STATELINE, Nev. – Barton Health has announced it is now the sole governing member for Carson Valley Health.
For the past 25 years, Barton Health and Renown Health have jointly governed Carson Valley Health under a dual membership structure, and both have long held a shared interest in ensuring that Carson Valley Health remains a robust and valuable choice for healthcare in the Carson Valley. Effective January 21, Barton and Renown agreed that Barton will be the sole member going forward.
“Barton has been involved with Carson Valley Health since its founding in 1993,” said Dr. Clint Purvance, Barton President and CEO. “We understand its history and the significant role it plays in healthcare delivery. This next step reflects a shared desire to move ahead in a way that continues to ensure high-quality, accessible healthcare is available to all patients in the region.”
“We look forward to more closely aligning with the Barton Health family,” said Jeff Prater, CEO, Carson Valley Health. “This decision builds on years of collaboration and represents a natural next step in advancing Carson Valley Health’s legacy of community care.”
Barton Health and Carson Valley Health will remain separate entities, and Carson Valley Health will continue providing care as it does today, with no immediate changes expected to staffing or services. In the months ahead, both organizations will work together to explore opportunities and share best practices with the goal of meeting the community’s healthcare needs.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A driver with an outstanding warrant was arrested after wrecking his car on the side of US-50.
On January 22, at approximately 2:16 pm, CHP South Lake Tahoe received a call of a vehicle over the side of US-50 at Aspen Creek Road.
Officers responded and determined the driver had an outstanding warrant out of Marin County. The 20-year-old male, from Antioch, CA, was also cited for a violation of 23136 CVC (DUI Under 21).
The driver was booked into the El Dorado County Jail on his outstanding arrest warrant without further incident.
Stewardship isn’t an abstract idea in Lake Tahoe—it’s a vital part of caring for this incredible place. Every day, those of us who live, work, and build businesses here feel the responsibilities and pressures that come with caring for a world-renowned destination we call home.
We share the same roads, trails, beaches, waters, and forests with visitors—many of whom also have a deep appreciation of this place. Ultimately, I believe we all want the same thing: to ensure Lake Tahoe remains healthy, thriving, and accessible for generations to come. That’s why I am honored to step into the role of co-chair of the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council.
This council was created because the region required better collaboration between jurisdictions, agencies, the business sector, and other community organizations. It reflects a simple truth: the future of Tahoe depends on active collaboration across the boundaries we have ourselves created. We need a unified vision backed by shared accountability, aligned outcomes, and the collective will to take action.
The Destination Stewardship Plan we adopted together offers exactly that. It lays out a roadmap for managing Tahoe as a place to live as much as a place to visit. It recognizes that our environment and our economy do not exist in separate lanes, and that community wellbeing is central to everything we hope to accomplish.
One of the initiatives the over 30 partners of the Destination Stewardship Council are actively collaborating on to help encourage stewardship of Tahoe is the “Destination Champion” program. Developed as an online training program for community members and local professionals and front line employees, when it launches, it will provide effective strategies for teaching visitors about our region’s unique culture and how to encourage people to help care for and protect what makes Tahoe and Truckee special.
It is through our collaborative efforts that progress is being made throughout the region. Whether individual, or sometimes joint organizational initiatives, those aligned with Destination Stewardship Plan goals are advancing our collective efforts and making true the popular proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
The opportunities ahead for Tahoe—expanding environmental stewardship, enhancing shared transportation options, workforce retention—do not recognize county lines or organizational boundaries. They require a coordinated response. The council brings together public agencies, nonprofits, businesses, tribal partners, and local representatives from around the basin to set priorities and move from discussion to action.
As co-chair alongside Daniel Cressy from the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and Nettie Pardue the Destination Stewardship Council’s Managing Director, our focus will continue to be deepening our alignment across the region and ensuring that we are all working in the same direction, toward the same goals.
I also want to thank Carol Chaplin, CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitor’s Authority for leading the way as one of the first co-chairs of the Council. Together with Daniel Cressy, the Executive Council and Council members, her leadership has set a path forward for us to build upon in the future.
I am continually inspired by the leadership and commitment around the Council table—these are people and organizations who care deeply about this place and their role in helping to take care of it. Lake Tahoe is extraordinary, and this council established a framework, the partnerships, and the shared resolve we need to move forward together.
Tony Karwowski is president and CEO of the North Tahoe Community Alliance
I still remember when I was working in the tiki bar at Round Hill Pines. It was the first summer of COVID and it seemed like the entire state of California had come to visit our little beach. The money was great, but the impact was undeniable. That summer something changed in me. I realized our beaches aren’t just beautiful places, they’re the economic backbone of this community and should be invested in as such.
As someone who has called Lake Tahoe home for decades, I started Eco-Clean Solutions not because I’m an environmentalist or an entrepreneur, but because I’m your neighbor who couldn’t stand by and watch our community lose what makes it special. What began as a personal mission has revealed an uncomfortable truth. The problem is deeper than we knew, and we’ve been taking this economic asset for granted.
The Economic Reality
Our beaches help drive a multibillion-dollar annual tourism economy. About sixty percent of our regional economy depends on outdoor recreation, with four million of our 17 million annual visitor days specifically focused on beaches and trails. This supports over 9,000 jobs in North Lake Tahoe alone and generates $383 million in recreation spending.
But here’s the risk. National studies show beach pollution drives visitors elsewhere. Research shows that doubling beach debris decreases tourism spending, while reducing litter by 75% generates $42 per resident in economic benefits over just three months.
The message is clear, dirty beaches don’t just offend our values, they threaten our livelihoods.
Environmental Stewardship That Pays
Beach cleaning isn’t just about aesthetics. Every piece of litter we remove prevents chemical contamination of Lake Tahoe’s legendary waters, protects birds and fish, and stops plastic from breaking down into microplastics that threaten the lake’s clarity and overall health.
