How “Nevada justice” was carried out in Genoa on the early morning of Nov. 25, 1897, at the notorious hanging tree will be told on Nov. 22.

This is an opportunity to learn about “the blackest episode in the history of Nevada.”

The hike will start in front of the museum at Mormon Station State Historic Park in Genoa at 2:30pm and go to the hanging tree and back, stopping by historic buildings on the way. The walk is about a mile roundtrip, with the majority of the hike taking place on the side of Genoa Lane.

Bring water, warm clothes and appropriate shoes.

The event is free, but reservations are necessary by calling 775.782.2590.

By Howie Nave

Daniel Craig returns for the fourth time as 007 in “Spectre” and it could be his last time playing the iconic spy, James Bond. If Craig is truly going to make this his last outing as Bond, it’ll make sense when you see it for yourself.

While not my favorite Bond, flick it does deliver but drags at times. Not so with his last (and my favorite Bond movie), “Skyfall” — yes, even if you include the original Bond, Sean Connery.

It’s not that “Spectre” was horrible (as any Bond flick is worth seeing, even the cheesy Roger Moore incarnations) but the bar was set pretty high with “SkyFall”. “Spectre” and “Skyfall” were directed by Sam Mendes. “Skyfall” was electric right from the very beginning hearing Adelle’s Oscar winning theme song by the same name setting up the mood. I guess it’s just tough to capture that same chemistry twice even if you have the same players.

In a way I think the filmmakers were preparing themselves for Craig’s exit because the overall feel throughout “Spectre” is that James and the 007 program are a relic of the past and about to get scrapped which was echoed in “Skyfall.” And yes, there is a new M (Ralph Fiennes), a new Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and a new cyber genius, Master Q (Ben Whisaw). The main villain this time is Franz Oberhauser, played to perfection by the cryptic Christoph Waltz. Oberhauser is more a psychological terror for Bond, playing on his past and his mind but is also adept at playing with drills.

It’s a good idea to refresh yourself watching Craig’s prior outings as Bond because there is a callback from those films which will help you piece together the global organization that Spectre is and a reminder that you’re not only being watched and videotaped every second, but someone out there is going to use that info against you when you least expect it (hence the psychological link to Bond’s past via Oberhauser). Waltz’s evil character and world domination of information reminded me of Pierce Brosnan when he played 007 and was up against villain/media mogul Elliot Carver (played by Jonathan Pryce) in 1997’s “Tomorrow Never Dies.” For fans of that villain it was no coincidence that Carver’s character was modeled in part after real life media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

And what would a Bond flick be without the requisite Bond girl, eh? This time around I have to admit they picked not only stellar (and hot looking) challenge for James, but one who is intelligent enough to not fall for his charms but dare I say the other way around that could well make this Bond’s final film (with Daniel Craig that is)? The Bond girl (Is that sexist? If so I don’t care it is a Bond film after all.) is French doctor Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) who quite frankly would rather have nothing to do with James because she is not only smart, but reminds her of the past she had to grow up with. There’s more reasons as to why but not going to go there so see it for yourself. It’s a long one, clocking in at 2 hours, 30 minutes with a rating of PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, sensuality and language.

Howie Nave is host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys. You can hear him Monday-Friday 6 to 10am on KRLT FM-93.9.

By Tom Stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle

A new era is at hand for boating in California. Most call it the “Boater Driver’s License.” Its official name is the California Vessel Operator Card (CVOC).

The Division of Boating and Waterways sent out its annual two-year registration certificates this month to the state’s 820,000 registered boat owners. It included a flyer on how the CVOC will be implemented.

Anybody who takes the wheel of a powerboat will be required to pass a safety course and written test, somewhat similar to how a special license certification is required to drive a motorcycle or a commercial truck.

Those with non-motorized boats, such as kayaks, canoes, rafts or drift boats, are not required to go through the program. But if you’re on a friend’s boat and you’re asked to take the wheel for a moment, you then would need the boater’s card.

Read the whole story

A Bay Area man was arrested Friday by South Lake Tahoe police officers on robbery and 10 other charges.

When apprehended, Adam Sanford, 32, of Hayward had a loaded 9mm handgun in his waistband and two nearly foot-long knives in his possession, according to officers. Officers said the gun had been stolen from Pollock Pines a month ago.

Adam Sanford

Officers started looking for Sanford after two South Lake Tahoe men called about 7:10pm Nov. 13 to say they had been robbed by a man brandishing a gun and long-bladed knife. They were near the CVS in the Bijou Center. Then there was a report about the same time of the suspect firing at least one round after robbing two other Tahoe basin residents at the rear of the Tahoe Beach Retreat Hotel.

