By Kathryn Reed

White is covering the peaks around the Lake Tahoe Basin, with Squaw Valley reporting snow at the base lodge. Other areas in the basin also reported snow at lake level.

The drive over Spooner Summit this morning was a little dicey in places. The rain that pounded the region much of Sunday and into Monday morning left ice pelts on the road with a dusting of snow on top. Although not enough snow was on the ground to remove, a plow was headed into the basin on Highway 50 from the Carson City side about 8am.

The Tiki Bar at Sierra-at-Tahoe on Oct. 25. Photo/Provided

Diamond Peak in Incline reports a dusting. In contrast, Sierra-at-Tahoe on Highway 50 is calling this the first official snow of the season with top to bottom coverage.

Boreal Ski Resort off Interstate 80 strives to be the first to open each season. This year is no different. The goal is for lifts to be turning Oct. 29.

Power has been flickering on and off for the past few days with the wicked winds that blew through. Tree limbs are littering yards and roads. Pine needles are like a carpet on the asphalt. This all makes for slick roads.

Chains or snow tires are required on some of the mountain passes. Click on the road icon button on Lake Tahoe News to stay up to date on road conditions.

Reno has set a record for rain in October, which will only be higher with more moisture in the forecast. With 0.45 of an inch coming down Oct. 24, this brings the monthly total to 2.65 inches of rain. The previous record of 2.14 inches was set in 1945.

The forecast is for more wet stuff most of the week, with Wednesday being the best chance to be outdoors without getting wet. Dress warm – overnight lows in the basin will be in the 20s for much of the week, with highs in the 40s and 50s.

By Kathryn Reed

In a few months, electric customers on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin will no longer be writing monthly checks to Sierra Pacific Power. Instead, it will be to CalPeco – short for California Pacific Electric Company.

California Pacific Electric Company is a newly formed company jointly owned by Algonquin Power Income Fund and Emera Inc.

All that is holding up the $123 million transaction is the Nevada Public Utility Commission. That entity meets in December.

On a 4-1 vote this month the South Lake Tahoe City Council agreed to swap names on the franchise agreement to reflect who will be supplying power to the area.

The California PUC approved the sale Oct. 14.

Representatives from NV Energy and CalPeco addressed the council last week to talk about what the 46,000 customers throughout the basin and from Portola to Markleeville can expect in the future.

The idea is nothing changes in terms of delivery of electricity. The new company will actually be buying its power from NV Energy for at least the first five years. CalPeco would like to develop alternative energy sources.

All Sierra Pacific employees have been offered jobs. More jobs will be available when CalPeco opens a service center in South Tahoe. California rebates often not available to Sierra Pacific costumers because their power came from Nevada should be a non-issue with CalPeco being a California utility.

Christopher Hilen with NV Energy and Bob Dodds with CalPeco said customers would not be burdened with a rate increase because of the sale.

“I don’t buy it,” was resident Tom Davis’ reaction.

Councilman Bruce Grego was thinking the same thing, as he was the lone vote against transferring title of the franchise, which expires in 2018.

“I believe we will see a rate increase because it’s a little company that will buy power from Sierra Pacific. I think staff should do more review,” Grego said.

Although the state PUC is the overseer of all rate increases, hikes are not allowed based on an acquisition like this. Utilities may ask for an increase every three years.

By Kathryn Reed

A high wind warning remains in affect until 11pm Sunday, with a flood warning until 8:30pm for Alpine, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Douglas, Washoe, and Carson counties.

At 5:37pm radar showed heavy rain over the Lake Tahoe Basin south into Alpine County, according to the National Weather Service. Surface reports indicate as much as 4 inches of rain has fallen in the region, with an additional 1 to 1.5 inches expected through 8 pm.

Ducks think this is Lake Jeffery Street in South Lake Tahoe on Oct. 24. Photo/Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe as of 4:53pm Oct. 24 reported 2.92 inches of rain in the past 24 hours.

A wind gust of 132mph was recorded on top of Squaw Peak on Sunday.

The National Weather Service in Reno is forecasting a 20 percent chance of rain-snow in the basin for Monday and Tuesday. The high will be 49 degrees both days.

Sun will dominate Wednesday, with rain returning Thursday and Friday.

For those going to the World Series to see the Giants beat the Rangers, expect the low to be 54 degrees in San Francisco on Wednesday night and rainy with the same low on Thursday.

By Loretta Kalb, Sacramento Bee

California water quality regulators are considering a policy change that would end testing and cleanup of several thousand underground storage tanks that have leaked gasoline and other petroleum products.

