Pines

The following news release is from North Tahoe Fire Protection District Fire Chief Michael Schwartz and Meeks Bay Fire Protection District Chief Tim Alameda regarding the King Fire burning in El Dorado County. This announcement was forwarded Thursday evening by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit public information officer:

Tahoe Residents and Visitors, There are No Evacuations at this present time

Smoke from the King Fire that originated in Pollock Pines has entered the Lake Tahoe Basin and is affecting visibility and air quality. City officials are closely monitoring the King Fire along with wind patterns from NOAA, visibility with the FAA and local and State law enforcement.

UPDATE FRIDAY 9AM: Highway 50 reopened Friday morning. Expect delays and partial lane closures. Westbound traffic is reduced to 1 lane from Riverton to Pollock Pines.

UPDATE: The King Fire was much less active Thursday and firefighters were able to gain control on the southwestern end of the fire near Pollock Pines. The fire is 10 percent contained as of Thursday night and has consumed 73,124 acres, Cal Fire officials said.

According to a Cal Fire public information officer the northernmost 'finger' of fire is around the west side of Hellhole Reservoir, headed to Chipmunk Ridge. There was structure protection preparation work at Hellhole Reservoir.

Smoke levels continue to plague western Nevada, particularly Carson City and Reno but the forecast calls for winds to change direction some and drive the smoke away, according a National Weather Service forecast discussion briefing issued Thursday night.

UPDATE THURSDAY 3:40PM: Go here for the latest on the King Fire. June Lake Road was to be opened at 2 p.m. Thursday. Here's a news brief from Mono County Sheriff's Office.

UPDATE: June Lake Fire Road Closures. The fire remains controlled with small hot spots. Fire crews continue to work on these hot spots.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will begin letting people through Hwy 158 beginning at 1:00 PM with the advisement of fire activity and equipment on the roadway. Please be aware and respect all fire equipment, personnel and hazards in or on the roadway. Think safety first for our fire and law enforcement personnel and for yourselves. Please use caution when traveling through the area.

Hwy 158 is anticipated to be fully open at 2:00 PM. Again, please be mindful of fire personnel and equipment and all first responders and law enforcement in the area. Travel safe!

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UPDATE 330PM: According to a Tweet this afternoon from Caltrans, Highway 50 is back open but the westbound No. 2 lane will remain closed overnight because of ongoing King Fire issues. A portion of the highway and artery for traffic into and out of South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, had been closed since Tuesday, from Sly Park Road to Fresh Pond, due to burning trees falling on the road.

Meanwhile, the June Fire burning in Mono County is estimated to be 65 acres and 50 percent contained.

The National Weather Service in Reno has provided this image which shows the probable areas of smoke through Friday based on forecast wind information and assuming the King Fire remains active.

Southwest winds will keep the smoke area in the general same area through Wednesday. Winds will turn more westerly behind a cold front on Thursday and push smoke more into western Nevada.

Low pressure nearing the California coast will continue to produce gusty winds across the Sierra and western Nevada Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Peak gusts by Wednesday could reach 40 mph with stronger gusts in wind prone areas. Boaters on Lake Tahoe should use caution Tuesday and consider staying off the lake Wednesday. Travel may also be restricted along Interstate 80 and Highway 395 for high profile vehicles.

UPDATE: Drift smoke from a large and growing wildfire in northern California was seen Sunday west of Carson City in the Hobart, Lakeview and Marlette areas. Carson City firefighters have checked the areas after several 911 calls were made to dispatch.

Here is the Carson City area road report for Sept. 15-21, 2014. Beginning Monday through Thursday the Carson City I-580 Freeway will have a single lane closure in the northbound direction due to maintenance between Fairview Drive and Carson Street from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. During this time, the speed limit will be reduced to 55 mph.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Sept. 2-7, 2014. Crews will be striping roadways throughout the city weekdays between the hours of 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Minor delays are expected on roadways that are being striped while the work occurs.

Here is the Carson City area road report for week of August 18-24: The Nevada Department of Transportation will be continuing road work on Highway 50 from Arrowhead Drive in Carson City to Baldwine Lane in Mound House.
There will be single lane closures on weeknights from 1 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. in the westbound direction and from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. in the eastbound direction.

Here is the Carson City area road report for July 29 through Aug. 3, 2014. The Nevada sesquicentennial Fair will be held at Fuji Park July 30 through August 3. Additional traffic may be expected in the area. Off-site parking will be at the Casino Fandango with free bus rides to and from the fair.

The Nevada Department of Transportation will be continuing road work on Highway 50 from Deer Run Road in Carson City to just east of Highway 341 in Mound House. There will be single lane closures on weeknights from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of July 20-27, 2014: There will be road work on the section of Timberline Drive between both intersections with Prospect Drive. This section will be open to local traffic only, and through traffic will be detoured onto Prospect Drive.

There will be utility work primarily in the street shoulder on weekdays at the following locations. Minimal delays are possible.

— Gulch Road between Wagon Wheel Road and Combs Canyon Road.
— Lakeview Road west of Combs Canyon Road.
— Sandy Circle.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of July 14-20, 2014. There will be road work on the section of Timberline Drive between both intersections with Prospect Drive. This section will be open to local traffic only, and through traffic will be detoured onto Prospect Drive.
 
There will be utility work primarily in the street shoulder on weekdays at the following locations. Minimal delays are possible.
— Combs Canyon Road between Lakeview Road and Meadow Wood Road. 
— Lakeview Road west of Combs Canyon Road.
       

