By Ted Long

This week’s session was a two for one, with a combination of investigation and Internet safety. Both sessions were unique in that the presenters did not carry guns and in fact one said she had no shooting ability or interest.

The investigative session was in two parts. The first was a presentation of process of collecting and analyzing information to find patterns and behavior and similarities of actions. For example, in a series of house break-ins, is there anything in the way the crime was done or in the timing or similarity of the areas? The investigator uses things like Google maps, Facebook and other social media to gather information. It’s amazing what some people will say on the Internet and to compare data.

If you saw the recent “Master Piece Theater” on PBS where four former code busters from World War II England join together to collect information and to find patterns in behavior to capture the bad guy, you saw exactly what this department does.

Ted Long

The second aspect is gathering and presenting statistics to show crime patterns and trends. This information is published annually and is available on the sheriff’s website. It is used by the sheriff to schedule patrols and enforcement behavior. If crime goes down, it helps him in re-election, if it is up, his opponent no doubt will use it. Realtors for example show low crime rates in the neighborhood they are trying to sell you a house. You can pinpoint your house and see the kinds of crimes that go on around you.

The second half of the evening was about the Internet; again in two parts. The first detective told us of the types of cases they handle. From computer fraud to sex cases that use the Internet – mostly kiddie porn. The capture of child pornographers seemed to be a major part of the job. The detectives go online disguised as young girls and trap older men into setting up a meeting where they can be arrested. In other cases they are able to trace down addresses through Web addresses.

The police have many tools available that the public does not, and they have equipment to recover virtually everything from a computer or smart phone deleted or not. In addition to the police work, we were given advice on protecting ourselves from identity thieves and just good computer habits like password protection and the use of wireless connections. Did you know that a person can set up a station, capture your signal and use your address for illegal activity?

One of the scams that is difficult to believe actually works is the attempt of criminals to convince you that you won the Italian lottery when you have never even heard of it. You would be surprised about how many fall for it and send money, only to be ripped off. Any offer on the Internet to give you money, in any way should be ignored and reported. I personally have three checks on my wall from “secret shopper” schemes. They offer you at a great rate of pay to shop, send you a check for more then agreed and ask you to send them the difference. Of course their check bonuses and you are out. Beware. The sheriffs’ office has several booklets and other information to aid the public. Check the website or call them.

Ted Long is a South Lake Tahoe resident participating in the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Citizens Academy.

Longtime South Lake Tahoe resident Deborah Sue Huff died May 21. She was 59.

She was born April 4, 1954.

Sue and Curt Huff were married in their hometown of Benton Harbor, Mich., on Nov. 16, 1974. For their honeymoon they packed up their Chevy van and moved west to California.

They spent six years in Long Beach, where their two children were born, Dustin Huff (1975) and Jennifer Huff-Derks (1980).

Sue Huff

In fall 1980, they decided it was time for a new adventure and moved to South Lake Tahoe. The following year they experienced a true Tahoe winter. With obscene amounts of snowfall, the neighborhood banded together creating lasting friendships that eventually grew into their Tahoe family.

Sue worked for the Tahoe Daily Tribune for eight years. In that time more endearing friendships were made and their love for this community grew.

In 1988, Sue began to work for Lake Tahoe Community College. Sue worked at LTCC for 19 years before retiring in 2007. In that time she earned her associate of arts in Liberal Arts, a goal she worked hard for and was proud of achieving.

Sue was an avid outdoor enthusiast, spending summers exploring the Sierras, searching for hot springs and mountain lakes to camp by. Her love for singing songs with her kids as her husband played the guitar around the campfire has been carried on by her children.

When winter set in Sue enjoyed knitting while watching her family enjoy football or cross country skiing with friends.

In 2006, Sue was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. She did not let cancer slow her down. During the last seven years Sue has witnessed her daughter, Jennifer, marry Todd Derks in 2008 and her son, Dustin, marry to Hillary Wilson in 2009. She was the first to hold her three beautiful grandchildren, Attigen Wilson Huff (2010), Paxson Hill Derks (2012) and Anaya Sue Huff (2012).

Sue’s love of travel took her to Alaska, Hawaii, Bahamas, Nicaragua and all over the United States.

Sue will forever be missed by all those who knew her. Her beautiful smile would light up a room. Sue leaves a strong legacy of love behind with her husband, children and grandchildren.

Please join us in a celebration of life on May 26 at 2pm at Lake Tahoe Golf Course in Meyers to honor an amazing woman, mother, and wife.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Sue Huff’s name to: Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) or the I.A.T Cancer Clinic West, Atlantic Blvd., Freeport, Grand Bahamas.

The Wild West returns to Virginia City on July 12.

See the early days of Nevada through the eyes of Eilley Bowers – famous “Queen of the Comstock” — and Julia Bulette – Virginia City’s most beloved “working girl”. With their dislike for one another, the comedy and the drama will unfold on the stage of Virginia City’s Historic Piper’s Opera House.

