In this episode, the spotlight turns to Teresa Crimmens, Executive Director of Sierra Community House, a nonprofit serving the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee region through programs focused on hunger relief, victim support services, legal assistance, and violence prevention education. Teresa brings more than a decade of experience with the organization and its legacy agencies, originally starting at the Family Resource Center of Truckee and eventually serving as Executive Director there before helping lead the transition into what is now Sierra Community House.

As demand for community services continues to grow across the region, Sierra Community House has become one of the area’s most vital nonprofit organizations — helping individuals and families navigate challenges ranging from food insecurity to crisis intervention and access to critical resources. Under Crimmens’ leadership, the organization continues to expand its reach while strengthening partnerships throughout the Tahoe-Truckee community.

In the conversation, Crimmens discusses the evolving needs of mountain communities, the realities facing working families in the region, and how community engagement and prevention-based education are helping create long-term resilience. The episode also explores the organization’s broader mission of ensuring Tahoe remains not only a world-class destination, but also a supportive and connected place for the people who call it home.

At a pivotal moment for the organization, the show features Sarah Schmidt, Executive Director of the Tahoe Prosperity Center, as she approaches her one-year anniversary in the role. Schmidt is also preparing to lead the organization’s flagship event, the Tahoe Economic Summit, for the first time on May 7.

Sarah Schmidt brings over 20 years of experience in sustainable community development, having led programs around the world to advance economic resilience, environmental stewardship, and inclusive growth. She has managed multimillion-dollar initiatives for USAID and other global partners, with a focus on workforce development, climate adaptation, and regional planning.

A skilled facilitator and systems thinker, Sarah is known for aligning diverse stakeholders and helping communities turn strategy into action. Now based in South Lake Tahoe, she brings that global perspective home to support local prosperity.

Sarah lives in South Lake Tahoe with her husband, two children, and two cats. She enjoys biking, swimming in the lake, and supporting the local businesses that make Tahoe so unique

With the grand opening of the city’s new recreation facility set for this Saturday, the show features John Stark, Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of South Lake Tahoe. Stark has been at the forefront of one of the region’s most significant recent investments: the development of the South Lake Tahoe Recreation and Aquatics Center, a project aimed at serving residents of all ages while strengthening community wellness and connection.

Since stepping into the role in May 2023, Stark has guided the department through a period of transformation, bringing both strategic leadership and hands-on experience to the effort. Prior to his work in Tahoe, he served as Director of Parks and Recreation in Manitou Springs, and held key roles with the City of Colorado Springs, including overseeing the renowned Garden of the Gods Park — a 1,300-acre National Natural Landmark known for its striking geology and high visitation.

Stark’s background also includes time as a park ranger in some of the country’s most iconic landscapes, including Denali National Park, Redwood National Park, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park, giving him a deep understanding of how to balance recreation access with environmental stewardship. A California native with longstanding ties to the Tahoe Basin, he also brings an academic background in environmental and natural resources law to his role.

In this episode, Tahoe TAP explores the vision behind the new recreation and aquatics center, the impact it’s expected to have on the community, and how thoughtful planning is shaping the future of public spaces in South Lake Tahoe.

In this episode, the spotlight is on Michelle Aguilar-Ficara, Executive Director of the Lake Tahoe Documentary Film Festival, returning April 17–19 at Margaritaville Resort Lake Tahoe. Now in its latest iteration, the festival continues to carve out a unique space in Tahoe’s event calendar — blending adventure, storytelling, and global perspective through a curated lineup of documentary films designed to inform and inspire.

Aguilar-Ficara has spent more than a decade immersed in non-fiction filmmaking, producing stories from diverse cultures and communities around the world. Her work is rooted in the belief that documentary storytelling can build meaningful connections, bridge cultural divides, and spark deeper understanding. That same philosophy drives the mission of the festival, which aims to entertain, enlighten, and engage audiences through powerful real-world narratives.

As a nonprofit initiative, the festival reflects a growing appetite in the Tahoe region for cultural programming that complements its outdoor identity. By bringing globally relevant stories to a local stage, Aguilar-Ficara and her team are helping position Lake Tahoe as not just a destination for recreation, but as a hub for creative exchange and thoughtful dialogue.

On this episode of Tahoe TAP, the conversation explores the evolution of the festival, the role of documentary film in today’s media landscape, and what attendees can expect from this year’s event.

For their return episode, the show welcomes a familiar face and one of the most decorated American alpine skiers of all time: Daron Rahlves.

Over the course of his career on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit, Rahlves captured 12 World Cup victories and 28 podium finishes, specializing in the sport’s fastest disciplines — downhill and super-G. He also represented the United States as a three-time Olympian, competing at the 1998 Winter Olympics, 2002 Winter Olympics, and 2006 Winter Olympics.

But this episode focuses less on the past and more on what’s happening now: the return of the Rahlves Banzai Tour, making its long-awaited comeback to Tahoe after a decade-long hiatus. Scheduled for April 10–12 at Palisades Tahoe, the event blends big-mountain freeride terrain with the head-to-head intensity of ski and snowboard cross — creating one of the most adrenaline-fueled competitions in the sport.

Born in Walnut Creek and raised in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, Rahlves grew up skiing the Sierra before becoming one of the fastest American downhill racers in history. One of the defining moments of his career came at the legendary Birds of Prey downhill in Beaver Creek Resort, where he conquered the demanding course three consecutive years, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s premier speed specialists.

In 2001, Rahlves captured the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Super-G title, a victory that further established him among the world’s elite racers. His accomplishments later earned him induction into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010.

Beyond alpine racing, Rahlves has always embraced life as a multi-sport athlete — winning a World Expert Championship in jet skiing in 1993, competing in extreme skiing events and motocross, and building a long-standing partnership with Red Bull.

On this episode of Tahoe TAP, Rahlves joins the hosts to talk about his legendary racing career, the inspiration behind the Banzai Tour, and why bringing the event back to Tahoe feels like the perfect homecoming for a sport rooted in the region’s big-mountain culture.

This week, the show welcomes back one of its rare two-time guests: Bryan Allegretto, better known across the region simply as B.A. A part-owner of OpenSnow and the platform’s trusted California Snow Forecaster, Allegretto is widely regarded as the leading voice in Sierra weather. For many residents and winter visitors, OpenSnow functions as Tahoe’s “snow bible,” making him a key figure as locals begin to wonder whether Mother Nature plans to deliver this season.

Allegretto’s path to becoming one of the most relied-upon snow forecasters in the West is as compelling as the storms he tracks. Originally from South Jersey, he grew up surfing, snowboarding, and chasing the same weather patterns that would later define his career. With more than two decades of experience translating complex meteorological data into clear, actionable forecasts, he has earned a reputation for accuracy, accessibility, and an unmatched passion for powder.

In this episode, Tahoe TAP dives into how B.A. got his start, the tools and models he uses to predict snowfall across the Sierra, and what early indicators are saying about the upcoming winter. Listeners may even get a few of his wildest weather stories — the kind only a lifelong storm-chaser can tell.

In this episode, they sit down with Amy Ohran, President & Chief Operating Officer of Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley — one of the most storied ski resorts in the United States. The conversation explores both her personal journey in the industry and the evolving legacy of Palisades Tahoe itself.

Ohran joined Palisades Tahoe in September 2024, bringing nearly 35 years of experience in the snow sports industry, much of it rooted in the Tahoe and Western mountain communities. Before stepping into her current role, she served as Vice President & General Manager of Northstar California, and spent two decades with POWDR, including two years as VP & GM of Woodward Mountain Centers and eight years as President & GM of Boreal Ridge Corp.

Her career also includes 16 years at Mt. Bachelor, where she held multiple leadership positions such as Director of Staff & Skier Services and Director of Ski & Ride School — experience that helped shape her reputation as a thoughtful, people-centered mountain operator.

Beyond resort leadership, Ohran is deeply involved in the broader ski industry and the Tahoe community. She serves on the boards of the National Ski Areas Association, Tahoe Fund, and North Tahoe Community Alliance, and has been a member of the Ski California Board Executive Committee since 2018, including a term as Chair from 2019–2020.

In this episode, Tahoe TAP takes listeners inside the decision-making, collaboration, and vision required to lead one of the country’s most iconic mountain destinations — and what that means for the future of winter sports, local communities, and the Tahoe region at large.

In this episode, the duo sits down with Dan Healy, a seasoned ski industry leader and the newly appointed Vice President and General Manager of Sierra-at-Tahoe, as the resort gears up for its November 28th opening.

Healy’s mountain story runs deep — spanning three decades in snow sports and resort operations. His career has taken him from directing children’s programs at world-class destinations like Beaver Creek and Crested Butte, to managing ski school operations at Sugar Bowl, and later, serving as Vice President of Recreational Services at Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah.

Notably, Healy’s connection to Sierra-at-Tahoe goes way back — he previously served as the resort’s Director of Snowsports, making his return to the mountain a true full-circle moment.

Now leading Sierra into a new chapter, Healy brings with him a wealth of operational experience and a passion for nurturing both the guest and employee experience. On this episode, the conversation covers everything from resort recovery and community spirit to the innovations shaping the coming winter season.

Calvert, a longtime Truckee local and proud Sierra Nevada College graduate with a degree in Ski Business & Resort Management, brings a rare mix of resort expertise and community-first leadership to the role. Before stepping into her current position in 2024, she spent more than a decade at Palisades Tahoe, where she helped lead digital and destination marketing strategies that cut vehicle traffic and boosted carpool, rideshare, and park-and-ride participation — proving that smart tourism can also be sustainable.

Under her direction, Visit Truckee-Tahoe continues to champion a balanced approach to growth — supporting local businesses and residents while maintaining the natural beauty and small-town feel that define the region.

In this episode, Mike and Rob sit down with Jackie to explore how visitor strategies are evolving across mountain destinations, what it takes to maintain a healthy balance between tourism and community life, and what’s next for Truckee-Tahoe as it navigates the challenges of growth, stewardship, and sustainability in the Sierra.

• CEO / Executive Director of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association
• Executive Director roles with the Tahoe Chamber, Tahoe Sierra Preservation Council, and South Tahoe Gaming Alliance
• Key member of “Team Tahoe” in Washington D.C., helping secure federal appropriations for the region year after year

The Tahoe TAP podcast — hosted by longtime locals and media personalities Mike Peron and Rob Galloway — returns with an intriguing new episode featuring Briana Vallejo of Vista Rise Collective, formerly known as Live Violence Free.

After kicking off the show with a quick rundown of the latest Lake Tahoe happenings, the hosts welcomed Vallejo to talk about the organization’s recent rebrand and ongoing mission to provide support, resources, and prevention programs for survivors of domestic and relational violence.

Vallejo’s connection to the work runs deep. She first joined the organization in 2016 as an Alpine Advocate while finishing her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Nevada, Reno — all while holding the title of Miss Lake Tahoe in the Miss America Organization. Just months earlier, she was named 1st Runner-Up to Miss Nevada 2016.

After nearly eight years serving the Alpine County satellite office, Vallejo transitioned to the South Lake Tahoe headquarters as Community Relations Coordinator. Today, she is a driving force behind Vista Rise Collective’s outreach, education, and partnerships across the region.

A survivor herself, Vallejo has used her story to spark change nationwide. Her TEDx Talk, “Preventing Teen Dating Violence from the Inside Out,” propelled her onto stages across the country as a sought-after keynote speaker. Outside of her advocacy work, she resides in Bear Valley with her husband — a local Fire Captain — and their two children, ages 4 and nearly 2.

Listeners can tune in to hear more about Vista Rise Collective’s expanded vision, upcoming community events, and how locals can get involved in supporting their mission.

Then, we dive into a feature that’s been decades in the making: Tahoe Games. This mountain sports festival was dreamed up and brought to life by today’s guest, Rob Giustina, founder of On Course Events.

As the creative force behind one of Tahoe’s most influential event production companies, Rob has shaped the cultural and entertainment landscape of the region. From music and arts festivals to outdoor gatherings and community-driven experiences, his work has become a cornerstone of Tahoe’s lifestyle—blending mountain-town energy with world-class production.

With a passion for connecting people through creativity and experience, Rob continues to push boundaries and elevate Tahoe as not just a destination, but a thriving hub of culture, community, and adventure.

Tune in as we explore the origins of Tahoe Games, the evolution of On Course Events, and how one producer’s vision helped transform Lake Tahoe’s event scene into something unforgettable.

In this episode, we sit down with Michael Myers, Executive Director of the Sierra State Parks Foundation, an organization that has been championing educational programs and vital projects across the Donner and Lake Tahoe regions for over 50 years. Myers brings a deep background in nonprofit leadership and a passion for protecting public lands. Before joining the Foundation, he served as Executive Director for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy in Virginia and spent over a decade with Friends of Black Rock-High Rock in Nevada, moving from an AmeriCorps role into executive leadership.

An interpretive naturalist and avid birder, Myers blends fundraising expertise with a true love of the outdoors, making him an ideal steward for Tahoe–Truckee’s treasured state parks. Beyond his professional work, he enjoys exploring the Tahoe and Donner landscapes with his wife and daughter, diving into the area’s flora, fauna, and cultural history. And when the family isn’t adventuring, they’re at home enjoying the company of their two cats, Wayne and Garth.

Tune in as we talk with Michael about the importance of connecting people to nature, the projects shaping Tahoe’s future, and the joy of discovering the wild beauty that makes this place so special.

We’re pumped you’re tuning in! We’ll start things off with a rundown of what’s buzzing around the basin, then dive into a great convo with Cristi Creegan, CEO of the Tahoe Chamber — a powerhouse organization championing, connecting, and elevating the South Shore business community.

Cristi took over as Chief Executive Officer of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce in June 2024, and she’s excited to ensure that the Tahoe Chamber continues to be the voice of business and a champion for our community. Before coming to the Chamber, Cristi was a council member at the City of South Lake Tahoe, elected in 2020, and served as the mayor in 2023.

She brings extensive experience in nonprofit management and organizational leadership, having served at the California Rangeland Trust and the Sierra Nevada Alliance, plus on the boards of Live Violence Free, the Tahoe Heritage Foundation, and Tahoe Parents Nursery School. A graduate of UC Berkeley with a BA in English, Cristi also holds a JD with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College.

A 28-year resident of South Lake Tahoe, Cristi lives with her husband, Bernard, and their two daughters. She loves swimming in the lake, reading novels, and celebrating the connections that make the South Shore such a great place to live.

Hosts Mike Peron and Rob Galloway kick off the episode with their signature roundup of regional happenings before diving into a fireside-style conversation with Penman, who took the helm of the Chamber in October 2022. Since stepping into the leadership role, Penman has worked to amplify the voice of Truckee's business community while promoting economic development and community engagement.

During the interview, Penman shares her journey from growing up visiting Truckee on weekends and holidays to now calling it her permanent home. She brings a diverse background to the role, having previously served as Director of Community Relations for the Yountville Chamber of Commerce in Napa County. With extensive experience in marketing, sales, membership relations, and workforce development, she brings a forward-thinking approach to supporting local businesses.

Penman also discusses her academic roots — holding a BA in Anthropology and Classical Civilizations from the University of Arizona and an MA in Egyptian Archaeology from University College London — and how her global experiences in Italy, Egypt, and England have shaped her community-first philosophy.

Outside the office, Penman is an avid hiker and paddleboarder, often exploring the Sierra Nevada with her boyfriend and their puppy, Auggie.

Listeners can tune into the full episode of Tahoe TAP to hear Penman's thoughts on community building, chamber initiatives, and what excites her most about Truckee’s future.

