In an effort to fight distracted driving and raise public awareness during National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 19-25, Caltrans, Office of Traffic Safety and California Highway Patrol have launched an interactive, mobile and online game called “Distraction Zone” to help educate teen drivers about safe driving.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for 14- to 18-year-olds in the United States.

According to 2012 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, among drivers 15- to 19-years-old who were distracted in fatal crashes, nearly 1 in 5 were distracted by their phones. Speeding is also a common contributing factor in fatal crashes. In 2012, speeding was a factor in almost half (48 percent) of the crashes that killed 15- to 20-year-old drivers.

“Distraction Zone” is designed to reinforce key safe driving behaviors like avoiding distractions, being alert, and slowing down when approaching highway work zones.

Mobile versions of the game are available for download and or go online.

El Dorado County sheriff’s deputies are looking for this man.

The man accused of firing a gun at an El Dorado County sheriff’s deputy remains at-large.

He is described as a white male, approximately 6-feet-1-inch or 6-feet-2-inches, weighing approximately 200 to 250 pounds, with a goatee.

The incident occurred the morning of Oct. 17 on Cable Road in Camino.

There was a struggle between the two men. Then the suspect fired at the deputy, missing him. He then fled.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Updated Oct. 22 7:42am:

Police are looking for the knife that was used to stab a woman on Oct. 16 in South Lake Tahoe.

The weapon is described as being 10-inches long, with the blade being 6 inches. The knife has ornate etchings of an elk and/or a bear. It is likely the knife was abandoned while sheathed in a nylon cover of unknown color. The knife may have been placed under the end of a fallen tree root or older log.

Officers believe the knife was discarded in the outlined area.

Investigators believe the suspect discarded the weapon as he fled from the crime scene. Extensive searches of the initial scene and surrounding areas with two K9s have not turned up the knife.

Thomas Payne

Thomas Payne has been arrested on on attempted murder charges. His wife was taken to the hospital with life threatening injures. She has since been released and is doing well, according to officers.

If anyone discovers the weapon, they are asked to leave it and call immediately call police at 530.542.6100.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

To the community,

My Girl Scout gold award project is called Easy Access Books mini-library program. The project began after realizing the difficulty for community members without permanent residence to obtain a library card and access books.

Therefore, I created a mini-library in the lobby of the Barton Community Health Center to provide patients access to books and reading material. With the help of the Barton Auxiliary, the Barton Attic Thrift Store, and generous donations from employees and community members, the library has been fully stocked since April.

The response from the Community Health Center patients has been positive as the books have been flying off the shelves. Book donations will continue to be collected by dropping off gently used books on Mondays in the hospital’s front lobby.

I’d like to thank the community for your support.

Sarah Novak, South Lake Tahoe Girl Scout Troop 607

By Frederick Reimers, Outside

The ticket-window price at major ski resorts this season will be well north of $100, especially during peak times like Christmas and Presidents Day weekend. That’s not to mention the $7 pints of beer, $12 burgers and that $10 can of peanuts you can’t resist grabbing from the minibar at 1am after bar hopping through quaint, snowy streets. But it is possible to cut some costs.

The best deals are always going to be season passes or multi-resort pass deals like the Mountain Collective and the Epic Pass. But if you can’t commit to that much resort riding, you should still buy your day-tickets now.

The Fairmont at Whistler is on the slopes of the ski resort. Photo/LTN file

“Buying your tickets in advance is just as important to cost savings as is skiing at off-peak times,” says Evan Reece, CEO of Liftopia, an online broker of lift tickets similar to airline ticket aggregators like Kayak.com and Skyscanner.com. “The earlier you purchase, the cheaper it will be.”

While you can buy slightly discounted advance tickets on the websites of major resorts like Vail and Jackson Hole, it’s a good idea to check out Liftopia first. They sell tickets for as much as 85 percent off face value for days when demand is projected to be low (think the Tuesday after Presidents Day weekend) at 250 resorts worldwide.

