UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center will release the annual Tahoe: State of the Lake Report on July 23.

Geoff Schladow will present the most important factors that affected lake health last year at a public presentation at 6pm.

The report includes changes in Lake Tahoe’s water quality and ecology over the past year, as well as the examination of the long term trends that have been taking place at Tahoe. Schladow’s presentation will cover clarity data, present developments occurring in the nea rshore regions of the lake, and review how Lake Tahoe is being affected by the drought.

Schladow is the founding director of TERC.

A $5 donation is suggested for this event. Doors open at 5:30pm. TERC is on the campus of Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village.

Caltrans has set up travel time billboards around South Lake Tahoe.

Using Bluetooth technology, readers along the highway collect data from mobile devices and transfer that data to a server to determine how long it takes vehicles to travel from one reader to another. This information can then be used to display travel times on the highway electronic message boards from South Lake Tahoe to Placerville. Personal information will not be collected, according to Caltrans.

Caltrans said the project was initiated from a request by the city to provide travel times to Echo Summit, and other destinations, so visitors may make better-informed decisions on their travel.

Roads in Incline Village will be closed during the festivities on July 3-4.

The following traffic and parking controls are planned for Friday and Saturday:

July 3, 9:30-11:30am road closures:

Highway 28 between Southwood Boulevard West and Southwood Boulevard East, including cross street of Village Boulevard.

Southwood Boulevard between Highway 28 and Incline Way.

Incline Way between Country Club Drive and Southwood Boulevard.

No parking:

Village Boulevard between Southwood Boulevard and Lakeshore Drive.

July 4, 6am-11pm:

One-way traffic:

Lakeshore Boulevard from Village Boulevard to Country Club Drive (west to east). One lane will be open to through traffic; one lane will be used for loading and unloading only.

Incline Way from Country Club Drive to Southwood Boulevard (east to west).

No parking:

Village Boulevard between Southwood Boulevard and Lakeshore Drive.

·      Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition will be providing a free bike valet at the celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe in Stateline on July 14-19 from 8am-4pm.

·       The Northstar Mountain Run is Aug. 9 starting at the Village at Northstar and finishing at the top of the Tahoe Zephyr Express. It is a 10.6K run. For more info, go online.

·       The Truckee Municipal Code prohibits possession and use of all fireworks without a valid use permit issued by the Truckee Fire Protection District.

·       According to AAA, more than 4.8 million Californians will travel at least 50 miles this weekend. That’s about one-half percent higher than last year.

·       As of today, KRLT and KOWL radio stations on the South Shore are locally owned. Steve Harness, who remains the general manager, is now the owner.

·       The Thunderbird Lodge has a series of fundraising dinners and wine events this summer. For more info, go online.

·      Barton Health now has a Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine program. Patients age 12 and older with sleep disordered breathing or sleep apnea can seek these services. For more info, call 530.543.5815.

·      Chevy’s is going to be in South Lake Tahoe for a while. The Mexican restaurant just signed a 20-year lease.

·       Learn about Emotional Freedom Technique, a protocol that uses tapping on acupressure points and gentle conversation to help eliminate negative behaviors and emotions. The class is July 10 from 6-9pm, with registration starting at 5:30pm. Cost is $25 (checks or cash). It is at the Gaia Wellness Center, 1475 Old Springs Road, No. 1
Carson City. For more info, email tahoehealthtouch@gmail.com.

·       The Truckee Town Council and Planning Commission are having a joint meeting July 7 to discuss climate change. The meeting is at 6pm, 10183 Truckee Airport Road.

Fireworks of any kind are illegal in El Dorado County. Any person caught possessing, transporting, purchasing, selling, or even storing fireworks could be cited or arrested and booked into the El Dorado County Jail for violating the misdemeanor county ordinance.

Illegal fireworks in El Dorado County include sparklers or those sold in neighboring counties as “safe and sane”. All fireworks will be confiscated.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks every Fourth of July

Sanctioned pyrotechnic displays may be seen this weekend at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, South Lake Tahoe, and Town Center in El Dorado Hills.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department will be out in full force this week targeting those who drink and drive. DUI saturation patrols/DUI checkpoints will be deployed during the long holiday weekend.

The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of people killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes, according to officers. Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department will be conducting a DUI checkpoint along Lake Tahoe Boulevard From 8pm July 1 to 1am July 2.

NHTSA data also reveals that 35 percent of young drivers (18 to 34) were driving drunk (BAC of 0.08 or higher) in fatal crashes over the July 4 period in 2013. Motorcycle operators are also overrepresented as the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes. In 2013, more than one-quarter (27 percent) of motorcycle operators in fatal crashes had BACs of 0.08 or higher.

Drunken drivers are more common at night, too. Over the July 4 holiday in 2013, more than two fifths (42 percent) of the drivers in nighttime fatal crashes (6pm-6am) were alcohol-impaired, as compared to 13 percent of drivers in fatal crashes during the day.

Mormon Station State Historic Park in Genoa and is hosting the Genoa Americana Celebration on July 4.

This event includes a children’s parade, games, live music, food vendors and jam sessions. Bring water and low backed chairs or blankets for listening to music on the grass, under the shade of the big trees.

Museum entrance is free for children 12 and under and is $1 for those older than 12.

The free event is from 10am-6pm.

·       Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra recently installed Lydia Rogers as president of the service club.

·       “On Golden Pond” will be at the Boathouse Theatre on the South Shore on July 2, 3, 5, July 9-12 and July 16-18. For more info, go online.

·      The Attic, Barton’s thrift store, will bring out a large selection of clearance priced holiday items from July 6-24, Monday to Saturday from 10am-4pm. The Attic is at 970 Lodi Ave., South Lake Tahoe.

·       Members of the Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe gathered at Sawmill Pond on June 27 to paint rest rooms and signs, and cleanup. This has been an annual event. The Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe has adopted Sawmill Pond as one of its many service projects for the community.

·       Tahoe Donner Association is reducing fire danger this summer and fall through the implementation of a smoking ban on all Tahoe Donner-owned property.

El Dorado County residents on July 12 from noon-5pm may get rid of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications.

Drop-off locations include:

• El Dorado County sheriff’s substation, 4354 Town Center Blvd., Suite 112 in El Dorado Hills.
• Holiday Market, 5030 Ellinghouse Drive in Cool.
• Fire Station 61, 6281 Main St., Georgetown, (8am-noon).
• Safeway Supermarket, 6498 Pony Express Trail, Pollock Pines.
• El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department, 300 Fair Lane, Placerville.
• U.S. Post Office, 6040 Grizzly Flat Road in Somerset.
• Safeway Supermarket, 3380 Coach Lane in Cameron Park.
• Lira’s Market, 2977 Highway 50 in Meyers.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.