By Daniel Rothberg, Las Vegas Sun

Caesars Entertainment is asking state regulators for approval to quit buying electricity from NV Energy, according to a recent filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

The gaming giant is the latest Nevada company to seek permission to purchase power on the open market. Caesars is the parent company of Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and Harveys at Stateline.

In October, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Las Vegas stopped buying power from NV Energy after paying more than $100 million in exit fees.

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By Michael Doyle, Sacramento Bee

A U.S. Forest Service firefighter from Eldorado National Forest blew another whistle Thursday on sexual harassment and gender bias inside federal public lands agencies.

Reinforcing claims previously made by many others over many years, fire prevention technician Denice Rice told a House panel of repeated problems facing women, who remain greatly outnumbered by men in the Forest Service.

“Women who report sexual harassment are retaliated against,” Rice advised the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “It is your word against his, and you know the moment you open your mouth to speak up you are committing career suicide.”

Rice testified that between 2009 and 2011, her second line supervisor repeatedly harassed her sexually. In 2011, she said, he assaulted her; and then, she said, her life “became a living hell.”

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Briant Benson, 59, of El Dorado Hills, was sentenced Dec. 2 to one year and one day in prison for tax evasion, 

According to court documents, during the years 2004 through 2006, Benson failed to file tax returns or pay any personal income tax to the Internal Revenue Service, despite receiving at least $2 million in income as the president and CEO of multiple medical device companies.

Benson used corporate funds to purchase multimillion dollar homes, buy hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry and furniture, and pay for lavish travel accommodations such as luxury hotels, private jets, and limousines. Benson also used corporate funds to pay over half a million dollars in gambling debt. 

Benson’s failure to report his personal income and pay taxes due and owing on that income resulted in a tax loss of at least $249,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Douglas County has selected a stormwater advisory committee to review and make recommendations to the county manager.

The county manager will then work with staff to develop recommendations for the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

The committee has scheduled four public meetings at the Douglas County Community & Senior Center in Gardnerville. Two already occurred in November. The other two are Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 from 6:30-8:30m. The agendas are online.

Committee members are: Tom Dallaire, Cameron McKay, Mickie Hempler, Greg Reed, John Lufrano, Larry Offensten, Danna Meyer, Steve Teshara, Jan Walls, Bob McPherson, Jenifer Davidso, Charlie Condron, Gary Aiazzi, Mark Gonzales, Steve White, Barbara Byington, Roy Pike and Janet Murphy.

By USSA

VAL D’ISERE, France – Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) brushed aside the disappointment of losing home field advantage by leading the U.S. to seventh- and 15th-place, respectively, in today’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G.

Norway took the top two spots on the podium with Kjetil Jansrud winning his 15th career World Cup. Aksel Lund Svindal, who is back after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Kitzbuehel last season, was second. Italy’s Dominik Paris was third.

The Dec. 2 race was scheduled for Beaver Creek, Colo. However, weather conditions forced the FIS to relocate the Birds of Prey events to Val d’Isere for the opening speed World Cup, where the men are racing for the first time sine 2007. Ganong’s result, his sixth career top-10 World Cup result, came from the 27th start position.

“Seventh place from that start position is a really solid result and I can build off of that. It’s a good way to start the season,” said Ganong, who was bumped from the top 20 on the start list due to a new start order, which allows athletes with 500 overall World Cup points to be slotted in after the first seed. “I kind of got screwed (on the start order) and I was pretty bummed out last night.”

Equally as impressive was Cochran-Siegle’s 15th-place finish, a career-best World Cup result, which came from the 61st start position. This was Cochran-Siegle’s first World Cup super G since his injury in 2013, when he blew his ACL and MCL while racing the downhill portion of the alpine combined at the Schladming World Championships.

Other American finishers included Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) 18th; Ted Ligety (Park City) 29th; Steve Nyman (Sundance, Utah) 33rd; Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City) 34th; Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah) 50th; Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley) 53rd.

By Kathryn Reed

I never get tired of either roasting vegetable or barbecuing them. I will admit, though, I am definitely a fair weather barbecuer.

This time of year there are wonderful root vegetables to cook with. They seem heartier than summer veggies.

It doesn’t matter how you cook the veggies, this dip will add a little different pizazz. One thing to think about is presentation especially when considering if this will be an appetizer, side or entrée.

As an entrée, I cut up all the veggies into bite size pieces. I would do the same for a side. But as an appetizer you might want carrots, parsnips and the like so they would be finger food.

Creamy Tofu Dressing

8 ounces silken tofu

¼ C toasted sesame seeds

¼ C canola oil

1 T lemon juice

5 garlic cloves

½ tsp sesame oil

Salt

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender. Serve as a dipping sauce for roasted vegetables.

Elegance oozes from the Winter Ice display. Photos/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE – Restraint was needed to not lick the supersized cupcakes and other sugary delicacies. After all, they were just decorations on a tree.

But these were no ordinary ornaments, so to speak. Gateau et Torta won the most creative, or out of the box tree at the Festival of Trees and Lights. (This reporter was one of the seven judges.)

This is one of 11 decorator trees on display at the four-day event at MontBleu casino that runs through Sunday. Barton Foundation puts on the extravaganza that is all things Christmas – with the trees being the highlight of the festival.

Lisa Shafer with Wildwood Makers Market designed the sweet tree.

A sprawling display that is more like a New Year’s Eve party than a Christmas celebration won most elegant.
Katie Long from Thran’s Flowers designed what she called Winter Ice. It has the only tree that rotates. All of the extras makes it hard to miss in the large convention center.

Woodland Queen took the overall honors at the 2016 Festival of Trees and Lights.

Woodland Queen earned best interpretation of theme as well as best of show. Jeri Oishi and the design team at Enchanted Florist created this masterpiece. It’s so well done it’s hard to know if this is more woman or more tree. It’s almost like she could come alive, but not in a scary way like the trees in “Harry Potter” do. This queen seems regal, almost otherworldly.

Also being judged were the various trees – albeit much smaller in size – that were decorated by area schoolchildren. The variety of class-crafted ornaments is stellar.

Ornaments crafted by children adorn the school trees.

Winners were:

·       Most out of the box: Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet School

·       Best use of theme: Tahoe Valley Elementary School

·       Handcrafted with care: Sierra House Elementary School.

All of the designer trees will be auctioned off at the Dec. 3 gala. Most come with an assortment of gifts as well. This is the eighth year for the festival. Every year a different beneficiary within the Barton Health system is chosen. This year the proceeds will go toward cancer wellness programs.

Festive wreaths are also part of the holiday decor.

—–

Notes:

·      The festival runs through Dec. 4. For details on specific events at the festival and prices, go online. 

By Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee

The Public Policy Institute of California analyzes dozens of pithy issues, but sitting atop its priority list is the state’s troubled higher education system.

Dan Walters

Once the envy of the world, California’s three-level system – the University of California, the California State University system, and more than 100 locally governed community colleges – is now buffeted by a perfect economic, cultural and political storm.

PPIC’s latest report underscores its dilemma. It found that “the vast majority of students entering California’s community colleges are identified as unprepared for college and placed in remedial courses…”

Obviously, that’s not the community colleges’ fault, but rather one of the effects of an equally troubled K-12 system, which awards diplomas to students lacking the academic achievement they need to succeed as adults.

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By Ben Botkin, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada has joined 17 other states in a lawsuit challenging new federal rules that expand the definition of “critical habitat” for endangered and threatened species.

Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt announced the filing on Wednesday.

Plaintiffs say the new rules would allow an area to be classified as a critical habitat area even if it is only a potential site for hosting endangered species and none are occupying the land.

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