• Shell has returned to the South Shore with the gas station next to Scusa in South Lake Tahoe becoming a Shell. The company had left after the MTBE debacle.

•A survey by the U.S. Travel Association has found that 72 percent of respondents believe traveling inspires romance.

•Kirkwood Mountain Resort hosts the Swatch Freeride World Tour, which combines the Freeskiing World Tour and North Face Masters of Snowboarding to create one unified global championship series, Feb. 27-March 3. Sierra-at-Tahoe hosts a USASA halfpipe competition March 3. Heavenly Mountain Resort hosts the U.S. Freestyle Championships March 29-31.

•Scott Vandover, Justin Reddig, Kyle Fine and Paul Apple have joined the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection