Explosion on West Slope reportedly a drug lab

Two people were injured New Year’s Day when a suspected butane extraction lab exploded on the West Slope.

An explosion was heard about 3:25pm on Pony Express Trail in Camino. 

Joshua Jamison, 39, was treated for burns to his face. A juvenile was also transported to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation and was later released. Two other juveniles in the residence were not uninjured.

Deputies believe an illegal butane extraction lab was set up in the bathroom of the home. They said the lab was being used to produce concentrated cannabis. There was extensive structural damage to the home as a result of the blast. Many interior walls were cracked or moved and multiple exterior walls were pushed off of the foundation. 

El Dorado County building officials deemed the home unsafe to occupy.

No arrests have been made at this point.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report




SnowGlobe turns S. Lake Tahoe grass fields into dirt

Fresh sod was laid on this field last fall. This is what it looks like after SnowGlobe. Photo/LTN

Updated at 8:04pm:

By Kathryn Reed

Just weeks ago the brand new sod fields in South Lake Tahoe were green and a dormant brown color. Now it’s raw dirt.

What happened? The three-day music festival SnowGlobe.

“I am horrified by the condition of the field. We were told that SnowGlobe was going to invest $1 million on a covering that would protect the field. Clearly that did not happen,” Councilwoman Brooke Laine told Lake Tahoe News.

Lake Tahoe News on Jan. 2 emailed all five councilmembers for a comment about the field, as well as Ray Jarvis whose department at the city is responsible for the field, and concert promoter Chad Donnelly.

Donnelly, who rarely communicates with LTN, did not respond to the email, nor did Councilmembers Jason Collin and Austin Sass.

Councilmembers Wendy David and Tom Davis issued a joint statement: “In our deliberations on the SnowGlobe contract, it was of concern to us what damage might occur to the fields. Per your question, we can see that there was an impact to the new fields. There was considerable discussion prior to the final contract and it addresses these concerns.”

This was the seventh year for the festival, which is always Dec. 29-31. This was the second year at the new fields. Prior to 2016 it had been on the synthetic soccer field at Lake Tahoe Community College. In 2016, it was on the new ball field, but at that time it was just dirt. The sod was laid last fall.

The contract with the Colorado-based promoter says, “Promoter shall reimburse the city, within 30 days of receipt of city’s statement of costs, for city’s documented cost of repairing any damage to the property caused by the promoter. In addition to any costs and expenses described herein, and unless otherwise specified herein, promoter shall bear the sole risk and pay all costs and expenses of whatever kind and nature which arise from this agreement and rental.”  

So, while any damage to the field will be the responsibility of the promoter, the fact is right now it is not a grass ball field, but instead a muddy mess. And with rain in the forecast, it is only going to get worse.

It means locals whose tax dollars paid for the field don’t have a place to recreate this winter; at least not until it snows or there is always the mud.

“To a certain extent, the appearance of the fields may be worse than the actual damage. For instance, directly in front of the main stage where thousands of festival-goers were dancing it’s pretty likely there is damage to the turf. However, when standing in the same spot from which (the photo was taken) the field looks the same all the way to the main stage yet the impacts are very different,” Jarvis, director of Public Works, told LTN. “As people were dancing in front of the main stage the grass was getting pushed down, forcing fine soils up through the grass. The dirt also moved around the site as attendees moved to other areas away from the main stage, which creates the appearance of more extensive damage than what is likely real damage.”

LTCC’s contract with Donnelly was only good through this past concert. That elected board and staff are distancing themselves from SnowGlobe, with little of their property used for the event.

The statement the mayor and mayor pro tem provided to Lake Tahoe News further states, “We do not plan or intend to replace the turf each year so we will be watching how the turf recovers and what repairs are needed as a result of SnowGlobe this year. After determining what level of restoration is necessary, additional turf protections may be needed for the future.  

“As a council and as a city, we continue to look at the noise and the field impacts and how to further mitigate both in the future, listening to residents and businesses in regards to this event. SnowGlobe is a large, economically successful event for our tourist based economy, positively impacting lodging, restaurants, grocery stores and all of our visitor based businesses and their employees.”

Donnelly wants a 10-year contract for SnowGlobe as well as the opportunity to bring other events to this same location at other times of the year.

For now, the city electeds have agreed SnowGlobe can come back in 2018, but beyond that they want to see how the field holds up. That assessment usually comes in the spring after the snow melts. Right now there is no snow. Time will tell if any grass sprouts back.

Donnelly initially told city staff he would spend nearly $1 million on a cover. The council on Jan. 2 found out he didn’t buy a cover, but instead spent about $100,000 to rent one. But the cover clearly did not span the entire field.

