A bill designed to bring transparency to those who serve on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board cleared the California Senate floor today.

SB593 was introduced by state Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Roseville.

SB593 would require each California member of the TRPA Governing Board to comply with the requirements of the Political Reform Act, and to file with the Fair Political Practices Commission a statement of economic interests.

“Currently, the California members of the TRPA can make decisions in which they have a conflict of interest and the public has no way of knowing,” Gaines said in a statement. “SB593 would better enable the public to hold these members accountable and creates an important layer of transparency and oversight for this Governing Board.”

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Tahoe Derby Dames first home bout is June 11.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the gate. Season passes are available at Road Rash Cafe (four bouts $32). A portion of the proceeds go to South Lake Tahoe Park and Recreation Scholarship Fund.

Bouts are at Bijou Community Park in South Lake Tahoe.

Don’t forget your sunglasses and a little cash for some Gates open at 4pm. bout starts at 5pm. After party at Brothers Bar and Grill.

Lake Tahoe Community College student Beverly Elizabeth Barday’s death was from natural causes based on a pre-existing medical condition, according to the El Dorado County coroner’s office.

Barday, 36, was found unresponsive in the Commons area of the school March 25.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

James is a very nice gray long-haired cat who almost likes dogs better than other cats. He is about 7 years old and recently spent some time in foster care.

He is very affectionate and has a big purr. James would like to sleep at the foot of your bed.

He has been at the shelter for over 6 months and he would very much like to go home.

James is neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. He is at the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Meyers, along with many other dogs and cats who are waiting for their new homes.

Call (530) 573.7925 for directions, hours, and other information on adopting a pet. For spay-neuter assistance for South Tahoe residents, go online.

— Karen Kuentz

By Anne Knowles

CARSON CITY — With two weeks left in the legislative session, a bill that would remove Nevada from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is finally making its way through the Legislature.

Senate Bill 271 is expected to move to the Senate soon for a full vote after several amendments to the legislation were approved by the Senate Government Affairs committee this morning. If passed by the Senate, the bill will move to the Assembly where it will be heard by the corresponding committee there.

Nevada is making progress in pulling out of the TRPA. Photo/LTN file

The bill withdraws Nevada from the TRPA unless changes to the Compact outlined in the legislation are approved by Nevada and California lawmakers, and ratified by Congress. The withdrawal would take effect Oct. 1, 2013, unless extended by proclamation of the governor to Oct. 1, 2015.

The bill now calls for a report on the impact of exiting from the TRPA to be conducted by the Legislative Committee for the Review and Oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Marlette Lake Water System. That report would be available to legislators next session, before any final decisions were made to leave the agency.

“There are plenty of places to stop (the process) if it proves to be problematic,” said state Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Gardnerville, a sponsor of the bill and a member of the Senate Government Affairs committee, after the meeting.

Settelmeyer said he would not predict the bill’s chances of passage. Similar legislation has failed in the past.

The amendments proposed by the Senate Finance committee and approved by Senate Government Affairs include the oversight report looking into possible outcomes if Nevada leaves the current two-state agency. Other amendments that would alter the TRPA and need to be endorsed by California and Congress include removing the supermajority requirement for members voting on matters before the TRPA; a provision providing that anyone who challenges the regional plan has a burden of proof that it violate the Compact, and a requirement that the TRPA consider changing economic conditions so the plan does not adversely affect Lake Tahoe’s economy.

“If the economy improves, we can increase the environmental restrictions,” Settelmeyer said. “It can work to the environment’s benefit.”

If Nevada does leave the TRPA, an amendment to the bill provides that all projects previously approved by the TRPA would continue, or be grandfathered in.

The bill outlines the creation of the Nevada Regional Planning Agency should the state drop out of the existing agency now comprised of members from California and Nevada.