The Tahoe TAP podcast, hosted by Peron and Galloway, continues to explore the people, adventures, and culture that define life around Lake Tahoe.

Brian Baumgartner is best known for his role as Kevin Malone on the NBC sitcom The Office and its related spin-off webisodes, which earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Daytime Emmy Awards. Baumgartner had starring roles in Into Temptation, Ordinary World, and Electric Jesus He’s an 18 time competitor at Lake Tahoe’s celebrity golf tournament held annually at Edgewood Tahoe. A fan favorite among the crowd, he happily describes ACC as both his “favorite and hardest week of the year,” calling it non-negotiable on his calendar.

We kick things off with a quick roundup of top local news and stories making waves around the Tahoe region. Then, we dive into the heart of the episode with a special guest: Colin West, Founder & CEO of Clean Up The Lake.

You’ve probably heard of The 72 Mile Cleanup—the first-ever human-powered circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe using SCUBA and the largest litter removal effort in the lake’s history. Colin takes us behind the scenes of that monumental project, what inspired him to start, and what’s next in the fight to protect one of the world’s most iconic alpine lakes.

About Colin West: With over a decade of experience as a SCUBA diver, Colin is a certified PADI Divemaster and Open Water SCUBA Instructor. He also brings 10 years of expertise as the Owner, Director, and Executive Producer of a global film and television production company, managing complex overseas operations and teams ranging from 5 to 30 people. His work has been featured on platforms like Amazon Prime, ABC International, HULU, Virgin Media, and in-flight entertainment networks worldwide. Colin’s unique combination of underwater expertise, multimedia storytelling, and multi-faceted project management has helped guide Clean Up The Lake’s mission to new depths—literally and figuratively.

Tune in and get inspired—because keeping Tahoe blue starts with people like you.

🎧 Listen now and tap into Tahoe!

MAY:

5/24: Matisyahu (Bally’s) 

5/24 – 25: Made in Tahoe Festival (Palisades)

5/30: Kevin Hart in Reno (Nugget Event Center)

5/31: Jefferson Starship (Harrah’s) + Jackie Greene/Hot Buttered Rum at CBC

5/31: Big Blue Adventure Tail Wagger (NT Regional Park) – run with your dog 5k & 1-mile runs + dog-focused festival 8am - 3:30pm

5/31 – June 1: America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride

6/2 - 6/4: Backcountry Festival at Corely Ranch in Carson Valley

6/7: 

The Hip Abduction (The Hangar)

Tahoe City Food & Wine Classic  

Soroptimist Wine & Restaurant Faire Dinner - 50th anniv on this (Coyote Moon Golf Course)

Bowl Incline has Words to Water – benefit concert from WaterHope.org 

6/8, 7/13, 8/10, 9/7: Music in Paradise Park (SLT)

Trey Stone, Dirty Cello, Mescalito, Boot Juice

6/8: Wiz Khalifa (Cargo in Reno)

6/8: Tahoe Joy Festival (Commons Beach in Tahoe City) – 10 regional bands + student musicians + local vendors & food trucks

6/8: Maker Show at Truckee Roundhouse (Tr Tah Airport) – think of a craft fair where you are the one making all the crafts

6/14: Rod Stewart (Caesars Republic) + Lonestar (Truckee Rodeo Grounds for Latitude 39 Festival – 3rd year)

6/15: Valhalla Free Lawn Concerts

6/19 - 22: Broken Arrow Skyrace (Palisades) 

6/19 – 20: Brighter Daze Music Festival – (Reno) Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid, E-40, Pepper, DENM, The Elovaters & more

6/19 – 20: Skate the Lake (Common’s Beach) 

6/19 – 28: Reno Rodeo – lots of events happening around the event and the kickoff concert is Scotty McCreery

6/21-6/22: Tahoe MTB Fest

6/21: Truckee Reggae Fest (Truckee Regional Park Outdoor Ampitheater) – Barrington Levy & Mystic Roots headline

Sun. 6/22: Rock Tahoe Half Marathon 

6/24 – 25: Trailcon (Palisades) trail & ultra running event + panelists & a festival 

6/26: Aaron Lewis at TJ’s Corral in Minden

6/28: Earth, Wind & Fire (Caesars Republic) + Western States Endurance Run – 100 mile race that is the world’s oldest 100 mile trail race – starts in Olympic Valley and ends in Auburn

JULY

7/1: Cascade Kitchens opening

7/6 – 7: Shakespeare Festival beings (runs thru August 23, 24) Twelfth Night & Peter & the Starcatcher

7/9-7/13: Celeb Golf

7/10: Tunes on Tap music series starts at Alibi in Incline Village 

7/11: Mini Enduro (Northstar) MTB rider competition tailored for intermediate riders

7/12: Polish Ambassador (The Hangar)

7/12: Truckee Brewfest (Truckee River Regional Park) – put on by Truckee Optimist Club – all proceeds support Truckee youth programs

7/12 – 13: Wild Lotus Yoga Festival (Palisades)

7/13: Junior Downhill Series (Northstar) riders 12 & under

7/14 – 20: Barracuda Open – formerly the Reno-Tahoe Open – PGA event at Old Greenwood

7/18 - 19: Jon Pardi (Caesars Republic)

7/19 - 20: Tahoe Trail 100 (Northstar) – ride 50k or 100k of the Tahoe Trail MTB

24 – 25: Gambler’s Run Music Festival (CBC) – Brothers Comatose, Beats Antique, Papadosio & Paul Thorn

26: Dropkick Murphy’s, Bad Religion & Mainliners (GSR in Reno)

26: Kane Brown (Caesars)

30: Steve Earle (Harrah’s)

AUGUST

8/1 - 2: Old Dominion (Caesars Republic)

8/8: Hozier & Gigi Perez

8/8 – 9: Concours d’Elegance wooden boat show (Obexer’s Boat Co. in Homewood) – 51 years

8/9: Taste of Gold (LTCC) - the foundation’s annual fundraiser for the college - lots of wine and food 

8/10: Creed, 3 Doors Down & Mammoth WVH (Caesars Republic) + 311 at GSR in Reno

8/15: Whiskey Myers & Tedeschi Trucks Band (Caesars Republic)

8/16 – 17: Valhalla Renaissance Faire (Tahoe Valley Campground)

8/21: Collie Buddz (The Hangar)

8/23 – 24: Lake Tahoe Triathlon (Sugar Pine Point St Park)

8/23: Comic Con (TB Event Center)

8/23: Tahoe BrewFest (Ski Run SLT)

8/24: Weird Al Yankovic (Caesars Republic)

8/26: Dave Matthews Band (Caesars Republic)

9/5: Hollow Coves (The Hangar)

9/6: Sample the Sierra

9/6: Teddy Swims (Caesars)

9/14: Darius Rucker (Caesars)

9/18 – 21: Tahoe Wine + Feast (TBEC)

9/27-9/28: Tahoe Games @ Caesars 

FALL & 2026 TEASERS:

Fall Fest @ Paradise Park: Oct. 18-19, 2025

Curling Grand Slam @ TBEC: Nov. 4-9, 2025

Celebrity Banked Slalom @ Heav: Apr. 3-5, 2026

Foam Glow @ TBEC: Fall 2026

At 18 years old, Dr. Purvance became an EMT, which inspired him to pursue a lifelong career in health care. He now serves as the President and CEO of Barton Health in South Lake Tahoe. He began his medical career at Barton in 1999 as an emergency physician and later held the position of Chief Medical Officer from 2007 to 2015. In November 2015, he assumed the role of CEO, bringing a clinician's perspective to healthcare leadership. ​

Dr. Purvance earned his medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine in 1996 and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan in 1999. He is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and holds a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) credential from the Certifying Commission in Medical Management. 

Under his leadership, Barton Health has expanded its services to include specialties such as urology, psychiatry, cardiology, and neurosurgery. Dr. Purvance has also overseen the development of the Robert Maloff Center of Excellence, a facility dedicated to orthopedics, sports performance, and wellness services. ​

A long-standing member of the Lake Tahoe community, Dr. Purvance and his wife, Shawna, have five children. They enjoy outdoor activities such as paddleboarding, skiing, and hiking in their free time.

Missy grew up on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe where her love and interest for the environment was fostered. After studying abroad extensively and at UC Berkeley, Missy returned to settle in the Tahoe/Truckee region. Shortly thereafter she began a school program in which she taught environmental education and science classes.

In 2008 she was hired at Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships as Project Director and became SWEP's Executive Director in 2011. One of Missy's goals at SWEP has been to empower students to become stewards of the Tahoe Truckee region through experiences and connections to their local environment. Missy has a Bachelor's degree in Primatology with a focus in Conservation Education, from UC Berkeley as well as a Master's in Education.

In this episode, we’re shining the spotlight on Erin Ellis, Community Engagement Director at the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. Erin has been a driving force in animal welfare since 2008, overseeing volunteer programs, Pet Assisted Therapy, Humane Education, and more. Tune in as we explore her expertise with the organization and her passion for helping animals find loving homes.

Hit play and let’s TAP into Tahoe! 🎧🏔️🐾

We kick things off with a quick roundup of the latest local news, but the highlight of this episode is our in-depth conversation with Jeff DeFranco, Superintendent/President of Lake Tahoe Community College. We dive into the powerful concept of #PromisesMadePromisesKept and how Jeff is making a lasting impact on education and the community in South Lake Tahoe.

A California native, Jeff joined LTCC in 2012 and previously served as the college’s Vice President of Administrative Services. His diverse background spans K-12, community colleges, and four-year institutions. Jeff holds an undergraduate degree from CSU Chico, a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Oregon, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change at Pepperdine University.

Beyond his professional life, Jeff is a dedicated member of the South Lake Tahoe community, where he lives with his wife, Kasey, and their two sons. A firm believer in lifelong learning, Jeff is passionate about leadership, education, and driving positive change.

🎧 Tune in now to hear Jeff’s inspiring journey and insights, available wherever you get your podcasts!

For the past 3.5 years, Joe has been at the helm of municipal operations, working closely with the City Council to implement policies and improve the community. With a Bachelor’s degree from CSU Channel Islands, a Master’s in Public Administration from Evergreen State College, and executive coursework from the University of Virginia, Joe brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role.

From his early days as a city planner to his current leadership role, Joe’s passion for local government shines through. Outside of work, Joe is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hockey, mountain biking, hiking, boating, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

Tune in for a great discussion about leadership, teamwork, and what it takes to serve and uplift a community in the heart of Tahoe!

🎧 Available now wherever you get your podcasts!

Bryan, also known as B.A., is a rockstar in the mountain weather community, trusted by skiers and riders across the globe. From his roots in South Jersey chasing storms for surf and snow to becoming a go-to expert with over two decades of forecasting experience, Bryan shares his journey, tools of the trade, and a few of his personal insights on where to ski.

Tune in for a fresh round of Tahoe news and an inside look at how the magic of accurate snow forecasting keeps powder chasers on their toes. This is one episode you won’t want to miss!

This week, we kick things off with a quick roundup of top news from around Lake Tahoe. Then, we dive into an inspiring conversation with Nettie Pardue, Managing Director of the Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council. Nettie shares how her team is bringing the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan to life, enhancing the balance between thriving tourism, vibrant communities, and environmental sustainability.

As a Meyers local with 25+ years in outdoor recreation and nonprofit leadership—including her tenure with Outward Bound California—Nettie offers valuable insights into collaboration, stewardship, and protecting the natural resources we all cherish.

Tune in for an engaging and informative chat that highlights the future of Tahoe’s tourism and outdoor recreation economy!

As always, we’ll kick things off with a quick roundup of the top news from around the Tahoe region. Then, we shift gears and dive into an engaging conversation with today’s guest—Shaydar Edelmann, the Vice President and General Manager of Heavenly Mountain Resort.

With 25 years of experience in the snow sports industry, Shaydar joins Heavenly from Park City Mountain, where he served as VP of Mountain Operations for four years. He was previously GM for the construction and grand opening of Woodward Park City and spent six years at Alpine Meadows followed by a decade at Boreal, Soda Springs, and Woodward Tahoe. Shaydar managed the construction of Woodward Tahoe and won the NSAA Golden Eagle Award for Sustainability in 2016.

Shaydar enjoys spending time on the slopes on skis or a board and loves the ocean as much as the mountains! Having grown up in Kaikoura, New Zealand, he was a member of the New Zealand Junior Surf Team and still manages to catch a wave or two in his free time. Shaydar has moved to Genoa with his wife Kelly and takes advantage of the summer months to golf, mountain bike, and travel so he can catch as many waves as possible.

We kick things off with a quick roundup of the latest Tahoe region news, keeping it local as always. Then, we dive into an engaging conversation with this week’s guest, Andy Chapman, President/CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV).

Andy has called Tahoe home for nearly 30 years and brings over 25 years of experience in the tourism industry. As a key player in regional stewardship and visitor management, he serves on multiple boards, including the Tahoe Transportation District, Lake Tahoe Stewardship Council, Reno Sparks Visitor and Convention Bureau and Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership.

Beyond his professional contributions, Andy is a true Tahoe enthusiast — whether he’s skiing, hiking, disc golfing, or exploring the lake itself. Listen in as we explore Andy's journey, the work of TNTNV, and his passion for keeping Tahoe a world-class destination while protecting its natural beauty.

This week, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Anthony Cupaiuolo, Executive Director of the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance. Anthony is a long-time South Tahoe local, seasoned splitboarder, and passionate advocate for human-powered winter recreation. As the voice for backcountry enthusiasts, he leads the charge on key issues affecting winter access and preservation in the Lake Tahoe area.

Beyond his work with Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, Anthony is also a talented photographer and filmmaker with First Tracks Productions. His projects often focus on public land stewardship and have supported organizations like the National Forest Foundation, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, and Tahoe Rim Trail Association.

Tune in to hear Anthony’s insights on advocacy, his love for the backcountry, and—of course—a little bit about his trail-famous pup, Emmie.

Join us as we chat with Anthony Benge, Vice President of the Tahoe Knight Monsters, to get the inside scoop on the team’s vision and what makes them unique. Playing in the ECHL and based out of the Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, Nevada, the Knight Monsters are inspired by a mix of local legend "Tahoe Tessie" and the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The team, co-owned by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and David Hodges of Hodges Management Group, has 33 more home games lined up for the 2024-2025 season, including a Halloween series this Thursday through the weekend.

Get ready to catch the latest on Tahoe’s newest sports sensation and stay tuned for all the local adventure, people, and happenings Tahoe has to offer!

While volunteer beach cleanups are vital in Lake Tahoe, they often miss the litter buried beneath the sand. ECO-CLEAN Solutions proudly introduces BEBOT to Lake Tahoe – the first of its kind on the West Coast! This solar-powered, eco-friendly robot efficiently sifts the sand to remove hidden trash from beneath the sand before it gets into waterways.

Their mission is to revolutionize beach cleaning and environmental stewardship in lake, coastal & marina environments using innovative, eco-friendly technologies. They are tackling the most challenging beach litter, microplastics, and invasive aquatic weeds to preserve the beauty and ecological health of landmark destinations, promoting sustainable tourism practices in Lake Tahoe & beyond.

Tune in to learn how ECO-CLEAN Solutions is preserving Lake Tahoe’s natural beauty with cutting-edge technology, one sweep at a time!

Laura, the foundation’s Executive Director for over 20 years, is retiring, and Amy is stepping in as the interim director. Tune in to hear how this amazing organization, founded by concerned citizens, has grown from a grassroots effort to a powerhouse of local educational support, investing over $6.1 million into the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD). Last year alone, they donated $277,415, funding everything from STEAM supplies to social-emotional learning programs, impacting 4,000 students across 12 schools.

