NDOT started work this week to reinforce the slope along Highway 50 at Logan Shoals.

During the winter numerous boulders roughly the size of large passenger vehicles fell onto eastbound travel lanes near Logan Creek Drive north of Cave Rock. No vehicles have been involved in the slides, and no injuries reported.

Since then, travel lanes have been reduced to one lane in each direction, with both directions of traffic shifted to westbound lanes away from the rock fall area.

Nevada Department of Transportation officials will enhance and reinforce the slope, as well as construct a roadside wall to help prevent future erosion. Boulders and debris will first be cleaned from the bottom of the slope. Then, anchor bars drilled into the slope will secure heavy-duty mesh that will be covered with more than 16 inches of sprayable “shotcrete” concrete to create what is called a soil nail wall. The concrete will be hand-sculpted to match colors and textures of nearby natural roadside slopes. The wall will essentially stabilize the approximately 60-foot high slope by encasing it in concrete. Roadway surface and curbing damaged by the boulders will also be repaired.

Highway 50 will continue to be reduced to one lane in each direction in the Logan Creek Drive area during construction. Brief travel delays may temporarily take place in future months if one-way traffic with pilot cars is needed.

The project will cost approximately $5 million. Road and Highway Builders is the contractor.

By Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Review-Journal

The casino industry may find its business model vaporized like travel agencies, DVD stores and land lines unless leaders transform themselves with innovation, a speaker at a one-day innovation conference in Las Vegas said.

Southern California-based Rob Tercek, founder and president of General Creativity Consulting and the author of “Vaporized: Solid Strategies for Success in a Dematerialized World,” told gaming industry professionals that rapid changes in mobile social gaming and the casino industry’s inability to keep up will drive customers away with every innovative breakthrough.

Tercek was the closing keynote speaker at Innovation Day, sponsored by the American Gaming Association and technology consultant PwC, at Encore on Tuesday.

Read the whole story

At the annual South Tahoe High School awards banquet $475,000 in scholarships was bestowed upon students.

The event recognized 118 students.

It was noted that 24 of 26 athletic teams competed in regional and/or state championships.

On several occasions during the school year, STHS recognized individual students for perfect attendance over a certain period of time. In total, 187 students were recognized.

Assistant Principal Justin Zunino said the more notable accomplishments for 2016-17 were the implementation of two-way bilingual immersion courses, continued implementation of Common Core state standards in mathematics and English, and additional career technical education courses including fitness hospitality and tourism. 

Jeremy Perez

A San Francisco man is accused of stealing items from vehicles parked at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe after smashing windows to gain access.

Jeremy Perez, 22, was detained by casino security on June 4 at 1:30am.

Perez faces four counts of burglary, four counts of destruction of property, and one count of possession of burglary tools.

Victims of a car burglary last weekend in the Stateline casino core are asked to call 775.586.7256.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Jessica Meyers, Los Angeles Times
 
Gov. Jerry Brown met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in a rare diplomatic coup that catapults California into quasi-national status as a negotiator with China following the decision last week by President Trump to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord.

Their encounter underlined the extent to which Trump, as he pursues an “America first” foreign policy, is being sidelined on the world stage. Xi spent nearly an hour talking to Brown, one of the administration’s loudest, most powerful critics on the environment.

They discussed global warming and green technology in the Great Hall of the People, a granite-columned building on Tiananmen Square reserved for high-level dignitaries, political gatherings and ceremonial occasions.

Read the whole story

By Aparna Nayayanan, Investor’s Business Daily
 
Vail Resorts Inc. skid off record highs Thursday on a disappointing earnings report for its fiscal third quarter ending April.

The Colorado-based ski operator reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $4.84 a share, up 14 percent vs. a year earlier, as revenue jumped 23 percent to $795 million. But analysts had expected EPS of $4.86 on revenue of $808 million, according to Zacks Investment Research.

Vail Resorts is the parent company of Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar ski resorts.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

From New York to Lake Tahoe, the suicide bombing that killed 22 people in Manchester, England, last month at an Ariana Grande concert got the attention of law enforcement

“In the wake of many large gathering terrorist events, starting with Nice, France, but including Germany, London and elsewhere, we have made adjustments to our operations plans – even last year – for SnowGlobe and New Year’s Eve. We are sensitive to the possibility and plan accordingly within our means,” South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler told Lake Tahoe News.

Locally, even the smaller venues like Lakeview Commons and Heavenly Village are a concern.

In Douglas County with concert venues mostly on private property security is the responsibility of the permit holder.

“We do supply officers on a limited basis, but that is typically very minimal and at the request of the promoter,” Undersheriff Paul Howell told Lake Tahoe News.

The first outdoor concert of the season at Harveys is coming up on June 25.

“On large events, like celebrity golf, where we are primarily responsible for security, we do use a variety of measures to enhance security. Increased bag checks, reduced allowance of bags/containers, multiple screening locations, and electronic and plainclothes surveillance,” Howell said. “Since 9-11 we have increased our interaction with our state and federal partners and we routinely meet and asses threat analysis with the Nevada Threat Analysis Center on large events like celebrity golf and New Year’s Eve.”

Specific tactical procedures aren’t released to the public so potential perpetrators don’t have a head start.

Waxing philosophical, Uhler went on to say, “Should we all withdraw for fear of attacks when crowds gather? Are we still vulnerable given limited means to effectively thwart all possible means of attack? Should government move toward more draconian methods of control at the expense of freedoms? I don’t have the answers to these questions. Clearly, there will be fears perpetuated by the attacks which could be viewed by terrorists as a measure of success.”

By Kathryn Reed

Starting with their next paycheck the city manager and city attorney of South Lake Tahoe will each be receiving a 5 percent raise.