By Carlos Alcalá, Sacramento Bee

El Dorado County officials hope to take a firm step to right a 57-year-old wrong at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, with a proposal to replace 36 headstones at Mormon Island Cemetery that feature a racist slur stamped into the concrete.

The markers are on anonymous graves relocated from the Gold Rush town of Negro Hill before the area was inundated by water behind the Folsom Dam in 1954.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracted to move those graves and those from several other cemeteries and isolated gravesites to be flooded.

However, recently released documents show the Corps consistently used the epithet usually referred to as “the N-word” in the place of “Negro” when referring to the town.

Read the whole story

18th annual Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club Golf Tournament. This fundraiser is at Edgewood Tahoe in Stateline.

Go online for more information.

• Heavenly Mountain Resort is offering a summer pass to ride the gondola for $52.

• Tahoe Center for Orthopedics and Barton Health are offering free student sports physicals to South Tahoe and Whittell high school, and Pop Warner athletes playing fall, winter and spring sports. The event will take place on June 8 from 4-6pm at Barton Family Medicine. For more information, call (530) 543.5660.

• South Tahoe Public Utility District board members have a special meeting May 24 at 10am at the district office to discuss and take action on the possibility of raising water rates effective July 1.

• Tom Davis, board member of Christmas Cheer, says the shelves are bare. The nonprofit is providing food to about 1,000 families a month, whereas a couple years ago it was closer to 200 or 300 a month. To donate, call (530) 542.4934.

• In June, Delta Air Lines’ Sky magazine will publish a 30-page feature on Nevada, including information and articles on the state’s business climate, the healthcare industry, higher education, lifestyle and entertainment.

By Kathryn Reed

Movement is finally occurring at the old Bill’s casino in Stateline.

Mike Laub bought the property in March 2010. His original plan was to turn the parcel into a strip club. Douglas County commissioners prevented that from happening.

Bill's had been a Harrah's Entertainment property until 2010. Photo/LTN file

Douglas County Community Development has three building permits active for the building next to Harrah’s Lake Tahoe on Highway 50. One is to renovate the interior, though no specific tenant is listed.

The second permit is expected to be issued today. This is for a 6,400- square-foot Pete’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. It will have a bar and limited gaming.

“I am currently reviewing a permit application for Dotty’s Casino. It is approximately 6,600 square feet and has a small bar. They are just proposing slots and video poker games,” Dave Lundergreen, Douglas County building official, told Lake Tahoe News.

The permit is likely to be approved this month.

By Kathryn Reed

When people in Homewood go to their box at the post office today they will receive a notice stating the U.S. Postal Service is beginning to investigate the possibility of closing the office.

The same study is taking place regarding the Glenbrook office.

“We are looking at locations that are stacked on top of each other, so we can still meet everyone’s needs and reduce our brick and mortar operation,” explained David Rupert, USPS spokesman.

The Bijou office in South Lake Tahoe closed in June 2010. That closure is estimated to save the Postal Service $2 million in 10 years. Down the road discussions about what to do with the Stateline office will begin in earnest.

On the West Shore, there are about 600 active boxes in Homewood. About 1.5 miles away in Tahoma are another 600 boxes.

Homewood box holders are invited to a meeting June 23 at 6pm at 740 Timberland Lane, Tahoe City to discuss ideas.

This is the beginning of the study process, Rupert said, stressing no decision has been made.

Some options include moving all Homewood customers to Tahoma, closing the retail windows and leaving the boxes, or having a remote location for mail pick up.

Dealing with the Glenbrook office may pose more issues because the next closest retail location in seven miles away in Round Hill. An option being considered is cluster boxes for those 150 customers.

“The problem is we have a very small post office that brings in very little money in Glenbrook. The costs are very expensive between the facility and the personnel,” Rupert said. “To have them kind of babysitting 150 boxes is hard to justify in this economic environment.”

Glenbrook postal customers have a meeting set for June 8 at 6m at the golf course.

Any changes to the post offices would not happen until the end of the year.