An El Dorado County father and son are accused of running a marijuana operation on the West Slope.

The two were arrested Friday, but have since posted bail.

Members of the West El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team searched two properties in the 4500 block of Ingot Lane in the Garden Valley area near Coloma on July 23. They said they found 14 pounds of dried marijuana and 170 marijuana plants. A rifle was also confiscated.

Gregory Gilman, 55, and Dalton Gilman, 23, face charges of suspicion of cultivating and selling marijuana.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Tamara Audi, Wall Street Journal

LOS ANGELES — Wildfires scorching California this summer have already cost one life, 24 homes and millions of dollars. They are also consuming another precious resource: water.

An entrenched drought, now in its fifth year, has dulled huge swaths of the Golden State, helping spur 21 blazes statewide. It is also creating new challenges to firefighters, who must try to conserve water while dousing flames.

State water and fire officials stressed there is no danger of running out of water, but said they are being more careful to account for the impact of the drought.

Read the whole story

The missing Bay Area teacher has been found dead next to his motorcycle on a rugged trail in El Dorado County.

Edward Cavanaugh

The sheriff’s department received a call Aug. 4 at 11:20am from a member of the family’s search crew who located a motorcycle matching the description of Edward Cavanaugh’s and a deceased person nearby. The location was off the established OHV trail system in rugged brush filled terrain west of Slate Mountain.

His family issued this statement, “Our family would like to thank every single individual who has worked so hard to bring Ed home. We are overwhelmed with the kindness, generosity and support that (have) been shown by all in finding Ed. It truly is a testament to Ed’s extraordinary spirit and beautiful soul. Ed has touched so many lives in countless ways. We hope all who love Ed find comfort in knowing that his bright spirit is with us all during this heartbreaking time.”

He had been missing since July 17.

An autopsy is pending.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Kathryn Reed

Those wanting a vacation home rental permit in South Lake Tahoe under the current rules have an extra month to get one.

The City Council today approved the controversial ordinance that will take effect Oct. 1. This ordinance only affects VHRs in residential neighborhoods, of which there are about 1,200 parcels.

Ten people spoke at the Aug. 4 meeting about the rentals. This was the second reading of the ordinance, which is usually a formality on the consent agenda without changes. It was pulled for discussion, which took more than 90 minutes.

“The City Council is making up this ordinance as they go. The council doesn’t understand the real estate industry and how escrow works,” Natalie Yanish, South Tahoe Association of Realtors board member, told Lake Tahoe News. “It’s unfortunate that they feel these bureaucratic processes and top down government tactics will work in the real world.”

Mayor Hal Cole said the purpose of the ordinance is to deal with the abuse of the industry, reel in houses being built purely as a vacation rental, and not to put anyone out of business.

The new ordinance requires notification within a 300-foot radius of a home seeking a vacation rental permit. Anyone, though, can voice an objection. However, the hearing administrator will have discretion as to whose comments carry more weight. Staff and electeds repeatedly said not liking a VHR is not a reason to have a permit denied.

If an issue is identified, it’s possible an applicant could mitigate the problem and then the permit would be granted.

To deal with the mandated inspections – which are required for new permits starting Sept. 1 and existing ones’ permit holders when their permit comes up for renewal – the city will be hiring staff. It’s expected three to five inspections will be done a day. The city will have two inspectors dedicated to VHRs.

The fee schedule related to VHRs was also changed. The VHR inspection fee will be $133. It was $160.

Appealing a denied permit will cost $1,500 for most people. Those living within 300 feet of the property will be charged $250 to appeal. According to the staff report, that expense includes “15 hours of staff time including preparation of reports by zoning administrator for appeal to Planning Commission or City Council, compilation of facts regarding the decisions, review by mid-level and senior management official, public notification and public reporting requirements and conducting the public hearings.”

By Daniel Rothberg, Las Vegas Sun

President Obama sought to mark his legacy on Monday with an ambitious rule that would roll back greenhouse-gas emissions with regulations that curb emissions from power plants, the largest source of carbon pollution.

And while the rule is expected to face considerable opposition, with attorneys general preparing legal challenges and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sending preemptive letters urging all 50 governors to not comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan, many elected officials and environmental advocates cheered the news.

Standing in front of the solar arrays that line Las Vegas City Hall, city officials and leaders in clean energy held a rally in support of the rule.