It was always going to be questionable if such a cover would help or harm the field. The grass was going to be matted down by equipment, structures and more than 10,000 people each night dancing on it. The hope was the field would spring back to life by using the cover.

Right now there doesn’t look like there is much life to the field.




Burglars on spree at S. Lake Tahoe parking lots

Parking lots in South Lake Tahoe on Tuesday keep being hit by burglars.

The suspects started at 10am Jan. 2 at iHop where a black leather tote ad MacBook were stolen.

Then a vehicle was broken into at Denny’s. A small purse with more than $400 in it was taken.

Police officers are at the Raley’s near Stateline now, just before 2pm, getting information on the smash and grab at that parking lot.

“It appears they are going through parking lots and when they see something worth taking they smash the vehicle window,” police Lt. Shannon Laney told Lake Tahoe News.

His advice is simple – don’t leave valuables in a vehicle.

If the vehicle was locked, these crimes are automatically felonies.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report




SLTPD busy with law breakers during holiday

South Lake Tahoe police officers responded to fewer call this New Year’s Eve, but made more arrests compared to a year ago.

The 60 calls on Dec. 31 resulted in seven arrests, though that does not include SnowGlobe incidents. Most of the calls (14) were disturbance related.

The arrests included four for public intoxication, one for possession of controlled substance, one for a warrant and drugs, and one driving under the influence.

For the 2016-17 holiday, there had been 43 calls, with 10 arrests.

At SnowGlobe on New Year’s Eve there were 18 arrests: 10 minors in possession of alcohol, six possession of controlled substance, one furnishing alcohol to a minor and one public intoxication.

Multiple agencies are at the three-day music festival. El Dorado County sheriff’s deputies made zero arrests at the concert.

Arrests on Dec. 30 at SnowGlobe:

ABC:  Seven arrests for minor in possession, three arrests for possession for a controlled substance, one arrest for a fake ID, one arrest for furnishing alcohol to a minor.

SLTPD: Two trespassing arrests, one minor in possession, one resisting arrest. 

Arrests at SnowGlobe on Dec. 29: 

ABC: Three minor in possession and one open container in a vehicle.

SLTPD: Five for trespassing, four for minor in possession.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report




Dozen arrests at Stateline on New Year’s Eve

Douglas County sheriff’s deputies arrested 12 people at Stateline on New Year’s Eve.

Violations included possession of a controlled substance, sales of a controlled substance, drug trafficking, domestic battery, battery on a peace officer, resisting and obstruction of a peace officer, warrant arrests, parole and probation violations, traffic violations, and civil protective custody.

About 5,000 people swarmed into the casino corridor at midnight.

Deputies called this a quieter than usual New Year’s Eve.

Countywide there were 49 arrests from Dec. 29 at 6pm to 8am Jan. 1.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report




Recreational marijuana business thriving in Incline

Adrian Angulo helps a customer at NuLeaf in Incline Village. Photo Copyright 2018 Carolyn E. Wright

By Kathryn Reed

INCLINE VILLAGE – Even though recreational pot could be sold in California as of this year, only one place in the Lake Tahoe Basin is doing so – and that’s in Nevada.

NuLeaf has been selling medicinal marijuana since July 1, 2016, and recreationally since Aug. 5, 2017.

“We’ve gotten a lot of business from California customers coming over on the weekends,” Andrew Zaninovich, a manager at NuLeaf, told Lake Tahoe News on a tour of the facility. The Incline Village shop is building a regular local clientele as well.

Two cases are full of various marijuana products. Photo Copyright 2018 Carolyn E. Wright

It is up to the individual jurisdictions to decide if they will allow pot to be sold. South Lake Tahoe is on a path to regulate it starting in the summer. Other locales are taking a hands-off approach for now.

Walking into NuLeaf it’s almost like a medical office in that it’s a bit sterile. The receptionist takes people’s IDs to make sure they are valid and the customer is of age. The information is also logged into their system. Signing in and out, and stating the purpose of the visit are also required. No one younger than 21 (except for medicinal patients) are allowed into the retail area.

Andrew Zaninovich of NuLeaf talks about the various products that are for sale. Photo Copyright 2018 Carolyn E. Wright

Behind the locked door it looks like a boutique candy shop – and for some, that is exactly what this is. The edibles in that glass case, though, will produce more than a sugar high.

Two glass cases containing the exact same product allow for efficiency. The natural wood and low light give the place a sense of refinement.

Customers are smelling the flowers. To the uninitiated, that’s the pot you’d smoke. Besides THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) levels, the flavor profile is important to some people.

