By Jeff Daniels, CNBC
 
 Shares of Whole Foods Market jumped nearly 10 percent on Monday after activist investor Jana Partners took a nearly 9 percent stake in the company and suggested it should consider putting itself up for sale.

Jana is attempting to engage with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, sources told CNBC, although the firm has yet to speak about its ideas with the grocer’s management.

In a regulatory filing Monday, Jana said it believes Whole Foods “shares are undervalued and represent an attractive investment opportunity.” The investor group also said it has “substantial experience” in the grocery and food sectors and intends to have discussions with the current board and management about making changes.

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Sierra Club Tahoe Area Group is hosting an interactive meeting to resist the current erosion of environmental protections the club has worked so hard to achieve.

Organizers will discuss local issues and what’s looming in the future for the Lake Tahoe-Truckee region. Participation from members and non-members is encouraged.

The meeting will be April 26, 6-8pm at North Tahoe Event Center, 8318 North Lake Blvd., Kings Beach.

The $5 parking fee will be waived for attendees.

For more info, contact Stephanie Wilson at stephtahoe27@gmail.com.

By Brian K Sullivan, Bloomberg

It’s not your imagination. The weather has been weird.

So weird, in fact, it’s had an almost biblical feel: a February tornado in Massachusetts; record wildfires across the Great Plains and beyond; more snow than ever in the Sierra Nevada; and temperatures whiplashing from balmy to frigid, killing crops and coaxing flowers out of their winter slumber.

While some of the swings may result from chance, scientists agree climate change is adding to weather mayhem and that the world will have to brace for worse. President Trump is also seeking to roll back measures to fight global warming, saying the regulations kill jobs.

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·      There will be  climate change march on April 29 starting at Lakeview Commons in South Lake Tahoe beginning at 10am and going to Bijou Community Park for Earth Day. RSVP to the march online. This is being put on by the Sierra Nevada Alliance and League to Save Lake Tahoe.

·      Michael Mikel, founder of Burning Man, will give a free talk April 18 at 7:30pm at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village.

·      The Bureau of Reclamation plans to restart work at Stampede Dam next month resulting in the need to close the section of Dog Valley Road over the dam this week. Closure will be from the Stampede Meadows Road and Dog Valley Road intersection to the Emigrant Group Campground entrance on Dog Valley Road. Public access to Stampede Reservoir will be along Hobart Mills and Dog Valley Road.

·      The last day of school for Tahoe Truckee Unified School District is June 23.

·      Here is the Sierra roadwork schedule from Caltrans for this week.

By Jessica Hice, Sacramento Bee

A bus driver was struck and killed by a California Highway Patrol vehicle while assisting at the scene of a traffic accident near Truckee Saturday night.

A CHP officer arrived at an accident site on eastbound Interstate 80 near Iceland Grade, about 5 miles east of Truckee, where a charter bus was blocking traffic and another vehicle was overturned, CHP said in a statement Sunday.

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By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal

The people who measure Sierra Nevada snow are running out of adjectives to quantify 2017’s drought-busting totals.

It’s forcing them to use more creative descriptions.

At one snow-measuring site in the Desolation Wilderness southwest of Lake Tahoe there’s so much snow that if it melted in place there would be 10 feet of water.

“You could drown in that much water,” said Jeff Anderson, a hydrologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Reno. “It is deeper than the deep end of the pool.”

It wasn’t the only spot where the snowpack outpaced superlatives to describe it.

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No one was injured April 10 in this Homewood fire. Photo/NLTFPD

A fire early Monday morning caused the roof to collapse on a home in Homewood.

The occupant and dog were able to escape without injury.

According to the North Tahoe Fire Protection, the fire was reported about 12:50am April 10 on Sierra Vista Avenue.

“Firefighters arrived to a fully involved structure fire, with energized power lines on the ground. Approximately five minutes after arrival, the 1,200-square-foot home experienced a partial structural collapse,” firefighters said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Nevada Department of Wildlife

There are many items to check and recheck before launching a boat for the first summertime trip. If you want professional help, find a good boat mechanic and take your boat in for a full inspection and tune up. The Coast Guard Auxiliary conducts free vessel safety checks throughout the year, and they will check all your safety equipment to make sure you are ready for the water. If you do decide to “do it yourself” look below at the list of ten items to keep in mind before setting your boat on the water:

Check life jackets: Life jackets are the most important piece of safety equipment on your boat. Ensure that they are still serviceable, with no rips, tears or other defects. Also make sure the kids’ jackets still fit.

Check fire extinguisher: Fire extinguishers have a habit of discharging over the winter. Make sure you still have a fire extinguisher in your boat and that it is still charged.

Registration check: All boat registrations expire on Dec. 31 of each year. Make sure you get a current decal on your boat before heading out.

Charge batteries: This is an important on often-overlooked mechanical issue. No power, no boating. Charge batteries and make sure they hold that charge.

Electronics and lights: Electronics can fail over the winter even without use. You should also make sure you navigation lights still work and examine exposed wiring for cracks and wear. Make sure that bilge pump still works.

Test engine and components: Go ahead and fire up the boat before you leave the driveway. Don’t forget your “outboard ears”—a device that cools the engine out of the water. Starting the boat before you leave can save you real agony, time and hassle at the boat ramp.

The hull: Just walk around the hull to make sure it’s not cracked or damaged. A lot can happen in a year. Also make sure you have the plug for your boat and it is in good condition.

Tune up the trailer: The trailer wheel bearings need to be greased before you leave the driveway. If you have a winch and other equipment, make sure it works.

Ski and tow check: Tubes, skis and other equipment must also be maintained. Rubber seals and inflatable devices can crack and leak. Make sure they are all ready to go, and don’t forget to bring your orange ski flag if you are going to tow someone.

Gas up and go: It’s always a good idea to replace the gas from last year. Make sure your fuel lines are connected properly and have no cracks or damage.

By Scott Sonner, AP

Nevada’s chief legal adviser wants a judge to dismiss all but a narrow piece of a series of lawsuits accusing state forestry officials of mishandling a prescribed burn that turned into a raging wildfire and destroyed 23 homes along the edge of the Sierra.

The homeowners say they suffered more than $80 million in damages in the fall blaze. They contend the government illegally took over their property and left it “valueless and virtually unusable.”

Officials with the Division of Forestry “breached their duty by negligently, carelessly and recklessly failing to operate, manage and supervise the prescribed burn,” according to each of five lawsuits filed in the past two months by a total of 38 plaintiffs.

Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt and his deputy attorneys said in a motion this week that the homeowners may be entitled to some compensation for unintentional damage. But they argue the state judge should dismiss all claims related to property rights or the “takings” clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

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The Nevada Division of Forestry is seeking applications for the Volunteer Fire Assistance grant program.

Approximately $200,000 from the U.S. Forest Service’s State and Private Forestry program will be available for rural (local and volunteer) fire departments statewide. The purpose of this funding is to improve rural fire departments’ readiness for and response to wildfires, particularly those in the wildland urban interface.

Funds must be used to purchase wildland fire personal protective equipment, new generation fire shelters, P25-compliant radios, and other supplies such as fire hoses. The division is also requesting a prioritized list of each department’s wildland fire training and wildland apparatus needs/requests for future funding opportunities.

Applications must be submitted on the application form that has been mailed directly to individual fire departments or found on the Nevada Division of Forestry website.

Applications must be received by the Nevada Division of Forestry no later than 5pm June 1.