Get inspired by their story and learn how they’re shaping the future of education in Tahoe!

Join hosts Mike Peron and Rob Galloway for another exciting episode of Things, Adventure, and People, where we dive deep into all things Tahoe! In this episode, we kick off with a local news roundup, covering the top stories from around the Tahoe region.

Then, we shift gears to focus on the Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership, a vital bi-state collaboration formed in response to the 2007 Angora Fire. We’re joined by three special guests: Justin Broglio (PIO at North Tahoe PUD), Shelly Thomsen (Director of Public and Legislative Affairs at South Tahoe Public Utility District), and Kim Boyd (Director of Strategic Affairs at Tahoe City Public Utility District).

Together, they share how the partnership is working to upgrade the region’s outdated water infrastructure—originally designed for summer cabins—to better support firefighting efforts. This includes installing new fire hydrants, upsizing waterlines, and adding emergency generators and water storage tanks. Since 2009, the partnership has leveraged $20 million in federal funding to implement over $52 million in critical fire suppression projects, with an additional $120 million needed over the next five years to safeguard Tahoe’s communities from wildfire.

Enjoy this fascinating discussion on how Tahoe is preparing for the future and the ongoing efforts to protect this beautiful region.

The focus of this week’s show is getting to know Sustainability Superstar Heather Segale, the Education & Outreach Director at the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) located in Incline Village.

For over 15 years, Heather Segale has been fostering stewardship programs that spark interest in environmental science. From school-aged children to adults, Heather has been instrumental in establishing a culture of environmental awareness and cultivating a mindset of personal responsibility in the community.

Heather is responsible for providing both intellectual and administrative leadership in the education and outreach component of TERC’s mission. She manages the Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village and the Eriksson Education Center in Tahoe City. Additionally, she develops and maintains exhibits, coordinates education programming, pursues funding opportunities, and manages grants for education exhibits and programs. Heather also coordinates TERC's participation in regional outreach efforts and oversees the marketing plans for TERC's two science education centers.

Enjoy as we dive deeper into Heather’s incredible work and explore how she’s making a lasting impact on Tahoe’s environmental landscape!

"Chris Mac" is a name synonymous with adventure and extreme sports. An El Capitan-addicted big wall climber, ex-wingsuit BASE jumper, author of ten books, and co-founder of several notable platforms including SuperTopo, OutdoorGearLab, and Ski Run Presents, McNamara’s accolades are extensive. He is also a TAMBA Hall of Famer, solidifying his status as a key figure in the outdoor adventure community.

As the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of the GearLab websites, Chris has carved out a niche as a go-to expert in the outdoor gear world. His expertise extends beyond gear, as he has spent a significant portion of his life scaling some of the most challenging rock faces in the world. Climbing Magazine once calculated that three percent of Chris’s life has been spent on the face of Yosemite's El Capitan, a testament to his dedication and perhaps, as friends and family ponder, his sanity.

Chris has climbed El Capitan over 70 times and holds nine big wall speed climbing records. In 1998, he completed the first Girdle Traverse of El Capitan, an epic 75-pitch route that leaves many asking, "Why?" His prowess in aid climbing earned him a spot in Outside Magazine’s list of “the world’s finest aid climbers.” He is also the recipient of the American Alpine Club's prestigious Bates Award and the founder of the American Safe Climbing Association, a nonprofit organization that has replaced over 14,000 dangerous rock climbing anchor bolts.

In addition to his climbing achievements, Chris is the founder and lead author of the rock climbing guidebook publisher SuperTopo and a graduate of UC Berkeley.

Join us on this episode of Tahoe TAP as we dive deep into Chris McNamara’s extraordinary life, his adventures, and his contributions to the climbing and outdoor community. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss!

Born Orville Richard Burrell and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Shaggy is the only diamond-selling dancehall artist in music history, having sold more than 40 million album units to date. He has landed eight singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and seven albums on the Billboard 200. Shaggy is among the top three streamed reggae artists of all time on Spotify.

He has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning twice for Best Reggae Album with "Boombastic" in 1996 and "44/876" with Sting in 2019. In 2007, he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Distinction with the rank of Commander. In 2022, he received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Brown University.

Listen below (or on Spotify, Apple, or Google podcasts) as we dive deeper into Shaggy’s illustrious career and his upcoming performance at the Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival.

TAMBA, a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization founded in 1988, is dedicated to building, maintaining, and advocating for multi-use trails in Tahoe. The organization also focuses on educating all trail users and hosting fun community events. TAMBA's efforts ensure the maintenance of over 100 miles of trails each year, making it a cornerstone of the local outdoor community.

Drew Bray joined TAMBA as Executive Director in 2021, bringing with him a wealth of experience from a 30-year career in the ski industry. His impressive resume includes six years on the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee and serving as the Ski Industry Representative on the California Air Resources Board. Bray's passion for mountain biking began in the early 1990s, riding in Nevada's Pine Nut Mountains and Australia's Snowy Mountains, where he competed in the Australian Mountain Bike Nationals in 1991. Throughout his career, he has built courses, hosted mountain biking events, and continues to race and ride with friends and family.

In addition to his role at TAMBA, Bray is the Head Coach for the Alta Alpina NICA youth mountain bike team, where he leads the next generation of trail enthusiasts.

Tune in to this week's episode of Tahoe TAP to hear more about Drew Bray's journey, TAMBA's ongoing projects, and the exciting future of mountain biking in the Tahoe region.

For more episodes and updates, visit the Tahoe TAP website or follow them on social media.

Known as Tahoe’s strongest environmental watchdog, “The League” proactively identifies problems and finds solutions using science and innovation to take rapid action - Their 3 main pillars are tackling invasive species, combating pollution and advancing restoration

For over a decade, Patterson has been at the forefront of the League’s campaigns and plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the lake’s natural beauty and ecological health. His responsibilities include supporting the CEO and executive team in developing and implementing strategies to protect Lake Tahoe. His efforts encompass advocacy, education, collaboration, and communication, ensuring a comprehensive approach to environmental preservation.

Patterson’s background is both diverse and impressive. Before joining the League, he worked with the California Coastal Commission and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. He holds a Master of Environmental Science and Management from the Donald Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Biology from UCSB. Outside of his professional endeavors, Patterson enjoys outdoor activities such as surfing, SCUBA diving, hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding.

Stay tuned to the Tahoe TAP for more local news and inspiring conversations with the people who make Tahoe a vibrant and resilient community.

Peron and Galloway kick off the episode with a quick roundup of the top news stories from around the Tahoe area, ensuring their audience stays informed about the latest happenings in the community. This segment is a staple of the show, providing valuable insights and updates to Tahoe residents and fans alike.

The highlight of this episode, however, is an exclusive interview with Steve Young, the legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback. Young, a Hall of Fame inductee and long-time contestant at the American Century Championship Celebrity Golf Tournament, joins the hosts for an in-depth conversation about his storied career and personal experiences.

Steve Young's accolades are impressive: a 15-season NFL career, two MVP awards (1992 and 1994), a triumphant Super Bowl XXIX victory where he was named MVP after throwing a record six touchdowns, seven Pro Bowl selections, and an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Known for his dual-threat capabilities and as one of football’s most famous left-handed quarterbacks, Young's legacy in the sport is monumental.

Listeners can expect a captivating discussion that delves into Young's Tahoe traditions, his passions for girls flag football, and his participation in the celebrity golf tournament. The episode promises to offer a mix of nostalgia, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of one of football's greatest players. Enjoy!

In their latest episode, the dynamic hosts of Tahoe TAP, Mike Peron and Rob Galloway, are back with another compelling installment focused on the local gems of the Tahoe region. This week, they shine the spotlight on Anthony Porter, the Communications Director of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA), offering listeners a deep dive into the work and passion behind one of the most scenic trail systems in the world.

The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) is a testament to natural beauty and recreational opportunity, spanning 174 miles of single-track trail. It's open to hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers, making it a cherished landmark for outdoor enthusiasts. The TRTA is dedicated to maintaining and enhancing this iconic trail, fostering stewardship, and ensuring public access to the stunning landscapes of the Lake Tahoe region.

Anthony Porter's journey to his current role is as inspiring as the trail itself. Originally an avid hiker and climber, Anthony's love for adventure in nature fueled his desire to inspire others. His travels to 22 countries as a biogeography enthusiast reflect his deep interest in how animal adaptations vary by geography. This global perspective enhances his approach to conservation and environmental education.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Anthony is a multifaceted outdoor enthusiast. He enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, and archery, and he even competes annually on the TV show American Ninja Warrior, where he has earned the title of a two-time National Finalist known as the "Archery Ninja." His athleticism and dedication to outdoor sports underscore his commitment to living an adventurous and eco-conscious lifestyle.

In addition to his role at TRTA, Anthony dedicates his free time to supporting eco non-profits by amplifying their messages through podcasts, educational apps, and videos. His efforts to raise public awareness and excitement for the Tahoe Rim Trail are a testament to his passion for connecting people with nature.

Listeners of Tahoe TAP will gain insight into Anthony's work and the vital role of the TRTA in preserving the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe. His enthusiasm for engaging with the community and promoting the wonders of the Tahoe Rim Trail shines through, promising an engaging and informative episode for all who tune in.

Join Mike Peron and Rob Galloway on this adventure as they explore the life and work of Anthony Porter, a true champion of environmental stewardship and outdoor adventure.

Listeners, get ready to delve into the heart of environmental advocacy as Tahoe TAP presents an exclusive interview with none other than Amy Berry, the driving force behind Tahoe Fund. Established in 2010, Tahoe Fund stands tall as a beacon of hope for the preservation of Lake Tahoe's natural splendor. With a laser focus on initiatives spanning forest health, lake clarity, sustainable recreation, transportation, and stewardship, Tahoe Fund has emerged as a pivotal player in safeguarding the ecological balance of the region.

At the helm of this noble endeavor is Amy Berry, a visionary leader committed to nurturing Tahoe Fund's mission. As CEO, Amy collaborates closely with the organization's board of directors to orchestrate a symphony of private and public funding, channeling resources towards transformative environmental projects. With her adept stewardship, Amy has steered Tahoe Fund towards unprecedented success, raising over $20 million from private benefactors and spearheading a portfolio boasting more than 150 environmental enhancement endeavors, in partnership with over 50 stakeholders.

But Amy's influence extends far beyond the confines of Tahoe Fund. Her dedication to environmental conservation has earned her prestigious appointments and accolades, cementing her status as a trailblazer in the field. As the Vice Chair of the Advisory Council for Nevada’s Department of Outdoor Recreation and a federal appointee to the esteemed Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee, Amy wields her expertise to shape policies that resonate with her ethos of sustainability. Notably, she has also lent her discerning eye as a judge for the MacArthur Foundation’s "100&Change" $100 million prize competition, amplifying innovative solutions to global challenges.

Closer to home, Amy's contributions have not gone unnoticed. Her inclusion in the Reno Gazette Journal's esteemed "Twenty under 40" roster and the receipt of the coveted 2018 Lake Spirit Award underscore her unwavering dedication to the Lake Tahoe community.

As Tahoe TAP unravels the layers of Amy Berry's inspiring journey, listeners are invited to witness firsthand the transformative power of passion and perseverance. In an era fraught with environmental uncertainties, Amy stands as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards a more sustainable future for Lake Tahoe and beyond.

So, fasten your seatbelts, dear listeners, as Tahoe TAP takes you on an exhilarating ride through the untamed wilderness of environmental advocacy, guided by the relentless spirit of Amy Berry.

From pulse-pounding concerts to mouthwatering food festivals and unforgettable family outings, we've got you covered with the inside scoop on all the hottest events around Lake Tahoe. Tune in as we dish out expert tips, share personal experiences, and highlight must-see attractions to make your summer in Tahoe truly unforgettable. Whether you're a seasoned local or a first-time visitor, the Tahoe TAP is your ultimate guide to making the most of the summer season in one of the most breathtaking destinations on Earth.

So grab your sunscreen, pack a picnic, and let's tap into the summer vibes together!

Cody Bass was born into cannabis, but ventured into cultivating cannabis at the age of eighteen in the hills of Mendocino. He purchased his first parcel of land at twenty five to cultivate cannabis. This property is now licensed with Mendocino County for the legal cultivation for Tahoe Wellness Cooperative. Cody founded Tahoe Wellness Cooperative in January of 2009 and continues to serve as the Executive Director. Mayor Bass was initially elected to City Council in November 2018. He was re-elected in November 2022 to serve a 4-year term. In December 2022, he was appointed to serve as the Mayor Pro Tem for 2023. During his 2023 tenure, he also served as a board member for the Tahoe Transportation District, PADMA, and the Lake Tahoe Visitor’s Authority Board. In addition, Bass represented the city on the El Dorado County Transportation Commission, El Dorado County 2×2, Charter City Subcommittee, Multi-Cultural Alliance Subcommittee, Mental Health Subcommittee, Capital Improvement Program Subcommittee, and the South Shore Transit Subcommittee.  

Enjoy the podcast!

During his 46 year career, John is well known for his work in bringing snowboarding to the resort industry, is credited with building the first full-time snowboard terrain park in the U.S. and continues to consult with resorts around the world - among many other community engagements! He keeps the tradition of family music alive as a guitarist and singer of "Preachers Pickers" and continues to stay active in youth sports and outdoor activities in the South Lake Tahoe community.

As described by one of his peers in the industry, “John rice has always been out there leading instead of following!"

The Devil Makes Three is an Americana band known for their unique blend of “bluegrass” which is described on their website as wandering folk, Delta blues, whiskey-soaked ragtime, and reckless rock ‘n’ roll. Their lyrics often explore themes of love, loss, addiction, and the darker aspects of life, drawing from both traditional folk music and contemporary storytelling. The band formed in 2002 in Santa Cruz, California, and consists of Pete Bernhard (guitar, vocals), Lucia Turino (upright bass, vocals), and Cooper McBean (guitar, banjo, vocals). One of the defining characteristics of The Devil Makes Three's music is their raw and energetic live performances, often featuring intricate vocal harmonies and skillful instrumentation.  You can witness them LIVE at WinterWonderGrass on Saturday, April 6th, 2024!

Julie Regan is a seasoned Lake Tahoe executive. In 2022, the 15-member Governing Board of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) selected Julie to lead the organization which is charged with environmental protection of the second deepest lake in the United States. Julie is a proven leader in environmental conservation, government affairs, and community engagement with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. She has held a leadership position at TRPA since 2003. Formed in 1969, TRPA was the first environmental interstate compact agency of its kind in the United States.

Julie earned her master’s degree in journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is a doctoral candidate in environmental science at the University of Nevada, Reno focusing her research on the intersection of science and public policy, building on her experience at Lake Tahoe balancing environmental preservation in a $5-billion tourist-based economy. She is the past Co-Chair of the nationally focused Network for Landscape Conservation and has contributed writings on destination stewardship to the global conversation on over tourism.

Originally from Delaware, Julie is celebrating three decades of community life at Tahoe where she’s been active in service organizations including being former Chair of the Barton Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. She enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and traveling with her family and dogs.

From ski town nightlife to outdoor family-friendly events, you’ll be sure to find an event that will keep you looking forward to next year’s SNOWFEST celebration.

