Campground by the Lake guests were not enjoying peaceful nights of sleep this week because of work on Harrison Avenue.

“The contractor had not planned on working any nights at all, but the delay caused by finding underground tanks, combined with losing four days due to weather, they decided to work Wednesday and Thursday nights to cut and grade Harrison,” Jim Marino, South Lake Tahoe assistant director of public works, told Lake Tahoe News. “At this time, there is no more night work on the immediate schedule.”

Sierra Nevada Construction unexpectedly found an old heating tank and two gas tanks under buildings. Any lingering contents have been pumped out and the tanks filled with concrete.

The multi-million dollar Harrison Avenue project includes improving water quality in the area, repaving the streets, making some roads one way, adding a parking lot across from Sno-Flake drive-in, and improving the overall look of the area.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Kathryn Reed

Lake Tahoe Airport is not going to have commercial air service any time soon, if ever. Lake Tahoe Airport is not going to stop being an airport. Lake Tahoe Airport could be more than it is.

Those were the major points delivered Thursday night at a meeting about the master plan for the South Lake Tahoe airport.

Michael Hotaling with the consulting firm putting together the master plan for the city and FAA on May 29 went over issues that were brought up from the February meeting – which centered on making it more than a general aviation facility and closing it down.

Hotaling said to have commercial flights it would require a subsidy. Mammoth subsidizes its airport by $2.5 million a year. City Manager Nancy Kerry said she has been asking people at meetings if they think that is a wise use of city funds – assuming the city had that kind of cash – and the overwhelming response is “no”. The same outcome came Thursday night.

Lake Tahoe Airport is not apt to see commercial service any time soon. Photo/LTN file

When the airport had commercial service in the past there were subsidies as well as marketing support for some of the airlines.

The city is already spending $300,000 a year from the general fund to support the airport. This is down from a high of $600,000.

But the city is in no position to cough up money to support this type of enterprise when the few “extra” dollars it thought it would see this fiscal year are evaporating because of the dismal winter and potential loss of parking revenue.

“It doesn’t make sense for only city residents to fund this airport,” Kerry said.

She would like El Dorado and Douglas counties to have a financial stake because they benefit from people flying in.

The Federal Aviation Administration would have the ultimate say over whether the airport closes. And even it said “yes”, the city would have to repay the nearly $20 million in grants it has received from the federal agency.

Going forward, Hotaling said, the city needs to consider options for the airport beyond current uses.

“The niche could be catering to folks who already are coming here,” he said. This would involve enhancing the facilities in some manner – making it a destination of sorts.

More than a dozen of the nearly 80 people at the meeting had a question or comment.

Transportation beyond air service was a concern of several people. Some remarks had to do with how people get to other parts of Tahoe once they fly in. Others questioned the environmental impact of air service in terms of how will people get around once they are in Tahoe.

It was brought up how there is no bus service to the airport.

An air shuttle service between South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento and Reno was also broached. Kerry said this idea has been talked about but has not gotten off the ground.

One person suggested there be pilots’ quarters over hangars, as well as having the drive-up market stop at the airport and then be shuttled to their final destination.

Reducing the runway in some form – like shortening it – was an idea.

Sherry Miller, airport manager, said if that were to occur, then the airport would be less viable and the FAA may not approve doing this. Concerns are whether large firefighting aircraft would then be able to land, as well as safety concerns because of the air density involved during the summer.

“They don’t like airports to limit their use,” Miller said of the FAA.

The airport runways’ width have been reduce from 150 feet to 100 feet in recent years. This has allowed the city to bank stream environmental zone credits. But no one has come calling for them, so that commodity isn’t much of a revenue stream or incentive to get rid of more coverage.

More information about the airport master plan may be found online.

No fines will be levied against the owners of the Tahoe Keys Marina in regards to a sewage spill earlier this month.

“It is not clear if negligence or vandalism occurred,” Lauri Kemper with Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board told Lake Tahoe News.

She said her agency, along with El Dorado County Health Department and South Tahoe Public Utility District will continue to work with the marina and Fresh Ketch restaurant owners to make sure the “sewage collection system at the site is properly designed, operated and maintained in accordance with all regulations.”

The water board had also been investigating complaints about fuel spills at the South Lake Tahoe marina.

“There is inconsistency in the evidence and the water board does not have sufficient information to warrant further action at this time,” Kemper said.

Kemper said if people have information about a possible spill or illegal discharges, including photographs, they should email Lauri.Kemper@waterboards.ca.gov or scott.ferguson@waterboards.ca.gov or file a complaint on the CalEPA website.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Tyler Kingkade, Huffington Post

It pays to be a public college president, and it seems only to be getting better for them.

