By Aaron Orlowski, Orange County Register

Last month, state water officials eased conservation mandates in response to slightly above-average winter rain and snow in much of California, leading many to speculate that the state’s long-running drought has tapered off.

If only.

The El Niño winter that forecasters said could drench the state with rain and snow veered north instead, striking mostly the Pacific Northwest. The amount of rain and snow that hit Northern California was a tick above average and looked impressive mostly because it contrasted sharply with the extreme drought of the previous four years. Southern California was wetter than in previous years, but not by much.

Now, conditions are shifting, and El Niño’s counterpart, La Niña – a seasonal period marked by lower Pacific temperatures that shrivel rainfall in California – is expected to arrive around early fall and could prolong the dry times in California.

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By J.D. Morris, Las Vegas Sun

Jan Jones Blackhurst stood in a large ballroom at the Mirage on Wednesday and showed an image that she said illustrated a critical issue for the casino industry.

It was more than a dozen headshots of executives from a certain gambling company. All but one were men.

Jones Blackhurst, Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s executive vice president of government relations and corporate social responsibility, told the audience that she was not “picking on” that particular company, apparently Scientific Games Corp.

“It would be the exact same picture of any executive team that I happen to showcase,” she said.

Rather, Jones Blackhurst was trying to show that, in both the casino industry and in business at large, there are not nearly enough women in leadership roles. And she said that needs to change.

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The El Dorado County Area Agency on Aging has a limited supply of senior farmers’ market check booklets available for qualified El Dorado County Seniors.

Each eligible senior will receive one booklet that includes five checks redeemable for $4 each to be used at certified farmers’ markets for the purchase of fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, cut herbs and raw unprocessed honey.

Distribution of the farmers’ market check booklets will take place as follows:

• July 6 from 8am-noon at the Burke’s Junction Farmers’ Market, Coach Lane at Strolling Hills Road, located in Cameron Park.
• July 16 from 9am-noon at the People’s Mountain Market, Garden Valley Park, located at Garden Valley Road and Marshall Road in Garden Valley.
• July 19 from 8am-1pm at the South Lake Tahoe Farmers’ Market, American Legion, located at 2748 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.
• July 20 from 5pm to dusk at the Main Street Farmers’ Market, near the Bell Tower, located at 385 Main St. in Placerville.

Farmers’ Market check booklets will be distributed to seniors who are at least 60 years of age and meet income guidelines (one person household with annual income less than $21,978 or two person household with income less than $29,637). Checks are good for all certified farmers’ markets.

Quantities of the booklets are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

By Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY — Nevada has regained nearly all of the 175,000 jobs lost during the Great Recession and should fully recover later this year, a state economist told the Economic Forum on Thursday.

Bill Anderson, chief economist for the state Employment, Training and Rehabilitation Department, said Nevada added 140,000 jobs from 2010 to 2015. Also, 30,000 more jobs have been added in the first four months of this year, he said.

“We’re getting close to regaining all of those lost jobs,” Anderson said. “By the time we get out to the end of next year, we will have exceeded our prerecessionary high by close to 100,000 jobs.”

Anderson said all employment sectors except mining are showing job gains.

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The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is urging backcountry hikers and backpackers to use extra care when visiting upper elevation areas of the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next several weeks because there is still significant snow above 8,000 feet in many locations.

Many backcountry trails are still covered with snow and ice leaving trails slippery and difficult to find. In addition, current warm temperatures have caused streams to flow higher and faster, which can make crossing difficult.

Backcountry travelers should check the weather before heading out, don’t hike alone, always use the buddy system, leave an itinerary with a friend or family member, and check in with them upon return, dress appropriately with sturdy footwear and carry proper gear including food and water, a map and compass, hiking pole or walking stick, and consider snowshoes and an ice axe.

·      South Tahoe Public Utility District in May reduced water consumption by 36.4 percent compared to 2014.

·       Deborah Urich, Tahoe National Forest fisheries and aquatics biologist, and David Lass, Trout Unlimited field director, recently received the Rise to the Future Award, a national recognition awarded annually for excellence and leadership in Fisheries, Hydrology, Soil Science, and Air programs.

·       Tahoe XC Junior Mountain Riders Program provides children an opportunity to experience and grow in the sport of mountain biking. For more info, email andrews@tahoexc.org.

·       Darren Weston is now executive chef and manager of culinary programs at Thunderbird Lake Tahoe.

·       Alex Ramon brings his “IMpossible” magic show to Harrah’s Lake Tahoe’s South Shore Room June 14-Sept. 10, Tuesday-Saturday except July 19-23. Tickets are $32 for adults and $20 for ages 5-12.

