News Briefs

Carnelian Bay Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Charges, South Lake Tahoe Man Indicted on Wire Fraud in Cryptocurrency Trading Scam

SACRAMENTO

Randy Anger, 57, of Carnelian Bay, pleaded guilty to distribution and receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, in May 2021, Anger distributed and received child sexual abuse material while communicating with Brent Hooton. Hooton was separately charged and convicted. In Nov. 2021, Anger also received several images of child sexual abuse material.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance by Homeland Security Investigations and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

Anger is scheduled to be sentenced on Mar. 31, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. On both the distribution and receipt counts, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison per count. The actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court.

A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against Daniel Chartraw, 51, formerly of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with wire fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

Chartraw was responsible for defrauding multiple victims in a cryptocurrency investment scheme. Chartraw claimed that his companies were capable of generating exceptional returns on cryptocurrency investments. However, instead of investing money from his victims as he promised, Chartraw used the money to fund his personal lifestyle.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. 

If convicted, Chartraw faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

~ U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California

Changes Coming to Community Health Labs, Previously Known as Affordable Labs

TAHOE/TRUCKEE

Tahoe Forest Health System’s Community Health Labs (previously called Affordable Labs) is changing on Jan. 2, 2025. This service aims to improve health outcomes, reduce wait times, and provide cost-effective options for individuals seeking lab tests.

Beginning Jan. 2, appointments will be required and are available Monday through Friday mornings, 8 to 9:30 a.m., in both Truckee and Incline Village. Appointments can be made online at tfhd.com/community-labs or by calling (530) 582-6510 after Dec. 26, 2024.

The Community Health Lab program provides cash pay lab testing, available with or without a medical provider’s order. Payment by cash, check, or credit card is required at the time of draw. Special discounted rates are offered to all patients who pay cash at the time of service. This is a low-cost laboratory screening service and cannot be submitted for insurance reimbursement. Patients cannot receive Community Health Labs and insurance-billed labs on the same visit. For patients with a provider’s order, lab results will be sent to the ordering provider. For patients without a provider’s order, your results will be reviewed by a medical professional and sent directly to you.

For more information about lab services, locations, cost or to schedule an appointment, visit tfhd.com/community-labs.

~ TFHS press release

Year in Review: Protecting the Forests of the Middle Truckee Watershed

TRUCKEE

The Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership (MTRWFP) is celebrating results of the first full year of active projects, all of which are focused on reducing the occurrence of severe wildfire within the forests of the Truckee River Watershed.

With an overall goal of restoring forest health across 60,000 acres of the Tahoe National Forest, the accomplishments of the projects in 2024 are part of the MTRWFP’s 10-year vegetation management plan. Year-end accomplishments include:

• Reduced hazardous surface and ladder fuels across 2,865 acres to lower the likelihood of high severity wildfire.
• Improved forest health and resiliency across 2,537 acres, which reduced the likelihood of tree mortality from insects, diseases, drought, climate change and wildfire.
• Prepared an additional 6,842 acres for fuels reduction and forest resiliency treatments in the coming years.
• Completed pre-implementation environmental planning and compliance on 11,914 acres.

Forest preservation projects also help protect recreational assets and infrastructure in and around the Town of Truckee, benefiting its tourism-driven economy. Additionally, healthy forests preserve the water quality and quantity in the Truckee River which supplies approximately 85% of the Reno area’s drinking water.

In total, funding totaling $4,705,940 was spent on the planning and implementation of these highly beneficial projects. Funds came from federal, state and local government sources, as well as from private and nonprofit organizations To read more about the projects and objectives of the MTRWFP, please visit truckeeforests.org.

~ MTRWFP press release

North Tahoe Chamber Accepting Applications for Event Funding

NORTH LAKE TAHOE

The North Tahoe Chamber is accepting applications for grant sponsorship funding of events that are scheduled to take place in North Lake Tahoe in 2025. Funding for the grants is generated by the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (NLT-TBID), and is used to support events that promote community vitality, environmental stewardship, and economic health in the region.

Submission criteria and the application process are outlined on the NTCA website. Jan. 10, 2025 is the deadline to submit. New events and events that have not previously been funded are encouraged to apply. The volunteer business and chamber advisory committee will review the applications and make recommendations to the NTCA board of directors.