In this original two-act play by CobwebPalace Productions, Eilley Bowers is played by Lisa Bommarito. Julia Bulette is played by Kim Copél. Both women are long-time locals to the Sierra Nevada community.

Performances are scheduled for 2pm and 7pm. Doors open one hour prior to each performance. Period attire is encouraged.

Tickets for the 2pm matinee show are $10. For the 7pm show, tickets are $15 ($12.50 for seniors over 62). Will call tickets may be charged by calling (775) 847.0433 or purchased at the Delta Saloon at 22 S. C St. in Virginia City.

Piper’s Opera House is located at 12 N. B St. in Virginia City.

By Robert Rupp

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is a common injury. The ACL is one of the major stabilizing ligaments of the knee, and it controls movement of the shinbone and thighbone.

Many activities, such as skiing, soccer, and volleyball, require the ACL to stabilize the knee for safe playing. An unstable knee that “gives out” or “shifts” can cause damage to the other knee structures, including cartilage.

A cartilage injury can be painful, and sometimes lead to arthritis. A knee injury that causes swelling and the sensation of a “pop” could indicate an ACL tear.

An ACL injury will not heal once it tears, so orthopedic surgeons highly recommend the ACL be replaced to avoid instability and cartilage injury. If you’re concerned about how ACL surgery might affect your athletic performance, rest assured that many active people with a new ACL may safely return to the activities they once enjoyed, including mountain biking or skiing.

ACL surgery has typically involved replacing or reconstructing the torn ligament with a new bundle of tissue, which then heals as a new ligament. The tissue may come from a different part of the knee, such as the kneecap, or donor tissue.

The ACL is composed of two distinct tissue bundles and, until recently, surgeons only recognized and reconstructed one of the bundles. Today, a double-bundle reconstruction is used to fully restore the function of the ACL. A single-bundle reconstruction increases knee stability, but does not fully restore the rotational stability of the ACL like that of a double bundle reconstruction.

Plus, studies show that the double-bundle reconstruction is a more natural fit for the knee.

The double-bundle approach is a more complex procedure and should be performed only by experienced orthopedic surgeons. The procedure should be considered by those trying to regain a strong and completely structural ACL with stable knee function.

Robert Rupp is a physician with Tahoe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

Dig Into Reading is the theme of this year’s Summer Reading Program for kids at the Douglas County Public Library.

Registration starts June 3 at the Minden and Zephyr Cove libraries. The program continues through July 31.

Go to the library’s website and fill out a registration form. Bring your printed form to the library to receive a special raffle ticket.

The kick-off event is June 11 at 4pm at the C.V.I.C. Hall. Usborne Books will present a book fair. Books for all ages will be available.

Magician Larry Wilson will present his Top Secrets for Wizards in Training magic show at 6:30pm. He will use audience volunteers for hands-on learning. Afterward children will be able to perform magic tricks at home using items such as pencils and paper clips.

The Douglas County Library Foundation will host an Ice Cream Social from 7:15 to 8pm.

For more information, call (775) 782.9841.

The North Tahoe Business Association is ready for this summer’s Music on the Beach.

Music on the Beach, a free nine-week outdoor concert series, begins July 5 and will run every Friday from 6-8:30pm through Aug. 30 at the Kings Beach State Recreation Area.

Here is the line up:

July 5 – Peter Joseph Burtt & The King Tide

July 12 – Sneaky Creatures

July 19 – Tracorum

July 26 – Mojo Green

Aug. 2 – Flannel Fish

Aug. 9 – Mama’s Cookin’

Aug. 16 – The Northstar Sessions

Aug. 23 – McCoy Tyler Band

(Benefit in support of Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe)

Aug. 30 – Terraplane.

New this year, food will be available for sale by the Souper Wagon. Beverages will also be available from 6-8:30pm. The concerts begin at 6:30pm.

For more information, call (530) 546.9000.

By Tom Hauser, KSTP-TV

For George Lamson Jr., every day since Jan. 21, 1985, is a gift.

Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 crashed shortly after take-off just after 1am that day.

Lamson was the only one of 71 people on board who survived that crash a short distance from the airport in Reno.

George Lamson Jr. will be part of a documentary about plane crash survivors. Photo/KSTP-TV

He’s one of 14 people to be the sole survivor of a commercial plane crash.

“What I remember is hitting the ground, waking up seeing the sky, thinking I was dead,” Lamson told me recently in Reno. “I feel gratitude for having a second chance to live.”

What makes the crash all the more difficult to deal with is the fact his dad, George Lamson Sr., survived just over a week before he died.

The younger Lamson was just 17 years old when he and his dad flew to the Lake Tahoe/Reno area for a Super Bowl trip on a chartered plane. Most of the people on the trip were from Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Immediately after the crash there were three survivors. Seventeen-year-old George Lamson and his dad both survived along with Robert Miggins of Wayzata. Lamson, Sr. and Miggins later died of their injuries.

In fact, a National Transportation Safety Board report indicates 16 people survived the initial crash impact, but most immediately died in a huge fireball.

