A gas leak is causing traffic issue in Tahoe City on Thursday morning.
Highway 28 in Tahoe City is closed at the Y to Highway 89 at Fairway.
Motorists are being advised to use Interstate 80 to Highway 267.
There is no estimated time when the road will be open. There are no details about the leak.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
By Guy McCarthy, Union Democrat
Current weather forecasting tools are less than adequate for managing California’s most vital natural resource, state water officials said Tuesday.
People at the state Department of Water Resources are now working with researchers at NASA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to develop new technology to better forecast moisture-laden atmospheric river storms, like the ones that hammered the Mother Lode and the rest of the Central Sierra in January and February.
Current short-term forecasting for seven days out is 70 percent accurate, while 14-day forecasts are 7 percent accurate, Grant Davis, director of the state Department of Water Resources, said Tuesday.
DCSO investigators are looking for this woman because she was seen with the victim at the Hard Rock prior to him being found deceased. Photo/Provided
A Reno man was found dead Tuesday in a hotel room at the Hard Rock Lake Tahoe.
While Kevin LeRoy Edwards’ death is being called a homicide, Douglas County sheriff’s officials will not say how he died.
Investigators also aren’t saying if the 56-year-old was a guest at the hotel. They also would not tell Lake Tahoe News who found the body. Deputies were called by the hotel on Oct. 3 at 5pm.
Edwards’ driver’s license listed an address in Dublin, however investigators said he had recently moved to Reno.
The victim’s 2001 silver BMW four-door sedan is missing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Nadine Chrzanowski at 775.782.9909.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Emergency personnel on Sept. 29 at the crash site scene. Photo Copyright 2017 Carolyn E. Wright
The man driving the motorcycle that went down an embankment near Twin Bridges last week has died.
Christopher Deboer, 70, was riding with his wife Susan Deboer, 52, on a 1986 Harley Davidson Ultra Glide at 2:15pm Sept. 29 when the accident occurred.
“For reasons still undetermined, Mr. Deboer allowed his motorcycle to drift from the center of the eastbound lane to the right, leaving the roadway. His motorcycle continued off the shoulder, striking the guardrail along the south edge of the road,” the CHP report says.
The Fresno couple was ejected and “thrown over the embankment and down the hillside.”
Several people stopped to render aid before paramedics arrived.
It is not known how fast they were traveling on Highway 50.
Both were airlifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno. Susan Deboer sustained multiple lacerations and fractures.
The accident is still under investigation.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
By Ben Botkin, Las Vegas Review-Journal
CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval is seeking legal guidance into whether the state can implement the stalled background-check law for private gun sales and transfers that voters approved in 2016.
Sandoval spokeswoman Mari St. Martin said Tuesday the governor’s office is asking Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s office if Nevada can operate as a “dual point of contact state.” That means two systems of background checks for firearm purchases: one for licensed dealers and another for private sales and transfers.
No evidence has emerged that background checks for private sales would have stopped Stephen Paddock, who didn’t have a criminal record and purchased firearms in retail gun stores after passing background checks. Federal law doesn’t require background checks for private gun sales.
By Matt Levin, San Francisco Chronicle
A sign advertising apartments for rent is displayed in front of an apartment complex in San Francisco.
California leads the nation once again in a statistic no state wants to boast about. When the cost of living is factored in, the Golden State has the highest poverty rate in the country.
More than 20 percent of its residents struggle to make ends meet, according to recently released census figures. That’s nearly 8 million people.
Unfortunately for Californians, this year’s poverty numbers are not an aberration. The census began releasing state-by-state results for its “supplemental poverty measure” in 2011, in an attempt to improve upon the outdated and heavily criticized official poverty statistics.
By Kathryn Reed
Before the end of the year, South Lake Tahoe will have a moratorium in place regarding vacation home rentals.
The council on Tuesday agreed to limit the number of VHRs as well as create density criteria. Council member Tom Davis recused himself because of his involvement in the industry.
While no actual vote was taken, the four gave direction to staff to come back with an ordinance that will dramatically change things.
Today there are 1,368 VHRs in the non-tourist core area. As of Dec. 8, the limit will be 1,400. The first reading of the new ordinance will be at the next regular meeting on Oct. 17, with the second reading scheduled for Nov. 7. The ordinance then takes effect 30 days later.
Quality of life for full-time residents was the main reason for these changes.