TahoeSnowFest.org Thursday, Feb 29th thru Sunday, March 10, 2024

This episode's guest interview will be spent getting to know McAvoy Layne on a more personal and intimate level. For 35 years now, in over four thousand performances from Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City to Leningrad University in Russia, McAvoy has been preeminent in preserving the wit & wisdom of The Wild Humorist of the Pacific Slope, Mark Twain. McAvoy is a winner of the Nevada Award for Excellence in School and Library Service. He plays the ghost of Samuel Clemens in the Biography Channel’s episode of Mark Twain, and the Discovery Channel’s Cronkite Award winning documentary, 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' Says McAvoy, “It’s like being a Monday through Friday preacher, whose sermon, though not reverently pious, is fervently American.”

Paul Reder has been a Tahoe resident since the age of 22 and has grown to become an entertainment mogul in the region. He’s the President of PR Entertainment, one of Nevada's largest independent concert promoters and theatrical producers. Paul is also President & CEO of Bass Camp Festival which produces EDM events throughout the year, including the annual Bass Camp Festival, President/CEO of the record label, Bass Camp Music and co-owner of The Loft in the Heavenly Village.

Enjoy!

Chief Sommers is the seventh Chief of NLTFPD since its inception in 1959 with a unanimous vote on Sept. 21, 2016. Born in Reno and raised in Incline Village, he started his career in 1991 as a seasonal volunteer firefighter. Throughout his tenure, Sommers moved up through all of the respective ranks from dispatcher, firefighter, Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief and Assistant Fire Chief.

Enjoy!

Devin Middlebrook is a native of South Lake Tahoe, the youngest Mayor in SLT history, a senior planner at the TRPA and an active community pillar. He is sure to bring a solid mix of progressive thought and local precedent to every conversation.

Enjoy!

Jacquie Chandler, Executive Director of Sustain Tahoe, facilitates the adoption of responsible travel and stewardship recreation within the Tahoe Truckee Watershed region. Inspired by the decades of lake science by Dr Charles Goldman, Jacquie felt compelled to help. Add to the mix, May 2007, when she attended a South Lake Tahoe Tourism Conference where she met the Executive Director of National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations who introduced her to the innovative concept of Geotourism - the rest is history!

Joanne Marchetta is the Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, a bi-state compact agency whose mission is to cooperatively lead the work to preserve, restore, and enhance the natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region. Since 2009, she has led the Agency and basin through transformational changes to strengthen the environment, economy, and communities of Lake Tahoe. She came to Tahoe in 2009 to serve as TRPA’s General Counsel before taking on the leadership role as Director. Joanne serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Tahoe Prosperity Center and she enjoys spending time with her partner, walking with her dog, martial arts, hiking, cycling, reading and experiencing all the best of Tahoe’s outdoors options. 

After joining LTWC in 1995, Denise became one of the most hands-on volunteers involved with the daily care at LTWC. She served on the LTWC board for six years and was the president for two terms before being hired as Animal Care Director in 2014. We discuss coexisting with wildlife in Tahoe, Hank the Tank, and the new center that is being built.

Ryan Carr is the Performance Supervisor and a certified Mental Performance Coach at the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness. Prior to Barton, Ryan was a performance and strength/conditioning coach at Princeton University, Seton Hall University, Iona College, and the University of Hartford. His purpose is to live with passion, presence, and optimism, and to positively impact people to maximize their potential so that we can all create and live the life we love!  His workshops (both group and 1-on-1) with local and national organizations help people realize the importance and enjoyment of training their minds through performance psychology.

Listen in on how a Tahoe Native and a craft beer guru united to build one of the most well known and tasty craft beer empires in the Lake Tahoe region.

 Fast forward many light years ahead and Todd has become the founder of Tahoe Adventure Film Festival, Lead Ski Guide at IceAxe Expeditions, world renowned rock-climber, cover model for Muscle Magazine, Brand Ambassador for Mammut and a self proclaimed NASA astronaut. 

That is literally just the tip of the iceberg! It's tough to put words together for this very special human, so please enjoy our conversation with the one and only, Todd Offenbacher!

LOCAL NEWS:  - Exciting announcement coming out yesterday on the entertainment front – we talked about this a few episodes ago that with Douglas County opening up to 100% on the NV side, perhaps it would mean things like events and concerts could start to come back and we got not only the announcement that the summer concert series was going to be a go, we also got an initial glimpse at the lineup, which got pretty roasted on social media  - Pretty cool story about the efforts to reduce plastic waste around the basin features students from environmental clubs from 4 high schools around the region (North Tahoe, Truckee, Incline & South Tahoe) – as they learned abut the effects microplastics had on the lake they surveyed their local Raley’s stores and brought their findings to the Raley’s executive team on Earth Day – highlighting areas for improvement which Raley’s will be committing to improving  - As more and more drought talk happens, more and more fallout is likely to occur – one of them being the boat ramp at El Dorado Beach will not open this year due to the low water levels from the dry winter. As of now this is the only boat ramp that we’ve heard of, but if you were planning on launching their on the south shore, you will need to find a different point of entry – you can hit up TahoeBoatInspections.com for locations. - Governor Newsom is proposing a $5.1 billion drought response package that will expand drought emergency actions to 41 counties – should have more on this as more details become available  - As the summer starts to creep in a few notes on some road trip routes – Highway 108 over Sonora Pass has reopened for the season – Tioga pass over to Yosemite is still closed at time of this recording but chance that gets opened I’ve heard maybe even by this weekend, but we’ll wait to hear officially, and Ebbetts Pass still closed but still on track to be opened by Memorial Day weekend.  NATIONAL NEWS:  - “Coin Crowding" has arrived — and it's not just a Bitcoin trend. Crypto "mainstreamification" has reached a level that goes far beyond just Bitcoin. 14% of the US population now invests in cryptocurrency, and American crypto owners could double in 2021. This year, Bitcoin has nearly 2X'd in value – and altcoins have seen even bigger rallies: Ethereum is up ~400%, and Dogecoin has soared 13,000%. According to a Gemini survey: two-thirds of US adults who don't own crypto are "crypto curious.” - Officials from California’s Sequoia National Park made a disturbing discovery while conducting a survey to determine the effects of the 2020 Castle Fire…a giant sequoia in the area known as Board Camp Grove was found still smoldering and emitting smoke months after historic wildfires devastated the region last August. The Castle Fire, which was ignited by a lightning strike last summer ended up burning down 270+ square miles of land before it was contained in December. - CA Gov. Newsom, who is facing a recall election later this year, announced a plan to send almost $12B dollars back to taxpayers. If approved, California would give $600 checks to workers who earn up to $75,000 annually, with $500 bonuses for tax filers with dependents and undocumented families.  That’s about 80% of the state's workers and two-thirds of all residents would benefit from the plan. He also unrolled a slew of other funding proposals:  • $5.2 billion in federal funding to help low-income renters stay housed.  • $2 billion to help Californians pay overdue water and utility bills.  • $1 billion in college grants to help employees whose jobs have been decimated by the pandemic find better work. - The COVID-19 pandemic has done what more than a century of past plagues, recessions, crime waves, droughts and earthquakes couldn’t. It shrank California’s population by 182,083 people in 2020. That’s the first time that annual statistic has come with a minus sign since data collection started in 1900. Just 0.4% in case you are trying to do the math in your head. - After falling for nearly 12 months straight, the US unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped to 6.1% in April. 266K jobs were added last month — economists were expecting 1M (womp). Millions of Americans are unemployed, but companies in industries like construction, manufacturing, and restaurants still can't find enough people to hire. Potentially holding workers back: child-care burdens, Covid fears, and boosted unemployment benefits - Just 4% of iPhone users in the U.S. and 12% overall have opted in to app tracking after updating their phones to Apple’s new iOS 14.5, which introduced new privacy features. That is exactly what companies like Facebook were worried about. - Colonial Pipeline, a major system that delivers roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast was hit with a ransomware attack and halted all operations to deal with the threat. This breach underscores the vulnerabilities of crucial infrastructure, not just banks and IT. Biden is expected to issue an executive order to bolster security of federal and private systems in the next few week.

NATIONAL NEWS: - Want to hit all 47 national parks in the lower 48 in the most efficient path possible? No room for roadside attractions deviations on University of Penn researcher Dr. Randal Olson National Parks Service map but if you have 14,498 miles worth of gas money and roughly 2 months you can hop on this circuit from anywhere in the country and come home seeing everything the NPS has to offer (LINK) - It’s official - Caitlyn Jenner is running for CA Governor and released her first campaign commercial on Tuesday with her own name misspelled in the video! - Out of control Chinese rocket heading for earth. It is too early to say with a high degree of certainty where the rocket or its debris will ultimately crash, but forecasts show if an impact were to occur in the United States, the eastern U.S. would have the highest odds of seeing impact. - This week, we’ll be treated to one of spring’s best stargazing events as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower lights up the skies. You’ll want to set your alarm for before dawn on Wednesday, May 5, as that’s when the greatest number of meteors at about 10 meteors per hour at its peak. This is all debris from Halley’s Comet. Halley was last seen in Earth's skies in 1986.  It will return in 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the Sun - The Red Hot Chili Peppers are selling their song catalog to Hipgnosis Songs for upwards of $140 million, sources confirm to Variety, making them the latest heritage artist to benefit from the intellectual property gold rush that has seen Bob Dylan sell his songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing for more than $300 million and Stevie Nicks sell hers to Primary Wave for $100 million. Drummer Chad Smith recently confirmed that the group has been working on a new album - Mikaela Shiffrin calls Squaw Valley home for spring ski training along with some of the top alpine skiers in the world and Olympic hopefuls. LOCAL NEWS: - The Tahoe Trout Farm was one of the stories about local businesses this past week – but unlike the new businesses that were featured on the south shore (Clearly Tahoe & The Lemon Drop), the Trout Farm is celebrating its 75th anniversary – one thing I didn’t know was that if you don’t want to take your fish, you can donate to the homeless with Christmas Cher of to feed the bears at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care  - A reminder that residential burn permits are required starting May 1, so no burning unless you have a permit  - Speaking of wildfire, Nevada County just launched a new zone-based evacuation technology – so basically in an emergency situation, this will help you to know where to go based on the zone you are in – you’ll want to check that out at ReadyNevadaCounty.org/KnowYourZone  - If you’re a boater, some good news as beginning Saturday the Sand Harbor and Cave Rock bot ramps were officially open – but, just a as a reminder, you have to complete all TRPA watercraft inspections before using. - Staying on the water, if you’re in the Incline Village area, one thing to note is fees (for just about everything, really) will be increasing this year – guest beach passes, kayak & paddleboard storage, daily boat launch fees & season pass watercraft launch fees – all these changes go into effect this month - Also on the recreation and entertainment front most golf courses on the south shore will open by this week, with exception to Bijou, and in Incline the courses are slated to open by end of May – old Brockway is already open. - Starting this week, construction for the Tahoe South Events Center will get rolling – construction is slated to last 2 years & when completed expected to host up to 130 events each year  - Maybe on a sadder events note – North Tahoe joined Incline Village in cancelling their fourth of July events which leaves South Lake as the only holdout – still has not been decided, but most likely, the anticipation will be that it too, will cancel  - Best of Tahoe & North Lake Tahoe finalist voting is open – don’t forget to vote

LOCAL NEWS: - Douglas County commissioners passed their plan the week before last that would have most businesses reopen to 100% capacity by May 1. That plan was reviewed Thursday last week by the NV COVID-19 task force and it was passed. So, beginning this Saturday, the first county surrounding the Lake will get back to normal – although masks will still be required (although I’m not sure how much of that will actually be getting enforced) - casinos will still continue to be regulated by the gambling board – this seemingly could pave the way for events like 4th of July fireworks and (possibly) the summer concert series at Harveys – all of NV is supposed to be open with only a mask mandate by June 1 – CA target date is June 15 - Governor Newsom tweeted yesterday that CA’s positivity rate is at 1.2% - lowest in the country, but also the lowest it has been in a year, so it looks to be on track - Over the weekend we had a little seismic activity when on Sunday morning a little 3.8 quake centered about 5 miles west of Dollar Point shook the basin –There as also an additional 3.2 magnitude quake just after midnight in the same area Monday morning, but I was out cold for that one – but the quakes centering in the lake bring up the discussion of a tsunami - Looking ahead to May 14 – that is the day that Clean Up the Lake will be launching their effort (& possibly the largest effort ever) to remove trash from Tahoe – we’re not talking about the beaches, we’re talking about all 72 miles of shoreline underneath the surface – the plan is for the team to dive 3 times a week cleaning roughly 1 mile per day at a depth of up to 25 feet – so this is planning on going almost through the end of the year  - On somewhat of a controversial topic, the USDA forest service has released a new proposal that would build new trails and expand access on existing trails for e-bikes – according to forest service officials, about half the people approve and half don’t – As of now e-bikes are considered a motorized vehicle so they’re basically limited to specific trails and roads – this proposal would look to expand that by about 120 miles of new e-bike accessible trails - Couple of traffic notes – as of next week, Country Club Drive in Incline Village the street that basically runs from the lake (by the Hyatt and Lone Eagle Grille), past the college & up around the backside of the championship course will go from 35 MPH down to 25 MPH and if you are planning a trip over HWY 80 between today and Thursday – you will be detoured as the road will be closed from 8pm – 8 am for partial bridge over-crossing demolition - News from the west slope, the city of Placerville has directed staff to lose the noose in the city’s logo. Public comments were pretty harsh in its backlash – the noose has been incorporated into the logo since the 70s. Vice mayor Taylor was quoted as saying “our job at the city is not to fight change, but to navigate it” the motion passed with a 5-0 vote but it wasn’t without people not wanting to give into the cancel-culture movement  NATIONAL NEWS: - China-US scientists create world's first human-monkey 'chimera' embryo amid an ethical storm. A joint research team from China and the US created the world's first embryo that was part human, part monkey as a source for organ transplants that some critics say could "open Pandora's Box" - NASA picks SpaceX to land Next Americans on Moon by the end of the decade. That was the initial goal but has since been supercharged with an ambitious target of 2024. The project is named Artemis which is name after the Greek Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, chastity, and (fittingly) The Moon.  (Side Note: Elon Musk hosting SNL May 8th stirring controversy) - Apple is updating its iPhone software and letting users decide if they want to be tracked for targeted ads. The current default allows such tracking. But starting this week if you upgrade your operating system to iOS 14.5, there will be a pop-up that requires an opt-in to be tracked. This is expected to cost Google and Facebook ~$25B in ad revenue and severely disrupt the  $400B overall industry. - Google Maps will now default to the “greenest route” (AKA most fuel efficient) for its navigation. People in a rush may be disappointed, as the former default was the “fastest route.” It will take in factors like inclines (more work for the engine) and traffic congestion (more idling) to help reduce environmental impact along with displaying air quality and weather of expected destination. - Amazon is equipping a Seattle Whole Foods store with its Amazon One palm-scanning device that lets customers pay by...scanning their palms. Amazon reportedly has plans for a broad rollout - Never has it cost so much to buy a house in California. The median price for a single-family home shot up to a staggering $758,990 in March — a nearly 6% increase from the previous record of $717,930 set in December and a whopping 24% increase from March 2020. Meanwhile, housing production has strayed farther and farther from Gov. Newsom’s campaign goal of building 500,000 units annually as the state’s homeless population swells to record levels

National News: - A Cancer Surviving Girl Scout Broke the Record, Selling over 32K Boxes of Cookies… Now that’s a lot of dough.! Proceeds will go to childhood cancer research and to an organization that feeds the homeless. Lilly didn’t just conquer America, she conquered the world. In addition to selling cookies in all 50 states, her customer base spans Canada, England, Spain, Paris, Rome, and as far away as Egypt. - The Rock will pay for your quac! 5/1-5/5 Dwyane Johnson will foot the bill for your order of guacamole, but there’s a catch, you have to order his tequila “Teremana” - Jersey Mike’s Donated 100% of Sales From 1,900 Stores in Their Biggest ‘Day of Giving’ in 11 Years. With a company goal of raising $8 million, Jersey Mike’s Subs blew past that mark during their Annual Month of Giving to raise an incredible $15 million to help more than 200 charities nationwide. - “Base-to-Base” Gondola From Squaw Valley to Alpine Meadows, CA Confirmed. Alterra announced on Monday that the long-anticipated construction will happen this summer! $60M, 8 passengers, 16 mins, 1,400 ppl per hour, 4 terminals, 3 on/off points, and making it the 3rd largest resort in North America! - 4/15: Normally tax day, but also Natl High Five Day, but also Natl That Sucks Day - so, sounds like the perfect time to pull the fast one on your friends! 

