Lake Valley and South Lake Tahoe fire department are joining efforts in a “Fill the Boot” style fundraiser for the 19 firefighters from the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in the Arizona fires.

The fundraiser is July 7 from 8am-2pm on Highway 50 near the Bug Station in Meyers.

A benefit has been formed by the Prescott Fire Department and 100 percent of the funds collected in South Lake Tahoe will be donated to families of the 19 firefighters.

Donations may also be made at any of the South Lake Tahoe Fire Stations located at 1252 Ski Run Blvd., 2951 Lake Tahoe Blvd., or 2101 Lake Tahoe Blvd. and at Lake Valley Fire Station 7 at 2211 Keetak St. in Meyers.

At least one person was taken to Barton Memorial Hospital on Thursday afternoon after a fight broke out at ski beach on the South Shore.

A U.S. Forest Service K-9 unit took a suspect down. That is the person who was taken to the hospital. The extent of the injuries is unknown.

This is the same beach where authorities had problems last Fourth of July.

El Dorado County sheriff’s deputies and South Lake Tahoe police officers assisted with fight that involved several intoxicated people.

Ski beach is to the left of Baldwin Beach where boats are allowed to dock.

The USFS and sheriff’s departments have called in extra officers to Tahoe.

Law enforcement is reporting that for most part things have been relatively calm this holiday outside of the Ski Beach incident.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

An El Dorado County sheriff’s deputy shot a gun out of a man’s hand just before midnight Wednesday.

Deputies were called out July 3 to investigate a report of a man brandishing a small handgun and threatening people who had refused to give him a ride to the Raley’s Market in El Dorado Hills. Deputies located the man walking on Silva Valley Road near the El Dorado Hills Town Center. As the deputy attempted to contact the man he allegedly brandished a handgun.

The deputy, whose name has not been released, fired one round, striking the man in his hand. The deputy was not injured.

Joshua Whitecotton, 21, was taken to the hospital. He has since been booked into jail on assault with a deadly weapon charges.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

South Tahoe Refuse makes an American flag out of plastic bottles. Photo/LTN

Red, white and blue were everywhere – in the parade, on the vehicles, as decorations and definitely the color of choice for attire.

About 35 vehicles participated in the second annual South Lake Tahoe Fourth of July parade.

Golden Bear Events organized the parade that was dominated by military veterans and city public safety vehicles.

The group of vehicles made their way from the Tahoe Valley Pharmacy to the American Legion at was described as walking pace.

Lots of people lining the parade route were waving U.S. flags. Plenty of horns were honking by people not even participating.

The parade ended at the Legion Hall where festivities continued on.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Three people were flown to a Reno hospital Thursday morning after two vehicles collided head-on in Carson City.

The accident occurred on Highway 50 near Flint Street about about 11:43am July 4.

Nevada Highway Patrol officers have not released the names of the victims.

Three people were seriously hurt July 4 in Carson City. Photo/Provided

The two occupants of the Kia received serious injuries, while the driver of the Mitsubishi sustained critical injuries. Three helicopters were dispatched to the crash scene and transported the victims to Renown Medical Center in Reno. The driver of the Mitsubishi and the female were flown by CareFlight while the driver of the Kia was airlifted by Calstar.

The preliminary investigation has the silver 1999 Mitsubishi Mirage four-door sedan driven by an adult male traveling west on the four-lane highway when his his vehicle traveled across the center turn lane and into oncoming traffic.

The front of his vehicle struck a white 2010 Kia Soul four-door head-on that was driven by an adult male who had an adult female passenger.

The accident caused the temporary closure of all four lanes of the highway to be blocked for about 90 minutes.

Witnesses to the crash and anyone with additional information are encouraged to contact Trooper Kris Satterwhite at (775) 689.4682.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Low-income residents in California are about to pay less for car insurance.

The state Department of Insurance cuts the rates for the California Low Cost Auto Insurance Program.

El Dorado and Placer counties’ annual premiums start at $226. Rates are different in each county.

Call 866.602.8861 for more info.

