Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra and Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe are accepting applications for the Violet Richardson Award.

Each year the two South Shore Soroptimist clubs honor young women in the community ages 14-17 who are engaged in volunteer deeds such as fighting drugs, crime and violence; cleaning up the environment; or working to end discrimination or poverty.

Each recipient will receive $100. Interested applicants may go online to SITS or SISLT for information and application. Applications are due by Dec. 1.

By Adam Liptak, New York Times

WASHINGTON — When a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in California struck down bans last month on same-sex marriage in Idaho and Nevada, it was no surprise. The panel included two of the court’s leading liberals.

A group opposing same-sex marriage said the composition of the panel was also no coincidence. In an unusual accusation in a recent court filing, the group said the two judges served on a disproportionate number of cases involving gay rights.

The odds of this were 441 to 1, according to a brief filed by the group, the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage. It asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to rehear the Nevada case “to cure the appearance that the assignment of this case to this particular three-judge panel was not the result of a random or otherwise neutral selection process.”

Peter Renn, a lawyer with Lambda Legal, which represents the plaintiffs in the Nevada case, said, “This conspiracy theory is more believable as the plot to a John Grisham novel than a credible legal argument substantiated by evidence.”

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By USSA

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. – The 2015 U.S. Alpine Ski Team was introduced last weekend at Copper Mountain.

Olympic gold medalists Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller and Mikaela Shiffrin were on hand as 42 athletes were named during a public celebration to kick off the start of the 2015 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup and Vail/Beaver Creek 2015 World Championships winter.

The 2015 FIS Alpine World Championships team will be announced Jan. 27.

The team is coming off a five-medal Olympics, with Ligety and Shiffrin winning Audi FIS Alpine World Cup titles. Vonn is making a return after an injury at the 2013 World Championships in Schladming took her out of action. She is expecting to start with World Cup speed events Dec. 5-7 in Lake Louise, where she has won 14 times.

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup swings through North America Nov.29-Dec.1 with a women’s giant slalom and slalom followed by men’s downhill, super G and giant slalom Dec. 5-7 at Beaver Creek, Colo. – host of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

2014-15 U.S. Alpine Ski Team

Men’s A Team
David Chodounksy (Crested Butte, Colo.)
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley)
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah)
Tim Jitloff (Reno)
Ted Ligety (Park City)
Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.)
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.)

Women’s A Team
Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain)
Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley)
Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.)
Leanne Smith (North Conway, N.H.)
Lindsey Vonn (Vail)

Men’s B Team
Bryce Bennett (Olympic Valley)
Thomas Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.)
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.)
Mark Engel (Truckee)
Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.)
Colby Granstrom (Lake Stevens, Wash.)
Nolan Kasper (Warren, Vt.)
Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City)
Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah)
Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley)

Women’s B Team
Abigail Ghent (Edwards, Colo.)
Anna Marno (Steamboat Springs, Colo.)
Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, Minn.)
Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.)
Katie Ryan (Aspe)
Jacqueline Wiles (Aurora, Ore.)

Men’s C Team
Nicholas Krause (Northboro, Mass.)

Women’s C Team
Katharine Irwin (Vail)
Lila Lapanja (Incline Village).

Senior Care Plus offers free informational meetings at its Carson City and Reno locations to help Northern Nevada seniors navigate Medicare benefits and other options for additional coverage.

The annual election period for Medicare beneficiaries goes through Dec. 7.

The informational meetings offered by Senior Care Plus cover frequently asked questions and common misconceptions regarding the Affordable Care Act and Medicare, including changes to coverage, premiums, government agencies, benefits and more. Plus, for seniors looking to control out-of-pocket spending, information on Medicare Advantage Plans such as Senior Care Plus is available.

Senior Care Plus benefits are open to Medicare eligible seniors in Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe counties.

For informational meetings in Carson City, call 775.982.2914 or for Reno call 775.982.3191.

By Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY — A book documenting every Nevadan who gave his or her life while serving in the U.S Armed Forces was unveiled Monday by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Sandoval, joined by representatives of Nevada’s Gold Star Families, the Nevada Military Support Alliance and the Nevada National Guard, unveiled the Nevada Fallen Heroes Book at a ceremony at the Veteran’s Memorial on the state Capitol grounds.

The book contains over 800 names of men and women who died in service to their country dating back to the Civil War and Nevada’s statehood.