Local News: - Gov Newsom tweeted yesterday that CA positivity rate is 1.5% - lowest in the nation and lowest in CA since the beginning of the pandemic - Last week El Dorado County was able to push into the orange tier but up on the north shore and Truckee, Placer and Nevada counties are still in the red – gov also announced some tweaks to the color tiers and said that a county will only move back into a more restricted tier if hospitalizations among vulnerable residents, including those vaccinated, significantly increase – case and positivity rates must also show a “concerning increase” to move backward – like through most of the pandemic, we don’t really know what “significantly and concerning” increases mean - But on the brighter side, they also announced CA getting totally open by June 15 (masks will most certainly stay, but I think we can all live with that for a bit longer) - One of the bigger stories that happened as we headed into the weekend was the rockslide that happened early Friday morning east of echo summit on highway 50 that shut the highway down completely for most of the day. There was an SUV that got caught in the slide, but thankfully no injuries.  - As we head into the summer months and you folks that enjoy boating on the lake, might want to take note of the new law that went into effect on April 1 that says boat drivers must wear a lanyard that is attached to the engine so that if the driver leaves, the boat shuts off – the kill switch law is for boats with 3 or more HP and less than 26 feet in length – fines up to $100 for a first offense and $500 by the third but coast guard says working on more of an educational approach the first year

NATIONAL NEWS: - Genesis, the Hyundai-owned auto brand, just set the Guinness World Record for most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (aka drones) in the air at the same time. It sent 3,281 drones into the Shanghai night sky on March 29 to promote its entrance into China. China out the video online! - Forbes' annual world's billionaires list includes a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos topping it for the fourth consecutive year. This year's billionaires are worth a combined $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion last year. Investor and business tycoon Warren Buffett fell out of the top five for the first time in over two decades. 493 newcomers. - Survey of 2,000 kids in UK and US show that 30% want to be YouTubers when they grow up. Other results = 25% teacher, 21% athlete, 18% musician, 11% astronaut  - Once the world's third-largest smartphone maker, LG said it's powering down its 12-year-old smartphone business to focus on more profitable areas, like smart home devices and electric vehicle parts. Last year LG shipped just 23 million phones to Samsung's 256 million, iPhone’s 218 million - Wed. 4/7 = Nat’l Beer Day

LOCAL NEWS: - The Wells Fargo bank in South Lake Tahoe was robbed Thursday – told the teller he had a gun and sped off on a BMX bike – SLTPD still looking for the man - We also had the story about an armed robbery back on March 21, but police have arrested a fourth individual in that case who used to be a star baseball player at Incline High School - Also had the sentencing take place for a man who beat his female roommate to death with a piece of firewood back in 2019 – the man was sentenced to 25 years to life for first degree murder - On Friday in Incline Village a 5-year old ran out of a residential drive and into the street and struck by a Ford SUV – appears the boy will live but did sustain some intense injuries  - Somewhat of a strange story regarding abnormalities being found in some bears that have researchers baffled – Apparently the bears in question are found with somewhat of a glazed over look, and have traits similar to dogs where they’re overfriendly – they’re typically malnourished, have tremors,  and have their head cocked to one side. The concern is that this could lead to bears getting killed but definitely something to look for as bears come out of hibernation – the disease is pretty rare and Lake Tahoe Wildlife care is aware of the disease – although researches still do not know what’s causing it – if you see a bear acting strange you can call LTWC or the Bear League - The 7th annual Mothership Classic at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows raised a whopping $181k, shattering their record set in 2018. Last year they raised their lowest total since 2015, but combining the traditional competition with a virtual aspect. Most of the funds raised will be directed to the High Fives’ March Empowerment Fund cycle and grant recipients will be announced May 1   - Speaking of Squaw, you also had the Red Bull Raid take place on Friday which featured 60 local athletes competing for titles in skiing and splitboard  - Lastly, Best of Tahoe/Best of N Shore & Truckee nominations have started so if you have a biz favorite, be sure to nominate the for the finals 

LOCAL NEWS: - Early last week Vail (Heavenly, NStar, Kirkwood) announced that they were slashing season pass prices by 20% across the board. You can get a Tahoe local pass for under $500 – Also, - Mammoth officially announces they stay open until at least Memorial Day. Spring skiing in the Eastern Sierra is tailor-made for the realities of COVID: Shorter/ non-existent lift lines, More availability – no sold-out dates, Discounts on lodging and F&B and warmer temps! Especially important with lodges closed 2021-22 Ikon Pass holders (including those who deferred their 20-21 passes) can also use them THIS YEAR at Mammoth, starting April 12 - The Truckee fire district is considering a wildfire prevention measure that would crease a dedicated local source of funding. Additional resources are needed to help clear fire hazards and help with emergencies and I’d have to imagine you’ll see more and more of these types of things as we continue to see larger and more destructive fires  - It’s not unusual for a Californian to say to hell with the state, I’m moving to Nevada where taxes aren’t out of control – but, when that person is the front man for an iconic band like KISS, well that’s a different story – The place he bought sits on 4 acres in Incline – most Tahoe properties don’t come with a large amount of land but regardless, maybe we’ll see him with his guitar in the corner of Glasses Wine Bar one night  - Speaking of new residents, we did have a story over the weekend that talked about all the new residents and helping them to understand what it means to coexist with wildlife – a lot of the people that have moved here over the course of the pandemic have been calling local wildlife organizations to remove animals such as bears for simply walking through their yard  - On an event note – the annual elegant evening held by the Tahoe Sierra Soroptimist group on April 23rd – this will be the 32nd annual – will be virtual again this year, but there are some killer auction items every year at this – you’ll get some music from local artists and all money raised benefits education and service opportunities for women and youth in the south shore community NATIONAL NEWS: - White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that they will look to the private sector to take the lead on verification of COVID-19 vaccines, or so-called vaccine passports, and would not issue a federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential. >>> Starting Friday, New Yorkers will be able to pull up a code on their cellphone or a printout to prove they've been vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the virus that causes it.The first-in-the-nation certification, called the Excelsior Pass, will be useful first at large-scale venues like Madison Square Garden, but next week it will be accepted at dozens of event, arts and entertainment venues statewide. It already lets people increase the size of a wedding party, or other catered event. - Over one-third of adults (about 95 million people) have received at least one shot, according to the CDC. Almost 53 million are fully vaccinated. And within three weeks, President Biden says, 90% of adults will be eligible to receive the vaccine within five miles of their home.  Yesterday, the CDC also reported that the first "real world" study of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 90% efficacy and that they help prevent asymptomatic infections. - Microsoft, Facebook, Uber Plan To Reopen Offices. May is the target date for FB and Uber/Microsoft began yesterday. This is likely a key indicator at what other companies will model their structure after as we saw during the closures a year ago. - California’s Water Conservation Project To See Reduced Allocations Due To Below-Average Winter. The project supplies water to 29 contractors who provide water for 27-million Californians and 750,00-acres of farmland. The state Department of Water Resources announced that it would only deliver 5% of the requested allocations following the below-average precipitation across the state. That number is down from the original 10% they promised in December. - Uplifting science: America’s bald eagle population has quadrupled since 2009, thanks to conservation efforts. The birds -- which can have a 7.5-foot wingspan and can dive at up to 99 mph -- are now 300k+ strong.

National News: - Vail Resorts is not planning on using a reservation system for guests next season. CEO Rob Katz states that the system was only created in light of COVID-19, and he plans on it not being needed for next season. Also announced was a Kit Lender partnership providing head to toe rental ski/snowboard gear. - Disney says its two California theme parks will reopen on April 30 - at 15% capacity. One catch - no screaming allowed on any rides or roller coasters - Outside Lands is officially scheduled to happen this year, on Halloween weekend, Oct. 29-31 in Golden Gate Park, SF! Headliners include: Lizzo, Glass Animals, The Strokes, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Tame Impala and more!  - Amazon becomes the #1 clothing retailer in the US, unseating Walmart. We're talking $41B+ worth of apparel sold in 2020. This represents a highly impressive 11%-12% share of all apparel sold in the U.S. and 34%-35% share of all apparel sold online. To put this in perspective, Amazon sold almost 7x as much apparel/footwear as the second largest player online (Macy’s) - Anyone who shows a vaccine card at a participating Krispy Kreme gets a free glazed donut. The "best" part? The offer is valid until the end of 2021, so a vaccinated person could theoretically obtain a free glazed donut every day for the next 284 days. Brands have struggled to strike the right tone throughout the pandemic. But supporting the vaccine rollout so everyone can return to normal life is like saying you love fluffy puppies—not particularly controversial! - Partly as a result of hiring Blue Shield to run vaccine distribution, California’s COVID-19 response will cost $2 billion more than projected, with the state estimated to spend more than $15 billion through 2022, according to figures released last week by Newsom’s Department of Finance…. California appears to be the only state to have hired a health insurer to run its vaccine distribution — and it seems Blue Shield may have been chosen largely because of its lengthy relationship with Newsom. Over the past 16 years, Blue Shield has given nearly $23 million to the governor’s campaigns and special causes

Local News: - Had some crazy activity the past week for the SLTPD – Sunday morning a stabbing suspect was arrested but this was after he smashed a police car window with a claw hammer. The stabbing victim said he was hanging at the redbox when someone jumped on their back and stabbed them with a metal drywall saw – this was on the heels of an incident that happened Friday morning where on Orangevale man shot at SLTPD officers with an assault rifle. The man was spotted trying to break into a room at the Three Peaks Resort – the suspect was shot, but does not believed to be life threatening 
- Everyone’s dream scenario happened this past week at Harrah’s – a person from Orangevale sat down at the three card poker table and on their first hand drew a straight flush and won a progressive jackpot worth $251,175 
- The TRPA released the final draft of the transportation plan and based on the projects that need to be done vs. the amount of budget there is to do them, the gap is a whopping $1B – keep in mind this is over the next 25 years and there are some pretty aggressive goals. The TRPA will be holding public meetings so people will get the opportunity to learn more but it will go to vote on April 28 & will include an additional member of the Forest Service so that the TRP can push federal funding into Tahoe Basin transportation projects.
- In a feel-good story from last week, a Washington state couple that had come to Tahoe to tie the knot, were doing so out on the pier at Sugar Pine Beach and when it came time to pull out the ring, it fell through the cracks of the pier – but, not to fear, local scuba diver Phil Abernathy came to the rescue and was able to find the ring being guarded by a crawdad 

Local News: - Beginning yesterday on the NV side, businesses are able to up their capacity limits to 50% and public gatherings and events are now able to operate at 50% of their capacity or 250 people – whichever is less. For larger venues, they can submit a form to the Dept. of Business And Industry to get a variance and go bigger 
- In somewhat of a surprise decision last week, Incline Village decided to cancel their 4th of July fireworks this year citing high visitation last summer and current coronavirus trends 
 - Last week we mentioned the decision coming from the Tahoe Transportation District on whether or not they will be purchasing the old elementary school in Incline Village and they ultimately decided to move forward with that purchase – despite concerns from some folks in the community around safety. 
 - Something that we talked about around the office when it was happening back in 2018 is the idea of eliminating the time change – back then, the bill stalled in CA before the full Assembly could consider it but a bill was introduced on the NV side late last month that would eliminate the time change, but, they are hitching it to CA so whatever is decided, we won’t run into this type of issue 
 Good News: - 52% of Americans Surveyed Say They Volunteered for the First Time During the Pandemic. 1) delivering food to essential workers 2)helping the elderly maintain homes 3) volunteering at food pantry - Since vaccine distribution began in the U.S. on Dec. 14, more than 109 million doses have been administered, reaching 21.4% of the total U.S. population. The U.S. is currently administering over 2.4 million shots a day. Weather News: - Airpocalypse: China’s worst dust storm in over a decade  is effecting tens of millions of people - grounding flights, closing schools, and halting everyday life - Denver’s 4th Biggest Storm Ever: Xylia. Denver’s airport picked up 27 inches 3/13-14 and double that at the resorts like Vail, Breck, and Keystone (same system that delivered 40 inches to Kirkwood & Squaw ) Making History: - Beyonce becomes most decorated woman in Grammy award history! 28 Grammys in total. The only person that tops her is the late conductor, Georg Solti, at 31. —  Side note: viewership this past Sunday was down to a record low 8.8M views. 53% down from 2020. - Iditarod 2021: Dallas Seavey ties record for most-ever wins. 5 titles since 2012. 830 miles in 7 days, 14 hours Other News:  - Netflix to begin cracking down on password sharing. Testing out a new two-factor authentication processes which emails or texts you a code to enter upon entering a binge sesh. - The University of California, Davis is offering students an incentive to staycation for spring break instead of traveling. The Healthy Davis Together Spring Break Grant will award 500 applicants $75 to spend during the March 22 to 25 break in the Davis, California area. The idea is to spend the money on local businesses rather than somewhere else. 

Local News:  - This coming Friday the Tahoe Transportation District board will vote on whether or not to purchase the old elementary school in Incline Village with the intent to turn it into a mobility hub. There’s been a lot of tensions between the community and TTD on this project so I’m certain there will be a lot of eyes on this decision. The main concern from the residents is traffic and safety. - Looks like the event side of things is picking up a bit of steam – we talked last week about the rocky mountain oyster fry in VC still taking place, and last week the announcement from both CA & NV saw some easing of event restrictions – and yesterday, Mike, you pointed out the concert listings on Harveys website, starting with Kenny Chesney on June 30/July 1   - Very unfortunate accident that happened late Sunday where a 3-car collision on highway 50 near Zephyr Cove claimed the life of one and sent another to the hospital via careflight. Impairment is suspected and the NHP said they’ve seen far too many crashes due to impairment over the past week  - Speaking of auto accidents, yesterday morning a driver on Highway 89 lost control of their Subaru between Tahoe City & Alpine Meadows and eventually came to rest in the Truckee River. The driver did suffer minor injuries and the car had to be pulled out with a tow truck  - On the weather front looks like between today and Thursday we could see as much as a foot and a half of snow at the higher elevations – possibly 6-12” at lake level.  - A reminder on Saturday evening to bump those clocks up an hour as daylight savings time takes hold. 