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of June 30 through July 6. 2014. Snyder Avenue bridge is now open. The following lane closures will occur due to utility work:

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of June 16-22, 2014. Vista Grande Boulevard will continue to be closed from Topsy Lane to Old Clear Creek Road with a signed detour. There will also be intermittent delays on Old Clear Creek Road near the intersection with Vista Grande Boulevard.

There will be a lane shift on Northridge Drive and the sidewalk will be closed on the north side of the street near the intersection with Roop Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of June 9-15, 2014. There will be lane closures due to pavement maintenance on Highway 395, Carson Street from Fairview Drive to Highway 50 West (Spooner Junction) during the night hours of 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. beginning Sunday night, June 8, through Friday morning, June 13.
 
The Legends of the West event will begin Friday, June 13, and continue through Saturday, June 14.  Road closures will occur from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The following roads will be closed and detours will be signed:

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of June 2-8, 2014. The following roads will experience paving/slurry seal operations on Thursday, June 5, and Friday, June 6, as part of the Carson City Freeway project, according to Carson City Public Works.

Operations will be a half road width at a time with accommodations provided for local traffic only. Affected areas are:

Here is the Carson City area road road report for the week of May 26 through June. 1, 2014. Ponderosa Drive has been permanently closed to public traffic south of E. Roland Street. Temporary access will be allowed for emergency vehicles and buses only.
 
The sidewalk on the south side of Robinson Street between Carson Street and Plaza Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of May 19-25, 2014. Ponderosa Drive has been permanently closed to public traffic south of E. Roland Street. Temporary access will be allowed for emergency vehicles and buses only.
 
There will be a lane shift on Silver Sage Drive between Greenbriar Drive and Tuscarora Way from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Traffic control will be in effect.

The Nevada Division of Forestry is hosting “Junk The Junipers,” 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 10, at its Eastlake Office. Residents of local communities are encouraged to bring their junipers, pines, rabbitbrush, sagebrush and other woody vegetation to be chipped for free. Participants will receive a coupon from Moana Nursery for 30 percent off a “good plant choice,” Moana-grown replacement shrub.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of March 31 to April 6, 2014. The Nevada Department of Transportation will be performing road maintenance on Highway 50 between Lompa Lane and Deer Run Road. There will be lane closures between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays, but the road will remain open to traffic in both directions.

A 32-year-old home care worker turned herself into the Carson City Sheriff's Office early Tuesday on a felony warrant for her arrest.

Amy Lynne Wolf of Carson City was taken into custody at 1 a.m. on March 25. A warrant was issued Feb. 27, 2014 on a charge of suspicion of fraudulent use of a credit card. A $5,000 bondable was set and she was released from jail on that bond.

In other arrests: A man jailed Sunday on felony drug and fugitive charges had an additional misdemeanor charge added Tuesday after he failed to appear in a Carson City courtroom in May 2007 on a traffic citation.

A 19-year-old Carson City man was arrested Sunday on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after a chase through a field near Highway 50 and Fairview Drive.

Hector Cervantes is being held in Carson City Jail without bail on a parole violation charge and $10,428 bail for other charges.

According to the arrest report, Carson City Sheriff's Office deputies responded at 12:31 a.m. to the 2800 block of Century Drive where there had been several people outside a home yelling and screaming. It turned out to be a large house party where several underage people were drinking.

For several years, Elaine and I have fled Carson City for a short time in the month of January or February to escape the cold, snow and ice of our area in the wintertime. This year was no exception, except, sadly, there is no snow.

We had been invited to be guests at the home of my cousin Lorraine and her husband Bob Scholes of Dayton, who spend the winter months in Indio, Calif.
If you, too, would like to temporarily escape winter in Carson City for the next couple of months, here is what we did:

Carson City to Lone Pine:

Nevada is overflowing with beautiful scenery. No matter which direction you travel, you're guaranteed to come across something spectacular. I especially enjoy the yellow-blooming sage brush before a backdrop of rolling hills, our mountains of gorgeous pines and hustling wildlife, and our nearby lakes surrounded by the changing colors of fall.

Carson City authorities investigating a possible arson at a condominium this morning arrested the woman who lived at the residence on a felony drug charge. Ginnie Heidt, was arrested at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of Allouette Way.

According to the arrest report, officers investigating the fire insider Heidt's condominium made contact with her where she told authorities she was not aware of a fire at her residence but that she was informed earlier in the morning from a friend of hers that something bad happened there but that he provided no information.

UPDATE 8:05PM: State Route 207 Kingsbury Grade is now open to motorist with controls. Please use caution around firefighters and equipment that remain working the fire.
Fire personnel will remain on scene to gain further containment of this fire. The cause of this fire is still under investigation.

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By making the words of great poets literally come to life, more than 2,600 high school students across the state are competing to represent their county at the Eighth Annual Nevada Poetry Out Loud State Finals at Reno’s Whitney Peak Hotel, formerly CommRow, Saturday March 16, noon to 3 p.m.

A program of the Nevada Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud is a distinctive national arts education event that encourages students to learn about, memorize and finally present poetry --out loud. Nevada’s 2013 theme of “Powering Up Poetry,” is a nod to NV Energy, co-sponsor of the event.

Carson Valley’s brightest celebration of the holiday season will take to the streets during the 17th Annual Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 1st, beginning at 5 p.m. Residents and visitors will line Highway 395 between Gilman Avenue in Gardnerville and Minden Town Park to watch dozens of colorfully decorated floats.

The closure of some U.S. Forest Service recreational facilities around the Lake Tahoe Basin has begun. Campgrounds and day-use areas traditionally close around mid-October. While forest roads typically close around mid-November, you may consult the Motor Vehicle Use Map for specific dates by going here. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center will remain open through October, according to a news release.