By Jay Jones, Los Angeles Times

Record heat is drawing tourists to Death Valley at possibly the most uncomfortable time of the year, where they are snapping a photograph next to a thermometer or attempting to fry an egg without a stove.

Death Valley National Park has posted warnings to visitors on how to survive the heat. It wouldn’t seem a great time to visit, but on the other hand, the national park has issued an open invitation for folks to come celebrate the 100th anniversary of the hottest-ever temperature on the planet.

Along Artist’s Drive travelers are able to witness a natural palette of colors. Photo/LTN file

The thermometer soared to 134 degrees on July 10, 1913, at what’s now the appropriately-named settlement of Furnace Creek.

The celebration will kick off at noon July 10. The Furnace Creek Visitor Center will host a series of discussions, led by meteorologists and rangers, on a variety of topics related to the region’s extreme climate.

At 1:50pm, Weather Underground historian Christopher Burt will explain how Death Valley recently snatched the temperature record previously claimed by El Azizia, Libya. Park Service employees will also discuss how they cope with life at the hottest place on Earth.

At 4pm, visitors can join park rangers for a ritual that’s taken place every day since recordkeeping began in 1911: the reading of the official thermometer at the Furnace Creek weather station.

On Sunday, the temperature there peaked at 129 degrees. That set a record as the hottest June temperature ever recorded in the United States.

July and August are typically the hottest months in the Mojave Desert, according to the National Weather Service.

Death Valley’s geography helps account for its scorching temperatures. A sign at the Furnace Creek Resort’s golf course notes that its elevation is 214 feet below sea level.

By Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee

The number of cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea, the two most common sexually-transmitted diseases, rose in Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties from 2011 to 2012, part of a steady, statewide jump, state figures show.

For Chlamydia, El Dorado County saw a 20 percent increase in cases from 2011 to 2012; Placer saw an 8 percent increase and Yolo experienced a 15 percent increase.

For Gonorrhea, El Dorado County saw a 50 percent increase in cases; Placer saw a 55 percent increase and Yolo experienced a 90 percent increase.

Read the whole story

A scam is targeting NV Energy customers.

The utility is warns people that callers are identifying themselves as company employees who then threaten to disconnect the power if a credit card payment or cash transfer is not made over the phone immediately.

The utility does not call customers to solicit payments. Instead, 10-day and 48-hour notices are sent via U.S. mail.

People who receive a suspicious call should call law enforcement or NV Energy at (775) 834.4444.

By Melissa Carlson, KTVN-TV

Northern Nevada is flooded with myths, folklore and talk of “strange sightings,” but a report from a Carson City family of a possible alligator in Lahontan Reservoir may actually have some teeth.

It was a normal kayaking trip for 12-year-old Andrew and his mom of Carson City last weekend. They were near Beach 8 in the south end of Lahontan Reservoir when Andrew says he saw what looked like a log in the water. So, like any kid, Andrew went to check it out, and realized it was not a log.

“I saw the eyes and the top of a head that looked like an alligator,” Andrew says. “It was dark green and had tough-looking skin.”

But, this wasn’t just another 12-year-old boy with an active imagination. Tony Beauregard, the supervisor for Lahontan Reservoir Park, says he has gotten three reports of alligator sightings. He says visitors have estimated the alligator to be about 6-feet long and says rangers have investigated each and every sighting.

“Our best estimate is they’re schools of carp, and about four to five feet long,” Beauregard says.

They haven’t found any evidence of an alligator, like tracks or dead animals.

Chris Healy of the Nevada Department of Wildlife says they haven’t gotten any reports, and while this may sound a little fishy, it could actually be a case of bucket biology. “People decide ‘hey, I don’t want this fish,’ or in this case, a small alligator, and instead of calling the authorities and having them deal with it, they dump it,” Healy says.

We’ve seen it before with giant goldfish in Lake Tahoe and picca, the cousin to the piranha, in Paradise Pond. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s not necessarily strange, Healy says.

So, will Andrew be back? He says yes, but adds, “I really don’t want to swim in [Lahontan Reservoir] now.”

If you are out on the reservoir and see something strange, please let a ranger know.