National News: - Carson City voted best city to visit during pandemic by Forbes. Criteria considered:  CDC COVID DataTracker, the Harvard-Brown COVID Risk Level Map, TripAdvisor reviews, and also considered other factors like current case counts, population density, average weather, public health guidance, proximity to outdoor activities and drive times from big cities - Sunday is Pi Day(Papa John’s:order one large pizza, you’ll get a second for just $3.14… 7-Eleven large pizzas for $3.14 each, local restaurant deals - Last Friday, the media biz got some new competition from women who made careers out of competing. Sports stars Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim launched TOGETHXR, a new media + commerce company. The pitch: Men's athletics kind of hog the limelight—a 2018 UN report found that only 4% of total sports media coverage focused on women's sports. To combat that asymmetry, TOGETHXR will produce original content and partner closely with social media platforms, serving an audience of girls and young women. It also plans to ink licensing deals and sell merchandise - 63%… That’s how much viewership for Sunday’s Golden Globes award show declined from last year’s broadcast. Only 6.9 million viewers tuned in. Ratings for the NBA Finals, the NHL finals, the Kentucky Derby and the Super Bowl also plummeted during the pandemic.   - Streaming services have surged in popularity over the past year, and more than three-quarters of U.S. consumers subscribe to at least one, according to a recent survey. In fact, American subscribers now maintain an average of five streaming services — up from three last year.   -  Amazon is about to make a big bet on sports.  The e-commerce giant is set to pay as much as $1 billion a year for the exclusive rights to stream the NFL’s Thursday night games on Prime Video. (It’s a bold move, given that Thursday games have been a money-loser for television networks in recent years.) 

What to Watch: - The America’s Cup sailing race begins on Wednesday. First held in 1851, it’s the oldest international sports competition in existence - 63rd Annual Grammys on Sunday hosted by Trevor Noah. Headliner performances include Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Post Malone, Billie Eillish and more - Man fights off two polar bears with sticks in Quebec (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ign-ywFG4Dc)

Local News:  - On Friday last week, a vaccine distribution for high risk folks aged 65 & older - effort was a joint effort between Barton and El Dorado county and was held at the community college. They started the day with 1600 doses and by the end of the day only 1 was wasted - Lots of people donated time and energy to help make it a success, so kudos to all you folks - Be sure to tune into the online auction this Thursday through Saturday for all things old Lakeside Inn casino – some things you have to have a license to bid on, like day 1 is for casinos only (slot machines), the other 2 days are general public - The hits for Edgewood keep on coming – after the successful NHL games at the resort, they followed it up with an announcement that the US Open will have Edgewood host one of its qualifying rounds on May 10. To be eligible, you must have a handicap index not exceeding 1.4 - less than 10% of golfers have handicaps below 5 – and the total % of men who have a handicap index between 1.1 & 1.9 is 1.1%.  - On a similar note, US News & World report recently released their “best resorts in Lake Tahoe” – results are a combination of reputation with professional travel experts, guest reviews & hotel class rankings - the top 3 has pretty equal representation around the basin: 1-Ritz Carlton, 2-The Landing, 3-Hyatt Regency; Hyatt’s Stillwater Spa also recognized among the top 100 spas of 2020.  - Stay tuned! A story is being worked on about snow fleas and scorpion flies in Lake Tahoe

National News: - Apple will introduce 217 new emojis in its next iOS update, 14.5. These include a heart on fire, exhaling face, and gender options for the people with beards. Also included in this update is a vaccine-friendly syringe emoji, and support for couples with a mix of skin tones - England's Jasmine Harrison, 21, becomes youngest woman to row solo across an ocean. 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes 3,000 miles across Atlantic Ocean. The first attempt ever was a pair of Norwegians who successfully rowed from Manhattan to France in 1896. Since then there have been about 900 attempts - Only two-thirds have been successful. - Avalanches have killed at least 30 people in the U.S. this winter, the most in years. The Pacific Northwest is on high alert for more this season. 23 last year was the total last year and 27 is the average. - Walmart (America’s largest private employer) is raising wages for 425K workers, bumping its employee average to ~$15/hour (up from $14). But it's keeping its starting wage at $11. Of course this announcement is on the heels of record sales of $152B last quarter, as we stocked up on groceries and goodies. In 2020, Walmart filled 7X more online orders than in 2019 - Final Note: Snowiest place in America ever: Mt. Baker 98-99 winter = 1,140” of snow or 95 feet! Snowiest state on average per day: Vermont with every sq inch of the Green Mtn. state receiving 89” per winter

Local News: - There’s some anticipation this week in CA for what the governor called last week “a substantial number of counties” could possibly move into the red tier – he has typically saved his announcements for Tuesdays, but the general consensus for the counties around Tahoe is probably not this week – I think there’s a good chance the trends point us that way maybe next week. 
- Fresh off what I think most people would call a very successful weekend of NHL hockey in Tahoe, I saw a lot of response to the article that talked about the present that the NHL left behind…a used Zamboni!
- On a much sadder note, an apartment complex caught fire in South Lake Tahoe yesterday claiming the life of one person – the fire department rescued several victims and were ale to limit the fire to 4 apartments, so luckily it wasn’t worse 
- For those of you who have been super bummed about events getting cancelled, I have a bit of good news for you – the 30th annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival in Virginia City is a go this year – March 13th, which is a combination St Patty’s Day celebration, they will have a restructured event to accommodate all the current guidelines - Limited amount of tickets ($45), but it’s an event Mike, a real true event!
- On the weather front, looks like more of the same through the end of the week and month – my truck said 50 degrees outside yesterday, it was gorgeous…Not sure if we’ll hit that high again this week, but looks to be close with some lows at night into the teens – I saw one snowflake toward the end of next week, but that’s way too far out to excited about – but we’ll see.
- One side note, our Mutt Madness photo bracket will begin March 1 – 2 separate contests for the north and south shores, but almost 500 submissions!

Regional News: - Perseverance, NASA's most sophisticated rover to date, is expected to land on the surface of Mars on Thursday, February 18, around 3:55 p.m. ET. The rover has been traveling through space since launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at the end of July. When it reaches Mars, Perseverance will have traveled 292.5 million miles on its journey from Earth. The rover will explore Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient lake that existed 3.9 billion years ago, and search for microfossils in the rocks and soil. Along for the ride with Perseverance is an experiment to fly a helicopter, called Ingenuity, on another planet for the first time - Back in 2012, the FAA anticipated 30,000 drones operating by 2020. But, like the current temperature in Texas, that was wayyyyy too low. According to data from the government, there are at least 1,746,248 registered drones in the US, and likely many more unregistered ones. - In Bloomberg’s annual ranking of innovative countries, America has fallen outside the top 10. When the index first launched in 2013, the U.S. took the top spot. (South Korea came in at No. 1 this year.) According to the analysis, the country is falling behind in terms of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates, advanced degrees and workers in research and development. A 2020 report from the National Science Board sounded a warning about the U.S. being “no longer the uncontested leader” in science and engineering. - Jeopardy’s late Alex Trebeck donates wardrobe to The Doe Fund, an organization that "provides paid work, housing, vocational training, continuing education and comprehensive social services to underserved Americans with histories of addiction, homelessness and incarceration," - What happens when you mix the world’s richest human and the #1 downloaded podcast in the world? Find out by listening to Elon Musk and Joe Rogan. 3:24

Local News: - In an announcement last week, NV governor Sisolak announced that beginning yesterday, most NV businesses will be able to move into the 35% capacity range and in another month possibly back into the 50% capacity range. It also pushes large gatherings into a 200 or 25% (whatever is less) - CA governor Newsom might be on the hot seat as the petition to recall him says they have the amount of signatures needed for the campaign to happen.  - Sunken boat off of Pope beach still not pulled out of Tahoe's water - In Incline Village – thanks to a grant from the Duffield Foundation, the sheriff’s office will be fully staffed this summer – something that hasn’t been done in over 20 years.  - If you’re a cross country skier – or just want to hit up something different without the lines from the lift, cross country trails have been groomed and ready to roll up at Spooner Lake  - Only sight of weather on the horizon is possibly Friday and potentially into the weekend, but looks like could be rain at lake level and snow at the higher elevations 

Regional News: - 6 more weeks of winter. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania. Hilarious that we still celebrate a rodent meteorologist tradition that start back in 1887. Then, it took until 1993 to become an adjective of something happening over and over again, thanks to Bill Murray.  - Russia’s Anti-Corruption Foundation’s leader, Alexey Navalny, release a video which uncovers Vladimir Putin’s $1.3B, 190,000 sq ft palace which includes a sea port, vineyard, church, casino, underground hockey rink and toilet brushes costing $850 each - Lionel Messi's leaked contract was published by the Spanish paper El Mundo, and it's...astonishing. The deal the soccer star signed with FC Barcelona in 2017 works out to $674 million over four years. Largest in world history. $3.7M per 90 minute game. - Six people arrested in LA after replacing the W and D with a B on the iconic Hollywood sign. (Rob can you solve the puzzle?) - United Airlines warned 14,000 employees they could be furloughed once payroll support from the government expires April 1. Huge indicator for travel trends. - Target announced that it will give all of its hourly workers a $500 bonus as a thank-you for their effort amid COVID.  - Kraft Is Introducing ‘Pink Mac & Cheese’ for Valentine’s Day. Only 1,000 boxes available and you have to register online. Here’s the kicker: it’s actually candy flavored! - New York City restaurants can open for indoor dining at 25% capacity on Valentine’s Day, as long as current Covid trends continue, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Restaurant workers still aren’t eligible for vaccines and many in the restaurant industry are expressing concerns of safety. - 6 more weeks of winter. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania. Hilarious that we still celebrate a rodent meteorologist tradition that start back in 1887. Then, it took until 1993 to become an adjective of something happening over and over again, thanks to Bill Murray.  - Russia’s Anti-Corruption Foundation’s leader, Alexey Navalny, release a video which uncovers Vladimir Putin’s $1.3B, 190,000 sq ft palace which includes a sea port, vineyard, church, casino, underground hockey rink and toilet brushes costing $850 each - Lionel Messi's leaked contract was published by the Spanish paper El Mundo, and it's...astonishing! The deal the soccer star signed with FC Barcelona in 2017 works out to $674 million over four years - Largest in world history which works out to $3.7M per 90 minute game. - Six people arrested in LA after replacing the W and D with a B on the iconic Hollywood sign.  - United Airlines warned 14,000 employees they could be furloughed once payroll support from the government expires April 1. Huge indicator for travel trends. - Target announced that it will give all of its hourly workers a $500 bonus as a thank-you for their effort amid COVID.  - Kraft Is Introducing ‘Pink Mac & Cheese’ for Valentine’s Day. Only 1,000 boxes available and you have to register online. Here’s the kicker: it’s actually candy flavored! - New York City restaurants can open for indoor dining at 25% capacity on Valentine’s Day, as long as current Covid trends continue, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Restaurant workers still aren’t eligible for vaccines and many in the restaurant industry are expressing concerns of safety.

Local News: - Jamie Anderson sets a record for most Xgames gold medals with two in Colorado last weekend - Eagles & Ag in Carson Valley last weekend and this week - Loop Road being discuss again in SLT City Council - City events canceled through April 2021 - NV Gov. Sisolak order flags at half mast for Siegfried of Siegfried & Roy - More snow on the way then clearing for the weekend

Local News: - Lakeside Inn and Casino to auction assets to community - California reveals data used to lift stay-at-home order - Taking flight: Annual Tahoe eagle count monitors species, numbers higher in 2021 - Couple fundraising for Nevada Beach dog fountain and water bottle refill station - Placer County seeks to further address trash issues in North Lake Tahoe - Sledding madness: Authorities issue hundreds of citations, ask sledders to be safe, legal

Global News: - The Sahara Desert in Africa has a fresh blanket of snow after temperatures recently dropped to 27ºF. The area has experienced snow only three other times in the last 42 years; 1979, 2017, and 2018. The average temperature in January is 57ºF. In the summer, temperatures can exceed 120ºF. - Ski resorts in Italy remain closed as government postpones opening day again! January 18th was supposed to be the most recent opening day, but the Italian government recently announced that the public would have to wait – at least until February 15h, possibly March 5th - Top snow totals in North America: #1: Alyeska, AK - 480” #10: Mt Hood, OR  - 196” - Most Affordable Ski Resort: Titus Mountain, NY… Hotel night avg: $53, Day life ticket avg.: $39 - Most Expensive Ski Resort: Deer Valley, UT… Hotel night avg. $286, Day life ticket avg.: $229  - SF software developer was awarded 7,000 bitcoins back in 2011 for producing a video explains the cryptocurrency.  Price then $2. Price now $41k. That’s not the story though. This man lost his password and you only have 10 chances to guess. Two more wrong guesses and he loses $220M  - South Coast air quality management district has lifted the limits on the number of cremations that can be performed in Los Angeles county, citing a death rate that is more than double the pre-pandemic norm and an unmanageable backlog of dead bodies. More than 2,700 bodies were being stored at local hospitals and the county coroner’s office as of Friday, Jan. 15 - Donald who? The measures Biden plans to enact are geared toward undoing some of President Trump’s most controversial policies. That includes 1) scrapping the travel ban on majority-Muslim countries 2) rejoining the Paris Agreement and 3) establishing a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Biden also plans to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit on his first day

Local News: - Greater Sacramento region (includes Tahoe) moves back into the “Purple Tier” and catches a lot of business off guard - Chick-fil-A in Carson City opens this weekend - Big Tree hunter discovers 3 of the tallest sugar pines  - Mutt Madness contest coming up soon to find the cutest dog photo in Lake Tahoe

Regional News: - The Spanish capital of Madrid was still trying to get back on its feet Monday after a 50-year record snowfall that paralyzed large parts of central Spain and hampered the delivery of coronavirus vaccines. 20 inches and 11 degrees Fahrenheit. Video of massive snowball fight going viral. Even had measurable snow in Austin TX and Nashville, TN - 2020 ties 2016 for the hottest year on record for Earth. The Earth is nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer now than it was in the 20th century as greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to rise. 56.95 degrees Fahrenheit was the mark, which is 1.75 degrees above that 20th century average - CES 2021: Monday, the 54th annual tech show kicks off virtually for the first time ever: home entertainment systems, connected fitness equipment, air purifiers are the most popular items to look for innovation BUT the biggest = Hologram technology inspired by "Star Wars" could bring "new dimension" to smartphones - The anti-return policy: Walmart, Amazon and Chewy don't want your stuff back.  These online giants are starting to say “keep it,”…  They’ll refund you for that tight-fitting beanie — but they don't want it back. Why so nice? It's a price thing. Some returns are more expensive to process and ship than the products actually cost — especially cheap or heavy items. Companies use AI to do the math. Returns can cost companies $10 to $20, excluding transportation. So it makes more economic sense to just refund you for that $7 PopSocket - Podcasts are as old as the 2004 iPod — the term is actually a mashup of "iPod" and "broadcast." But the Big Pod Boom came more recently: global monthly podcast listeners grew from 287M in 2016 to 1B+ in 2020 — and they're expected to hit 1.85B in 2023 - ViacomCBS Inc. said Monday it has reached a distribution agreement with Walt Disney Co. ’s Hulu that puts many of its most popular cable channels on the live-television video-streaming service. The deal adds 14 cable networks from ViacomCBS to Hulu’s live-TV option, including Comedy Central, MTV and children-friendly channel Nickelodeon.  - Friday 1/15 = Nat’l Bagel Day!

