By Alison Vekshin, Bloomberg

In a dim parlor furnished with red velvet couches and a stripper pole, Brooke Taylor is having a sale on herself.

“I offer a lot more specials and discounts and incentives for people to come in to see me,” said Taylor, 32, a brunette prostitute in a short, green dress at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch outside Carson City. “People are looking for deals.”

Nevada’s legal brothels, which took root in the mid-1800s silver-mining boom, are dwindling, down to about 19 from roughly 36 in 1985, according to George Flint, an industry lobbyist. Many have been the highest-profile businesses in their sparsely populated regions, and their decline hurts already-stretched county budgets and marks the end to local institutions — though not the universally beloved sort.

The state’s flagging economy, decreased patronage by truckers squeezed by fuel costs and growing use of the Internet to arrange liaisons are to blame, managers say.

“A lot of our clients don’t have the discretionary income they had six years ago, five years ago,” said Susan Austin, 63, the madam of the Mustang Ranch in Sparks. “The ones that can come in, they aren’t spending quite what they were spending before.”

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The California Highway Patrol, South Lake Tahoe Police Department and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Aug. 30 on Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe.

Where exactly has not been disclosed.

Nevada Highway Patrol is warning people officers will be out in force during the Labor Day weekend making sure impaired drivers are removed from the road.

Last year’s joining forces enforcement over the Labor Day holiday resulted in 4,227 stops with 128 DUI arrests.

While the fire near Yosemite continues to ravage the forest and threaten structures, firefighters believe they can have it fully contained by Sept. 20.

Smoke continues to be an issue for much of the Lake Tahoe Basin, though the West Shore at least on Wednesday was less impacted than other areas. Reno, Carson City, Carson Valley and parts of Alpine County are inundated more than the basin.

Schools throughout the region are continuing to monitor air quality in their specific locations to determine if and when it is appropriate for children to be outdoors for recess and if sports teams should practice or compete.

Emerald Bay on Aug. 28 at 7:50pm. Photo/LTN

A dense smoke advisory is in effect for all of the above locations until 5 this afternoon. But that does not mean the smoke will be gone as of Friday.

The National Weather Service in Reno said, “Smoky conditions could also improve this weekend due to a changing weather pattern especially for areas north of I-80. However, south of I-80 there is a 60 percent chance impacts from the fire will continue through Labor Day.”

The Rim Fire has burned 192,737 acres and is 30 percent contained.

According to fire officials, “The California National Guard is operating a remotely piloted aircraft to help efforts to contain the fire. It will identify where fire activity is located, how it is moving, including locating and identifying spot fires. It will improve the ability to protect life property and natural resources.”

The American Fire near Foresthill is still producing smoke, but is expected to be fully contained today. It has charred 26,194 acres. Parts of the Tahoe National Forest will remain closed until the fire is out, which is much different than contained, and crews repair any areas from firefighting activity that needs it.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Christa Peterson, a nationally certified expert QuickBooks instructor will be teaching a three-part course in September.

Beginning QuickBooks – Part One is Sept. 4 from 2-5pm. Beginning QuickBooks – Part Two: Data Entry is Sept. 11 from 2-5pm. Quick Books – Part Three: Putting it to Use is Sept. 18 from 2-5pm.

The courses will be at Lake Tahoe Community College in Room D121. They are $49 each or $120 for all three.

For more information, call (530) 541.4660, ext. 717.

By Kathryn Reed

Depending on where you are in the Lake Tahoe Basin, more yellowjackets may be buzzing around compared to years past.

“The vector techs are seeing more yellowjackets this season because the winter was more mild, which allows more queens to survive through the winter. Each queen trapped in the spring represents one less nest of up to 5,000 worker yellowjackets in the summer and fall,” Karen Bender with El Dorado County Department of Environmental Health told Lake Tahoe News.

She said it’s not just Tahoe that is affected, but all parts of the county are seeing an influx of the bees.

A honeybee nest found in May by El Dorado County vector control. Photo/Provided

On Monday her department had 16 service calls related to yellowjackets and have been averaging about 10 a day for the past week. Specialists apply a pesticide that comes in a white powder. It’s a product that is not available to the public.