George and his dad were sitting near the front of the plane by a bulkhead. The plane broke apart near them and they were thrown about 40 feet from the plane away from the explosion and fire.

The cause of the crash, according to the NTSB report, was a series of tragic events. A ground worker at the Reno airport improperly closed an “air start access door” that came open shortly after take-off.

The small open door beneath a wing caused strong vibrations in the plane. That, in turn, caused a series of pilot errors as they tried to troubleshoot the problem.

The plane crashed just a couple miles from the airport. “When I looked out the window I saw the ground,” Lamson recalls about the moments before the crash.

“So our plane was tilted this way, I’m looking out the window and I’m still seeing the ground. I should be looking up at the stars or wherever. Then we knew something was wrong. It got very quiet in the cabin.”

Lamson came back to Minnesota and finished his senior year at Cretin High School. About five years later he moved to Reno and now lives just minutes from the crash site. “I didn’t come here consciously to be near my dad,” he told me last week. “But I realize that by being here I do feel closer to him.”

There’s a memorial to the Galaxy plane crash victims several miles from the crash site in a public park. When Lamson is having a bad day, he’ll sometimes visit the memorial to remind himself how fortunate he really is. There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t think of his dad and all the others who died.

“I carry them around with me all the time. They’re with me 24/7.”

George will be in Minneapolis May 30 for the premiere of “Sole Survivor,” a documentary film about some of the sole survivors of plane crashes. He admits he was initially reluctant to get involved, but decided it was time to open up.

“I wanted to do something that would explain what I went through and maybe teach somebody that may be going through a difficult time they could learn from my experience.”

Will Richardson will present The Tahoe Natural Year: a Journey Through the Season. This talk will cover a variety of natural history topics as Richardson takes guests through the calendar year at Lake Tahoe illustrated with his photography.

This presentation on June 8 is a fundraiser for the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science. TINS is a member-supported nonprofit organization seeking to advance the natural history, conservation, and ecosystem knowledge of the Tahoe region.

TINS’ long-term goal is to bring a world-class interpretive nature center and educational facility to the Tahoe area. In the meantime, the group engages in a diverse research, education and outreach programs.

In the past two years, TINS has been in most K-5 classrooms in Lake Tahoe Unified School District and has participated in many field trips, including a bird-banding trip to Pope Beach for South Tahoe Middle School. TINS has been an active member in the South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition for three years. As a part of STEEC, TINS has helped develop content for and participated in Children’s Forest, Outdoor Explore, and WOWEE programs during the 2012-13 school year that has reached K-6 in LTUSD.

The event is at Lake Tahoe Golf Course, 2500 Emerald Bay Road, Meyers. The $30 tickets includes dinner and cash bar. Mixer and silent auction is at 6:30pm, dinner at 7pm, and program at 7:30pm.

Tickets must be purchased in advance by contacting Carinne at (775) 298.0066 or carinne@tinsweb.org or Kelly Lancellotti at (530) 416.2735 or laketahoehiker@yahoo.com.

Kisses

Kisses is an unusual chocolate brown shorthair cat who is about 20 months old.

She came to the shelter when her owner became too sick to look after her. Kisses is a nice cat who has always lived inside.

Kisses is spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated. She 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

By Barton Health

This summer, millions of young adults in the U.S. will “binge drink” their way through parties. Binge drinking is drinking to get drunk — the point at which the drinker is risking health or behavioral problems as a consequence of drinking alcohol.

Binge drinking means a man having five or more drinks, or a woman having four or more, in quick succession.

“Overall alcohol use among young people has decreased in recent years, but the number of binge drinkers remains high,” says Warren Withers, director of Emergency Services at Barton Memorial Hospital.

Risky behavior

Besides risk of death from an overdose, binge drinking involves other dangerous consequences, including:

• Accidents. Alcohol impairs sensory perceptions and reaction time.

• Date rape. Alcohol can be a significant factor in sexual assaults on young adults.

• Unprotected sex. Heavy drinkers are at greater risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. They also have a greater chance of pregnancy.

• Violence. Young people who drink are more likely to be victims of violent crime, including rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.

• Alcoholism. Some college students who abuse alcohol will become alcoholics. Chronic alcohol use can damage the liver and heart, as well as increase the risk for some cancers.

• Bad grades. Students who drink the most are at risk for having the worst grades.

Influencing your children

“Educating your kids about the risks of binge drinking and behavior patterns, as well as making your expectations clear as to their lifestyle and academic performance, is key,” Withers said.

Some ways to do that include:

• Checking your own behavior. Are you subconsciously promoting the idea that drinking to excess is OK.

• Working with your children’s education facilities. Encourage initiatives such as substance-free social events and dorms.

• Promoting awareness early in your child’s life. What parents say and do really can make a difference. The earlier you start your prevention efforts, the better.

Need to talk?

If you are worried your teen or college-aged child may have a substance abuse problem, call Tahoe Youth & Family Services at (530) 541.2445 or, 24-hours-a-day call 800.870-8937. For a list of other resources, go online.