By Michelle Castillo, CBS News

The obesity epidemic is affecting not only people but their pets as well.

More than half the dogs and cats in the U.S. are at least overweight, and one out of five is obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention.

Just like their human companions, excess weight can bring on a host of health problems for pets. Being overweight can increase risk of osteoarthritis, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and respiratory disease, cranial cruciate or anterior knee ligament injury, kidney disease and some cancers. It can decrease an animal’s life expectancy by up to 2.5 years.

Banfield Pet Hospital, which operates more than 850 veterinary facilities across the U.S., found that dog diabetes rose 32 percent between 2006 and 2010, while the number of cats with the disease went up 16 percent during the same time frame.

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By Amber Phillips, Las Vegas Sun

Seeking a federal crackdown on illegal gambling, the gaming industry’s leading Capitol Hill lobby is wading into the debate over President Obama’s pick to be America’s top law enforcement officer.

The American Gaming Association has made it a high priority to protect the growing gaming industry against illegal gambling in 2015, and its leaders see the attorney general debate as one of the earliest and best vehicles to do that.

Obama nominated New York federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch to replace longtime Attorney General Eric Holder, who is stepping down. The Senate Judiciary Committee will start hearings for Lynch’s confirmation on Wednesday, and her prospects for confirmation aren’t clear in a Republican-controlled Senate.

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The reported victim in the strong-arm robbery in Roseville that involved three South Shore men has recanted his story.

According to Dee Dee Gunther with the Roseville Police Department, the victim and suspects knew each and there was no car on Craigslist that was being bought or sold.

Gunther told Lake Tahoe News the four knew each other. The “victim” did have facial injuries, but declined medical assistance.

She added that the three who were arrested last weekend would not face charges in Roseville. South Lake Tahoe officials could not be reached to know if they face local charges.

Here is the original story.

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Several outdoor art shows will be staged throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin this summer.

Pacific Fine Arts Festivals, the producer these art festivals, is putting on a variety of two- and three-day shows. The are designed to be family-oriented events.

The 2015 festivals include:

July

Homewood, July 3-5 — The 4th of July Fine Arts and Crafts Festival will bring together a group of more than 50 artists showcasing their assortment of collectable arts and crafts in a variety of media including paintings, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, photography and much more from 10am-5pm. Homewood is located off Highway 89 at Homewood Mountain Resort, six miles southwest of Tahoe City.

Homewood, July 24-26 — Fine Arts and Crafts Festival will feature more than 50 artists showcasing an assortment of collectable arts and crafts in a variety of media including paintings, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, photography and much more from 10am-5pm at Homewood Mountain Resort.

August

Homewood, Aug. 7-9 – Homewood Mountain Resort, Fine Arts and Crafts Festival hosts more than 50 artists showcasing handcrafted works from 10am-5pm.

Tahoe City, Aug. 14-16 and Aug. 21-23 — The Tahoe City Boatworks Mall hosts the Tahoe City Fine Arts & Crafts Festival. The seventh annual event is from 10am-5pm each day on the lawn area beside the indoor Boatworks Mall, adjacent to Tahoe City Marina overlooking the lake. Forty artists and crafters will showcase their handcrafted works.

Homewood, Aug. 28-30 — The Fine Arts and Crafts Festival brings together a group of 60 artists and craftspeople showcasing their wares from 10am-5pm.

September

Homewood, Sept. 4-6 — The Labor Day Fine Arts and Crafts Festival in Homewood gives visitors one last chance to enjoy unique creations from 60 artists and craftspeople from 10am-5pm at Homewood Mountain Resort.

Truckee, Sept. 12-13 — The Historic Downtown Truckee Arts & Crafts Festival is hosted by the Truckee Downtown Merchant’s Association and features the original work of more than 60 artists and crafters in downtown Truckee on the closed street of Bridge Street between Donner Pass Road and Jibboom Street. It is open from 10am-6pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday.

The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe has taken in three dogs rescued in Thailand.

Soi Dog, a Thai rescue organization saved the animals from an illegal dog-meat trade then worked with HSTT to shelter the trio and find them homes. They arrived in Truckee Jan. 18.

This is the first time HSTT has taken in animals from an international shelter. The Truckee shelter is one of two in the U.S. that Soi Dog has worked with. Soi Dog works with a handful of other countries to protect abused and neglected animals.

The dogs, named Flame, Mable, and Gypsy, were flown from Bangkok to San Francisco with flight volunteers arranged by Soi Dog. The medium sized, mix breed dogs between the ages and 2 and 3, have been adjusting well to their new beginning in the Sierra Nevada. One has already been adopted by a volunteer who helped transport them from San Francisco. Flame and Mable are still up for adoption.

