By Associated Press

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke reiterated his support for addressing a maintenance backlog at national parks during a visit this month to the one named for a U.S. president known for championing conservation.

Zinke toured the Peaceful Valley Ranch at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a former dude ranch that is on the National Register of Historic Places but in disrepair and in the middle of a $4.3-million rehabilitation project. Zinke said it exemplified the types of projects needed at parks nationwide.

“We want to make sure that we focus on rebuilding our parks,” Zinke said. “The president is a builder. He loves the idea of rebuilding.”

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Signs are back up in the Tahoe Keys warning about the algae bloom. Photo/LTN

By Lake Tahoe News

An algae bloom in the Tahoe Keys similar to what cropped up last August is back.

“We started monitoring for this at the beginning of April. We found it at multiple locations in the Keys,” Greg Hoover, with the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association’s water quality staff, told Lake Tahoe News.

Cyanobacteria, which is better known as blue-green algae, was found to be at low toxic levels at three locations in mid-May and when retested a week ago was found at only one location.

Hoover said it’s possible the contaminant is left over from last year and not necessarily a new outbreak. He said this is because the canals in the South Lake Tahoe neighborhood had little ice on them this past winter. The algal bloom does not like cold.

Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board is monitoring how the Keys is handling the situation.

Large signs have been posted in various locations warning people not to come into contact with the water. The biggest threat is to dogs and children who might swallow the water.

“We are a little surprised to see it identified so early in the season,” Dan Sussman with Lahontan told LTN. This is in part because of the amount of rain that fell in May and that there was not sustained warm temperatures in the last month. “There could be more blooms as it warms up.”

Testing will be ongoing.

Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association and U.S. Forest Service are organizing a morning community trailhead cleanup on June 2.

This is part of National Trails Day.

Volunteers are needed to remove graffiti off of massive granite boulders and remove garbage on a trail connector into Van Sickle Bi-State Park.

The event is from 9am-noon.

Register online.

By Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle
 
 The legalization of cannabis in California has done almost nothing to halt illegal marijuana growing by Mexican drug cartels, which are laying bare large swaths of national forest in California, poisoning wildlife, and siphoning precious water out of creeks and rivers, U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott said Tuesday.

The situation is so dire that federal, state and local law enforcement officials are using $2.5 million from the Trump administration this year to crack down on illegal growers, who Scott said have been brazenly setting booby traps, confronting hikers and attacking federal drug-sniffing dogs with knives.

Instead of fading away after legal marijuana retail sales went into effect this year, the problem has gotten worse, according to Scott, who was joined in a news conference Tuesday in Sacramento by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and other federal forestry and law enforcement officials.

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·       Tahoe City Food and Wine Classic is June 16, 1-5pm. More info is online.

·       South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Arts Alliance will host an art gallery reception and networking mixer on June 18 at 6pm at City Hall. This opening will feature all the Best in Show artists from the Lake Tahoe Community College art show.

·      Tommy Lee and DJ Aero will be at Blu Nightclub in Stateline on July 14. Doors open at 10pm. Must be at least 21. Advance tickets are $30, $35 that night.

·      The Temptations will take the stage at MontBleu in Stateline on Aug. 3 at 8pm. Doors open one hour earlier. Tickets are $50 and $60, plus tax and fees.

·      Douglas County Public Library is providing a free do-it-yourself green cleaning class at the Minden Library on June 18 from 4-6pm and at the Zephyr Cove Library on June 20 from 2-4pm. All supplies will be provided.

By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal

Health officials in Placer County say a Tahoe-area resident died after contracting hantavirus.

According to a statement from county health officials, rodents at the home where the resident lived and worked were the likely source, health officials said.

They said the public is not at risk from the source tied to the resident’s death.

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By Levi Sumagaysay, Bay Area News Group

The California State Senate on Wednesday approved a net neutrality bill that has been called the “gold standard” of such bills in the nation, as states grapple with a controversial repeal of Obama-era federal rules meant to ensure an open internet.

The state senate voted 23 to 12 to adopt SB 822, the bill by State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, in another rebuke to the Trump administration on this issue.

The majority-Republican Federal Communications Commission, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, who was named to his position by President Trump, repealed the 2015 Open Internet Rules in December. Pai said the net neutrality rules amounted to government overreach and hurt broadband investment.

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After a one-year hiatus, the Truckee Duckee Derbee returns to the River Ranch Lodge on June 24.

Billed as the “most unpredictable two minutes in Tahoe,” this year’s event will mark the official summer opening of River Ranch’s popular outdoor patio.

The rubber duck races, which were canceled last year because of high water conditions, benefit the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe. The afternoon’s festivities also include live music provided by the After Eights on the outdoor patio, a barbecue, drink specials, raffle, the hilarious “Dogz in Dudz” K-9 costume contest, and the “Cool Catz in Hatz” contest open to all “human” attendees.

Once again a local canine will be honored as the TDD’s “Pet of Honor.” This year’s recipient is Leana who was found abandoned on Donner Summit emaciated and with a bullet fragment in her head. Through the efforts of the HSTT, Leana was rescued, rehabilitated and adopted. She now serves as a therapy dog.

The pre-race party and registration starts at 1pm. Cost to sponsor a duck is $10 and the top three ducks win cash. There is no cost to enter the K-9 costume or hat contest.

Ducks may be purchased online prior to the event and Derbee winners need not be present to collect cash prizes. 

To the community,

I’m glad that you are opposed publicly to Mr. [Kenny] Curtzwiler’s attempt at supervisor. As I recall back to late October, or perhaps early November, he made a proposal that I contend was absurd. Curtzwiler said that to raise money to repair our city streets, we should assess an added tax against Heavenly Valley lift tickets. I was floored.

First, that wasn’t going to solve the problem that was the City Council misdirecting money away from street repairs and into other areas. Second, Heavenly Valley, run by Vail Resorts, would surely sue the city and prevail. Mr. Curtzwiler is a reckless bum, that has no place in any public leadership role.

Right now we need people to step up and run for our City Council. Is there anybody out there ready to take on a leadership role to run our city? These people presently on our City Council are not willing to make the tough decisions and lead our city. I know Mr. Curtzwiler is running for a countysupervisor seat. But I am most worried about the city of South Lake Tahoe right now.

Daniel Harvey, South Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe Optimist Club will be having its annual Kids Fishing Derby on June 2 at Sawmill Pond in South Lake Tahoe.

It is free to everyone 14 and younger.

Fishing tackle and bait will be available, as well as instruction from Tahoe Fly Fishing guides. There will also be a free fish cleaning stable.

The event is from 8am-noon.

Food will be provided.