Not everyone cheered the announcement. Nevada Rep. Joe Heck released a statement saying that although he sees potential for renewable growth in the state, he believes that fossil fuels remain an important industry for energy and jobs.

Read the whole story

Paramedics tend to a motorcyclist who was crashed Aug. 3 on Spooner Summit. Photo/Janill Gilbert

A motorcyclist was airlifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno Monday night after crashing on Highway 50.

The rider, whose name has not been released, was headed up Spooner Summit from Lake Tahoe when the crash occurred about 5:38pm Aug. 3.

The rider was first put in an ambulance for treatment, but then was taken by Calstar to Reno with moderate injuries, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

It was slow going on the highway while emergency personnel tended to the victim. The road was completely shutdown for a bit while the helicopter landed.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Jenny Kane, Reno Gazette-Journal

Burning Man is right around the corner, yet Burning Man organizers and Bureau of Land Management officials have been mum about the progress of the permit which allows the event to take place.

The two entities are working out their differences, which became the center of controversy in late June when the Reno Gazette-Journal obtained documents that detailed some of the unprecedented requests made by BLM. BLM federal director Neil Kornze called the requests, which would cost Burning Man more than $1 million, “lavish” and “outlandish” and asked the Nevada state office to revise portions.

The BLM wanted 24-hour access to ice cream, flushing toilets, and washers and dryers for its upper-level personnel during the Burning Man event in order for the San Francisco-based nonprofit to acquire its more than $4 million permit for the Aug. 30 to Sept. 7 pop-up arts utopia in the Black Rock Desert. The permit is the largest special recreation permit in the country and allows 68,000 people to attend.

Read the whole story

By Gary Richards, San Jose Mercury News

Gas prices may soon begin falling to levels not seen since the Great Recession in 2008 to under $2.50 a gallon in California and — gasp! — to below two bucks nationwide.

That would be a pleasant shock on the West Coast, coming just two weeks after rising nearly 75 cents overnight in Southern California to $4.30 a gallon.

If refineries continue producing at full capacity, the switch over to winter-blend gas in the fall/winter months, which is cheaper to produce and lower in demand prices may drop.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

A Central Valley man with an arrest record that encompasses several pages was arrested last week in Incline Village for allegedly shooting at a vehicle in Meyers.

Ignacio Arizaga, 35, turned himself in to Washoe County sheriff’s deputies on July 30 saying he thought he killed someone.

Ignacio Arizaga

Multiple rounds were fired at a Toyota Prius about 11:18pm Thursday. According to the California Highway Patrol, at least one bullet went through the driver’s door and hit the driver’s seat. The driver was not hurt.

Because the description of the vehicle was vague it was difficult to locate the suspect.

“There were some other circumstances regarding the suspect that made him think he needed to shoot this person, but everything was completely random. He didn’t know who he was shooting at,” CHP Officer Ruth Loehr told Lake Tahoe News. But she would not elaborate what those circumstances were.

Arizaga remained in custody Monday in Washoe County jail on more than $80,000 bail. He is charged with four counts of a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and trafficking drugs.

“He will probably be here a while based on the charges,” Washoe County sheriff’s Deputy Jeff McCaskill told Lake Tahoe News.

Once Nevada is done with him, Arizaga will likely be extradited to California where he could face attempted murder and assault charges.

The six Douglas County sheriff’s deputies involved in a fatal shooting last week have at least six years of experience with the department.

It still has not been released how many bullets struck Mark Perkins, 48, of Gardnerville. He died at the scene. The number of deputies who discharged their weapon also has not been released.

The deputies, who remain on paid administrative leave, are:

·       Sgt. Dan Coverley — 18 years experience

·       Sgt. Dave Stanley — 13 years

·       Investigator Jon Storke — 13 years

·       Deputy Jeff Johnsen — 10 years

·       Deputy Matt Saylo — 9 years

·       Deputy Justin Williams — 6 years.

The shooting occurred July 30 when deputies were called to Perkins residence because he was allegedly armed with several weapons, was threatening his wife, and made statements about wanting to kill a neighbor and officers.

According to the department, Perkins pointed two weapons at multiple officers.

Carson City Sheriff’s Office is conducting the criminal investigation of the officer involved shooting.

The last officer involved shooting with DCSO was in December 2011.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report