The problem with advanced tickets, however, is weather. Say its 20 below, or there’s freezing rain glazing the chairlifts, and you rightly decide to stay in the hot tub all day instead of skiing. You’ll have to eat the cost of the ticket. Or at least you would have in previous years. This season, however, Liftopia is adding flexibility to their model with two new tiers of pricing that allow purchasers to change their lift ticket to a different day without an additional fee. The “Value Plus” ticket will cost a bit more and allow a single date change. The “Flexible” option allows unlimited changes, though in both cases the buyer is responsible for the difference in cost if there is one.

Read the whole story

Three South Lake Tahoe gang members were arrested in connection with a home robbery, with a fourth suspect still at-large.

The victim, whose name is not being released, reported the Oct. 11 crime to police officers on Oct. 13.

“They entered the victim’s residence, assaulted him – no weapons were used – and took several items of personal property from him,” Lt. David Stevenson told Lake Tahoe News.

The robbery occurred in the Ski Run Boulevard area, with the arrests occurring Oct. 14 on Bobby Grey Circle.

“Based on the suspects’ gang affiliations and their history, the SWAT team was used to serve the warrants,” Stevenson said.

What gang they are associated with has not been released.

Anthony Baltazar, 20, Jose Chan, 20, and Nathan Garrett, 18, were arrested on charges of robbery and burglary.

Stevenson said the victim and suspects were acquaintances of each other. It is not known what led to the altercation, nor has the extent of the victim’s injuries been released.

Identity of the fourth suspect has not been released.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Drivers of these two vehicles were hurt Oct. 18. Photo/North Tahoe Fire

Two people were hurt Saturday afternoon in a head-on collision in Kings Beach.

Alexander M. Bell, 30, of Kings Beach, crossed into oncoming traffic Oct. 18 on Highway 28, according to the California Highway Patrol. His vehicle collided with a vehicle driven by John M. McKnight, 68, of Carnelian Bay.

Both men were airlifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno with broken femurs.

Officers said they do not believe alcohol was a factor. The cause is under investigation.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

A motorcyclist was hit in Truckee on Oct. 20. Photo/Provided

A motorcyclist was seriously injured Monday after being hit by an alleged drunken driver in Truckee.

The collision occurred Oct. 20 at 7:02pm at the intersection of Brockway and Highway 267. Highfield has one prior DUI conviction and is on court probation for DUI.

The name of the 32-year-old Truckee resident riding the motorcycle has not been released. Officers said he suffered serious injuries and was transported to Tahoe Forest Hospital. He is expected to recover from his injuries.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

There will be a meeting Nov. 6 at 6pm regarding the draft environmental impact report for the proposed Placerville courthouse.

California’s Judicial Council will present the information about the proposed courthouse that would be built adjacent to the county jail on Forni Road.

The comment period closes 5 pm Dec. 1.

More info may be found online.

The meeting is in Building C Hearing Room, 2850 Fairlaine Court, Placerville.

The proposed project will house six courtrooms in approximately 88,000 square feet. The project is funded by Senate Bill 1407, which finances critically needed courthouse construction, renovation, and repairs through fees, fines, and penalties paid by court users, without drawing from taxpayer revenues. Projected completion date for the new courthouse is fall 2020.

The Wrights Lake Recreation Area on the Eldorado National Forest will be open to free public firewood gathering on Oct. 25-26 and Nov. 1-2 from 9am-4pm.

Woodcutters will be issued a free permit on site.

The area was severely damaged last winter when more than 200 trees fell during extremely high winds. The storm caused extensive damage to the campground, picnic areas and trails in the area.

Forest Service district employees worked hard last spring to make the area safe by hosting a special clean-up event where members of the community were allowed to remove numerous loads of wood under permit. The area, though, is still littered with a large number of downed trees.

The following rules will be in effect during the event:

· Free Permit is for personal use only. No commercial wood gathering for resale will be allowed.

· No early entry will be allowed.

· Recreation activities will be restricted during this event to provide for public safety. Access to the Rockbound and Twin Lakes trail heads will be allowed.

· Wood cutters must remain on existing paved roads, pull-outs and spurs, and must not block roads, gates or closure barriers.

· Only newly wind downed logs will be permitted for cutting. Older weathered logs must be left on site.

· Woodcutters must check out and exit the gate prior to 4pm each day.

·Members of the public not honoring these rules will be asked to leave.