By Bobby Magill, Climate Central

The easing of California’s drought has boosted the state’s early spring hydropower generation to its highest level since 2011, helping it to recover from a 15-year low reached last year. But hydroelectricity production is not expected to improve much overall this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The West’s four-year drought desiccated many reservoirs in California, the nation’s fourth largest hydropower producer, reducing their ability to generate electricity and forcing the state to rely on other renewables and more fossil fuels for its power supply.

Prior to the drought, hydropower produced nearly 40 percent of the state’s electricity during wet years, with natural gas producing most of the rest. Today, about 11 percent of the state’s electricity comes from hydropower and 52 percent comes from natural gas, with wind, solar and nuclear producing much of the rest.

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A Truckee woman leading a group of climbers near Donner Summit had to be airlifted to a hospital on Friday.

The 33-year-old, whose name has not been released, sustained major injuries after falling from the rock face at Nova Express on the Snowed Wall.

Calstar flew the woman to Renown Medical Center in Reno on June 3 about 2:45pm after a California Highway Patrol airlifted her from the fall site to the parking lot at Sugar Bowl ski resort.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Homewood Mountain Resort’s owners, JMA Ventures, now own Homewood High & Dry Marina.

JMA, which already owns West Shore Café, said the three properties will share management and marketing efforts.

Long-time marina owner David Topol will remain responsible for day-to-day management.

The marina will offer new services and amenities this summer including gourmet grab-and-go meals and provisions for boaters produced by West Shore Cafe, improved parking, and online buoy and dry storage rentals by the day.

After years of lawsuits, Homewood Mountain Resort expects to break ground on a five-star hotel, condos and village in summer 2017. Owners want to make Homewood a year-round destination.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Eli Segall, Las Vegas Sun

A federal agency has proposed new regulations for short-term, high-interest lenders in an effort to end borrowers’ “payday debt traps.”

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said its proposal would require payday lenders, auto-title lenders and others “to take steps” to ensure customers have the ability to pay back their loans.

The agency says it has “serious concerns” that “risky” lending practices are “pushing borrowers into debt traps” — chief among them, that borrowers “are being set up to fail with loan payments that they are unable to repay.”

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TOCCATA — Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus — kicks off its 11th Summer MusicFest on June 12 with Go4Baroque — Summer Solstice Series.

The program opens with Bach’s “Concerto in C minor BWV1060” featuring Josue Casillas on flute and Nita Tune, oboe, and continues with Bach’s “Cantata BWV 180, Schmücke dich”, with soloists Anna Helwing, Becky Earl, and Anne Davidson, sopranos; Brad Perry, tenor; and Emzy Burroughs, baritone. The program continues with Vivaldi’s “Concerto in D” for guitar featuring Yuri Liberzon, and “Concerto for Recorder in F” featuring John Cardosa. A concerto by Johann Fasch for two oboes features Elizabeth Eubanks and Rebecca Mueller.

The concert concludes with Bach’s famous “Brandenburg Concerto No. 4” for violin and two flutes, strings and continuo. Jeff Lindhorst and Rick Stockton will be the violin soloists, with Josue Casillas and Allison Smith on flute. Nick Haines and Katie Lauder will be the continuo players.

Performances are:

• June 12, 4pm: St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Incline Village, 341 Village Blvd.
• June 15, 7pm: Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 3597 N. Sunridge Drive in Carson City
• June 17, 7pm: First United Methodist Church, 209 W. First St. in Reno.
• June 19, 4pm: St. Theresa Church, 1041 Lyons Ave. in South Lake Tahoe.

Tickets are available at the door or online. General admission is $25 for adults and $20 for seniors. Preferred seating is $35 and $15 for youth/students. Students with ID under 24 years of age are $5 and under 19 are free in non reserved seating.

By Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY — Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske responded Friday to a request from a U.S. senator for information about the state’s oversight of companies tied to the PanamaPapers, noting that law enforcement officials have not once asked for records in the past three years.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, asked Cegavske for information on more than 1,000 limited liability corporations registered in Nevada and linked to Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

One question asked by Wyden was how many times Cegavske’s office has demanded a list of “beneficial owners” of any entity registered in Nevada that was suspected of illegal activities.

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By Megan Messerly, Las Vegas Sun

Across the political spectrum, Nevada voters generally support renewable energy, taxing mining companies, and the preservation of public lands, preferring a collaborative approach with the federal government on land issues, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The survey, prepared for the Center for Western Priorities, a nonpartisan conservation organization, asked 700 likely voters in the November election their opinions on an array of issues that affect land rights, the environment, energy policy and economic development.

These issues have been the subject of much attention in recent months, as federal authorities in February arrested Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy (who rose to national attention in 2014 for an armed standoff over grazing rights) and a regulatory decision in December prompted several solar companies to cease sales in the state. With the election looming, such actions have placed issues involving public land and renewables into the spotlight.

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The California Tahoe Conservancy’s free firewood permits and firewood locations are now available online.

Permits are valid until Dec. 31 of the year printed or downloaded.

The Conservancy’s free firewood permits allows people to collect up to two cords of pre-cut firewood for personal use. There is a limit of one permit per household per calendar year. Firewood is offered on a first come, first served basis, when firewood is available.

Permits will continue to be issued at the Conservancy’s office located at 1061 Third Street in South Lake Tahoe.

TEDxUniversityofNevada is looking for speakers for the fifth annual event on Jan. 21, 2017.

Local speakers interested in participating in the event have until June 24 to submit proposals to share their “big idea worth spreading.”

TEDxUniversityofNevada is moving the event to the Grand Theater at the Grand Sierra Resort because it seats 2,700 people. The 1,200-seat Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts sold out this year.

Event organizers are looking for interesting big ideas from passionate local community members.

For more info, go online.

·        America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride is June 5. Cyclists will be riding around the entire lake.

·       The Truckee Donner Public Utility District recently won the Resource Efficiency & Community Service Award for its support of the Truckee High School Trashion Shows from the California Municipal Utilities Association.

·      Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy’s graduation is June 25 at noon at Lake Tahoe Community College’s Duke Theater.

·      North Tahoe Public Utility District board meetings are now live online.

·       El Dorado County’s California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWorks) Employment Services is hosting a free job forum on June 22 at 10am at the Carlton Building 3883 Ponderosa Road in Shingle Springs.