SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Firefighters responded to a small wildfire last night at approximately 8:30 p.m. The Blackwood Fire was located on National Forest lands on the corner of Blackwood Road and Pioneer Trail near Ski Run Boulevard, South Shore.
The fire size was approximately 1/10 of an acre, was determined to be human-caused, and remains under investigation. The fire was called out last night and Forest Service firefighters are monitoring the area today. Due to today’s Lake Wind Advisory all Forest Service fire resources will be extended until 9 p.m. tonight.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Emerald Bay Shuttle is hitting the road on Friday, June 26, providing a better, safer way to visit one of Lake Tahoe’s most popular destinations this summer. Tahoe Transportation District (TTD), in partnership with public transit provider Via, will be running the service daily to help reduce traffic congestion and car-related pollution, and offer an alternative to dangerous highway parking along this busy corridor.
“Providing reliable and convenient access to Emerald Bay is a top priority, especially during peak visitation,” Jim Marino, Executive Director of the Tahoe Transportation District. “The Emerald Bay Shuttle offers a simple, stress-free way for visitors and locals to experience one of Tahoe’s most iconic destinations while helping reduce congestion and improve safety along the corridor.”
The shuttle will run daily starting Friday, June 26 through September 7 along two routes. Riders coming from the North or West Shores can pick up the shuttle at Sugar Pine Point Campground. Riders on the South Shore can pick up the shuttle at the South Tahoe Y Transit Center or get on at Camp Richardson. Both routes stop at the Eagle Falls Trailhead in Emerald Bay. Weekend service begins at 8 a.m., with weekday trips starting at 9 a.m. All routes run until 5 p.m.
Rides are $5 one way or $10 roundtrip. Reduced fares of $2.50 one way and $5 roundtrip are available for children under 12, adults ages 65 and older, veterans, riders with disabilities, and Medicare cardholders.
Additional parking restrictions and enforcement will be in place during the duration of the shuttle season. TTD will install nearly 400 feet of temporary barriers to restrict access to illegal and unsafe roadside parking, and California Highway Patrol (CHP) is strictly enforcing parking restrictions throughout the Emerald Bay corridor. During last year’s shuttle season, CHP wrote 248 citations, issued 13 moving violations, and had 10 vehicles towed for illegal parking.
Both of the Emerald Bay Shuttle’s routes connect with public transit service and bike paths, making more of the region accessible through lake-friendly transportation as part of the shared vision for Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe. Riders can reach the shuttle from the Stateline casino corridor and much of Tahoe’s South Shore by connecting with Tahoe Transportation District Bus Route 50 at the South Tahoe Y Transit Center. On the West Shore, Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit’s (TART) Mainline Bus Route, as well as on-demand microtransit from TART Connect, link with the shuttle at Sugar Pine Point Campground. Biking — or using a shared e-scooter on the South Shore — is a great way to get to a shuttle stop or connecting bus stop.
Walk-up seats may be available depending on capacity.
The Emerald Bay Shuttle is supported by a project team consisting of transportation planning and implementation experts, local government officials, agencies and organizations including: Tahoe Transportation District, Keep Tahoe Blue, Tahoe Fund, El Dorado County, Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, Placer County, US Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Tahoe Truckee Transportation Management Association, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, City of South Lake Tahoe, Sierra State Parks Foundation, South Shore Transportation Management Association, and Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.
Reduced fare: $2.50 one way / $5 roundtrip for children under 12, adults ages 65+, veterans, riders with disabilities, and Medicare cardholders
Routes: West Shore Route (from Sugar Pine Point Campground); South Shore Route (from Y Transit Center, with a stop at Camp Richardson)
Transit connections: TTD Bus Route 50 at the South Y Transit Center. TART Mainline Bus Route and TART Connect Microtransit service at Sugar Pine Point Campground. Use Google Maps transit option to plan your trip, and for real-time updates download the Transit app.