“One reason we want vector control to go out is because we don’t want to kill honeybees,” Bender explained.

Honeybees are the “good” bees that are needed to keep everything pollinated; after all they are responsible for 80 percent of the insect pollination.

Yellowjackets are part of the wasp family.

County residents pay $6 a year via property taxes for vector control, so a home visit is part of taxes already paid. What workers won’t do is go inside a residence; they only deal with outside bee and wasp issues.

Yellowjackets can make nests in the ground, under decks, in walls, under eaves and other places. Because they can be on the ground it’s important to pay attention to each step to avoid being swarmed by the yellowjackets.

In the forest the bees don’t seem to be as much of a problem as in more populated areas.

Holly Holwager, a harvest inspector with Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, said, “We are seeing the same amount of bees in the field, however they seem less aggressive than last field season.”

Bees and wasps are attracted to water, go after food and like to sting people, too. Last weekend a woman was stung while playing tennis at Zephyr Cove park.

Bee and wasp stings can be lethal for people who are allergic to them.

Warren Withers, director of Barton Memorial Hospital’s emergency department, said he has noticed more people coming in with stings this year compared to last year.

“When we do see the stings they can cause a variety of reactions – from minor irritation to more serious allergic reactions,” Withers told Lake Tahoe News. “They do tend to be more numerous and more aggressive in September-October, especially as the weather cools, until the first hard freeze.”

Barton Urgent Care and Family Practice has also had an uptick in sting cases recently, but so far their numbers have not surpassed 2012 figures.

The medical advice is that minor stings should be treated with Benadryl and a cold compress. If the sting is infected, get medical help because antibiotics may be needed. Call 911 if after a sting there is tightness of the throat, nausea and vomiting, difficulty breathing, cramping or abdominal pain, or fainting.

Having an epi pen is also advisable for those with known allergies.

El Dorado County vector control is at (530) 573.3197.

By Steve Frisch

As the massive Rim Fire continues to consume power lines and structures in its path, the potentially bigger story is that it is threatening delivery of water and power to San Francisco, the East Bay and hundreds of square miles of farmland. Rarely has the connection between rural natural resources, water security and urban prosperity been so abundantly clear.

All Californians share a need for predictable, clean and abundant supplies of water. The Rim Fire is a sobering reminder that our water resources are at risk; not only from wildfires but also from climate change and a legacy of poorly planned land management.

Steve Frisch

As the Sierra Nevada is burning, legislators in Sacramento are working on a 2014 bond to invest in California water resources. Sadly, water policy leaders seem fixated on the big engineering fixes – the dams, tunnels and pumps – while ignoring the upper watersheds and forests that are essential to making the entire system work.

The Sierra Nevada range provides most of California’s clean water in the form of precipitation captured and stored as snow in the great “free reservoir” of our watersheds and forests. This water is released naturally via snowmelt for use in the rest of the state. As it flows downhill, Sierra water creates most of our reliable hydroelectric power. This hydropower is an essential reason why, according to the Southern California Leadership Council, our electrical grid is amongst the lowest in carbon emissions in the world.

Fixing the state’s water system will take decades, but these fires highlight the fact that the Sierra has real and documented needs right now. Investing in the state’s “free reservoir” is the first step in a series of linked actions needed over the next 10-20 years to effectively address the state’s water needs. Despite this, none of the water bond proposals includes any substantive funding specifically for Sierra Nevada watersheds and forests: While 60 percent of California’s developed water comes from the Sierra Nevada, only about 1 percent of California’s investment in our water resources have gone to the Sierra Nevada.

This historic and dangerous inequity must stop or we are destined to see many more catastrophic fires in our future.

Sierra Nevadans understand that addressing water storage, Delta conveyance, and clean drinking water are essential to any long-term solution; however, the only way to truly secure the safety and reliability of our urban and agricultural water resources is to address the entire system: from the Sierra to the sea. We must substantially increase investment in upper watershed and forest management, as well as forest, wet meadow, and watershed restoration in order to reduce risk from catastrophic wildfire and adapt our landscapes to a changing climate.

