By Jay Bouchard, Outside

Ascending Everest may be easier now that one of the most difficult features en route to the summit has crumbled, veteran mountaineers say.

American climbers Garrett Madison and Ben Jones, both of whom summited Everest in the final weeks of May, tell Outside that the Hillary Step has been significantly altered. Their revelations bring clarity to a debate that left the mountaineering world wondering whether or not Everest’s most iconic feature still existed. 

The Hillary Step, which is located at an elevation of 28,839 feet, was a near-vertical rock outcropping 200 feet below Everest’s summit. It has long been one of the most foreboding obstacles on the mountain’s South Col route. Named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who in 1953 used the 39-foot feature to make the first ascent of Everest with Tenzing Norgay, the step was among the most challenging and notorious features on the mountain.

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The future of the former Kingsbury Middle School site remains a bit in limbo.

Douglas County School District board members at a special meeting July 24 voted to give Patrick Taylor until the end of the month to close escrow.

Taylor and the district entered a deal a year ago for him to buy the Stateline property for $3.15 million. His intention is to build affordable housing on the site.

The district has been looking for a buyer since the school was shuttered in June 2009. Taylor’s offer was the first and only one to date.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Emergency personnel attend to an injured motorcyclist on July 24. Photo/Susan Wood

A motorcyclist sustained non-life threatening injuries after rear-ending a stopped car on Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe.

The July 24 accident occurred about 6:30pm near Grocery Outlet.

Traffic was backed up in both directions while first responders helped the injured person and cleaned up the mess.

The biker was transported to Barton Memorial Hospital.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Sonya Sorich, Sacramento Business Journal

Go ahead and grab the eggs and produce. I’m waiting for this nice employee to pour me 64 ounces of cold beer.

In the increasingly cutthroat grocery world, this scenario is no longer a mere fantasy.

Visit the Raley’s location at 1630 Robb Drive in Reno and you can purchase a growler, a jug that’s filled with one of eight beers on tap in the store. But the concept won’t be coming to Raley’s stores in California soon. It’s illegal for a retailer to fill a growler here, according to the California Craft Brewers Association, which says filling growlers is a privilege associated with beer-manufacturing licenses in the state.

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By Angela Hart, Sacramento Bee
 
Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic leaders last week touted their “shared commitment” to reach a deal to address the state’s housing crisis, after securing the supermajority needed to extend California’s cap-and-trade program to 2030.

But there are early signs that hammering out a deal could be tricky. The Legislature went on a monthlong summer recess without outlining a potential legislative package to deal with the problem, after Democrats said for weeks that they hoped to be further along by the break.

The biggest problem? Reaching a deal on an annual source of funding for affordable housing.

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By Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed

Sierra Nevada College is among the small liberal arts colleges facing financial and enrollment difficulties this year. It has about 500 undergraduates, and the administration acknowledges that it is running behind targets on the enrollment of new students for the fall. In May, the month when faculty members typically receive contracts for the next year, the college announced that no contracts would be given out until August, leaving many on campus worried about their job security.

This month, the Incline Village college notified six full-time faculty members that their jobs were being eliminated, while several other full-timers were told that their hours were being reduced. For a college with 43 full-time faculty members, that’s a serious cut.

But what is drawing particular concern from professors at the college is that those who are losing jobs include the chair and vice chair of the Faculty Council. The chair has been speaking out about the direction of the college, charging that its liberal arts mission is being eroded, and that there are ways for the college to save money without eroding academics. The vice chair has been talking about inviting union officials to visit campus to organize the faculty.

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Occupancy is flat so far this summer among western mountain resort destinations, however the average daily rate is up compared to a year ago, according to data released by Inntopia.

As of June 30, aggregated revenues are up 8.4 percent. This is because the nightly rate is higher.

The data includes Lake Tahoe properties.

For Tahoe, it was unusually cold in early June; it even snowed.

While data suggests that there will be a sixth consecutive revenue record this summer, a new record for occupancy is less certain.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

The summer Bread & Broth 4 Kids program will expand starting July 26 to provide free bags of food and treats at Tahoe Valley Elementary from 10am-1pm. This will occur every Wednesday through Aug. 23.

Volunteers already distributes food every Wednesday at St. Theresa Grace Hall from 9am-12:30pm.

The program provides free food to children up to the age of 18. Youth pick and choose their favorite breakfast foods, fruits, snacks and dinner foods from what is available.

By Victor Joecks, Las Vegas Review-Journal

If you own more than $10 billion in bonds, you should know what a bond is.

That’s why Nevada Public Employees Retirement System board members heard a presentation last week on bonds before their regular meeting.

This is like Nike’s board of directors attending a seminar called “Introduction to Shoes.”

You’d expect the seven people who are in charge of a $38.5 billion portfolio, including $10.6 billion in bonds, to have investing basics down. Especially when that portfolio is funded by taxpayers. Especially when that fund provides guaranteed retirement income to thousands upon thousands of former and current Nevada government employees decades into the future.

But you’d be wrong.

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LTWC is caring for a river otter that came from Modesto. Photo/LTWC

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care’s annual open house is July 30 from 10am-4pm.

The public is welcome to come and see what goes on behind closed doors. This is the one day of the year that locals and visitors can get close to the birds and animals that are rehabilitating for their eventual release back to the wild. 

There is no charge to enter the grounds, however, donations are welcomed and encouraged. People may also donate online. Apparel will also be for sale.

LTWC currently has Emma, the permanent care bald eagle, an osprey, nine great-horned owls, three red-tailed hawks, a baby flying squirrel, four raccoons, a sparrow hawk (kestrel), two river otters and four bear cubs.

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care is located at 1485 Cherry Hills Circle, off of Elks Club Drive in Meyers.