Flame, Mable and dozens of other pets are available for adoption. They have been spayed, micro-chipped, vaccinated, and are heartworm negative.

For more information about adoption or contributing to the shelter’s rescue efforts, call 530.587.5948.

By Matt Ferner, Huffington Post

Legal marijuana is the fastest-growing industry in the United States and if the trend toward legalization spreads to all 50 states, marijuana could become larger than the organic food industry, according to a report obtained by the Huffington Post.

Researchers from the ArcView Group, a cannabis industry investment and research firm based in Oakland, found that the U.S. market for legal cannabis grew 74 percent in 2014 to $2.7 billion, up from $1.5 billion in 2013.

The group surveyed hundreds of medical and recreational marijuana retailers in states where sales are legal, as well as ancillary business operators and independent cultivators of the plant, over the course of seven months during 2013 and 2014. ArcView also compiled data from state agencies, nonprofit organizations and private companies in the marijuana industry for a more complete look at the marketplace.

“In the last year, the rise of the cannabis industry went from an interesting cocktail conversation to being taken seriously as the fastest growing industry in America,” Troy Dayton, CEO of The ArcView Group and publisher of the third edition of the State of Legal Marijuana Markets, said in the executive summary of the report. “At this point, it’s hard to imagine that any serious businessperson who is paying attention hasn’t spent some time thinking about the possibilities in this market.”

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By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney 

One million audits.

That’s how many audits the IRS plans to conduct this year, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told reporters Thursday.

While 1 million is hardly small potatoes, it’s a lot less than the 1.4 million audits the agency conducted in 2013 and the 1.2 million it conducted last year.

The reason for the steady decline: Budget cuts that will leave the agency operating at a level that is 17% below where it was 5 years ago.

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Three El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department employees will have their swearing in ceremony at South Lake Tahoe on Feb. 17.

Mike Yarbrough will be a sergeant, Matt Underhill lieutenant, and Randy Peshon undersheriff. Peshon replaces retiring Rich Williams. All three have strong ties to the South Shore.

El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Kingsbury will preside over the 4pm ceremony.

The public is welcome. The courtroom is at 1354 Johnson Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

• Sierra Nevada College has a new logo.

• Ed Wilson, 59, of Placerville has been appointed deputy assistant director of public affairs at the California Department of Water Resources.

• Travis Cabral has been promoted to sergeant in the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

• South Lake Tahoe is soliciting applications for a layperson for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Advisory Planning Commission. Applications are online. The deadline is Jan. 28 at 5pm.

• The South Lake Tahoe dog park is open.

Michael Eardley and Anne Roos often collaborate. Photo/Provided

By Kathryn Reed

Listen closely. Hear that harp? It’s the delicate hands of Anne Roos making sweet sounds on those fine strings.

While this South Lake Tahoe resident has been playing the harp for more than 30 years, this is the first year she has been invited to the Grammy’s. Roos contributed to one track of an album that is up for Best New Age Album.

“I’m very pleased with this album and really happy to be part of the project,” Roos told Lake Tahoe News. “The music this gentleman put together is so lush, so full.”

Ricky Kej is the composer and keyboardist, while Wouter Kellerman is the flutist. “Winds of Samsara” is the album, with track No. 8 “Eyes of Wonder” where Roos comes in.

She is considered a sideman for her role. She was paid for her work, but does not receive royalties.

While Roos is rightfully excited about the honor, she is staying grounded. Even if the album wins, she will not take home a trophy, but instead will receive a certificate. She calls her seats at the Feb. 8 event in the peanut gallery, far from television cameras. And she doesn’t expect to be rubbing elbows on the red carpet with better-known musicians. In fact, she’s not sure if she will be on the red carpet.

Anne Roos often plays at venues on the South Shore. Photo/Jarvis Photography

New age and other less popular categories receive their awards earlier in the day. But she will be watching the main event from inside the Staple Center in Los Angeles.

“What I’m really looking at is this as a grand networking opportunity,” Roos said, adding, “And maybe to have the door open for other opportunities.”

There is no one person in particular she is looking to meet.

Roos didn’t know Kej before this encounter, but had heard of him through his work in Bollywood. Kej, who lives in India, was looking for a harpist and sent Roos a message via Facebook. Thus began their working relationship.

While it’s not unusual for musicians to record a track separately, Roos won’t do so from her home. She wants her music to have a higher quality so she goes to Tanglewood Productions in Reno where engineer Michael Eardley helps lay down the track.

The bulk of the time when Roos tells someone they are going to have to pay for studio time, that is the last she hears from them. Kej didn’t wince. It obviously paid off.