Local News: - Douglas Co. kicks off Tier 2 vaccinations and state of NV extends mitigation measures for another 30 days. - $200k+ raised for Clean Up The Lake in effort to collect underwater trash in all 72 miles of shoreline in Tahoe - Rock Tahoe half-marathon canceled for 2021, Tahoe BrewFest being postponed to mid-September - Tahoe Chamber “GoLocal” campaign and Tahoe AleworX’s  “Feel Good Movement” blow away expectations with funds raised - Prescribed burns resume in Tahoe basin with mild, warm weather in the forecast with little to no wind

Regional News:  - Mt. Baker has received up to 84 inches (7 feet) of snow in the last 8 days, and another 4-5 feet of snow is forecasted over the next 10 days! Seems like the PNW is the only region benefitting from La Nina - West Virginia was one of the few states without a National Park, but that is expected to change after the COVID-19 relief bill passed in Congress last week. The New River Gorge is the nation’s newest national park. The park is highlighted by the absolutely massive New River Gorge Bridge that spans 3,031 feet, and 876 feet above the New River. The area is extremely popular amongst rock climbers, rafters, and hikers. - The remains of a wooly rhino were discovered in Siberia, and scientists believe that the creature had been preserved by permafrost for more than 20,000 years! The rhino was preserved with its fur, limbs, tusk, and most of its organs. Discoveries, like this rhino, are becoming more common with the thawing of permafrost due to climate change - The Great Gatsby is among a number of classic works copyrighted in 1925 that have entered the public domain. Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. Sold fewer than 25,000 copies before Fitzgerald died. It has since sold nearly 30 million. Now, there’s chatter of all sorts of remakes of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic.  - Planning a trip in 2021? Southwest just launched a fare sale with tickets starting at $29 one way. As with all airline sales, there is fine print galore, but SW has an easy “low fare calculator” - 17% of US restaurants have closed due to the pandemic as of Dec. 1st. That's more than 500K restaurants of every type — from independent, to franchise, and chain — that have gone under. - January is named after the Roman god Janus, whose two faces allowed him to look simultaneously into the past and the future (deep) - Wed. 1/6 = Nat’l Take Down Your Christmas Tree Day

Local News:  - Region’s ICU capacity keeps Greater Sacramento region in “Stay at Home Order”  - Mellow NYE at Stateline in South Lake and first time Hwy 50 has been open to thru-traffic since 1980s - NHL announces two regular season games will be played outdoors at Edgewood Tahoe in February. Las Vegas Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins - New business, Ladles by the Lake, now serving bread bowl soups  - Volunteer opportunities:  Tahoe Institute of Natural Science needs help with their annual eagle survey and a six week B-level movie video shoot in February

Local News:  - El Dorado & Placer Counties join a handful of other counties to push for local control over C19 restrictions - Greater Sac region above threshold of 15% ICU capacity for first time in two weeks - Class action lawsuit filed against Vail Resorts by 3 local employees - Human powered travel and wilderness act looks to remove blanket ban that prohibits bikes on trails - New business, Flatstick Pub, set to open early 2021 in SLT mixing mini-putt golf and pub vibes - Shooting in Douglas Co. leaves deputy in hospital after suspect opens fire 3 times - Barton Foundation virtual gala sets new record of $110K raised this year

Regional News: - Google has announced their top search terms for 2020 — Interesting list to check out online. Wanna know how to find it? Just google “top search trends 2020” - Disney+ casually racks up 70m+ subscribers in the last year plus huge announcement of 10 new Star Wars spinoffs 10 new Marvel shows, 15 Pixar animations and rights to the Kardashians - Amazon's self-driving car startup “Zoox” unveiled a fully autonomous EV with no steering wheel, basically a robotaxi — it can go for 16 hours at up to 75 mph on a single charge. (Go check out the photos of this ride!) - NASA just released some spectacular Hubble telescope images for the first time in years. 30 photos to celebrate it’s 30 anniversary in space. - Cleveland’s MLB team to drop the Indians nickname after 105 years becoming the latest professional sports franchise to shed its Native American imagery amid racist claims - Manhattan Beach keeps outdoor restaurant space open by a vote from city officials reclassifying it to “public seating”

Holidays by the Numbers $230: That’s how much the average American will spend on holiday decorations, candy, food and cards this year. Among the holiday spending categories tracked by the National Retail Federation, it’s the only one that’s expected to rise this year. The group estimates average gift spending will fall 1.4% to $650.  25-45 Million: Americans spend about $2B annually on fresh and fake Christmas trees — approx. 25-30M real pines, and 10-15M artificial trees.  30% to 50%: That’s how much the light intensity in American suburbs rises every year between Black Friday and New Year’s. All that holiday sparkle shows up on electric bills: Running 10 strings of 100 mini-lights costs about $35 over the course of the season. 

- Friday, 12/18: Nat’l Ugly Sweater Day

Local News: - Local vaccines are set to hit the region tomorrow through Friday locally - Gov. Sisolak extends Nevada’s “pause” - Divisive dynamic within Lake Tahoe mind shutdowns across stateliness - CA Conservancy announces massive restoration project - More snow on the way!

- On the night of Dec. 21, the winter solstice, the two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will appear so closely aligned in our sky that they will look like a double planet. This incredibly rare 'Christmas Star' is making its appearance for the 1st time in 800 years.  - The new height of the world’s highest peak, Mt Everest, is 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet), which is approx. 2 feet taller than Nepal’s previous measurement and about four meters (13 feet) higher than China’s reading - Since COVID-19 arrived in the United States more than 10 months ago, it has infected 13.5 million people across the country, or 1 in 24 U.S. residents. How many of them do you know? - 6,000 years of arrows emerge from melting Norwegian ice patch. The record-setting discovery of 68 projectiles from the Neolithic to the Viking Era also upends ideas on how ice both preserves and destroys archaeological finds. - Gov. Gavin Newsom gave a 90-minute press conference Monday in which he unveiled a coronavirus exposure app and public education campaign. The app, “CA Notify”, launches Thursday. Once enabled, it notifies users when they come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Newsom said the app protects user privacy and doesn’t gather personal information like your name or location. Around 250,000 people used the app and 60 were notified of exposure during a pilot program at some California universities - A UK grandmother has become the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination program. - Break dancing (or “breaking”) will officially be an Olympic sport in the 2024 Paris summer games. It will be the latest new-wave sport to join the Olympic program, following sports like climbing, skateboarding and surfing, all of which will debut in Tokyo next summer. - No surprise here, Cyber Monday was the biggest US e-commerce day ever, with online sales reaching a record $10.8B — up 15% from last year

Regional News: - 2020 is back at it again! Invasive and creepy snake-sized Hammerhead worms Virgina and Georgia.  - Yellowstone sets record for visitors last month: The park hosted 837,499 recreational visits, a 21% increase from September 2019 - Historic 2020 hurricane season is officially “over” - Starbucks is offering free coffee for frontline workers through the month of December. - Cyrpto currency is on fire again! Leader of the industry, Bitcoin, hit an all time high yesterday at $19,850 - During the crash in March it was as low as $4,800. - Beyoncé, up for nine Grammys this year, now has a lifetime 79 nominations and 24 wins, making her the most-nominated female artist in Grammy history . She's tied with Paul McCartney for the second most-nominated artist of all time.  - The cost of an average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 dropped 4% this year to $46.90, or less than $5 per person, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.  - Chipotle to test out smoked brisket as a protein option and McDs is bringing back the McRib - CA is delaying the start of Dungeness crab season. Fish and wildlife officials say’s that’s because whales are continuing their migration and could become entangled in fishing equipment. Estimated opening mid to late December. - “Pandemic” named word of the year by Merriam-Webster. Local News:  - 10,000+ active cases in Washoe Co. - 1 in every 50 people within the county! - Governor Newsom announces state of CA to receive 327,000 doses of the C19 vaccine - The Tahoe Film Fest will feature six music documentaries from Dec. 3-6, at the Crystal Bay Club Casino’s Crown Room - Local ski resorts opening with precautions and above average snowpack for November - Epic vs. Ikon ski pass war reshapes ski industry - Local residents open family-friendly tubing park in Meyers

Regional News: - The NFL will hold a virtual Pro Bowl this year, with players competing in the Madden video game - Ken Jennings, Jeopardy’s greatest all time player will be the interim host in place of the late Alex Trebek  - Netflix announces Queens Gambit is officially their most popular scripted series ever at 62m accounts viewed.  - CO just opened their first ever In-N-Out and the lines streamed for miles and wait time stacked up to 14 hours! - Barrow, Alaska just plunged into polar darkness that will last the next two months. Yesterday, the sun set on the city of around 4,300 residents for the final time of 2020. The next dawn will be on January 23, 2021. That’s a period of 67 days of total darkness. - Home Depot announced this week that it plans to spend an additional $1 billion a year to increase employee wages. Starbucks has pledged to give nearly all of its current employees a 10% raise, at minimum, starting next month.  Local News: - After last week’s movement of the CA counties surrounding Tahoe into the purple tiers, we were all waiting for the NV shoe to drop to see how they may differ – and late Sunday governor Sisolak announced that they would not be shutting the state down completely – for the most part took the current 50% capacity on places like restaurants, casinos, gyms, and retail down to 25%. He also put some limitations on public gatherings going back to 50 people & private gatherings to 10 people with maximum of 2 households. Also has said the state’s mask mandate will be to wear a mask at all times when around someone who is not part of their immediate household – public or private – those all go into effect today and are for the next 3 weeks – basically the holiday week + 2 weeks of incubation to see how the holiday fared. 
- Just to add to this a bit, the curfew set by CA governor Newsom for the purple counties (10pm – 5 am) is not in effect in NV. They can’t set a curfew in Vegas, right? So, as Tahoe has been all year – the rules are slightly different on the CA side than the NV side. 
- The virus is definitely surging in the region – most notably in Washoe County, although not as significant around the lake portion of the county – but just as a precaution, thought I would mention it’s not quite time to let our guard down – as if you needed the reminder, right? 
- On the CA side of the lake, both Truckee Tahoe and South Tahoe school districts have made the announcement to move back to distance-only learning for the time being. Announcement had some families scrambling to try and figure out child care – Washoe is supposed to make a decision today - & I would anticipate they also move to distance learning – Haven’t seen anything on the Douglas county side of things but we’ll keep you posted if they do. 
- If you are a vacation home renter in El Dorado county you’ll want to know that the county supervisors passed a first reading of an amendment to the VHR ordinance cap the number of permits outside of the SLT city limits. There was a little dissension on the number, but looks to be addressed in the second reading at the beginning of next month. 
- On the weather front for the week, looks like for the most part we got sunny days and cold nights with an ever so slight possibility of weather tomorrow. Thanksgiving should be a little on the chilly side so huddle around the deep fryer. 


Regional News: - We officially have a new 2nd richest person in the world: Bernard Arnault, head honcho of French fashion house LVMH worth $137B… he trails only Mr. Burns (Jeff Bezos) — Elon Musk set to take the #3 spot by the end of the week after Tesla’s shares soar following acceptance into the S&P 500 - Whole Foods is collaborating with Progressive to offer Thanksgiving "insurance" with a $35 gift card to customers who "commit a turkey cooking fail." You must submit a picture as proof of your inedible turkey — because your family's ridicule isn't enough. Side Fact: Around 40M turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation (lol) - Walmart, which already sells almost everything, is launching a new arm, Walmart Pet Care. It will offer insurance, dog walking and pet-sitting services - Zoom competitor Hopin raises $125M to be the Live Nation of virtual events. It's biggest strength, impeccable timing: it officially launched in June 2019, just around six months before... you know what.  User explosion: In eight months, Hopin grew from 5K users and 1.8K event hosts to 3.5M users and 50K host orgs (including NATO, the UN, and Slack). - Burrito legend Chipotle opens its first digital-only restaurant (Highland’s, NY) as online orders soar. The design is meant for urban areas, where real estate is more expensive and a full-size restaurant isn’t possible - Apple’s new MacBook Pro (with its own M1 chip) is the “world’s fastest CPU core” and starts at $1,299 - The Golden State Warriors want to host 10k fans at each home game next NBA season (50% capacity).The team will spend $30m for rapid COVID testing and other measures before entering the stadium. - Thurs. 11/19 = Nat’l Play Monopoly Day - Fact Check: “If you used a sharpie on your ballot, your votes were not counted” - False!

Local News:  - Update on local C19 restrictions - Tahoe native Jamie Anderson a headliner of US Snowboard Team - Experts offer advice when leaving the well trodden path and into the backcountry  - Strong winter storm on the way - South Tahoe man travels country with his dogs promoting adoption

Local Topics: - Washoe Co. reports 328 new C19 cases just yesterday! - NLTRA launches a new initiative for local restaurants called Take Out Lake Tahoe - Trump rally in Carson Valley raises funds to pay for fines via GoFundMe - Christmas tree permits on sale for Lake Tahoe on Nov. 16 - North Tahoe Fire District will begin controlled burns this week Regional Topics: - Mammoth announces opening day this Saturday, Nov. 14, Squaw Nov. 25, Homewood  Dec. 11. - Sun Valley Resort, the historic Idaho mountain destination, has been awarded the #1 ski resort by SKI Magazine for 2021. - A new ski area is coming to the United States this winter.  Skeetawk, located in Hatcher Pass, Alaska plans to open on December 5, 2020. For its inaugural season, the new ski area will have a triple chairlift, 10-12 groomed runs and a day lodge.  Hatcher Alpine Xperience – the non-profit which will be operating the ski hill – plans to expand the ski area in the years to come to include, ski rentals, ski lessons, lighting, snowmaking, as well as adding additional terrain and lifts - Tioga Pass still open and Yosemite has dropped the day-use reservation system. Likely still limiting total car count. Also, Emily Harrington, a mountain climber from Placer County, has become the fourth person, and the first woman, to free-climb Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan in a single day - In other National Park news, Beep, a Florida-based autonomous Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider will deploy the first autonomous shuttles at Yellowstone National Park in May 2021. The program will test multi-passenger, electric automated vehicle platforms to provide visitors a safe, innovative and eco-friendly transportation alternative while exploring Yellowstone. The plan is to deploy and operate two autonomous shuttles in the Canyon Village but exact routes and stops have not been determined yet. - McDonalds introduces their own new meatless burger. What do they call it? The McPlant of course. Plant based options will be available in 2021 for items such as the Big Mac and other signatures as well - NBA dishes out an early Christmas present. Season will begin Dec. 22nd! - Last week a Humpback whale scooped up kayakers in Avila Beach, and then spit them back out when it realized what was happening. Photos and video online. - Sun 11/15 = Nat’l Clean Out Your Fridge Day

Local: - Forest Services closures begin around the Tahoe Basin for winter - Gov. Newsom’s Thanksgiving guidelines and directives overview - Douglas County commissioners meeting this Thursday - American Pickers is searching for goods in California - Single digit temps this weekend with possible snow as well

National: -  Finally, some good news for 2020: Record numbers of an endangered turtle species have hatched in Mexico this year.  thanks to reduced human activity during the pandemic and dedicated efforts of an Indigenous conservation group. 2,250 baby Olive Ridley sea turtles into the Gulf of California this year. Usually 500 to 1,000 are released - iPhone users get a major upgrade. IOS 14 adds new features like widgets to the home screen, resetting all permissions to apps, and much more (Side note:  iPhone sales were down 20% last quarter) - Amazon just had an insane quarter. In three months, the Zon brought in $96.1B in sales, breaking its record high from the previous quarter. Profit tripled from the same quarter last year to a ginormous $6.3B. But the stock fell because Amazon's weirdly expecting to rake in less profit during the holiday quarter than it did last quarter. - Krispy Kreme is giving away glazed doughnuts to all along with a special voting sticker while supplies last Tuesday. Planet Fitness is offering a way to work off the stress of the election with a free workout and massage Tuesday through Nov. 8. - Home is the safest place to be during a pandemic. But as COVID-19 cases rise across the country, as many as 40 million Americans are facing the prospect of losing that protective shelter. An estimated 29% to 43% of renter households in America could face eviction by the end of this year.  - NASA astronaut Kate Rubins cast her vote in this year’s presidential election from space. It was the second time Rubins voted from the International Space Station. In a video posted by NASA, she said, “If we can do it from space, then I believe folks can do it from the ground, too."

Friday, 10/6 = Nat’l Nachos Day!