Preferred investments include events that:

• Feature human-powered sports, arts, culture, or health/wellness-focused
• Create community vitality
• Utilize the local workforce and resources/vendors
• Have a positive economic impact
• Support local nonprofits
• Increase brand awareness of North Lake Tahoe
• Support longer lengths of stay, shoulder season visitation, and that draw people into the mountains in summer and toward the lake in winter

Scoring and funding prioritization are based on how the events contribute to and benefit North Lake Tahoe. Each event’s traffic management and sustainability plans are also evaluated, with organizers responsible for outlining how they will mitigate the impacts of tourism on the community and environment.

Earlier this month, the NTCA Board of Directors awarded $262,000 in sponsorship funding, generated by the NLT-TBID, to 11 events scheduled for 2025.

Learn more about the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program and upcoming opportunities here.

~ North Tahoe Community Alliance press release

Tahoe Conservancy Awards $601,700 to the North Tahoe Fire Protection District

NORTH LAKE TAHOE

The California Tahoe Conservancy awarded a $601,700 grant to the North Tahoe Fire Protection District for 3 years of work on programs to help reduce wildfire risk for North and West Shore communities and their surrounding forests.

This grant will help North Tahoe Fire expand its workforce to support Firewise and Fire Adapted Communities by hiring a full-time assistant for these programs. The Fire Adapted Communities program helps residents take individual action to collectively reduce their neighborhood’s risk from wildfire. 

In addition, the grant will fund the use of electric vehicles for Fire Adapted Communities personnel and defensible space inspectors, cutting climate emissions while supporting the expanded program to more easily operate throughout the fire district.

The North Tahoe Fire Protection District includes the communities of Kings Beach, Carnelian Bay, Dollar Hill, Tahoe City, Homewood, Tahoma, Meeks Bay, and Alpine Meadows. Additional funding for this program expansion comes from the Bureau of Land Management.

This funding will also support North Tahoe Fire’s planning for projects to improve forest health and reduce excess vegetation that can act as fuel for wildfires. Guided by the goals of the newly updated Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan, North Tahoe Fire will prepare environmental review, surveys, and permitting for prioritized fuel hazard reduction projects on private and public lands in the wildland-urban interface—the zone where neighborhoods meet the forest. These projects will also advance the goals of the Lake Tahoe Basin Forest Action Plan, which includes expanding forest thinning projects in the wildland-urban interface.

~ California Tahoe Conservancy press release

Tahoe Connection to UnitedHealthcare Murder

TAHOE

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on Dec. 4 has a Tahoe connection. The backpack that suspect Luigi Mangione was wearing at the time of the murder was made by San Francisco-based Peak Design, which has a satellite office in the Tahoe area. Peak Design’s CFO also lives in Tahoe.

When he spotted Mangione wearing one of his company’s backpacks in video surveillance footage, Peak Design CEO Pete Dering called the New York Police Department’s tip line the day after the shooting to provide information. After receiving intense backlash on social media from those angry with the U.S healthcare industry, like “No one wants to buy from a company that snitches!,” Dering issued a statement on Dec. 13 about his company’s customer privacy policies. He wrote on the company’s website and social media that Peak Design “had not provided customer information to the police and would only do so under the order of a subpoena.”

Dering has received hundreds of death threats and the San Francisco office now has armed guards. 

~ MS

Bringing the Outdoors to Nevada Schools

CARSON CITY

The Nevada Outdoor Education Advisory Working Group (AWG), a coalition of stakeholders committed to integrating outdoor learning into Pre K through 12 education, released its report to the Nevada Legislature. The report includes actionable recommendations to expand outdoor education opportunities throughout Nevada and marks a significant step towards improving systems of support for outdoor education and recreation.  

The AWG has spent the past year studying strategies to incorporate outdoor education into Nevada’s schools. The Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation (NDOR) coordinated this effort. 

The report outlines strategic priorities to foster outdoor learning in Nevada schools, including: 

• Capacity Building: Strengthening staff support systems.
• Content Integration: Embedding outdoor learning across diverse subjects and grade levels. 
• Outdoor Learning Infrastructure: Expanding access to outdoor classrooms, nature play spaces, and school gardens through living schoolyards. 
• Policy: Establishing frameworks to sustain and grow outdoor education efforts statewide. 

