There will be a workshop Sept. 3 from 4-7pm about the Tahoe Douglas Area Plan.

This plan includes all properties not in the South Shore Area Plan that fall under the jurisdiction of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in Douglas County. It will replace the Round Hill Community plan and the plan area statements.

The meeting will be at TRPA offices in Stateline.

The county Planning Commission will have a scoping session on the plan Sept. 9 at 1pm in Minden and then hear it as an action item Oct. 14 at 1pm. The plan goes to the county commissioners on Oct. 14 at 1:30pm at the Tahoe Transportation Center in Stateline.

AAA Travel projects 34.7 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day holiday weekend, the highest volume for the holiday since 2008 and a 1.3 percent increase from 2013.

Nearly 86 percent of travelers (29.7 million) will celebrate the holiday with a final road trip before summer comes to a close. The Labor Day holiday travel period is defined as Aug. 28-Sept. 1.

Most U.S. consumers are paying the lowest gas prices for early August since 2010. AAA expects gas prices to have little impact on the number of people traveling for Labor Day, though lower prices could help make travel more affordable. Barring a major development, such as a Gulf Coast hurricane, prices are likely to remain relatively low leading up to the holiday weekend compared to recent years. The current price of gas is $3.44 compared to $3.59 on Labor Day last year.

According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase 6 percent from one year ago with travelers spending an average of $171 per night compared to $161 last year. The average hotel rate for AAA Two Diamond hotels has risen 9 percent with an average cost of $125 per night.

Weekend daily car rental rates will average $51, the same as last year. Airfares have risen 2 percent, with the average round-trip, discounted fare for the top 40 U.S. routes costing $219, up from $214 last year.

Drivers now know they are in the Lake Tahoe Watershed. Photo/Provided

Gateway signs along three Nevada highways leading into the Lake Tahoe Basin have been installed to bring awareness to the watershed.

“The signs are meant to help remind the millions of people who visit Lake Tahoe each year that they are entering a special place and have a duty to help protect its famously clear waters and environment,” a Tahoe Regional Planning Agency spokesperson said in a press release.

The signs are near Daggett Summit on Kingsbury Grade, Spooner Summit on Highway 50 and on the Mount Rose Highway. The signs read, “Entering the Lake Tahoe Watershed — Help Protect It!”

Money from the signs came from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection as well as funding from the Lake Tahoe license plate program. At the start $12,000 was budgeted for each sign.

“The cost of the three gateway signs was actually about $35,000 each,” Tom Lotshaw, spokesman for TPRA, told Lake Tahoe News.

The goal is to find funding to put signs on the California side, too.

Every year, members of the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra launch a “Backpack Attack” to ensure students in grades K-12 who need them have a new backpack.

Members of the club donate items to fill the backpacks, including: pencils, paper, notebooks, binders, rulers, erasers, pens, and more.

This year, through a generous donation of 50 Backpacks from JANSPORT, the club was able to provide Live Violence Free with the supply-filled backpacks for the youth being served by that agency serve.

• There will be a workshop for landscape irrigation managers on Sept. 5 from 8am-noon at Truckee Donner Public Utility District. Cost is $20. Register online.
• The State Water Board has created this video showing ways to save water.
• Homewood Fine Arts and Crafts Festival is Aug. 22-24 from 10am-5pm at Homewood Mountain Resort.
• Registration is open for the Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation’s competitive and development ski and snowboard programs. For more info, go online.

• Truckee made National Geographic’s list of top 25 ski towns in the world.
• El Dorado County Court Appointed Special Advocates is looking for volunteers. For more info, call 530.573.3093.
• The Bicycle Advisory Committee of the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority will meet Sept. 5 from 9-11am at Lake Tahoe Airport.
• North Tahoe High School in Tahoe City doesn’t have enough players to field a football team this season.
• Truckee River Winery on Aug. 27 is donating a portion of proceeds from sales on that day to Whitney Hardy, a Truckee native who was involved in an accident while out for a run on Feb. 20. She was hit by a car, suffered major head injuries, and has a long road to recovery.

The first Lakeview Commons Beachside Movie Night is Aug. 23.

“Frozen” will be shown starting at 8:30pm.

The movie is free. Food will be sold.

Bring blankets to the South Lake Tahoe showing.

El Dorado County Teen Court in Placerville is recruiting student participants for the fall program.

El Dorado County students in grades 8-12 eligible. Volunteer training is Sept. 10 from 6-8pm in El Dorado County Superior Court,  495 Main St. in Placerville. Arrive by 5:45pm.

After completing the mandatory training, teens serve as court personnel for real cases in which a minor has committed an offense, admitted the offense and chosen to be judged for sentencing by their peers.

Teen Court hearings will be October through May on scheduled Wednesday nights. A calendar of hearing dates will be provided at the training.

For information about Teen Court in South Lake Tahoe, contact Jorge Orozco at 530.573.7964 and in Placerville contact Austin at 530.621.6380.

Food Bank of El Dorado County is having a free farmers’ market Aug. 27 in South Lake Tahoe for people in need.

Families are entitled to one box of food. The distribution will be at the American Legion parking lot from 10-11am.

For more information, call 530.621.9950 or email info@foodbankedc.org.

• Charles Goldman will be speaking at 2pm Aug. 21 to the South Tahoe Public Utility District board of directors.
• Parade magazine picked Placerville as one of the U.S. cities with the best Main Street.
• El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will discuss the Meyers Area Plan on Oct. 28 during the annual South Shore meeting at Lake Tahoe Airport. The meeting starts at 9am.
• Sept. 27 from 9am-1pm is prescription drug take back day at Gateway Shopping Center on Donner Pass Road in Truckee and at the old fire station on North Lake Boulevard in Tahoe City.
• Tahoe Prosperity Center wants people to take a test and survey regarding high speed internet service to the Lake Tahoe Basin, Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley.