be working on a continued relationship out of court.

Matuska did not release the specifics of the arrangement that restored the water service which has been down since July 11.

July kicks off the busiest time of the year for our city. Schools out, the temps are soaring in the valleys to the west and east of us, the roads are free of snow, and visitors from all over the world are getting away to see beautiful places and enjoy the great outdoors. For many of our businesses this is is the best time of the year. For many locals who like to play on the mountain trails and along the beach and eventually need to get to work, this is the hardest time of the year.

I took a couple of field trips this month related to learning more about cannabis and how it may affect our city if retail, commercial grows, testing, and edible production are implemented. I learned a lot and will share some of the highlights with you.

The first trip was to Breckenridge, a visit I piggybacked on top of a wedding I attended in Vail. I met with their Mayor, City Manager (formerly the police chief) and the assistant city manager. We met for two hours and our talk was primarily centered on their experiences with the legalization of cannabis in Breckenridge.