By Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee

A second Olympic Valley BASE jumper has found himself behind bars after a nighttime attempt off Placer County’s Foresthill Bridge.

Authorities, responding to a reported suicide attempt Wednesday evening, spotted a man parachuting off the span.

“We got a call saying that she was at the bridge and was going to jump. That is what led us out there,” said Sgt. Dave Johnson of the Sheriff’s Department.

It turns out the woman was not at the bridge and did not make an attempt on her life, authorities said.

Wednesday evening, authorities say, the Placer County sheriff’s helicopter crew spotted Aaron McGovern, 39, of Olympic Valley just as he was about to jump from the span.

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El Dorado Winery Association’s Bring Out the Barrel is

Jan. 28-29, 11am-5pm each day.

For tickets, go online. A weekend pass is $35.

By USSA

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. -– With a host of new action sports events on the docket for the 2014 Olympics in two years, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association formally announced 2011-12 U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing teams Friday.

The announcement includes first year teams in slopestyle snowboarding and skiing, as well as halfpipe skiing – all the result of decisions by the International Olympic Committee earlier this year to bring the events into the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The USSA named 21 athletes to U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe and slopestyle teams, and 17 to U.S. Freeskiing.

Halfpipe athletes have had outstanding training in Copper’s early-opening 22-foot pipe preparing for the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix opener this weekend at the Colorado resort.

Olympic halfpipe bronze medalist and multi-event threat Scotty Lago, along with Sprint U.S. Grand Prix and Euro X Games winner Chas Guldemond of Reno, were among those selected. Holding the coaching reins for the 2012 slopestyle crew is former U.S. Snowboarding athlete Bill Enos, who comes to the team from Waterville Valley.

One of the most recent sports to be added to the winter Olympic lineup, slopestyle snowboarding features a stylized course featuring kickers, rails, boxes and other freestyle features that riders will incorporate into their runs.

The team roster includes a group of athletes known for their slope abilities including Dew Tour slopestyle champion Sage Kotsenburg, X Games silver medalist Eric Willett and 14-year-old slopestyle phenom Ty Walker on the women’s side.

The season kicks off for slopestyle snowboarding Dec. 15 when the Winter Dew Tour touches down in Breckenridge. Key events in the season including the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix in Mammoth Mountain, X Games, Dew Tour and the Feb. 10-19 TTR World Championships in Oslo, Norway.

Four Olympic medalists headline the U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Pro Team. In addition to his slopestyle team spot, Olympic halfpipe bronze medalist Lago heads a talented U.S. men’s halfpipe team joined by fellow 2010 Olympian Greg Bretz of Mammoth Mountain. The U.S. women boast one of the strongest groups in snowboarding history with Olympic and X Games gold medalist Kelly Clark, four-time X Games gold medalist and Olympic silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler and Olympic and X Games champion Hannah Teter of South Lake Tahoe leading the way. Clark was the dominant force in the sport last season, taking down all the major titles.

Joining them for her second year on the Pro Team is 2010 Euro X champ Kaitlyn Farrington, who picked up an opening win in the Copper Grand Prix a year ago as well as second in X Games, plus two-time Olympian Elena Hight of South Lake Tahoe. Matt Ladley moves up from Rookie to Pro Team following his big win in the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix in Mammoth Mountain.

The Pro Team opens its season in the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix this weekend. In addition to the Grand Prix, the comp lineup for the season will be the Dew Tour, X Games, U.S. Open and other major international competitions.

Nine athletes were confirmed on the U.S. Freeskiing Halfpipe Pro Team including X Games champions Jen Hudak and Simon Dumont. The IOC gave the green light to halfpipe skiing last April.

In slopestyle, 10 athletes were confirmed to the U.S. Freeskiing Slopestyle Pro Team. The inaugural team is headlined by AFP Slopestyle Tour Champion Bobby Brown, World Championship gold medalist Alex Schlopy, World Championship bronze medalist Keri Herman, X Games gold medalist Sammy Carlson, Dew Tour winner Tom Wallisch and reigning U.S. halfpipe champ Devin Logan.

Slopestyle skiing was incorporated as an Olympic sport this past July. Athletes are judged on runs in which they perform tricks on a series of jumps, rails, boxes and other features of a manmade slopestyle course.

• Dec. 18 is World Snowboard Day.

• Diamond Peak and Alpine Meadows open Dec. 10.

• Read about seven foods experts won’t eat.

• Wanderlust returns to Squaw Valley July 26-29. Tickets and lineup will be released in January.

• Based on vacation rental inquiry data for the winter months TripAdvisor ranked South Lake Tahoe No. 3 in the U.S. for ski vacation rental getaway destinations for 2011.