It’s possible to buy it raw or already rolled. The least expensive joint before taxes is $13.

Purchases come in a discrete, child-proof bag. Photo Copyright 2018 Carolyn E. Wright

Indica, sativa and hybrid varietals are available, with the latter two being more popular. Sativa tends to be more energizing.

Edibles come in flavors, too. NuLeaf purchases its edibles from a third party that the state of Nevada has approved. They can be eaten or products mixed into drinks.

Blueberry, lemon meringue, mint chocolate chip and key lime are just some of the flavors – which could be for flowers, edibles or concentrates.

Sam Fuller talks to a customer about what his shop has to offer. Photo Copyright 2018 Carolyn E. Wright

Cartridges are another way to partake in pot. It’s similar to a vaping pen. Zaninovich explains this is a more discrete, easier way to use the drug.

For cancer patients, the most popular item is Rick Simpson oil.

“It’s shown a lot of promise for people dealing with cancer,” Zaninovich said.

The budtenders – that’s what the salespeople are called – are well versed in the products. They can speak to what someone might feel by eating or smoking or vaping a product, they know where it came from, and are patient with those who aren’t accustomed to buying pot legally.

There is a limit to how much one can buy – 1 ounce, or 3½ grams of concentrate. This is to abide by state law as to how much one person is allowed to have on them at a time. No one can use the goods on the premise. It’s also not legal in Nevada to smoke in public.

Rules about the use of marijuana are clearly posted. Photo Copyright 2018 Carolyn E. Wright

Each purchase comes in a sealed, child proof package.

An ATM is in the lobby. Cash is the way business is transacted because marijuana is still illegal on the federal level. An ATM machine exists inside the shop, which is essentially taking cash from the lobby ATM. It gets around some banking rules.

Against the left wall are accessories as well as ointments, lotions, salts, patches and other products such as coffee with CBD. Items with CBD for pets are also available. Apparel is for sale, too.

NuLeaf is on the main street through Incline. On this particular day people of all ages – most appeared older than 30 – men and women, were making purchases. The store is open seven days a week.




Nevada law aims to tackle opioid epidemic

By Jessie Bekker, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Doctors have additional protocols to consider when writing and maintaining opioid prescriptions under a new law that took effect on New Year’s Day.

The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Act, passed by the 2017 Legislature, outlines safeguards for doctors before they prescribe controlled substances to treat pain and increases requirements necessary to continue a prescription after one month, three months and a year.

The additional paperwork is meant to curb the state’s opioid overdose problem and track down doctors who overprescribe.

Read the whole story




New Nev. laws tackle day care, women’s health issues

By Kimber Laux, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Several laws adopted by the Nevada Legislature in 2017 sprang into effect just after midnight Monday.

Amid the new crop of legislation are laws that require state insurance plans to cover contraceptives, strengthen penalties for guardians who abuse or neglect vulnerable persons in their care, and increase regulations on day care facilities.

The enactment of Senate Bill 233 and Assembly Bill 249 guarantees Nevada women access to contraception and other preventive care services, such as mammograms and HPV screening and vaccinations. The new laws require private and state insurance plans, including Medicaid, to provide coverage for reproductive health and allow women to obtain a 12-month supply of contraceptives.

Read the whole story




Battle brews in California weed business

By Michael R. Blood, AP

ADELANTO — Drive by the High Desert Truck Stop, turn down a rutted road by the bail bond signs, slip behind a steel fence edged with barbed wire, and you can glimpse the future of California’s emerging legal pot industry.

In a boxy warehouse marked only by a street number, an $8 million marijuana production plant — a farm, laboratory and factory all in one — is rising inside cavernous rooms crisscrossed by electrical cables.

Not far off, a retail shop is planned to sell edible, thin strips infused with cannabis extract and powerful concentrates known as resins that also will be shipped to stores around the state.

California has long been known for its boutique pot market, producing world-famous buds on small plots in the so-called Emerald Triangle, north of San Francisco. Broad legalization starts Jan. 1, and this will be a test of whether bigger is better.

Read the whole story




California’s new laws could change your life in 2018

By Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee

Every year, the California Legislature passes hundreds of bills, ranging from technical clarifications to funding proposals that keep the state running. How have they changed your world this time? Here are some of the new laws – the useful, the controversial, and the downright quirky – taking effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

Hiring

A prospective employer will no longer be able to decide how much money to offer you by asking what you made at your last job.

Elections

Get ready for a new era of voting in California: Senate Bill 450, which passed in 2016, does away with neighborhood polling places and replaces them with elections conducted primarily by mail.

Read the whole story