The number of chief executives at state colleges and universities earning at least $1 million more than doubled in fiscal year 2013, according to an analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education published last week. Topping the list once again is E. Gordon Gee, from his tenure as head of Ohio State University, where he made $6 million in total compensation.

Texas A&M’s R. Bowen Loftin took home $1.6 million in FY 2013, and North Dakota University system President Hamid Shirvani made $1.3 million.

But this year, a separate study released by the Institute for Policy Studies, is also noting the colleges with millionaire presidents are the same ones where students are more indebted and where adjuncts are more heavily relied upon.

Read the whole story

Firefighters on Thursday quickly put out a fire at a cabin on the west end of Lower Echo Lake.

No one was injured and the cause is still under investigation. The extent of the damage has not be released.

Lake Valley, U.S. Forest Service and CalFire crews responded to the May 29 afternoon blaze.

The boat chalet at Echo Lake helped transport equipment.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Kathryn Reed

Several Lake Tahoe gas station owners are being sued by the state of California for allegedly mishandling underground storage tanks.

The State Water Resources Control Board has been after many of these defendants for years, with fines being levied in the past.

Besides tanks in El Dorado and Placer counties, the defendants also own property in Contra Costa, Sacramento and Yolo counties that are part of the lawsuit.

Owners of the Swiss Mart on Emerald Bay in South Lake Tahoe are being sued by the state.

According to a press release, the Attorney General’s Office “is seeking a permanent injunction, civil penalties, and other equitable relief to remedy numerous violations observed at the facilities. Applying the minimum civil penalty of $500 per-day per-tank for each violation, the penalties could reach several million dollars.”

Lake Tahoe properties include:

• 1140 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe – American Oil.

• 3208 Highway 50, Meyers – Meyers Beacon.

• 2304 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe – South Lake Tahoe Mobile.

• 913 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe – Swiss Mart.

• 8070 North Lake Blvd., Kings Beach – North Tahoe Station, TransAm, North Tahoe Beacon, North Tahoe Mobil.

The 30-page complaint says Azad Amiri and Sarbjit Singh Kang were the masterminds behind everything, including using family and friends as “strawmen” as a way to “conceal their actual ownership, operation and control of the real properties.”

They are accused of failing to install and/or maintain automatic line leak detectors on underground-pressurized pipes that carry a hazardous substance at six locations, including 1140 Emerald Bay Road, 2304 Lake Tahoe Blvd. and 8070 North Lake Blvd. This would violate several state Health and Safety Codes.

At the above locations, and in Meyers and the Swiss Mart they are accused of failing to test and certify underground storage tank monitoring equipment.

They face several other charges related to how they operated the stations and storage tanks.

The complains also alleges they: commingled funds and other assets, failed to segregate funds of the separate entities, diverted corporate funds or assets without authority, failed to maintain adequate corporate records, used the corporate entity to procure labor-service-merchandise for another person, manipulated assets between entities, and used a corporation as subterfuge of illegal actions.

The complaint lists the following people connected to Lake Tahoe:

• Azad Amiri owned properties at 1140 Emerald Bay Road and 913 Emerald Bay Road, both in South Lake Tahoe. He owned or operated the underground storage tanks at these locations.
• Dilpal Singh Dhillon is the owner of the property and underground storage tanks at 2304 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.
• Satar Hidarinejd was an officer, director or member or partner of Aria Oil Company that operated the underground storage tanks at 1140 Emerald Bay Road.
• Darshan Singh Kang, who lives in El Dorado County, was an officer or partner in South Tahoe Station Inc. and North Tahoe Station Inc. He has been at least a partial owner of the 3208 Highway 50 property in Meyers that locals know better as the Tveten parcel. Kang was responsible for operating the underground storage tanks there.
• Kaur Kang also has an interest in the Meyers parcel as well as the 913 Emerald Bay properties; and was an operator of the underground storage tanks.
• Sarbjit Singh Kang, a resident of El Dorado County, was partner or director for Kang Property Inc, North Tahoe Station Inc., South Tahoe Station Incl., and Tahoe 3208 Highway 50 Corp. He was part owner of the Meyers property, 913 Emerald Bay, 1140 Emerald Bay, and 2304 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
• Darshan S. Singh of El Dorado County is part owner of the Meyers property.
• Parmjit Singh is part owner of the 1140 Emerald Bay and 2304 Lake Tahoe Blvd. properties.
• Rajinder Singh was a director or officer in North Tahoe Station Inc.
• Raman S. Singh was part owner of the 2304 Lake Tahoe Blvd. property.

Companies with Tahoe ties that have been named include: Ameri Oil Company, Dara Petroleum Inc., Emerald Business Group Inc., Kang Property Inc., Meyers Holding Co., North Tahoe Station Inc., South Tahoe Station Inc., Tahoe 3208 Highway 50 Corp., Tahoe Blue LLC, Tahoe Blue Property Inc., and Tahoe Station Inc.

Updated 2pm:

No explosive devices were found at the Y center in South Lake Tahoe this afternoon.

Two South Lake Tahoe detectives and the school resource officer are trying to track down the kids who made the alleged threat. They want to determine if a device may have been planted elsewhere or was a hoax.

South Tahoe High School will be released at normal hours.

—–

The South Lake Tahoe Raley’s center at the Y has been evacuated and South Tahoe High School is in shelter in place because of a bomb threat.

“Students are remaining in the classrooms and are in no danger,” the school district said in an email.

A Kmart employee overheard youths saying they were going to plant a bomb, South Lake Tahoe spokeswoman Tracy Franklin told Lake Tahoe News. She said the kids left the store about noon May 29 and then the employee took a walk outside. That person heard a ticking device by the mailboxes and then called the police.

Officer Aaron Crawford, who has bomb experience, saw the suspicious device and called in Tahoe Douglas bomb squad. The first Tahoe Douglas crew then called in reinforcements.

STHS is on lockdown to keep those students safe and not bring more people into the area.

Highways 89 and 50 are open, as is Lake Tahoe Boulevard, and neighboring businesses.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Jon Ralston, Politico

Dick Cheney calls him “courageous” and says electing him “is of the highest priority.”

John Bolton traveled across the country to headline a fundraiser for him. Newt Gingrich, Frank Fahrenkopf, Tom Ridge and Ed Meese (remember him?) all appeared at the same D.C. event to celebrate his candidacy. Donald Rumsfeld gave him a personal check for $5,000, part of a half-million-dollar haul.

Who is this remarkable contender attracting such a list of national GOP luminaries? What remarkably accomplished figure could warrant such attention? Who can command encomia from a former vice president, attorney general, defense secretary, House speaker, chairman of the Republican National Committee and Homeland Security secretary?

Adam Laxalt, that’s who.

Who?

Laxalt is only 34, has never run for office before and is campaigning for attorney general—attorney general!—in Nevada, where he has been a cipher until just recently and whose last name explains … everything. That’s because Laxalt has one of the most unusual pedigrees in American politics: He’s the grandson of Paul Laxalt, the former senator and Ronald Reagan confidant once known as “the first friend” — still, at 91, casting a long if not always visible shadow in Nevada politics.

Awkwardly, young Laxalt is also the illegitimate son of Sen. Pete Domenici, his grandfather’s longtime Senate colleague. In fact, it was only last year that Adam Laxalt’s mother Michelle, a 24-year-old Reagan operative at the time of the affair and now a well-known Washington lobbyist, revealed her son’s parentage for the first time, a sensational revelation that almost certainly had the effect of clearing the way for his political career.

It gets better. Laxalt’s Democratic foe is another political royal, Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, the son of a former governor and the overwhelming favorite to win. But that’s also what’s made the race such a spectacle: Miller, the Nevada Democratic Party’s rising star and presumed 2018 gubernatorial candidate, has become a top target of Republican potentates like casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who has launched a Stop Miller Now campaign and is bankrolling Laxalt along with his grandfather’s Reagan-era friends.

As one prominent Nevada Republican puts it, “If his name were Adam Smith, this race would be a total joke.” But his name is Adam Laxalt, and that’s why Democrats aren’t laughing.

Read the whole story

Two Sacramento residents unexpectedly spent a night in Desolation Wilderness after becoming disoriented.

Patti Hardesty and Mohammad Mostafa had been at Lake Aloha when they tried to hike out via Horsetail Falls. They called for help about 9pm May 26 when they became stranded in steep terrain on the east side of the falls.

Neither was prepared to spend the night.

A search and rescue team from El Dorado County was flown into the area and found the two. They all stayed Monday night in the woods.

The following morning the duo was airlifted by a California Highway Patrol helicopter to a landing area in Strawberry.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

The latest campaign financial statements for the June primary have been filed.

Here are the documents for the six who are running for District 5 for El Dorado County supervisor:

Brown

Curtzwiler

Grego

Novasel

Piper

Swanson.