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By Kathryn Reed

I don’t understand war.

I don’t understand how killing people, destroying buildings and ruining large swaths of a country do any good. It might prove who has a better military, better equipment and better technology.

I’m not against having a military. I think we need to be prepared to protect what is ours because there will always be those who want to take it from us.

I suppose I am more idealistic than I should be. It’s not that I see things with rose-colored glasses, but I truly don’t see how weapons solve problems – at any level of engagement. I don’t believe violence is an answer to any problem.

Today is Veterans Day, so my thoughts turn to the men and women who have and continue to serve our country in the military.

My nephew is one of them. He is in Special Forces for the Army.

Chris is deployed right now. We don’t know where. My sister and brother-in-law know what continent, but that’s it. And they aren’t telling the rest of the family. Based on what is going on in the world I would venture to guess it’s Africa. And a further guess is ISIS or Ebola are what he and his brethren are dealing with.

He left this summer less than a month after his daughter was born. It’s not like he could tell his boss no or even quit his job without severe consequences. He had no opportunity to take paternity leave. No chance to bond with Annabella. Chris is supposed to be back in March, but the military makes few promises.

When he has been deployed before – in times of war even if Congress never said that’s what was going on – I would send care packages. This time they said don’t send baked goods (which is what I like to send) because it could take a while before the boxes ever reach the guys.

I’m proud of Chris for doing what he is doing even if I don’t really know what he is doing. It is a unique individual who can train for anything, accept orders and go do a job even while disagreeing with the mission. I couldn’t do it. I’m too opinionated and always want to know the “why” behind things.

I support our troops and those who have been in the military. My family has had our share of those who have served. I just can’t support the senseless death and destruction that seems to be what the military is all about.

By Barbara Barte Osborn, Sacramento Bee

Two Sacramento residents were arrested Saturday near Truckee after a report that a vehicle’s passenger had discharged a firearm from his window as they entered westbound Interstate 80 from Hirschdale Road.

The search for the vehicle, a late-model Chevrolet Impala, began when a citizen flagged down a Truckee California Highway Patrol officer at I-80 and Hirschdale Road at 4:46pm, authorities said. The individual told the officer he wasn’t sure if he was being shot at or if the suspect was just randomly shooting out the window.

All available CHP Truckee units joined the search and located the car on westbound I-80, west of the Donner Lake interchange.

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By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee

Seeking to add momentum to a decade-long push for hotel development in Placerville, the City Council on Tuesday will consider soliciting proposals from consultants to perform a hotel feasibility study.

The city over the years has studied and approved three sites for hotel development. Construction began on one site at the east end of town, considered the gateway to Apple Hill, but work was halted due to the recession.

Placerville is the hub for visitors headed to El Dorado County’s wineries, orchards and historic gold country, but businesses and growers say efforts to boost tourism are hindered by a lack of lodging.

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By Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Caesars Entertainment Corp. lost $908.1 million in the third quarter despite a 6 percent increase in revenue, the casino company said Monday.

The financial results were somewhat overshadowed as Las Vegas-based Caesars said it was continuing formal negotiations with lenders and creditors aimed at reducing the company’s gaming industry high debt.

In the quarter that ended Sept. 30, Caesars said its debt was $22.88 billion, down from $24.2 billion at the end of June.

Caesars is the parent company of Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and Harveys.

The company has been in private talks with banks and lenders since September with the hopes of restructuring a portion of the debt. Bloomberg News has reported the discussions cover $18.3 billion.

On a conference call with analysts Monday, Caesars Entertainment Chairman Gary Loveman said the casino operator wouldn’t provide any further information about the negotiations. He said the company was “keenly focused on deleveraging” the balance sheet.

Last month, Caesars said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that one of lenders — reportedly a New York-based hedge fund — walked away from the talks.

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By Aaron Blake, Washington Post 

Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both California Democrats, are two of the most well-liked senators in one of the safest states in the country for their party.

And their constituents would prefer that they be replaced.

A new poll from USC shows that although Feinstein and Boxer have image ratings that are much more positive than negative (by double digits), about six in 10 Californians (59 percent) would prefer that they not seek reelection. Just three in 10 (29 percent) say they should run again.

Nearly half of Californians — 48 percent — say they “strongly” want new people to run. Even among Democrats, 44 percent say it’s time for new blood, while 43 percent say the two senators should seek re-election.

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