Construction on two trails that will eventually connect Placer County and Truckee could start in 2018.

The eight-mile Truckee River Access Trail will connect the north end of an existing shared-use trail at Squaw Valley Road to the Placer County line near West River Street in Truckee.

The two entities will share the cost for for design and environmental documentation.

Additionally, an agreement was approved by the Placer County Board of Supervisors to have Dokken Engineering complete National Environmental Policy Act compliance documents for the Martis Valley Trail Project. Upon completion, the 9-mile trail would provide a multipurpose connection between Northstar Village and Truckee.

The Northstar Community Services District has already completed a section of the trail from the Truckee town line south into Placer County.

By Kathryn Reed

If life is about creating cherished memories, then Bob Rockwell had a full life – even though many would say 61 is way too young to die.

He was a character. His friends proved that on Saturday with their stories about this longtime South Lake Tahoe resident who died in November.

As a lover of history, the afternoon doubled as a fundraiser for the Osgood Toll House, which is believed to be the oldest building in the Tahoe basin. It was appropriate that the nearly 70 people in attendance faced that old building as others talked about the man they called friend.

Bob Rockwell

Rockwell in the last few years became involved with the Lake Tahoe Historical Society, even speaking at events. The nonprofit is trying to raise $30,000 to restore the toll house; which people were asked to donate to in Rockwell’s name.

For those who didn’t know Rockwell growing up or working with him at South Tahoe Refuse, they were introduced to him as Old Long Skiis (his spelling) as a regular commenter on Lake Tahoe News.

“One thing that amazed me after he passed is how many people only knew him as Old Long Skiis. They had never met him,” Jeff Tillman said. “We’ll miss Old Long Skiis because he set us straight, told the truth and kept us in line.”

Tillman was not only Rockwell’s boss at the garbage company, but his friend. A token of honor was Tillman wearing a T-shirt from one of the many car races they went to.

Rockwell’s genuine good nature, storytelling and love of music were constant themes during his memorial June 11.

It was a different world when he grew up here. Mike Silvera recalled when they were 11 they wanted to ride around the lake with a couple other friends. Their parents said fine. They spent the night on the North Shore camping and then came home the next day.

John Allasia recalled the five-day canoe trip around the lake. No life jackets. The canoe was so loaded down that the water, especially as the waves got stronger, nearly came in.

The sentiment was Rockwell was always up for an adventure even it wasn’t well thought out.

“We went to the same church – the great outdoors,” Kevin Cruess said. He talked about how Rockwell liked to backcountry ski in an area just north of the Carson Pass. It had been years since either had been there. Cruess took his old skinny skis back there last December to scatter some of his buddy’s ashes.

Christy Prouty recalled being set up on a blind date. She was told this guy was cute and funny. She said that was true, and spent the next 25 years with Rockwell.

“He touched so many lives and always in a positive way,” she said.

Rockwell was also an avid gardener. It was appropriate that wildflower seeds were handed out Saturday – symbolizing the circle of life.

By Julianna W. Miner, Washington Post

According to a poll from the National Alliance for Youth Sports, about 70 percent of kids in the United States stop playing organized sports by the age of 13 because “it’s just not fun anymore.”

I have three kids, all of whom play sports, and my oldest is about to turn 13. I may not have understood why this was happening a few years ago, but sadly, knowing what I know now, the mass exodus of 13-year-olds from organized sports makes perfect sense to me.

“It’s not fun anymore” isn’t the problem; it’s a consequence of a number of cultural, economic and systemic issues that result in our kids turning away from organized sports at a time when they could benefit from them the most. Playing sports offers everything from physical activity, experiencing success and bouncing back from failure to taking calculated risks and dealing with the consequences to working as a team and getting away from the ubiquitous presence of screens.

Our middle-schoolers need sports now more than ever.

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By Jasen Lee, Deseret News

Distracted driving is on the rise as texting and social media usage are increasing among teenage drivers, according to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Nationally, during the past five years more than 5,000 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the summer months. And nearly 60 percent of teen crashes involve distractions behind the wheel, the foundation said in a release.

According to the foundation, the report is part of the most comprehensive eight-year research project ever conducted into crash videos of teen drivers. In collaboration with researchers at the University of Iowa, the AAA Foundation analyzed the moments leading up to a crash in more than 2,200 videos captured from in-car dash cameras. The latest report compared new crash videos with those captured from 2007-12 and found consistent trends in the top three distractions for teens when behind the wheel in the moments leading up to a crash.

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