The City Council on June 6 gave the two performance evaluations in closed session.

Mayor Pro Tem Wendy David told Lake Tahoe News both employees received “exemplary” reviews.

City Manager Nancy Kerry has a five-year rolling contract and City Attorney Tom Watson has a three-year rolling contract.

Kerry brought forward a plan that actually reduces her base pay. She was making $187,000, the raise brought it to $196,000 a year, but now it is $166,000 as straight salary.

The $30,000 is difference is going to be put into a 457 account, which is similar to a 401(k) in the private sector. This makes it a non-pensionable benefit; in other words, the city does not have to pay PERS on that money. This equates to an ongoing savings to the city of about $10,000/year.

The city will be contributing $20,000 to the 457, which will be spread out in each paycheck. This is guaranteed for three years. It’s like an employer match with a 401(k), but is still less than paying PERS – which is for the life of the employee – not just while they work for the city.

CalPERS has been an ongoing financial drain on public agencies throughout California. Creative financing will help keep municipalities out of bankruptcy, allow employees a way to have supplement retirement savings, and help lessen the burden on taxpayers.

When Kerry started as city manager she didn’t take the car allowance that had been the norm for previous city managers. That cash was instead used for employee rewards, incentives and the like. That cash, at a smaller line item, is now part of the budget. The car benefit of $600/month is now part of her compensation package.

She also can accrue up to 360 hours of vacation.

“I am very pleased and thankful for the thorough evaluation by the City Council and management team. I appreciate the opportunity serve the City Council, staff and community over the years and the last five years as city manager,” Kerry told Lake Tahoe News. “As I said to the council, I am privileged to serve alongside an excellent team of executives, the city attorney and employees at the city, and look forward to our continued joint success in the coming years.”

Watson will now be making more than $160,000 a year. Because of when he was hired and the fact he makes more than $140,000/year, the raise does not affect how much the city pays to PERS. He will be receiving a $500/month car allowance, as well has have a maximum vacation accrual of 360 hours.

“I am delighted to have the trust and confidence of council, staff and the community. I am humbled by the support the council has provided to Nancy and myself. We look forward to implementing council directives to the best of our abilities,” Watson told Lake Tahoe News.  

This has been a long and drawn out process which started about three months ago. It is up to the mayor to initiate the evaluations, with all council members having equal say into what the outcome is. It became such a brouhaha with the mayor that an outside consultant at the cost of about $1,500 had to be brought in to make things copacetic.

By Kathryn Reed

Safety is the No. 1 reason South Lake Tahoe officials are looking to have a temporary air traffic control tower at Lake Tahoe Airport during the annual celebrity golf tournament.

This is the busiest week of the year for the airport. According to the FAA, in 2014 there were 362 aircraft at the airport for the golf tournament. That’s an average of 52 planes a day. More than 60 percent were larger jet aircraft. 

The cost, though, for controllers is more than the city wants to incur. That is why City Manager Nancy Kerry on June 8 will be asking the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority board to help defer the costs.

“In the past the costs for providing a temporary air traffic control tower was borne primarily by the FAA because it did not trigger a $10,000 threshold to establish a reimbursable agreement. This year the FAA has relocated its temporary air traffic control tower facility from Reno to Boise, Idaho, and costs to bring the facility here was quoted at $16,000 for the five-day period,” Airport Manager Mark Gibbs explained. “This is above the $10,000 trigger requiring the city to pay for the costs associated with the tower per FAA policy.”

Per the FAA’s suggestion the city looked into having a private air traffic control firm do the job for the July 11-16 event. Tower Tech Inc., which provided air traffic control services here during the 2007 Angora Fire, would cost $13,500. That fee covers equipment, personnel and insurance.

These people have the same certifications as controllers who work for the FAA. Three people would work from 8am-5pm each day.

The tower would be on a trailer behind a truck, and would be on the airport ramp near the terminal.

“When you have no air traffic controller managing the airport terminal airspace, aircraft radio traffic becomes congested. Without a ‘moderator’, pilots will try to talk over one another making for a confusing situation for all,” Gibbs told Lake Tahoe News. “Radio messages could be missed and pilots rely on one another to report where they are at all times. If the radio traffic becomes too congested to report properly, a dangerous situation results as pilots try to keep situational awareness of all other air traffic in the vicinity and fly the airplane.”

A bonus to having the controllers is they can “ensure aircraft use the noise abatement flight path into/out from the airport.” This means there should be fewer planes circling over neighborhoods.

According to Gibbs, it was complaints about safety by Caesars Entertainment and Edgewood Tahoe in 2013 that led the city to contract with the FAA. However, not every year has there been a temporary tower.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, whose parent company is Caesars, is the host hotel. Edgewood leases the golf course to NBC/American Century – owners of the American Century Championship tournament. Edgewood told Lake Tahoe News it would not contribute to the tower.

To date for this year, Mountain West Aviation, Tahoe Beach Retreat, Lakeside Inn and Caesars Entertainment have agreed to help underwrite the temporary tower.

Phil Weidinger, who handles publicity for the tournament, never got back to Lake Tahoe News in regards to whether NBC and/or American Century would step up to cover the costs since they are the ones making the bulk of the money on the tournament.

Most of the people in those planes are players.

An array of illegal fireworks was confiscated last weekend by Truckee police officers.

Officers had stopped a vehicle in town after it had struck the center divide on Interstate 80.

The driver and passenger face charges of being under the influence of methamphetamine and in possession of a large amount of illegal fireworks.

Fireworks are prohibited within the town limits. It’s not just discharging fireworks that is illegal, but possession is as well.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report