LOCAL: - Washoe Co. COVID cases surging. Now the per capita epicenter in the State of Nevada - Gov. Sisolak last week announces NV will not walk back restrictions yet - Crystal Bay Casino hosts live show over the weekend with 150 people in attendance, SnowGlobe canceled - San Quentin C19 outbreak requires 50%, or 1,800 prisoners to be released or transferred  - Outdoor dining in Lake Tahoe battling the cold temps and winter

NATIONAL: - Taco Bell discontinues many popular menu items like the the Mexican pizza and potato soft tacos - Missouri man buys in bulk and freezes to sell for $70 per item - A Minnesota man just won the "Pumpkin Super Bowl" with a 2,350-pound gourd named Tiger King. The champ took home $16,450 in prize money, receiving $7 per pound in a "pay-by-the-pound" system - Reese's Peanut Butter Cups wins the LA Times “Halloween Candy Powder Rankings” top spot - GMC Hummer-EV, 1000 horsepower, all electric, zero to 60 in 3 seconds, 18 cameras, 6 inch suspension lift with the press of a button… I could go on and on. BUT!! The best is “crab walk” where it can drive diagonally!  Check out the video online - Movie theaters offering curbside pickup for popcorn, and you can rent out an entire room for $99… Heav Village has the popcorn offering! - You Can Now Get a COVID-19 Vaccine in China. Two injections of CoronaVac made by SinoVac (otherwise known as Beijing Kexing Bioproducts) cost 2,000 rmb ($300) at the private Taihe Hospital in the Chinese capital. The treatment still hasn’t passed final, Stage 3, clinical trials but is already being offered to the public on a first come, first served basis. Anyone can turn up, pay their money and get the jab (COVID-19 vaccines are projected to be available to the entire American public by April 2021

Fact: In 2 out of the past 5 elections the electoral college has awarded the White House to the loser of the popular vote. Let that sink in… 3M more people voted for Hilary Clinton in 2016, but  77K votes in 3 key mid-west states swung the entire presidency (That’s smaller than some college football stadiums)

Friday 10/30 = Nat’l Candy Corn Day

Local News:  - City of SLT Council agenda items overview - Multiple bank robberies in the area lately - 4 arrested in major drug bust in SLT - Tahoe Land podcast wins highest award for any TV/Radio/Digital entity - New Truckee restaurant offering ‘Mountain Italian’ cuisine

- Earth just experienced the hottest September since records began- Rave: Zoom will start letting people host paid-entry online events with a new service called OnZoom. Beta version available now, worldwide 2021 - Two Bi-Rite locations in the SF are selling brown-paper-wrapped bundles of fall leaves, and for $14.95, you can have around two handfuls' worth of seasonally appropriate plant refuse - Americans spent $3.4 billion in a single year on cracked screen repairs.  - Nearly half of all Americans say they’d find it difficult to pay for an unexpected $250 expense right now. 35% of respondents are losing sleep over personal economic concerns. - The median price of a California home skyrocketed to $712,430 in September — shattering the state record for the fourth month in a row — as sales hit their highest level in more than a decade. It took 11 days on average to sell a single-family home in September — the shortest period ever recorded

 Friday, Oct. 23 = Nat’l Croc Day

Fact Check: - TahoeMemes causing more fake waves saying that ski resorts will not open until Jan. 15 - FALSE!

- Tuesday, Apple is set to reveal this year’s new iPhones. Delayed a month due to coronavirus disruptions, the lineup is expected to include the first major exterior redesign since 2017, when Apple released the iPhone X with facial recognition. - Portland rages on… Protest organizers dubbed the event “Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage”, in response to Monday’s federal holiday named after 15th-century Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, a polarizing figure who Native American advocates say spurred centuries of genocide against indigenous populations - “Air Bridge” on the table for flights from NYC to London

Fact Check: Mike Pence Says Joe Biden and Kamala Harris support abortion “up to the moment of birth.” - False (PolitiFact)

Fri. October 16 = Global Cat Day

Locals News: - Small vegetation fire in Crystal Bay, Lake Tahoe! - Gov. Sisolak to announce Halloween guidelines for Nevada - Tahoe Transportation Dist. cause multiple waves in Tahoe Basin - City of SLT proposing pay increases for City Council and Treasurer  - Forest Service closures this month for popular sites

Global & National News: Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t getting any worse, a brain-eating amoeba was found in a Texas city's water which prompted the Governor to declare a “state of disaster” - California hit another milestone: 4 million acres burned this year from wildfires, that's roughly the size of Connecticut and the most ever burned in one year. The fires have killed at least 31 people, destroyed over 8,400 structures, and forced about 100,000 people to evacuate their homes. Right now, about 17,000 firefighters are still battling nearly two dozen major fires across the state - Venice holds back the water for first time in 1,200 years… 78 flood barriers installed in the seabed at the lagoon's three main entrance points. - SNL is back for it’s 46th season opener with studio fans studio fans - Jim Carrey playing Biden, Chris Rock’s monologue, ridiculous music video by Megan Thee Stallion - September US jobs report: 661K new jobs means a big slowdown in recovery. The unemployment rate fell to 7.9% from the peak of 14.7% (Still 12.6M Americans without jobs) - Twitter is testing a new disinformation-reporting feature called “Birdwatch.” If you see a viral lie? Report it to the Birdwatch queue.

Fact Check: Trump's "boarded Marine One with a portable oxygen concentrator in his pocket with the nasal cannula going up his back, hidden in his hair and tucked under his mask???"

Recognition: Monday, October 5th = World Teacher Day

- Amazon Prime Day announced for Oct. 13 and 14  - 200+ new emojis will hit your keyboard in 2021 - Since all its resorts abruptly shut on March 17th, Vail's profits for the year plunged 68%. But Vail's stock is up 40% since then on hopes of greener slopes this winter - Western Joshua tree gets temporary endangered species status: due to the ravages of climate change — The California Fish and Game Commission’s vote marked the first time a species has been granted protections due to climate change under the state’s Endangered Species Act. Ironically this happened on the same day it granted 15 solar energy farms permission to remove Joshua trees in the way of their projects - The Secretary of State’s Elections Division has set up a service that allows voters to track the status of their mail-in ballot. The electronic service will let voters know when the ballot is mailed to them, when it is received by the county and when it has been counted: nevada.ballottrax.net - California’s community college system is experiencing a systemwide decline of student enrollment this fall, with some campuses reporting double-digit losses. The fact that fewer students have enrolled for this fall reveals a worrisome decline for the nation’s largest college system — total: 116 institutions serving more than two million students. 

- Fact Check: Viral video claims Bill Gate’s is making $200B from vaccines. 26-second clip has been cut from a longer TV interview, where Gates estimated the global social and economic benefits from his foundation's $10 billion investment

- Sun. Oct. 4 = National Taco Day

Local News:

- Forest Service opens back up - Tahoe Film Fest carries on! - Echo Summit closure remains - Local sports protests - BEST OF TAHOE   &  BEST OF NORTH LAKE / TRUCKEE

Quick Hits: - CALFIRE Recap: 3.5m acres, 7,900 incidents, 26 fatalities, 7k structures destroyed - RBG tributes owned the screens this weekend, Trump says he’ll name Supreme Court nominee Friday or Saturday - list is down to 5 - California will STOP new unemployment claims for two weeks as officials tackle 600,000 person backlog caused by flood of cases as the pandemic hit (8.4% as of 9/4/20) - There are 12 propositions on California’s November ballot. But do you know how you’re going to vote on them? Fear not — CalMatters has a fun, interactive game to help you figure out where you stand on these controversial, complex issues. Check it out here at gimmeprops.calmatters.org - The Big Ten Conference will play football this fall, after the organization’s chancellors and presidents approved a reversal Wednesday of their recent decision to postpone the season because of the coronavirus pandemic - All Nevada bars to reopen next week as Clark, Elko counties granted permission to open. The decision comes more than two months after state officials shuttered bars in seven counties statewide

Deeper Dives: - Newsom signs 3 bills into law last week: They include:
 • A bill requiring employers to notify employees of potential COVID-19 exposure at work and to notify county health departments of outbreaks.
 • A bill that presumes essential workers were infected with COVID-19 on the job, making it easier for them to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.
 • A bill guaranteeing more Californians can return to their jobs after taking paid family leave to care for a new baby or sick loved one.


- Fact Check: Instagram screenshot going viral that says RBG tweets “Have information that will lead to the arrest of Hilary Clinton”  Pants on fire FALSE

- Sun. 9/27 = Nat’l Chocolate Milk Day

- Trump’s visit to Minden brings 5-10,000 spectators - Sugarbowl stops pass sales to fend off too many visitors - One Tahoe Plan still in the works and picking up regional news - Woman to swim, bike, and run around Tahoe perimeter - Best of Tahoe voting open 9/14-9/28 Global News: - The World Health Organization reported the world's highest single-day increase since the pandemic began at more than 307,000 cases Sunday… total cases approach 30m and 1m deaths - Trump signs executive order on Sunday called “My Most Favored Nation” that aims to ensure America gets the same low price Big Pharma gives to other countries (also announces he’ll aim to negotiate a 3rd term) - CAL FIRE Update: 3.1m acres, 7,718 incidents, 20 fatalities, 4,700 structures - New “Safe Spacer” gadget beeps when people get closer than 6 feet to you… aimed at businesses looking to get workers back inside and on the job… sells for $99 - Software giant Oracle won the bid for TikTok’s U.S. operations - Hurricane Paulette is rolling toward Bermuda brings heavy rainfall along the east coast Sunday night, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Sally is threatening to grow into a hurricane as it moves toward the Gulf Coast hitting New Orleans Tuesday morning

- T-Mobile has a plan to offer free internet to 10m low-income households…  Last year, T-Mobile announced this plan to close “the homework gap,” pitching it as one of the reasons that the company should be allowed to merge with Sprint. The company has now revealed that it has allocated $10.7 billion for that “Project 10Million” program over the next decade, with the goal of making it available to K-12 students who participate in the national school lunch program for low-income families

Face Check: - Viral FB photo: “some of the firefighters in California fighting fires 24/7 to save people's lives and property”   FALSE - resting firefighters pic happened in Tennessee in 2016, not California in 2020

Take your pick:  Wed = Nat’l Guacamole Day Fri = Nat’l Cheeseburger Day

Deeper Dives:

- A coalition of 160 human rights and advocacy groups have sent a joint letter to the International Olympic Committee, calling on the body to move the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing due to China's record on human rights - Federal wildlife officials aim to remove endangered species protections for gray wolves across the USA  this year. An official at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they have “biologically recovered,” …. its removal from the list would demonstrate the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act - The unemployment rate dropped to 8.4 percent in August, the Labor Department reported on Friday, marking the fourth month of declines even as the pace of job growth is slowing. The August rate is down from its April peak of 14.7 percent, but still remains far above the 3.5 percent recorded in February, before coronavirus shutdowns took hold.

Fact Check: “Kamala Harris can’t be VP, she’s a felon” - FALSE

Sunday, 9/13 = National Grandparents Day

Quick Hits: - “Finger Lickin' Good"? Not so much in a pandemic -- KFC has suspended its use of the catchphrase in advertising campaigns. - I could use a drink: "Booze Fairies" are leaving baskets of alcohol on doorsteps all over New Jersey. - A 3,000-pound triceratops skull dubbed "Shady" was unearthed in South Dakota. - Airbnb employees will be working from home until August 2021 -- longer than any other tech company so far. - 2020 hurricane season on a record pace so far with 13 named storms already - C19 global case total surpasses 25m - USA at 6.1m (more on those numbers in the fact check)

Local News: - Indoor dining in South Lake Tahoe permitted to 25% capacity - Friday: Governor Newsom released revised criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on activities.  The new blueprint replaces the current watch list approach and can be found at. There are 4 tiers, from purple to yellow, with purple being the most restrictive.   El Dorado: Substantial   Placer: Widespread   Nevada Co: Substantia - Wildfire survivors can now apply for federal assitance - Glider aircraft crashes into Lake Tahoe - Bonanza Ranch real estate sells for $38m and pivots to 'Luxury Vacation Rental' for 10-15k per night

Deeper Dives: - Nearly 25% of licensed child-care providers in California have shut down amid the pandemic — and more than 1,200 of the 9,300 closures are permanent, eradicating roughly 19,000 child-care slots in a state already starved for adequate spots, the Los Angeles Times report. In SLT alone we’ve lost 3 so far - California will begin issuing $300 a week in supplemental unemployment benefits on September 7 now that the state's application for $4.5 billion in aid from FEMA has been approved (includes back pay to Aug. 1) l

Fact Check: - False: “CDC has adjusted numbers to show that only 6% of 187k C19 deaths are related to the virus”

International Day: Sat. Sept. 5th = International Bacon Day!

Quick Hits: - 2nd & 3rd largest wildfires in CA state history burning approx. 1M acres total so far - North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has fallen into a coma, a former South Korean official is claiming on the heels of reports that the northern leader has ceded over some of his power to his younger sister. - Greenland lost a record amount of ice during 2019; the melt is massive enough to cover California in more than 4 feet of water, a new study said. - Get excited, Mariah Carey fans – new music is on the way. - Mei Xiang, a 22-year-old giant panda at the Smithsonian zoo in Washington, D.C., is the oldest panda to give birth in the United States, officials said.

Deeper Dives: - After falling two weeks in a row, the number of laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits rose to 1.1 million last week; American employers are still cutting record numbers of jobs. According to the jobs site Indeed.com, listings are down by about 20% compared to this time last year. Data released today says the IRS expects there to be almost 40 million fewer employee-classified jobs in 2021 — a condition that might persist to at least 2027 — based on W-2 forms. - A coronavirus loophole:  Capital Christian High School opens, saying it’s day care. Capital Christian in Sacramento County is offering on-campus study areas for students grades 6-12 to learn online in spatially distant “pod” groups as a way to slow the spread of coronavirus - Political contributions toward the presidential race so far are closing in on $3 billion. The Republican National Committee reports that it raised $55 million in the month of July. That is a new record, which kind of seems to be the case almost every time we talk about campaign fundraising during this election cycle

Fact Check: -  Michelle Obama: “In one of the states that determined the outcome” of the 2016 presidential race, “the winning margin averaged out to just two votes per precinct, two votes.” -TRUE!

National Day: -  Wed. 8/26 National Dog Day

Local Links: - Loyalton fire update - Echo bridge construction road closure coming up - Invasive species turned into dog treats? - Road Rage leads to stabbing in SLT - City Council candidate summary for Truckee and SLT - Heat wave throughout the region

Deeper Dives: - The U.S. on Wednesday last week reported the most COVID-19-related deaths in one day since May, but the nation's most populous state, California, showed signs of improvement Thursday - Three consecutive months of increased spending at retailers and restaurants. Purchases notched up by 1.2% in the past month, having increased in June (by 7.5%) and in May (by nearly 18%). How?? We’re asking the same question. People have cut back on their visits to restaurants and bars. They’re spending less on clothing. But, yes, they’re still shopping. Sales at home and garden stores are up by almost 15% compared to last year, while sales at stores that sell musical instruments, books and sporting goods are up almost 18%. Online shopping, overall, is up a whopping 25%. - According to a study from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, Rising seas are likely to swallow as much as $10 billion of California property in the next 30 years and could erase up to two-thirds of Southern California’s shoreline by 2100 - Chinese company Xiaomi recently revealed a transparent TV! 55” for $7,200 which, when turned off, looks like a piece of glass. Check out photos online… (only available in China right now)

Fact Check: - “Kamala Harris refused to be sworn in with the Bible” - False

Natl Day: - Wed. 8/19 = National Bacon Lovers Day