·      Nevada Assemblyman Jim Wheeler, R-Minden, introduced a bill that change the legal age to gamble from 21 to 18.

·      South Lake Tahoe City Councilmember Wendy David withdrew from the Cal-Tahoe JPA board and Councilmember Brooke Laine is now on it. Councilmember Tom Davis is now the city’s rep to the California-based chamber.

·      Tahoe Cross Country in Tahoe City will be closed Feb. 10 for the North Tahoe Nordic school race.

·      The final environmental document for the proposed roundabout at highways 50 and 89 in Meyers is available online. 

·      Late-Nite Productions presents Free Show Saturdays at Whiskey Dicks in South Lake Tahoe. Booty Shakin’ Latin Nang Bang with Reno’s Drinking with Clowns play Feb. 11. Must be 21 or older. Doors open at 9pm.

Free tax return preparation for California and Nevada taxpayers is available through AARP Tax-Aide.

This is for all ages with low to moderate incomes.

Bring Social Security card, photo ID, 2016 tax return documents, and a copy of last year’s tax return. All tax returns are prepared and filed on site with no cost to the taxpayer. 

Preparers will be at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd. from Feb. 9-April 15 on Thursdays from 1-6pm, Fridays 9am-2pm and Saturdays 9am-1pm. No appointment is necessary.

What’s in the future for Social Security and Medicare and how might changes in the Affordable Care Act affect your Medicare coverage?

Those topics will be discussed in a community presentation on Feb. 27 at 5:30pm in the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

Kathleen Newton will describe the current structure and financing of the Social Security and Medicare systems, and provide information about current congressional legislative initiatives that may affect both programs.

Newton, who works with the National Committee to Protect Social Security & Medicare, is a former journalist and newspaper publisher. A question-and-answer session will follow her presentation.

The free event is sponsored by the South Lake Tahoe Democratic Club.

Tahoe National Forest has scheduled an open house in preparation for the annual application to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, to request funding for trail maintenance, restoration, development of facilities, law enforcement, and planning for off-highway vehicle access.

It will be Feb. 16 from 4-7pm. This is for individuals and organizations to provide input and review proposals for the application.

Written comments will be taken until Feb. 24.

These annual grants provide funds for the Forest Service to develop and maintain trails and trailheads, repair winter storm damage and restore trailside environments, as well as provide patrolling and monitoring of these areas.

The open house will be at Tahoe National Forest headquarters, 631 Coyote St., Nevada City. For more info, email  joetchavez@fs.fed.us.

Tahoe’s Natural Diversity: Lakes Edge to Summit is the title of a talk to be given by Sarah Hockensmith of the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science.

She will talk about the diverse landscapes of the Tahoe region from lake level to the tops of the mountains.The presentation will cover how different flower, tree, bird, and mammal species adapt as they go up in elevation and what unique creatures you can find around specific elevations in the area. 

The free talk sponsored by the South Lake Tahoe Friends of the Library will be March 4 at noon at the library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.

·      South Lake Tahoe’s roller derby team the Tahoe Derby Dames has disbanded.

·      Tahoe Environmental Research Center in Incline Village is hosting a free science expo March 15 from 4-6pm for ages 6-12. This year’s theme is Earth & Space Science. Challenger Planetarium shows require an RSVP.

·     Free sand bags are available at Truckee Fire Station 92 located at 11473 Donner Pass Road as well as the U.S. Forest Service Building on Stevens Lane.

·      What is Autism? What Causes Autism? Can Autism be Treated? Those questions will be answered at a May 18, 6pm lecture at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village. Cost is $5. RSVP online.

·      The Desert Research Institute first female president, Kristen Averyt, starts July 1. She is currently at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

El Dorado County has created a feature on its website to monitor road, park and trail status.

The map can be found on the county’s main website through a button located on the right side of the page. The map will show the status of roads, parks, and trails through sign icons. By clicking on the sign
icons, individuals can get information about the status of the roads, parks or trails in El Dorado County.

The map has information from inside and outside of the county from Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol.

To help make the map the most current, report damage that you see to the county to 530.642.4909 or 530.621.5360.

·       Liberty Utilities awarded Tahoe Truckee Unified School District a $19,638.42 rebate for improvements made in 2016 to increase energy efficiency at two schools. This is the largest incentive payment provided to any commercial customer by Liberty. The district should realize more than $15,700 in annual energy bill savings.

·       Douglas County sheriff’s search and rescue team received six high-quality binoculars worth $1,000 from Scheels.

·       Here are the El Dorado-Tahoe  and Sierra roadwork schedules for the week from Caltrans.

·      North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District will be hosting a blood drive Feb. 16 from 9am-5pm at the main fire station at 875 Tanager St. 

·      +Impact School and Tahoe Expedition Academy’s annual Celebration of Learning event is Feb. 8 from 4:30-7:30pm in Tahoe Vista. For more info, go online. 

·      El Dorado Winery Association is putting on two winemaker dinners – April 21 and April 28 – as part of the annual Passport event. They will be at Sienna restaurant in El Dorado Hills. More info and tickets are available online. 

·      Meeks Bay Fire Protection District’s Station 61 has been upgraded from being staffed as a basic life support station to an advanced life support station. This means there will be a minimum of one captain and one paramedic on duty.

·       Volunteers for Tahoe Institute for Natural Science’s annual mid-winter bald eagle count saw 27 eagles — 23 adults, two sub-adult, and two immatures.

·      Children are invited to the Douglas County Public Library in Minden to make Valentines on Feb. 11 from 2-3pm. This for preschool and school aged kids. All craft supplies will be provided by the library.

·       The Comstock History Center Museum in Virginia City is showcasing a landscape photography exhibit entitled “Sagebrush Visions: The photography of Will Barber” for free. The museum is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10am-4:30pm and Saturdays from 10am-5pm.

Awards recognizing people exhibiting a special dedication to conserving Lake Tahoe are now open for nominations. The 2017 Lake Spirit Awards will honor people committed to a spirit of cooperation and protecting Lake Tahoe.

TRPA created the Lake Spirit Awards in 2011 to recognize individuals showing exceptional commitment to the Tahoe basin. The awards expanded the following year to include categories for exemplary citizen and agency representative/environmental scientist. A winner from the North Shore and South Shore will be selected in each category.

The nomination form for the Lake Spirit Awards may be found online. Nominations will be accepted through March 17.