A critical milestone in this initiative is the AWG’s submission of a bill draft request to establish an Outdoor Education Network. This proposed program would: 

• Create an Outdoor School Designation program to recognize schools excelling in outdoor education. 
• Provide technical assistance to schools developing outdoor learning opportunities. 
• Pursue resources, including federal funding, to enhance outdoor education efforts. 
• The AWG’s report signals Nevada’s growing commitment to connecting students with nature and equipping educators with the tools and resources needed to make outdoor learning a central component of education. 

Interested parties can learn more about the AWG’s efforts and access the full report at NDOR Outdoor Education Advisory Working Group. 

~ Nevada Department of Conservation and Resources press release

NTCA Reinvests Nearly $7.5 Million Through 2024/25 Annual Grant Cycle

NORTH LAKE TAHOE

As part of the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program’s Annual Grant Cycle, the North Tahoe Community Alliance Board of Directors recently approved and recommended a total of nearly $7.5 million in tourism-generated funding for projects and programs designed to enhance community vitality and improve quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors. This funding unlocks $8.8 million in matching grants, for a cumulative investment of over $16 million in the North Lake Tahoe community.

The NTCA board of directors approved the expenditure of up to $565,606 in TBID funds. Through the TBID, both day visitors and overnight visitors contribute to North Lake Tahoe’s vitality through purchases at activity providers, restaurants, and retailers. TBID funds must be spent on programs and activities that directly benefit the businesses paying the assessment.

The four projects to receive TBID funding support initiatives that contribute to community vitality, economic health and environmental stewardship:

• Keeping Tahoe Blue Beach Pilot at Kings Beach
• Dollar Creek Trail Grooming
• Revitalize the Watson Cabin Phase II
• Tahoe City Gateway Beautification

In January 2025, the Placer County Board of Supervisors will vote on the allocation of funding for the following:

• North Tahoe Trail Access Improvement project
• TCPUD West Shore Trail Reconstruction
• Martis Valley Trail
• North Tahoe Shared Use Trail Segment 1
• Tahoe City Downtown Access improvements
• A community art and gathering space for Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista
• New radar speed signs as part of the North Tahoe Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan

Learn more at northtahoecommunityalliance.com.

~ North Tahoe Community Alliance release

Skiing for Schools Program Celebrates 35 Years of Supporting Education

TRUCKEE

Skiers and snowboarders can now pre-purchase reduced-rate lift tickets through the Excellence in Education Foundation’s annual Skiing for Schools program, which is celebrating 35 years this season. The fundraiser offers access to North Lake Tahoe ski and XC resorts while supporting schools and programs within Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD). Tickets are on sale now.

Ticket holders benefit from flexibility, with many resorts offering validity throughout the season. Proceeds from the program directly benefit TTUSD through the Excellence in Education Foundation’s grant programs, which enhance educational quality and resources for students and teachers.

Participating Resorts and Offers:

• Northstar California: $179 lift tickets with no restrictions.
• Palisades Tahoe: $169 lift tickets with no restrictions.
• Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort: $64 lift tickets, valid Sunday through Friday, non-holiday.
• Tahoe XC: $25 trail passes with no restrictions. 
• Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center: $30 trail passes, valid Sunday through Friday, non-holiday.
• Northstar Cross-Country, Telemark, and Snowshoe Center: $35 lift tickets with no restrictions.
• Boreal Mountain Resort / Woodward Tahoe: $79 lift tickets and $39 Woodward Tahoe 2-Hour Bunker sessions, valid all season (reservations required). 

A limited supply of lift tickets is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Downhill lift tickets must be purchased in person at Tahoe Dave’s Ski Shops in Truckee, Kings Beach, and Tahoe City. Trail passes for Tahoe XC and Tahoe Donner Cross Country are available at Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City and Pacos in Truckee.

For more information on resort-specific offers, ticket availability, and purchase locations, visit exined.org/fundraising-programs/skiing-for-schools or call (530) 550-7984.

~ Excellence in Education Foundation press release

Project PCT Releases 30-minute Film and Fundraises for Sierra Nevada Alliance

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Sierra Nevada Alliance (SNA) and Pacific Crest Trail hiker/filmmaker Riordan Cicciu announced the completion of a 30-minute short film that has helped raise over $4,000 for conservation in the Sierra Nevada to date. In 2024 Cicciu established a goal to complete the trail while also creating Alchemy Lab to fundraise through unique methods involving outdoor recreation. 

