Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the June 26, 2017, Sacramento Bee.

Legislation on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk threatens an important source of funding for nonprofits in California. The governor should heed a coalition of nonprofit organizations that oppose it, and use his veto pen.

Under current law, judges distribute money from settlements in class action lawsuits that goes unclaimed to nonprofit organizations that do work that is relevant to the cases. The theory is that the money, while not going to victims of whatever wrong is addressed in the litigation, will help prevent some future harm.

But as part of this year’s budget, legislators added a provision to a trailer bill that would take half of the unclaimed funds and earmark it for indigent legal services and collaborative courts such as those established for veterans or mentally ill people who run afoul of the law.

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Two people were killed and two others were seriously hurt July 4 on Kingsbury Grade. Photo/NHP

Two people have died in a head-on collision on Kingsbury Grade.

The crash occurred about two miles up from the Carson Valley on July 4 just before 10pm.

The two who died were in the passenger vehicle. Two people in an F150 Ford truck were airlifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

Kingsbury Grade is closed from Tramway Drive to Foothill road.

Details of the accident have not been released, nor have names and hometowns of those involved. It is not known is alcohol was involved.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Matheus Silva

A professional soccer player nearly drowned at Zephyr Cove Resort on Tuesday.

San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Matheus Silva was listed in critical but stable condition at Renown Medical Center in Reno on July 4.

The team issued a statement saying the 20-year-old received “life-saving resuscitation measures” after being pulled from the water.

The 6-foot-2 Brazilian has been on loan to the Earthquakes’ United Soccer League affiliate Reno 1868 FC for most of this season.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

A kayaker died July Fourth near the Tahoe Keys in South Lake Tahoe.

The name and hometown of the 41-year-old man have not been released.

He was just off shore near Beach Drive when he fell into the water. It was extremely windy with white caps when he went over at about 3:30pm.

He was not wearing a life jacket.

While the surface temperature is about 64 degrees, it is much colder just below. Cold shock takes over, then hypothermia.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Brad Stulberg, Outside

We all want to have long and healthy relationships with our athletic pursuits, so we take care of our bodies through proper training, sleep, nutrition, and mobility. And while that’s all important—vital, even—few of us pay as much attention to how we nurture our minds.

For example, how do we sustain passion for a sport over the course of a lifetime? How do we keep a healthy perspective on competition? How do we bounce back when we fail to achieve our goals, and at the same time, prevent ourselves from becoming addicted to success and results?

The key, psychologists say, may lie in the difference between two mindsets: harmonious passion and obsessive passion. In harmonious passion, you become hooked on an activity—music, art, writing, sport—because of how it makes you feel; you are driven from within and want to get better for the sake of personal improvement and fulfillment. With obsessive passion, externals like achievement, results, rewards, and recognition become more important.

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By Anjeanette Damon, Reno Gazette-Journal

Information on Nevada voters, including names, addresses, dates of birth and voting history, will be turned over to President Trump’s election integrity commission, but the Nevada Secretary of State will not provide confidential information such as a voter’s Social Security number.

Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, said Friday that Nevada’s public records law requires her to provide specific voter information to those who request it.

“As a result, the Secretary of State’s office will provide the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity with only the publicly available voter registration information under Nevada law,” Cegavske said in a written statement.

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Lake Tahoe Community College business instructor Treva Thomas, math and physics instructor Bruce Armbrust, and adjunct instructor/work experience and internship coordinator Jenna Palacio are all being honored for their work in the classroom and dedication to LTCC’s students.

Thomas was chosen by her fellow faculty members as the distinguished faculty member for 2017. Palacio was also selected by faculty members as adjunct of the year. Armbrust was tapped by LTCC’s students as teacher of the year.

Each winner will receive $500 by the LTCC Foundation. They will also each get to direct another $500 toward the LTCC program or scholarship of their choice.

By Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times
 
Long walks can improve moods and reduce anxiety, but the benefits may be greatest if the walks take place outdoors rather than in a gym, according to a study by researchers in Austria. And while the Alps may be a particularly fine place to hike, a vigorous walk in the woods or paths near home may provide the mental boost we need to keep us moving.

Many different aspects of exercise are thought to affect how much we like working out. But in general, most experts agree that a workout’s intensity and its duration have the greatest influence on our feelings about it.

Researchers wondered whether long, relatively gentle walks would make people happy and, if so, whether some types of walks would be more pleasurable than others.

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By Mike Higdon, Reno Gazette-Journal

The invasive weeds and wild grasses blanketing Northern Nevada after a record winter are potentially dangerous for pets — and expensive for their owners.

Foxtails in particular are short weeds with little … well … fuzzy foxtails on the ends. Those foxtails are the grass seeds that come off easily onto clothes or fur. Their spiny structures dig their way into pets’ fur, skin, ears, eyes, noses, mouths and genitals and are difficult to remove.

Left untreated, foxtails can cause infection or even work their way into the brains of animals and lead to death, according to Pet WebMD.

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Westbound 50 is closed at Highway 395 because of a fire.

It erupted at about 12:30 on July 4.

Reports are that the fire has been contained to 1 acre. There is no estimation on when the highway will be reopened. Visibility was so poor is why it was closed.

The amount of terrain burned has not been released.

No cause has been determined.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report