Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care will be receiving bear cub No. 10 on Monday.

The cub will be arriving by plane at Lake Tahoe Airport. It is coming to the South Shore animal rehab center from Washington.

“The situation of this cub is very similar to Li’l Smokey from 2008 in that it was in a forest fire and has burned paws. The main difference is that this cub is 20 pounds. Li’l Smokey came in at 8 1/2 pounds,” Tom Millham, secretary of LTWC, said.

Li’l Smokey went on to fame with the firefighter who rescued the cub writing a book about it. It was released back into the wild.

By Katherine Hobson, NPR

After winning the Tour de France last month, Vincenzo Nibali was tested for a bunch of performance-enhancing substances. But Nibali and his fellow competitors were welcome to have several cups of coffee (or cans of Red Bull), before their ride into Paris; caffeine is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list.

Still, the drug is definitely a performance booster. Just in the past few months, studies have shown that caffeine helps female volleyball players hit the ball harder and jump higher, rowers go farther, and cyclists go fasterin a 20K time trial.

A large body of research shows caffeine helps in “pretty much every kind of endurance exercise,” giving a performance advantage of 1.5 percent to 5 percent, says Mark Gleister, an exercise physiologist at St. Mary’s University in Twickenham, U.K., and an author of the recent cycling study.

“Of all the legal supplements an athlete could take, it has the biggest effect on performance,” he says. It’s not clear why, but the suspicion is that caffeine increases the frequency or size of neural transmissions and suppresses pain, he says. It’s not clear that it speeds very short sprints — Glaister is studying that — but it can help in any burst of activity that lasts longer than about a minute, he says.

Athletes see a benefit with a dose of between 3 to 6 mg. per kg. of body weight, which means that if a 140 pound cyclist were drinking an average cup of coffee, he’d get a lift after drinking about two to four cups.

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By J.D. Morris, Las Vegas Sun

In another sign that the American public is embracing soccer more than ever, the Nevada gaming industry appears to have cashed in on this year’s World Cup at a record level.

It’s difficult to say with certainty that betting on soccer hit a record this year, because the Nevada Gaming Control Board doesn’t break down revenue for the sport specifically, but the category that includes soccer was up. That category is labeled “other” and includes such sports as boxing and auto racing.

But data from 1994 through last month show that “other” revenue in June is usually higher during years when the World Cup is held. And it’s grown tremendously.

In June 1994, when the United States hosted the tournament, Nevada reported $1.05 million in “other” sports betting revenue. Last month, that figure was $5.9 million — the highest “other” June since 1997, when heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson was disqualified for biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during an infamous fight in Las Vegas.

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Tahoe National Forest, along with the Truckee Trails Foundation and the Truckee Donner Land Trust, are hosting a Hole in the Ground Trail volunteer weekend.

The Aug. 9-10 weekend marks the third year volunteers have helped maintain the Hole in the Ground Trail, a mountain biking trail on Donner Summit. Participants will work under direction from U.S. Forest Service and local trail crew leaders.

All volunteers should bring sturdy shoes, sunscreen, water, and long pants for a full day (or two) of trail work. Lunch will be provided. The volunteer days both begin at the Interstate 80 Pacific Crest Trailhead (Boreal/Castle Valley exit) at 8:30am and last until 2pm. All volunteers must preregister be emailing allison@truckeetrails.org.

By Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

Add another casualty to California’s prolonged and punishing drought: Wildlife officials warned this week that dry conditions in the state’s Central Valley could have a devastating effect on North American waterfowl.

The Central Valley is recognized as the most important resting and wintering ground on the Pacific Flyway, a global migratory path for millions of ducks, geese and other birds. About 5 million waterfowl spend the winter on state and federal wildlife refuge areas and flooded rice fields in the Central Valley each winter.

This year, the worst drought in a generation means those Central Valley habitats have been dramatically reduced in size. Wildlife refuges have had their state and federal water supplies cut by 25 percent. Rice acreage has been reduced by a similar amount as farmers also have endured water cutbacks.

As a result, millions of migrating birds will be crowded into less habitat, significantly increasing the odds of botulism outbreaks, which spread rapidly and can kill thousands of birds in a matter of days. The problem is not limited to rural areas but can affect waterfowl drawn to urban water bodies as well. Officials also are concerned the drought could cause food shortages.

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By Katherine Hobson, NPR

When a runner’s heart stops during a marathon, it gets a lot of press – even though it’s actually a pretty rare event. A more common killer among runners, and a condition that needs more prevention efforts, is heat stroke, according to a study by Israeli researchers.

During a 2011 running race, physicians at a Tel Aviv hospital noticed there were far more heat stroke victims admitted than cardiac patients. They wondered if this was an anomaly, and analyzed local races from March 2007 to November 2013, encompassing 137,580 runners.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo takes a water break during the 2014 World Cup soccer match between Portugal and the U.S. in Manaus, Brazil, on June 22.

Across those races, there were two serious cardiac events, neither of which was fatal or life threatening. But there were 21 serious heat stroke cases, including two fatalities and 12 that were life threatening.

There’s a continuum of heat illnesses, ranging from milder heat cramps all the way to heat stroke, which is defined as a fever above 104 degrees and symptoms including dry, hot skin, rapid breathing and unconsciousness. When the body gets that hot, the kidneys, brain and other organs can fail.

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Former backcountry ranger Cheryl Surface will lead a tour of the Spooner backcountry. on Aug. 8 from 9am-4pm.

She will tell stories about Red House, Hobart Reservoir, Marlette Lake, the Flume trail and the Marlette Water System.

Space limited to 12 because participants will be driven to the historic sites. Sign up early by calling 775.749.5980.

Bring lunch, water, a light jacket and camera. Comfortable shoes are recommended. Adults only and no pets.

Spooner Lake is located near the intersection of highways 28 and 50.

A $15 park donation is suggested to assist future programs.

Douglas County Parks & Recreation along with Steve Maltase and former Whittell varsity soccer players will be conducting a youth soccer camp at Kahle Community Park.

The camp for boys and girls runs Aug. 4-7 for ages 4-14. Lil Kicks (4-6 years) plays soccer from 10 am-1pm, while kids ages 7 and older play from 10am-3pm. Camp runs Monday-Thursday.

The cost is $125 for the younger group and $145 for the older kids. Price includes a camp T-shirt.

Participants need to bring a lunch, water bottle and sunscreen, as well as cleats and shin guards.

For more information or to register, call 775.586.7271.

There will be a full moon walk at Washoe Lake on Aug. 10 from 8:30-10pm.

Participants will walk to the sand dunes and beach while learning why the winds in Washoe Valley are so important to the dunes.

Reservations are required — call 775.687.4319 or email washoelake@hdiss.net. Leave your name, phone number, and the number of people in your party. Staff will call back to confirm reservations.

Wear sturdy hiking boots, and bring water and a flashlight. Dogs are not allowed.

Meeting location will be made known upon registration.

The event is free, except for the $7 parking fee; Nevada residents receive a $2 discount.

The Squaw 2 Alpine 10K Challenge is Aug. 23, with proceeds benefiting Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Foundation and the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

The race begins at 9amand consists of a 6.2 mile run from Squaw Valley to Alpine Meadows. The trail run is open to runners and walkers, as well as dogs.

Registration for the 10K Challenge is $30 until Aug. 8, or $40 Aug. 9-22. Participants can register their dogs in the “People and Pets” category for an additional $5. Registration is online.

Awards will be presented at 1:15pm at the Center Stage in the Vvillage.