A 39-year-old Sparks man died during the Sierra Recon challenge on Saturday.

Joseph Axtman collapsed on the course near the base lodge at Sierra-at-Tahoe on July 14.

“He was going up a portion of the course and just collapsed,” El Dorado County sheriff’s Lt. Pete Van Arnum told Lake Tahoe News.

Medical personnel were not able to revive him at the event.

The multi-distance obstacle race is organized by the Tahoe Tri Club, not the ski resort.

Van Arnum said the victim had been competing with his wife, who had stopped earlier. She relayed to authorities that her husband had complained of chest pain in the last few months, but doctors did not find any heart problems.

An autopsy is likely to take place Tuesday.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report

Tahoe Rim Trail Association is conducting Women’s Backpacking 101, an all female group event to learn skills and techniques for staying safe and comfortable in the backcountry.

The program will cover backpacking basics, including trip planning; how to pack; bear awareness; campsite selection and set up; meal preparation; and Leave No Trace principles. Attendees must be able to hike four or more miles per day at elevation with a 20-30 pound backpack. Participants must provide all of their own gear, food and clothing. Some gear can be rented for a small fee from the TRTA.

The trip is July 28-29 and is limited to 10 participants. The TRTA is holding a similar program open to both men and women on Aug. 25-26.

Register online.  For more information, go to the TRTA website or call Ashley Vater at (775) 298.0012.

The Douglas County Public Library in Zephyr Cove is hosting “Bats are Cool” on July 20 at 1:30 pm.

The event is presented by Northern California Bats, a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of bats throughout Northern California. NorCalBats will bring live bats to the library and talk about the importance of bats as insect control. In addition, they will explain the environmental benefits of bats, and dispel fears and myths that lead to the deaths of bat colonies.

This program is funded through a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, go online or call (775) 588.6411.

By Loretta Kalb, Sacramento Bee

The Robbers Fire, which consumed one home and four outbuildings in Placer County, grew to 2,400 acres Sunday and is now 30 percent contained, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported.

More than 2,100 firefighters from San Diego to Siskiyou County battled the blaze, which is burning in areas that are remote, steep and overgrown with heavy brush and timber.

“Every afternoon when the temperatures heat up and get to their peak, the fire becomes very active,” Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. “That’s when we see it making its run through some of these steep areas.”

Berlant said firefighters are working hard to overtake the blaze “because there is so much potential for this fire to grow.”

On Sunday the fire threatened a small community known as Brush Creek, with a few dozen homes, Berlant said. Crews were still protecting homes late Sunday, according to officials.

Read the whole story

The bicyclist who was killed near Donner Lake on July 13 has been identified as Larry Sage.

The 53-year-old Truckee man was wearing a helmet, but still suffered massive head injuries. The cause of death is pending autopsy results.

He was on a group bicycle ride when the crash occurred on Old Highway 40 near South Shore Drive. No other bikes or vehicles were involved.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

The Wa She Shu It Deh Native American Arts Festival is being held July 28-29 from 10am to 5pm at the Valhalla Grand Lawn, Tallac Historic Site.

The event  features traditional American Indian dancers and drum performers, basket weaving displays, art and food.

Sponsored by the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, this event is free and open to the public. Donations accepted.

Donny is a great all around dog. We can’t figure out why his owner didn’t come looking for him.

He’s very sweet and calm, likes other dogs, and is house trained.

Donny is about 5-years-old, may be a cattle dog-Shepherd mix. He weighs about 50 pounds, just the right size. He walks nicely on the leash, but he seems to be just as happy curled up at your feet.

Donny 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.

Go online to see photos and description of all pets at the shelter.

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

Sports Concussions is the topic of Jonathan Finnoff’s lecture on Aug. 1 from 6-7pm at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe.

Finnoff is an advocate for making sure athletes and others know about the danger of concussions.

Here is a column he wrote on the subject Oct. 10, 2011, for Lake Tahoe News.

Finnoff is an internationally recognized concussion expert and former co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center Concussion Program. He now works at Tahoe Center for Orthopedics in South Lake Tahoe.

Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the July 11, 2012, San Bernardino Sun.

San Bernardino appears poised to become the third California city to file for bankruptcy protection so far this year.

Citing the ongoing economic downturn, lack of recovery in the housing market and state funding take-aways, the City Council voted Tuesday to file Chapter 9. Without filing for bankruptcy, officials said, the city probably could not meet its Aug. 15 payroll.

In recent weeks, the cities of Stockton and Mammoth Lakes made similar moves.

If San Bernardino’s decision seems sudden, however, it’s really not.

The city has been struggling to reinvent itself for years and has been particularly hard hit by the recession. At the same time, city leaders have spent too much time politicking and feuding and obviously not enough time scrutinizing the city’s finances.

Were they surprised when Acting City Manager Andrea Travis-Miller and Finance Director Jason Simpson reported to the council only two weeks ago that San Bernardino has a $45 million budget deficit?

City Attorney James Penman said at the meeting Tuesday that for 13 of the past 16 years, the council had been given falsified budget documents – showing the city in the black when it was actually in the red. Did they just discover this?

Read the whole story

The National Physique Committee sanctioned amateur bodybuilding, figure, bikini, physique and fitness championship the Tahoe Show is Aug. 25 at MontBleu in Stateline.

The 2012 Tahoe Show adds a Health and Fitness Expo, new men’s and women’s physique divisions, live video web-stream, new stage design and a People’s Choice Award where the audience will text their vote for the best athlete.

This will be the first time a live web-stream with a text message People’s Choices Award has been included at a bodybuilding competition. The winners of this “American Idol” style voting will be in Muscular Development magazine.

The promoters of the Tahoe Show are bringing back a number features that made the show a success in 2011.

From the website the competitor can register to compete, as well as purchase show photos, tanning, event DVD, hair and makeup, a lakeside photo shoot the Sunday after the show and new this year, a posing clinic with IFBB pro bodybuilder Ben Pakulski and NPC nationals figure competitor Jesse Hilgenburg.

Expected at the show are about 200 competitors and more than 1,700 spectators.

For tickets, information, registration and a full event schedule go online, email Chris@TahoeShow.com or call (775) 267.7564.