The new ordinance means no new permits will be given out if there is a VHR within 150 feet of the applicant. There are currently about 110 pending applications. They will have the first opportunity to fill the spots.
Ultimately, the density issue will actually bring the number of these short-term rentals to 1,288, according to city staff. This will be through attrition and could take a number of years.
According to City Manager Nancy Kerry’s presentation to council on Oct. 3, the minimum distance standard would:
· Improve residents’ quality life, health and well-being by reducing areas highly saturated by VHRs;
· Minimize impacts of VHRs among residents;
· Help restore community character;
· Reduce calls for service for police department personnel.
Most of the council members acknowledged they did not want to decimate the VHR industry, but at the same time they seek to bring some peace to residents who have been burdened by unruly guests who have little respect for their temporary neighbors.
Homeowners associations will not be subject to these rules, but instead may create their own regulations. For now, this pertains to the Tahoe Keys and Tahoe Tyrol. About 17 percent of Tahoe Keys homes are used as a short-term rental. Their major concerns were bear boxes and density.
In the new ordinance also expect these following changes/additions:
· Maximum occupancy will be two people per bedroom, plus two additional guests.
· Camping in a tent or RV will not be allowed at a VHR.
· Parking must be on a paved surface.
· Bear boxes will be mandatory by July 2018, with regulations based on square footage of the rental.
· Warnings for VHR owners will be eliminated.
· If an owner receives three violations within 24 months, the permit will be revoked.
· VHR owners who stay in their own dwelling must adhere to the VHR rules, though permits for parties and the like can be requested.
· Three people will be hired to boost the VHR compliance department to six. This will be paid for with an additional annual fee of another $300 per property. (This was after Police Chief Brian Uhler admitted the temporary added enforcement last winter did not have much of an impact.)
One item to still be decided will be setting a minimum number of days people have to rent their place. This is to deter people from obtaining a permit with the sole purpose of keeping someone else from securing one.
It’s also possible other changes could occur in the next two weeks, and that not all the council members will support the final ordinance.
A software program like Host Compliance will be on a future agenda for the council to decide if that or another platform is something the council wants to go forward with. The principal of the company made a presentation earlier this fall. The software is designed to ferret out scofflaws, plus Host Compliance in particular has other offerings such as a complaint hot line.
Thirty-five people spoke at the meeting Tuesday, with the views covering a wide spectrum. Some threatened taking the VHR issue to the ballot if constraints were not put into place, others spoke of the financial impact restrictions will have, some want the free to market dictate the number of VHRs, others want this to be a property rights issue, a few worry the tourist core area will be impacted with people displacing residents in a desire to have a VHR.
The new ordinance only pertains to units outside the tourist core, and only to full house rentals, not to those renting a room while they are on the premise.
Three people in South Lake Tahoe were cited Saturday for allegedly selling alcohol to minors.
On Sept. 28 police officers conducted a minor decoy operation in which minors under the direct supervision of officers, attempted to purchase alcohol from 19 businesses in the city.
Police officers cited threes clerks: Yenifer Rodriguez Olivas, 31, from Mi Pueblo Market; Nicholas Nance, 35, from RiteAid; and Peter Tyson, 27, of Safeway. If convicted, they face a minimum fine of $250, and/or 24 to 32 hours of community service for a first violation.
In addition, ABC will take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license of the business. That may include a fine, a suspension of the license, or the permanent revocation of the license.
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department used a $95,000 grant from the California Alcoholic Beverage Control in part to crackdown on these types of sales. The funds will also be used to reduce the number of alcoholic beverage sales to minors, obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
A 19-year-old Pollock Pines man has been identified as the motorcyclist who died Saturday on Spooner Summit.
Justin A. Breese lost control of his bike and was ejected, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol. Investigators said speed may have been a factor.
The crash occurred Sept. 30 at 11:54am about one mile east of Spooner. He we going east on the highway.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
By Kurtis Lee, Los Angeles Times
As law enforcement continues to gather details on how Stephen Paddock obtained the rifles he used in Sunday’s mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, elected officials are using the incident to again call for stricter gun laws.
Nevada is no stranger to gun law reform efforts and the political battles that ensue.
Last year, voters in the state narrowly passed Question 1, an initiative that required most private buyers and sellers of guns to conduct a background check through a licensed dealer. Millions of dollars from national groups supporting and opposing the law poured into the state.