In a draft policy circulating for comment, the staff of the State Water Resources Control Board proposes to end groundwater monitoring, investigation and further costly cleanup at sites deemed “low risk” for spreading pollution.

By doing so, the agency is trying to free scarce funds for more pressing cleanup projects as part of a strategy the state water board authorized more than a year ago.

But some regional water quality regulators say the draft policy does not protect water quality, offers little scientific backing for deciding when to stop tracking cleanup cases, and is open to misinterpretation.

Read the whole story

By Frank X. Mullen Jr., Reno Gazette-Journal

Nevada was first in and may be last out of the recession, according to a state economic report.

While the gaming industry has steadily declined over the last decade, businesses in other industries were relocating to Nevada and/or expanding to keep pace with the population growth at both ends of the state, according to the Reno2020 report by the Center for Regional Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“The added diversity in the employment base may help Nevada recover from this recession, even as tourism lags behind,” the report noted.

The report outlines the grim cycle of the economic downturn in the Silver State. With housing, construction and gaming revenues at a low ebb, more people are without jobs and fewer are spending money. That leads to more struggling businesses, increased layoffs, and less tax revenue for local governments.

Read the whole story

A high-wind warning has been issued for the Lake Tahoe Basin from 8am-11pm today.

The National Weather Service says to expect gusts of 45 to 55mph. Strong winds are likely to impact travel along highways 50, 95 and 395 and Interstate 80 on Sunday.

Winds will increase this morning with the strongest winds reaching the basin this afternoon. Sierra ridge gusts will exceed 100mph.

Wave heights could reach 5 feet. Boat owners should consider moving boats to a secure location off the water.

By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee

The owners of Red Hawk Casino just can’t shake a lawsuit by their former gambling partner.

A federal judge in Sacramento has denied a petition by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians to block a lawsuit by Sharp Image Gaming. It was the second time in six months that courts have turned back the tribe’s efforts to rid itself of Sharp Image’s litigation.

Sharp Image, a Chatsworth supplier of gambling devices, is suing the tribe for more than $100 million. The company says the Miwoks broke a contract that established Sharp Image as the tribe’s exclusive casino partner.

With last week’s decision keeping the lawsuit alive, Sharp Image expects the case to go to trial in February, said the company’s lawyer, Matthew Jacobs of Sacramento. The tribe’s lead attorney, Paula Yost of San Francisco, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Read the whole story

By Michael Deak, Courier News

SOMERVILLE, N.J. — Nancy Dunsavage Fiedler, who was missing for 26 years after she left New Jersey with her daughter in the middle of a custody dispute, is free on $2,500 bail after she pleaded not guilty to a charges of interfering with custody and contempt of court.

In a brief appearance Friday before Superior Court Judge John Pursel, Fiedler, 57, who was extradited from Nevada, made the plea before a packed courtroom that included her 31-year-old daughter and new son-in-law.

Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Van Hise asked Pursel to set Fiedler’s bail at $25,000, saying Fiedler had shown “utter and complete disregard for the law” by leaving New Jersey.

But Somerville attorney James Wronko, who is representing Fiedler, said that she had not been aware of the charge against her.

Read the whole story

The latest round of campaign contributions for California candidates has been documented.

Candidates must file the paperwork if at least $1,000 was part of the campaign revenues or expenses.

The forms may be found below by clicking on the candidate’s last name. The campaign forms are for South Lake Tahoe City Council and El Dorado County sheriff. Douglas County charges $1/page for these disclosure forms.

Lake Tahoe News will continue to report the financial documents until the last set is due Jan. 31. Craig Therkildsen has multiple forms based on contributions since the last deadline.

Joy Curry

John D’Agostini

Tom Davis

Claire Fortier

Elizabeth Hallen

Steve Kubby

Angela Swanson

Craig Therkildsen; Therkildsen-2; Therkildsen-3.

— Compiled by Kathryn Reed

By Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal

The King’s Beach area at Lake Tahoe marked its first affordable housing development as county and regional officials broke ground Monday at the project’s site.

The King’s Beach Housing NOW! project will consist of 77 units built on five separate sites. The apartments will be deed restricted for low-income residents whose earnings fall between 30 percent to 60 percent of the area’s median income. The Placer County median income for a family of four is $73,100.

The average rent will average between $400 and $1,200 a month.

“This project creates badly needed affordable housing for the year-round resort workers who help make this economy tick,” said Jennifer Montgomery, Placer County supervisor, in a statement. “It will help revitalize Kings Beach, a neighborhood that’s struggled with overcrowding and unsafe housing for years.”

Read the whole story