Michael John Lenning
Truckee police officers are looking for a man they believe has committed multiple commercial burglaries as well as vehicle theft.
A felony arrest warrant for Michael John Lenning, 33. He has blond hair, green eyes, is approximately 5-feet-7 and weighs 150 pounds
Lenning has ties to the Placerville and Pollock Pines areas, as well as Sparks and Silver Springs.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
About 600 feet of temporary barrier has been installed along the Carson River to prevent flooding.
Friday morning flows on the Carson River approached 5,000 cubic feet per second, causing Douglas County and the Carson Valley Conservation District to be concerned. Portions of the natural bank protecting the Aspen Mobile Home Park were eroded away during the previous flood events, increasing the likelihood of flooding during the snowmelt.
F & B Construction installed the “TrapBag” along the East Fork of the Carson River. TrapBags are essentially oversized sandbags which can be rapidly installed in anticipation of flooding. The current installation raises the river bank 4 feet.
This stretch of river overtops its banks when flows reach approximately 6,500 cubic feet per second.
The county contributed $25,000 with the Aspen Mobile Home Association contributing $5,000.
Christopher Klug
Christopher Klug, who is accused of embezzling from a South Shore sports organization, turned himself in to South Lake Tahoe police officers on May 5.
Klug, 25, was booked into the El Dorado County Jail on one count of felony embezzlement. Bail was set at $25,000.
Earlier this year Klug became president of the nonprofit South Tahoe Pop Warner and Cheer Association. Officers said since that time a substantial amount of money has gone missing.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
By Chris Macias, Sacramento Bee
Those in search of a classic “squeeze with cheese” burger might’ve noticed something amiss over the last few months. The name “Squeeze Inn” no longer marks the sign at its flagship location on Power Inn Road, and the moniker has also been removed from all but two of its franchised locations in Northern California.
Now, it’s “Squeeze Burger” for the iconic Sacramento eatery and its related restaurants.
The name change resulted from a trademark issue with the “Squeeze In” in Truckee. The Squeeze In had its name trademarked in 2007, and after the Truckee restaurant started a franchising program for other restaurants, the owner of Sacramento’s “Squeeze Inn,” Travis Hausauer, was asked to changed the name to prevent confusion and avoid legal issues.
Christopher Klug
The president of South Tahoe Pop Warner and Cheer Association is accused of stealing a significant amount of money from the nonprofit.
Christopher Klug, 25, became president of organization this year. Money has been missing since he took office, according to local police officers.
Klug has skipped town and police are looking for him. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to call the South Lake Tahoe Police Department at 530.542.6100.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee
Faced with a presidential administration that’s dialing back climate change policies, California is getting even more aggressive on battling greenhouse gases.
Electric utilities in California already are working to generate half of their power through solar and other renewable energy sources by 2030, one of the most aggressive timetables in the nation. Now the leader of the California Senate is pushing a plan for utilities to go completely renewable by 2045.
Separately, Democratic lawmakers are doubling down on California’s cap-and-trade carbon market, unveiling a proposal that could increase the cost of emitting greenhouses gases for cement makers, food processors and even motorists.
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe hopes to have a dedicated fire boat on the water this summer.
The City Council on Tuesday agreed to allocate up to $75,000 for a used vessel. The money would come from the emergency medical services fund.
The fire department had a boat starting in 1999, but it was decommissioned in 2015. The repairs would have been more than what the boat was worth so it was scrapped. For the past couple of years firefighters have used one of the city’s two police boats when possible.
However, as Battalion Chief Jim Drennan told the council on May 2, using the police boat is like trying to do fire work from a police car – it’s ineffective.
A fire specific boat will allow medical treatment to be performed inside a cabin area, as well as fight fires.
A new boat can cost $400,000. That’s why firefighters have been diligent about looking at surplus property.
With the OK by council, it means the department can pull the trigger when an appropriate vessel comes available. They are looking at boats that have only been in fresh water and are most likely from the Coast Guard.
South Tahoe responds to calls from Emerald Bay to Cave Rock around the clock. Most police boats are on the water 9am-5pm, and not always seven days a week. The Coast Guard operates out of Tahoe City and Tahoe Douglas Fire also has a boat.
The boat is expected to be moored at Lakeside Marina.
By Kathryn Reed
A bankruptcy judge in Reno may decide the future ownership of the strip of commercial space in South Lake Tahoe’s Bijou Center that houses a medical marijuana dispensary.
Lawyers for Patty Olson want all agreements with Cody Bass to be terminated and for Bob Hassett to be the owner of the parcel. A hearing is set for later this month.
Attorneys Kevin and Tricia Darby, who are representing Olson, did not return multiple calls.
For years Olson has owned this swath of land, as well other parcels in the area. She and Bass, who owns the Tahoe Wellness Cooperative, have been at odds for about a year. Bass believes the agreement he has with Olson to buy the commercial and residential properties for $4.2 million is still valid. Not true says Olson’s lawyers.
Bass stopped paying rent in March 2016. A court order mandated he pay the $10,200/month rent. He has not consistently done so, according to court documents.
He filed a countersuit contending breach of contract. Bass was not available for comment.
Complicating the matter is that Bass is operating his shop without a permit from the city because he’s supposed to have the landlord’s permission. He no longer does. That issue is slated for a hearing in El Dorado County Superior Court next month.
Depending on what happens in bankruptcy court, the city dispute could just go away.
Olson, who had lived in the city for decades, now resides in Reno. She filed for chapter 13 bankruptcy earlier this year after her Tahoe properties were foreclosed on.
Court documents say the commercial property and the residence on Bal Bijou Road have a value of about $3.5 million.
On March 8 of this year Hassett offered Olson $2.35 million for the commercial property with the contingency all matters with Bass are resolved and that the property not need more than $400,000 in repairs.
Olson would be able to pay her creditors if the sale to Hassett goes through.
Hassett runs the neighboring marina at Timber Cove, along with Camp Richardson and Lakeside marinas, as well as being the concessionaire at Round Hill Pines. He operated Meeks Bay marina until it was closed. After making public in December that he was in escrow on Olson’s former house, Hassett no longer speaks to Lake Tahoe News.
By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal
Moisture from Nevada’s historically wet winter will tamp down wildfire risk during early summer months.
But once the vegetation that’s turning much of the Silver State green dries out wildfires could be bigger than normal. That’s according to a wildland fire outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center.
The outlook forecasts wildfire danger through August throughout the United States.
Truckee fire investigators believe heavy snow led to a propane pipe breaking, allowing gas to leak into a house that ultimately exploded and caught fire, completely destroying the home on Muir Court in Serene Lakes on April 28.
Investigators found a broken gas line just outside of the home below 10 to 15 feet of snow.
The house was unoccupied at the time and there were no injuries.
Fire Marshal Craig Harvey said, “In cases like these the snow shifts and settles sometimes breaking exposed pipes. The leaking propane gas, which is slightly heavier than the air, will flow into low spots and structures like this nearby home. Once that gas reaches explosive levels it can come in contact with a heat source like a water heater pilot light causing a large explosion followed by a fire, like what probably happened in this case.”
— Lake Tahoe News staff report