• CalStar’s helicopter based in South Lake Tahoe gets praise in an industry magazine.

• LakeTahoeLuxuryCruises.Com’s luxury charter yacht Francesca has switched to bio-diesel to be more environmentally sensitive.

• Lake Tahoe-Virginia City was ranked the fifth best place in the country by DogFriendly.com to travel with a dog.

• The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority will meet Aug. 10 at 9am at Lake Tahoe Airport to further discuss Measure R.

• California State Parks campgrounds will close after Labor Day.

A special performance by Tahoe Youth Ballet at Sugar Pine Point State Park is designed to raise money for the ballet and Sierra State Parks Foundation.

The Aug. 17 event begins at 6pm. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 that day. Call 800.838.3006 for tickets.

Bring a chair, picnic dinner or buy food-wine at the event.

Caregiving is a difficult and often challenging role that one can undertake, and taking the opportunity to share information and feel connected to others who are providing care is a vital step to perform this task to the best of your ability.

Take the opportunity Aug. 11 from 5:30-7:30pm, South Lake Tahoe Senior Center at 3050 Highway 50 to become connected and rejuvenated at your local support group.

Refreshments will be served. Free respite care is available to qualified caregivers.

Pre-authorization is required for respite services. Questions? Call (530) 621.6151.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department’s explorers earned eight awards in the 12 events they competed in.

The Central Valley Explorer Challenge Competition in Manteca in July had 19 other explorer posts and approximately 170 explorers from all over California.

Under the direction of SLTPD Officer Rebecca Inman, Explorers Joey Acker, Jose Silva, Chelsea Tate and Hector Vasquez won:

First places for Building Search and Hostage Rescue;

Second places for Domestic Violence Investigation and Burglary in Progress Investigation

Third places for Hostage Negotiations, Traffic Stop Investigation, Crime Scene Investigation and Honor Guard Drill and March.

The police explorers are a branch of the Learning for Life Program, supervised by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. The program is open to young men and women between the ages of 14 and 21.

• Brian Uhler is the police and fire chief of South Lake Tahoe. He was at the Aug. 2 City Council meeting reading up on fire law. Lorenzo Gigliotti, whose official leave date is Sept. 1, is using his vacation time.

• Homeland Security officials are on the South Shore this week checking on legal status of employees, making sure employers have I-9s on file.

• Barton Home Health and Hospice has moved its office in Minden to 1503 Highway 395 in Gardnerville. The phone number is the same.

• Carson City District Judge James Wilson this week said Nevada’s bear hunt can go on. The season is Aug. 20-Dec. 31.

• A Placerville woman wed her Army husband who is stationed in Afghanistan via telephone.

The people who saved Amy Castillo‘s life were recognized publicly on Tuesday by the South Lake Tahoe City Council.

Castillo is the the 12-year-old girl who on July 20 was pulled from the bottom of the city pool by lifeguards. She is at home, reportedly without any repercussions from the incident.

Singled out for their rescue efforts were lifeguards Faye-Marie Pekar, Grace Usui and Sierra York-Tolen; swim instructor Shannon Marshall; police Officers Tony Broadfoot and Deanna Lewis; fire Capt. Jim Drenna; fire Engineers Steve Monday and Jack Stinson; fire Capt. Marty Creel; firefighters Chris Anaya and Jesse Snyder; and street Supervisor Azril Kalik.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

As part of the Chamber EDucation program, the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sierra Economic Development Corporation to host a Business Identity Theft Compliance Workshop on Aug. 10 from noon to 1:30pm at the Mark Twain Cultural Center, 760 Mays Blvd., Ste. 10, Incline Village.

Deadline to register is Aug. 5.

Attendees will learn about identity theft laws and how they affect businesses, business liability when there is a breach, the types of identity theft and behavior awareness, as well as tools for creating a policy to protect their business.

The cost is $55/person (payable in advance by mail or credit card), and participants need to bring their own lunch. To register, call (530) 823.4703 or email info@sedcorp.biz.

This class will also be repeated Sept. 22 in Tahoe City at Granlibakken Lodge and Oct. 26 in Kings Beach at the North Tahoe Event Center.

• Tahoe Maritime Museum is collecting fishing rods for use in an activity meant to teach kids about Tahoe fish and fishing history. For questions, contact Corey at (530) 525.9252, ext. 103.

• Nevada Humane Society is one of 12 shelters in the country selected by Pedigree to receive 10,000 pounds of dry dog food.

• Rigoberto’s in South Tahoe went out of business.

• Free e-waste recycling is at South Tahoe Middle School on Aug. 13-14 from 9am-3pm.

• Rescue Union School District’s online school is open to third- through eighth-grade students in El Dorado, Placer, Alpine, Amador and Sacramento, counties. For more information, call Sheila Simmons at (530) 363.7130.

Lake Tahoe Community College is offering the Nursing Assistant Training Program again this fall quarter.

Interested students are required to attend the mandatory orientation meeting Aug. 3 at 6pm in the Student Center of the South Lake Tahoe campus.

Reservations are not required. Call Jamie at (530) 541.4660, ext. 583 for more information.

As part of the Chamber EDucation program, the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sierra Economic Development Corporation is hosting “QuickBooks” Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 from 9am-4pm.

Sign in starts at 8:30am each day at the Mark Twain Cultural Center, 760 Mays Blvd., Ste. 10 in Incline Village. Deadline to register is Aug. 5.

QuickBooks is one of the most widely used small business accounting software on the market. This seminar is geared for owners and/or financial managers of small businesses. Attendees will learn the fundamentals of the QuickBooks accounting software, how to set-up and understand the accounting system, the simplest way to track income and expenses and how to use financial reports to improve their profitability. Mac users are welcome and laptops are not required for the program.

The cost is $225/person (payable in advance by mail or credit card) and includes 12 hours of instruction and handbook. To register, call the Sierra Economic Development Corporation at (530) 823.4703 or email info@sedcorp.biz.