Someone is missing more than 1 pound of marijuana.

An employee at the Camp Richardson Marina on the night of June 8 found a cardboard box at the end of the pier. Inside of it was the pot. The employee then called law enforcement.

“The employee opened the box and found a large quantity of marijuana — approximately 16.7 ounces. At the time of the call the owner of the box could not be determined. The marijuana was taken and booked into property,” El Dorado County sheriff’s Lt. Bryan Golmitz told Lake Tahoe News.

He said the street value for 1 pound of marijuana is between $1,500 and $2,000.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Conor Shine, Las Vegas Sun

It’s been two years since the Legislature approved a new law establishing a system of dispensaries and growing facilities to make medical marijuana more accessible to patients, but so far not a single bud has been sold.

That could change in the coming weeks with the planned opening of the Euphoria Wellness dispensary in Las Vegas, but there’s no denying there have been growing pains as the industry struggles to launch.

Many of the issues stem from unintended consequences arising from the way the 2013 law was written, and Sen. Tick Segerblom, a leading marijuana advocate, made it a priority during the recently ended legislative session to fix as many problems as possible.

“When you grow (an industry) from scratch, there’s all kinds of issues you never thought about,” Segerblom said. “Basically all these things we’re dealing with are things we’ve learned over the last two years.”

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A South Lake Tahoe woman in her 20s is recovering from an early morning physical and sexual assault from a man she did not know.

The victim was with a group of friends about 2am June 11 outside of a motel on Cedar Avenue when she stepped aside to use her phone.

“While she was temporarily out of view of her friends, the suspect grabbed her and threatened her with a knife. Compelling her silence with the knife, the suspect forced the victim to a secluded area where he beat her violently and attempted to sexually assault her,” according to South Lake Tahoe police press release.

The victim escaped and ran back to the motel. The suspect chased after her, which is unusual. An officer told Lake Tahoe News normally when a victim frees herself the perpetrator retreats. Not in this case.

But he did flee when he saw her friends. He ran toward Stateline. He remains at-large.

The victim was first taken to Barton Memorial Hospital and then to Renown Medical Center in Reno. She has since been released, but has substantial injuries. She was not stabbed.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male between 18-22, heavy set with a noticeable stomach, between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-6, with short black hair. He is clean shaven and has a deep voice. He was last seen wearing an unknown color T-shirt and khaki shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to call 530.542.6100 or South Lake Tahoe Secret Witness at 530.541.6800.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

A cyclist from Yuma, Ariz., is fighting for his life after being struck by a vehicle on Pioneer Trail.

The 70-year-old man was riding north on Pioneer Trail between Susquehanna and Jicarilla when a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 35-year-old man from Southern California clipped his handlebar with the side mirror after drifting into the bike lane. The vehicle was traveling about 45 mph – the speed limit, and the cyclist 20 mph.

“The cyclist lost control, was ejected from the bicycle, struck his head and rolled over a number of times,” California Highway Patrol Officer Chuck Brothers told Lake Tahoe News.

Despite wearing a helmet the victim sustain serious head injuries as well as severe abrasions. He was flown to Renown Medical Center in Reno after the 11:40am June 9 collision.

Because of the life threatening nature of the injuries, names of the two people involved are not being released.

Brothers said alcohol or drugs are not factors. The investigation is ongoing.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Josephy Serna, Los Angeles Times

The nests of hundreds of thousands of birds and the food for millions more could be imperiled this year because of fewer rice crops in California – the latest symptom of the state’s historic drought.

Only about 375,000 acres of rice are expected to be planted this year, a 30% decrease from a typical year and the lowest in California since 1991, according to a statement from the California Rice Commission.

In summer, the rice is used as nesting for native mallards and shore birds, said Mark Biddlecomb, director for the western region of Ducks Unlimited, a wetlands conservation group.

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By Cy Ryan, Las Vegas Sun

CARSON CITY — The state Board of Examiners on June 9 approved contracts to draw more international visitors to Nevada.

The state Commission on Tourism plans to spend $1.4 million to employ firms in a number of foreign countries to promote Nevada.

It is entering into new contracts or renewing contracts with companies in Brazil, Australia, England, France, Germany, South Korea and Mexico.

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By Daniel Montes, Bay City News

Police announced Tuesday the arrest of a man wanted in connection with a home invasion robbery in Dublin on Friday.

At approximately 7:15am June 9, police, along with the help of the El Dorado County sheriff’s office, located Matthew Muller, 38, at a home in South Lake Tahoe, according to police.

Muller was taken into custody on charges of attempted robbery, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and assault with great bodily injury, police said.

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By Chris Megerian, Los Angeles Times

Even as California’s leaders prepare a new state budget that is flush with cash, Gov. Jerry Brown has increasingly raised the specter of another recession that could undo years of hard-won financial progress.

When he released his latest spending proposal last month, he said a downturn was “around the corner.” In a speech to business leaders, he said the question was “not if, when.” And he told county government officials that even a moderate downturn could cost the state $40 billion in revenue over three years.

The governor’s warnings may seem overwrought, given that economists see no sign of trouble on the horizon. And state revenue has routinely exceeded even the most bullish projections in recent years.

But the question is whether California has done enough to guard against another budget crisis, and experts say that the answer is a resounding no.

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By Ashley A. Smith, Inside Higher Education

One of the largest barriers to completing a bachelor’s degree is losing credits when transferring from a community college. Even with articulation agreements between two-year and four-year institutions, a significant number of credits may end up lost in the shuffle.

These missing credits are driving colleges from one side of the country to the other to try to fix a problem educators have been trying to fix for years and in the process boost completion rates across the board. Now, with more political and education leaders convinced that smooth transfer is essential to more people earning more degrees, the issue is attracting more attention.

Last month Gateway Community College in New Haven, Conn., released a study that followed 479 two-year students who transferred last year from Connecticut community colleges to the University of Connecticut. The transfer students had an average of 54.17 credits earned at community colleges, but only 42.57 credits per student were applied by the university toward major or general education requirements.

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A Fairfield man had to be airlifted from the Cascade Falls area on Monday after injuring his leg in a fall.

Authorities said the 32-year-old was hopping between boulders above Cascade Falls when he slipped and fell into the water on June 8.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter took him to Lake Tahoe Airport. From there Calstar flew the victim to Renown Medical Center in Reno.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report