Officers nabbed Sanford after they saw him walk across Highway 50 to the Safeway parking lot.

Sanford is an ex-felon on probation from Sacramento County for burglary.

He was booked into the El Dorado County Jail with no bail after being charged with 11 crimes including robbery, possession of stolen property, exhibiting a firearm and carrying a concealed dagger. Sanford also had three outstanding arrest warrants from Placer County for theft, resisting police and failure to appear in court.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Jenny Kane, Reno Gazette-Journal

The Burning Man community lost one of its own in the Paris attacks on Friday.

Pierro Jacare Innocenti, 40, of Paris, was killed when gunmen stormed the sold-out Eagles of Death Metal show that Innocenti was attending at the Bataclan Concert Hall. Innocenti posted a photo on his Facebook page of the concert billboard with the comment “Rock!” at 8:45pm, less than an hour before three gunmen gunned down 89 people at the venue.

During the weekend, Burners remembered Innocenti by posting photos on social media of Innocenti along with photos of notes to Innocenti left at candlelit memorials in Paris. Some of the notes reading “Pour toi Pierro” had the Burning Man insignia, a stick figure-like interpretation of the Burning Man, and some read “dusty hugs” and “In Dust We Trust.”

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By Thomas Lee, San Francisco Chronicle

Say the word “librarian” to anyone born before 1980 and they’ll conjure up images of card catalogs, dimly lit study rooms and Encyclopedia Britannicas. Hardly the stuff of the 21st century.

In fact, thanks to the Internet, plenty of millennials have probably never set foot in a library or spoken to someone who works for one.

Yet the person who holds enormous power over both Silicon Valley and Hollywood happens to be a librarian. The Librarian of Congress may be an obscure office, but the person in the job not only oversees the U.S. Copyright Office but also decides what content — music, software, film, etc. — deserves copyright protection.

The position is currently vacant. James Billington, who served as Librarian of Congress for nearly three decades, said in June that he will retire in January, and President Obama has yet to name a permanent replacement. The vacancy has created enormous opportunity for firms ranging from YouTube and Hulu to Netflix and Amazon to not only influence Obama’s eventual choice but also to push through much-needed reforms to the outdated Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

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·       Caltrans has closed Sonora Pass (Highway 108) for the winter.

·      Derek Short has joined the Douglas County Sheriff’s office as a deputy.

·      The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is taking public comment on its nine draft companion plans, which will supplement the recently revised 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan. The public review period runs through Jan. 15. The draft companion plans and comment form are available online. Comments may be emailed to swap@wildlife.ca.gov.

·      Expect more ski coverage on TV now that NBC Sports Group acquired Universal Sports Network assets from World Championship Sports Network, including the rights to nearly all International Ski Federation World Cup events.

·      The annual Truckee Holiday Festival and Bud Fish Tree Lighting is Nov. 20. Festivities begin at 4pm. The lighting is at 5:30. Santa is planning to attend.

By Marcella Corona, Reno Gazette-Journal

Gov. Brian Sandoval joined with other political leaders on Monday who say admitting Syrian refugees into the United States could pose a risk to citizens.

Sandoval said he was concerned first and foremost with Nevada’s security following a recent attack on Paris that killed at least 132 people and injured hundreds more on Friday.

“…It is in the interest of all Nevadans and the millions who travel to our state annually to insist on extensive evaluations of any potential risk individuals may pose to Nevada or our national security,” Sandoval said in a statement on Monday.

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Glenn Miller and Bishnu Neupane hold the final biofuel product based on the gumweed plant.  Photo/Whip Villarreal

By Mike Wolterbeek

A UNR professor is leading the effort to convert roadside gumweed into biofuel, which could help contribute to fuel supplies for the military.

“The plant grindelia squarosa, known as curly top gumweed, has extractable hydrocarbons with the potential use as a biodiesel or biomaterials crop,” Glenn Miller r, a professor in the college of agriculture, biotechnology and natural resources, said. “Gumweed is native in Nevada and grows on the side of freeways and, more importantly, is an arid land crop that requires less water than other substitutes like alfalfa. Alfalfa takes 5 feet of water to grow, while gumweed uses no more than a foot of water.”

Gumweed was planted at the university’s Valley Road Field Laboratory and the Main Station Field Laboratory using minimal water and fertilizer resources. After growing and harvesting the gumweed, it went through biomass processing where it was broken down to liquid that smells like tar.

“We are looking at breaking it down because it uses less water and it’s already acclimated to Nevada conditions,” Miller said. “It would be beneficial generating this arid-land crop because it doesn’t compete with food or animal feed. The primary resource for diesel fuel is soy beans and ethanol for corn which are always in direct competition with food.”