Alchemy Lab helps charity organizations raise funding and spread awareness for their causes by sharing inspirational stories. Cicciu created “Project PCT” to highlight the importance of preserving the Sierra Nevada, a mission that SNA has been dedicated to for over 30 years, while hiking the PCT itself. During his trek, both Alchemy Lab and SNA shared blog and social media posts that eventually led to the creation of the film. Along with their media, the two organizations shared a GoFundMe link for supporters to help fund the SNA’s conservation programs. 

The video and fundraiser can currently be accessed online. For more information, visit sierranevadaalliance.org.

~ Sierra Nevada Alliance press release

Free Aging, Caregiver Educational Series Coming To Placerville 

PLACERVILLE

The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Area Agency on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) presents a free, four-part educational series on senior caregiving in January 2025. The educational series will provide supportive information for people who currently care for or plan to care for a family member or friend aged 60 and older.

Classes will be held on Jan. 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2025, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Placerville Senior Center. The series topics are as follows:

Jan. 8: Building Foundations of Caregiving – The role of the caregiver and the changes they may experience. The importance of building a support team and managing caregiver stress. 

Jan. 15: Scams and How to Prevent Being Scammed – How caregivers can protect themselves and family members from scammers and scams, such as check fraud, gift card scams, love and romance scams, and others.

Jan. 22: What is a Mandated Reporter: Elder Abuse and Self Neglect – Elder abuse, including the signs of neglect and self-neglect, and the role of Adult Protective Services (APS). APS receives reports of abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of elderly and dependent adults residing in their own homes. 

Jan. 29: Legal Rights and Responsibilities – Legal rights and responsibilities as a health care and/or financial agent, as well as other duties associated with caring for their loved ones’ health and well-being. Discussion regarding Physician’s Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) will be included. 

Sign up here.

~ El Dorado County press release

Moving In, Moving On, Moving Up

TRPA Board Selects Hayley Williamson as Chair

STATELINE

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) governing board elected Hayley Williamson, the Nevada at-large board member, as its new board chair for a 2-year term. Williamson replaces Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson who served as chair of the bi-state governing body and who will remain on the board as one of six local government appointees. Williamson also serves as chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

The governing board also elected Governor of California Appointee Vince Hoenigman as vice chair. Hoenigman is the co-owner of a real estate company that has contributed to revitalizing downtown areas in Southern California and Nevada, and volunteers extensively with nonprofit organizations. The Bi-State Compact established a 15-member governing board, with seven members from California, seven from Nevada, and one non-voting appointee made by the President of the United States. Six of the seats are reserved for locally elected governing bodies.

~ Tahoe Regional Planning Agency news release

Business Briefs

Lil Wayne Cancellation and Pickpockets at Tahoe Live

OLYMPIC VALLEY

Last minute changes occurred at Tahoe Live when Lil Wayne, one of the festival’s headliners, canceled the day of the concert. Tahoe Live continues to address the change in the lineup.

Lil Wayne was initially scheduled to perform on Saturday, Dec. 14, but canceled his appearance due to weather conditions. Tahoe Live rescheduled him for Dec. 15, but he opted out of performing. Tahoe Live said it informed attendees when staff learned of the cancellation. The rapper was seen at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York, New York, during his scheduled play-time.

“We put months of effort and preparation into this event and we were as disappointed as anyone else. It’s the unfortunate reality of what we do as event promoters, we don’t control the weather and the artists’ decisions,” stated Tahoe Live  in a statement.

Tahoe Live said it intends to address all attendees with ticket inquiries. Attendees can learn more by emailing [email protected].

There were also multiple reports of people being pickpocketed at Tahoe Live on Dec. 14. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office received six reports of items being stolen off of people that include phones, wallets, and credit cards. NextDoor was full of reports of stolen phones from zipped pockets. Melissa Hodous of Truckee wrote that her daughter and three friends had their phones stolen, two from zipped pockets, and Zeem Saffouri of Truckee said that his nephew’s wallet was taken from a zipped pocket. There are currently no suspects.

~ MS, MR