The 2014 water bond should specifically commit at least $600 million to upper watersheds and forests in the Sierra Nevada for ecosystem restoration. This is equal to the amount being considered for the Delta. This money can be used to protect and restore streams and rivers, restore wetlands, treat forests, produce bio-energy, improve groundwater recharge, remediate pollution, and improve the safety and quality of California’s water supply. Only then can we achieve the state’s goals for a more resilient and secure water supply.

Steve Frisch is president of the Sierra Business Council.

• With the more than $300,000 raised at the Tahoe Fund’s annual Founders Circle dinner this month, the nonprofit has exceeded its $1 million goal for the first major donor campaign called the Founders Circle.

• Cal fans can find some nostalgia at the upper bar at Chambers Landing on the West Shore where there are seats from the demolished UC Berkeley stadium.

• The Jerry Tindell equestrian clinic at Tahoe Donner in September has been canceled.

• The 9th annual Mutt Strut Poker Run is Oct. 13 in South Lake Tahoe. The event is put on by and benefits Animal Coalition of Tahoe.

• September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. Anyone who visits the South Lake Tahoe library during September to use their library card or sign-up for a new one will be entered into a drawing for great prizes.

The 7th annual Poker Run to benefit Austin’s House is Sept. 7.

All types of vehicles are welcome to join in the fun. Registration is from 9-10am in the parking lot at Century 21 Clark Properties located at 1674 Highway 395 in Minden. The entry fee is $25 plus $15 for a second rider.

The fee includes a prize for the best poker hand, barbecue lunch, limited edition ride pin, pink bandana and live music.

The first stop for the 2013 Poker Run will be Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor in Genoa. The next draw will take place at Jethro’s in the Gardnerville Ranchos. The caravan then heads south on Highway 88 to Markleeville and a stop at the Wolf Creek Restaurant & Bar. The run continues over Monitor Pass down to Topaz Lake for the fourth stop at Iggy & Squiggy’s Holbrook Junction Bar. The final stop is Heritage Park in Gardnerville where lunch will be served with live music. The Poker Run is approximately 81 miles and lasts about two hours.

For more info, call Danny Villalobos at (775) 721.7111.

Austin’s House is the only emergency children’s shelter in rural Northern Nevada. Austin’s House provides services and care for up to 10 children from infants to age 18. The children are placed at Austin’s House after being removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

Christie Rassuchine (Higman) and Robyn Lindner, two authors who grew up in Tahoe, will be reading Sept. 24 from their new book “The Crazy Club Gets its Start”.

The story is about a group of elementary school students who form their own club and deal with bullying, acceptance, and what it feels like to be the new kid at school. The characters in the story are in third grade, but the book appeals to kids throughout elementary school.

The free event is put on by the Friends of the Library. It starts at 6pm at the South Lake Tahoe library — 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.

The book will be available purchase and to be signed that night.

By Rebecca Klein, Huffington Post

The vast majority of teachers and principals routinely see students that are “too hungry to learn,” according to a report released Tuesday by the No Kid Hungry organization.

The organization, which works to end child hunger, surveyed more than 1,000 teachers and principals around the country for the report, according to a press release. The results show that 73 percent of teachers said they regularly instruct hungry students who don’t have enough to eat at home, and 87 percent of principals said they consistently see hungry students in school. As a result of such pervasive hunger, teachers spend nearly $40 a month buying food for kids out of pocket, the survey found.

The results represent an increase since last August, when the organization found that 3 out of 5 teachers had students who regularly came to school hungry. Christy Felling, No Kid Hungry public relations director, told the Huffington Post that there are several potential reasons for the uptick in hunger.

“I think what has happened is the so-called economic recovery hasn’t really reached low-income people. People are still really having a tough time, and that’s what we’re seeing,” Felling said in a phone interview. “We’ve seen it anecdotally with some of our campaigns around the country. People still haven’t gone back to work, or they’ve blown through savings.”

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