Other connections: Bike or ride a shared e-scooter along bike paths and routes to the South Y Transit Center or Camp Richardson on the South Shore. Bike or walk along the beautiful west shore multi-use trail to the Tahoe City Transit Center or Homewood to catch the TART Mainline. The shuttles can accommodate a limited number of bikes and bike racks are available near the shuttle stops. Use the Tahoe Bike Coalition Map to plan your trip: map.tahoebike.org.
Parking: On the South Shore, keep your car parked where you are staying or park at a paid lot in the Stateline area or around Camp Richardson, or at the Lake Tahoe Community College. On the north or west shore, park for free at the Tahoe City Transit Center or Homewood, or pay to park at Sugar Pine Point State Park Campground.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Barton Health is expanding its allied health programs, with the addition of a 12-week Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT I) course, furthering its commitment to developing healthcare careers within the Lake Tahoe community.
Through the course, students are prepared to perform essential clinical and technical skills to safely collect and process blood in a clinical setting. Upon successful completion, students are eligible to take the national certifying exam for phlebotomists and apply for state licensure. This CPT I license allows individuals to work in various medical settings across California.
“Providing exceptional care to our community includes building the healthcare workforce that supports it,” says Elizabeth Stork, Barton’s Chief Administrative Officer. “Our allied health programs create clear pathways into meaningful healthcare careers. The addition of phlebotomy training further expands those opportunities, equipping students with the skills and hands-on experience needed to enter the field with confidence.”
Barton’s allied health programs now include a 10-week Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program that prepares students to perform a variety of clinical duties in Skilled Nursing Facilities and Long-Term Care environments; a 16-week Medical Assistant (MA) Program, which trains students to perform clinical and administrative duties in various healthcare settings; and the Certified Phlebotomy Technician program.
The CPT I course runs from September 28 to December 23, 2026, and includes both classroom instruction and a clinical externship. The application deadline is July 20, 2026. To explore Barton Health’s allied health programs, including application details and additional program information, visit BartonHealth.org.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Keen-eyed aquatic invasive species inspectors have stopped six boaters at Lake Tahoe boat launches this summer with wire inspection seals that had been tampered with, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) announced.
All boats launching at Lake Tahoe must be inspected to ensure they are Clean, Drained, and Dry to prevent the introduction of new aquatic invasive species to the waters of the region. The uniquely numbered inspection seals certify a boat has either been inspected and decontaminated for aquatic invasive species or was last launched in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Attempting to launch with a tampered inspection seal indicates the boaters were trying to work around the system. Staff have inspected more than 120,000 boats and trailers since TRPA began the mandatory inspection program in 2008 with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. An illegal launch risks irreversible damage to the lake’s world-renowned ecosystem.
“We are grateful for the diligence and quick action of the boat ramp and marina partners who caught the tampered seals and protected Lake Tahoe from these uninspected vessels,” TRPA Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager Dennis Zabaglo said. “We are investigating and moving each case through the enforcement process to make sure we are maintaining the highest level of protection for Lake Tahoe.”
When a motorized boat leaves the water, marina or boat ramp staff attach a new security wire to the boat and trailer and catalog the serial number. Without an intact inspection seal, the vessel cannot legally launch and is required to be inspected and decontaminated at one of three regional inspection stations.
“What we know right now is that the inspection program is working as it is designed to,” Zabaglo said.
A Lake Tahoe watercraft inspector applies an inspection seal to a boat that has been inspected and decontaminated. Provided / TRPA
Enforcing Lake Tahoe’s watercraft inspection system is critical to continue protecting the lake from aquatic invasive species that are spreading throughout the country on motorized boats and trailers. The recent enforcement cases are coming amidst the rising threat of golden mussels, which were recently discovered just a few hours from Lake Tahoe and have high survivability and reproduction rates. Watercraft inspectors have intercepted two boats this season with golden mussels attached and several more with other invasive species.