Here is the schedule for the Lake Valley Fire Department’s Christmas engine:

Dec. 11 – Echo View Estates, Tahoe Mountain Road, Mule Deer Circle

Dec. 12 – Lake Tahoe Boulevard from Boulder Mountain Drive to Grizzly Mountain Drive

Dec. 13 – West side of North Upper Truckee from Zuni Street, to Highway 50, Chiapa Drive

Dec. 14 – East side of North Upper Truckee from Grizzly Mountain to West San Bernardino Avenue

Dec. 15 – Christmas Valley from Highway 50 to Grass Lake Road

Dec. 16 – North side of Highway 50 in Meyers (lower Apache, Magnet School), behind Station 7 (Cornelian Drive, Navahoe Drive, Cheyenne Drive)

Dece. 17 – North of Pioneer Trail from Highway 50 to Elks Club (Southern Pines Drive, Tionontati Street, Meadow Vale Drive), Player Drive

Dec. 18 – Upper Apache Drive and Mandan Street

Dec. 19 – Pioneer Trail from Busch Way to Washoan Boulevard (Glen Eagles Drive, Hekpa Drive)

Dec. 20 – Pioneer Trail from Washoan Boulevard to Jicarilla Drive (Apalachee Drive, Nadowa Street, Susquehana Drive)

Dec. 21 – Kokanee Estates (Marshall Trail, High Meadow Trail)

Dec. 22 – Golden Bear Trail, Meadow View Estates (Plateau Circle, Cattleman’s Trail)

Dec. 23 – Cold Creek Trail, Del Norte Street, Black Bart from Pioneer Trail to Meadow Crest Drive.

People parted with their money up and down Nevada in October. Casinos reported an 8.1 percent increase – or $961 million – compared to a year ago.

Even Stateline clubs posted a gain. They were up 4 percent from 2010; taking in $15.7 million. When the weather is nice in Lake Tahoe in the fall, the tourists keep coming.

Stateline casinos do well in October. Photo/LTN file

The Las Vegas Strip was up 13.3 percent, downtown Vegas up 8.1 percent, and Reno down 12.3 percent, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Friday.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Kathryn Reed

It took about 45 minutes for both sides in the League to Save Lake Tahoe-South Lake Tahoe General Plan case to try to convince U.S. District Court Judge Garland Burrell of their opinions.

The city is asking the court to dismiss the case.

“The motion to dismiss is on the basis they are arguing that we need to get the TRPA’s consent or approval prior to approving the General Plan,” City Attorney Patrick Enright told Lake Tahoe News.

The city’s contention all along is that segments that are inconsistent with the current Regional Plan used by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency would not be valid until changes are made to the Regional Plan. It’s anticipated when the TRPA plan is adopted in a year the city’s document would be fully compliant at that time.

South Lake Tahoe’s two city attorneys and Councilman Tom Davis attended the hearing this week in Sacramento. Attorney Michael Lozeau was the only person at the hearing on behalf of the League.

Enright said the line of questioning the judge asked encouraged him. He expects a ruling within 30 days.

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News is looking for gift ideas that are less than $20. Find out how to make a suggestion.

Is there a mountain biker on your holiday list of people to shop for? If the answer is yes, then consider giving them a membership to TAMBA — Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association.

The cost through the rest of 2011 is $10 for an individual membership.

More details are online.

By Susan Voyles, Reno Gazette-Journal

The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District has saved half of the $6.5 million owed as its share of $43 million tax refunds being paid to Incline Village residents.

But it may have to ask residents for a property tax increase — the very people who benefit from the tax refunds — or cut services to make up the rest in fiscal 2012.

Lawyers for the fire district as well as the Incline Village General Improvement District and the Washoe County School District are working behind the scenes to see if a deal can be cut over interest costs owed over the county’s long, unsuccessful legal battle against issuing the refunds, officials said.

North Tahoe Fire Chief Mike Brown expects the fire district board on Dec. 21 to consider its legal options. He said it’s not fair for the district to be liable for almost $1 million in interest costs, given the board had no role in the county’s handling of the Incline property values issue.

“We wholeheartedly agree we have to pay the money back,” Brown said. “Our biggest question is on interest. From day one, we have had no say on this.”

By a 3-2 vote, the Washoe County Commission in late August ordered the county treasurer to take property taxes from all the other entities that benefitted from the overpayment of taxes as the tax refund checks are written. The $43 million total includes $6.2 million in interest, set by law at 6 percent a year.

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STATELINE — Twenty-seven South Shore organizations are sharing $100,000 thanks to the annual American Century celebrity golf tournament.

Livestrong – Lance Armstrong’s charitable foundation – has long been a partner with American Century and for the past few years a presence at the golf event in Stateline.

At the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority meeting Dec. 8 representatives from the 27 local groups were on hand to receive their checks. For the picture, some held photos of the celebrities who played this past July – an acknowledgement that they had something to do with the money raised.

South Shore groups received a total of $100,000 Dec. 8 from the celebrity golf tournament sponsors. Photo/Provided

In keeping with the Livestrong focus of cancer research, $15,000 was distributed to Barton Foundation and the Cancer League.

The Boys & Girls Club and Christmas Cheer each received $10,000.

Recipients of $3,000 to $5,000 included Douglas County Parks and Recreation-Kahle Community Center, Whittell High School, Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe Women’s Center, Tahoe Magic, Family Resource Center and Tahoe Youth & Family Services.

Contributions of $500 to $2,500 were awarded to Friends of the Library-South Lake Tahoe Branch, Soroptimist International Tahoe Sierra, Clean Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, Lake Tahoe Track Club, Lake Tahoe’s Shining Stars, South Tahoe High School Performing Arts Booster Association, Bijou Community School-Two Way Immersion Program, Tahoe Senior Plaza, Barton Foundation, CASA El Dorado, American Youth Soccer Organization, Lake Tahoe Community College Foundation, Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation, South Lake Tahoe Police Activities League, Tahoe Arts Project and Tahoe Community Church Food Pantry.

In 22 years of the American Century Championship, more than $3.5 million has been distributed to national charities and local organizations.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report