The final biofuel product from the chemical engineering process can produce up to 122 gallons per acre on a biennial basis on the semi-arid lands of Nevada. The crops would require minimum inputs of nutrients and water and have the potential to be converted into jet fuel, which has garnered the interest from the military – the largest fuel consumer in the United States.

Miller said the U.S. Navy is interested in using the biofuel as jet fuel. The project received $500,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has the potential to supply up to 20 percent of fuel demand for the military.

“It is estimated that if even 10 percent of sagebrush-covered lands in Nevada are used to grow gumweed for aviation biofuels, 400 to 600 million gallons per year of jet biofuels could be produced,” Hongfei Lin, a collaborator from the college of engineering, said. “That’s definitely incredible. There’s lots of potential.”

Lin, a professor of chemical and materials engineering is working on the project with Miller to identify a catalyst that can be used to convert biomass into fuel using an unconventional approach to biofuel production. Instead of adding hydrogen to biomass, Lin is exploring a more cost-effective manner using an oxidation process.

In nature, Oxidation occurs when substances come in contact with oxygen molecules. For example, oxidation occurs when a freshly cut apple turns brown, a bicycle fender becomes rusty or a copper penny turns green. Lin is trying to mimic the natural process for biomass deconstruction when converting the gumweed into biomatter for jet fuel.

Lin will be speaking at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting in Salt Lake City where the group’s project is being presented. AIChE is the world’s leading organization for chemical engineering professionals which promotes excellence and advancement in the practice.

Mike Wolterbeek works for UNR.

By Kathryn Reed

It’s not enough to just get high on pot. The latest trend on the South Shore is dabbing.

This is using the byproduct extracted from the marijuana plant. It is concentrated cannabis so it gives the user a stronger high. The end product is called wax because that is what the substance looks like. It’s also described as sap-like.

It’s in the schools and it’s what adults are doing.

“The majority is high school kids using these things. It can be smoked or made into edibles,” Douglas County sheriff’s Sgt. Pat Brooks, told Lake Tahoe News. He said it’s an issue with Whittell and Douglas high school students.

Whittell Principal Crespin Esquival said it’s not an issue on campus or something that is being talked about among students that staff is overhearing.

“They know I do K-9 sniffs randomly,” Esquival said. One was done in the last few weeks and no drugs were found on the Zephyr Cove campus. “I hope they are smart enough not to bring any of the crap to campus.”

Chad Houck, principal at South Tahoe High School, said the use of wax is not an issue during the school day.

“The way they consume their marijuana is not something we always end up seeing or hearing about,” Houck told Lake Tahoe News.

A South Shore apartment is damaged from a butane drug explosion. Photo/Provided

Twenty years ago the normal THC concentration of marijuana was between 3 and 8 percent. Today the pot bought at a collective is 15 to 20 percent concentration. Wax can range from 35 to 90 percent. That is one aspect that concerns law enforcement – the stronger potency.

People don’t always know what they are getting because a joint could be laced with wax. And what kids are smoking today isn’t what their parents were smoking, so the high is greater with less actual weed needing to be used. The problem is people aren’t reducing their consumption.

Wax can be smoked by itself or mixed with the plant, vaporized or converted to an edible.

The drug task force on the South Shore is more focused on adult users and sellers. Those investigators keep finding people making and using wax.

“It’s a growing concern within the community,” Russell Liles, detective with South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Task Force, told Lake Tahoe News.

He said marijuana use as a whole is getting worse locally.

“I’ve been told by multiple students that it is easier to obtain marijuana than it is to obtain alcohol in our community,” Liles said. “I think that is a reflection of the amount of marijuana grows in the basin here.”

It’s legal in South Lake Tahoe to grow marijuana indoors with a permit for medical reasons.

“The other issue is the majority of marijuana grows we eradicate. They are capable of producing multiple pounds of processed marijuana bud in a year’s time. We’re talking 20-plus pounds,” Liles said. “I don’t believe any one person needs 20 plus pounds of dried processed marijuana buds for their ailments.”

This marijuana grow on the South Shore was supposedly for one person. Photo/Provided

The growers tend to be men between the ages of 25 and 35. Liles characterizes them as unemployed and outdoorsy.

When it comes to wax the extraction process through butane is another potential problem because it could explode.

Butane is forced through the plant material. The THC  — the active ingredient in marijuana – then grabs the butane. The butane evaporates off and the wax is left.

“Within the last couple years we have seen more of the butane honey oil labs whenever we eradicate marijuana grows,” Liles said.

Butane weighs more than air. It will float around a room until it evaporates. But if it finds an ignition source first – kaboom! The explosion then causes a fire, of which there have been a few here in the last couple years.

“We’re definitely fighting an uphill battle,” Liles said.