Our systematic data collection reveals pollution patterns that help land managers prevent problems at their source. This is preventive medicine for our lake and far cheaper than treating symptoms after they become a crisis.
The environmental and economic goals aren’t in conflict. Lake Tahoe’s beauty is our brand. Protecting it protects our future.
The Investment That Pays for Itself
The numbers are compelling. Other coastal communities show that every dollar invested in beach cleaning generates $7 to $42 in economic benefits. When we bring those ratios to our four million beach visitors, we’re protecting hundreds of millions of dollars in annual economic value.
A comprehensive basin-wide beach cleaning program would cost a small fraction of its impact.
The BEBOT technology we use mitigates the negative environmental impacts and costs far less to operate annually than traditional tractor systems, all while collecting ten times more pieces of litter than volunteer-led efforts. This isn’t expensive, feel-good environmentalism, it’s smart infrastructure investment with measurable returns.
Make Tahoe a Model
Right now, beach cleaning in our basin is fragmented and reactive. We need dedicated, long-term funding that treats beaches like the critical infrastructure they are.
I’m calling on all people with a stake in our community to help establish systematic beach cleaning programs. This isn’t charity, it’s protecting the economic engine that supports our livelihoods.
Tourism-dependent communities everywhere struggle with loving their natural assets to death. But Lake Tahoe can show a different path. One where environmental quality and economic vitality reinforce each other.
I started mechanical beach cleaning because I love this place. What I’ve learned is that doing right by our community means recognizing that we can do better. Clean beaches aren’t a luxury, they’re essential to our community’s economic vitality.
The data is clear. The technology exists. The economic argument is overwhelming. All that’s missing is commitment.
The question isn’t can we afford to invest in clean beaches, it’s how can we afford not to?
JB Harris founded Eco-Clean Solutions, a Lake Tahoe-based company using BEBOT technology for mechanical beach cleaning.
STATELINE, Nev. – The Lake Tahoe Lakers look to continue elevating their game as they take the big stage at Tahoe Blue Event Center against their Pacific Conference rivals, the Long Beach Bombers, for what is expected to be a competitive series between two evenly matched United States Premiere Hockey League foes.
While the Lakers faced their fair share of growing pains during the first half of their season, they finished the calendar year off strong with an impressive showing at the USPHL Pacific Holiday Showcase going 3-1 in four games played in Henderson, Nev. in late December.
The 2026 leg of the Laker’s season started off with the daunting challenge of taking on the Fresno Monsters, a team ranked 2nd overall out of 81 teams in the most recent edition of the USPHL Power Rankings. Unfortunately for Lake Tahoe fans there were no upsets in Fresno. But while the Lakers went down in the series, they didn’t do so without a fight. Literally. Lakers goalie Brooks Smyrski put an exclamation point on the Fresno roadtrip by squaring off with opposing netminder Noah Hammarstrom for a rare goalie fight at center ice, a spirited bout much to the crowd’s delight.
Now the attention turns to the Long Beach Bombers who defended their home ice well when the Lakers visited Long Beach in early November. Eagerly, the Lakers await the opportunity to return the favor in Lake Tahoe, steadfast in their belief that they are a much better team now than they were when they last faced the Bombers.
They will get the opportunity to prove it in what they hope will be a packed house all weekend at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. And with a break in the NFL playoff schedule and the Knight Monsters on the road, why not come out and support the local junior hockey club?
Dickie Dunn is the Lake Tahoe Lakers beat writer for the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
KINGSBURY, Nev. – Kingsbury General Improvement District (GID) has mutually terminated their agreement with Lopez Snow Removal after claims of property damage.
At the end of last year, Kingsbury GID ended their agreement with Lopez Home Enterprises LLC doing business as Lopez Snow Removal. The company did snow removal from September 30 to December 31, and the GID and company mutually terminated the agreement after claims of property damage.
The GID opened a window to report claims of property damage that ended on January 21. Three claims were filed.
The GID’s board recently approved a contract with Manchester Enterprises to fulfill their snow removal services.
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – Deciding between yard work, a hike or a few ski turns are typical weekend contemplations, but for Truckee-born Kasey English, when the weekend rolls around, he’s thinking about which cliff, bridge or structure to hurl off next.
The professional skydiver, BASE jumper and wingsuit pilot recently gained online attention for his skiBASE (combining skiing and BASE jumping) off Lover’s Leap near Lake Tahoe on Dec. 29, taking advantage of being in town for the holidays, the long-awaited snow and ideal wind conditions.
“Don’t duck ropes,” his Instagram post quips with a video of the event revealing the front of his two skis quickly charging towards the edge of the snow blanketed landscape. The nail-biting video from his helmet-mounted GoPro gives the viewer English’s point of view.
In a stomach dropping series of events, the scraping noise of skis suddenly gives way to wind as the earth drops off. It’s the puff of a parachute that allows the viewer to finally breathe again and English’s celebratory “wo-ho” that caps off what feels like a roller coaster ride.
“When you’re doing a high-risk activity like skiBASE,” English says, “your only focus is on that jump.” The concentration these activities demand quiets the everyday noise of life, offering him an escape and way to connect with nature at the height of what earth has to offer.
In the moment before launching off Lover’s Leap, gaining as much speed as possible on his skis consumes his attention. Counter to everything survival instincts invoke, velocity is a friend when launching off a cliff, English explains, because it provides a greater distance from the rock and more room for error should the parachute malfunction.
Once safely launched and gliding with a parachute, his focus shifts from speed to navigating the wind and identifying a landing spot.
The stressors of life await him upon touch down, but for nearly a minute, it’s just him, his skis, the parachute above and the wind around.
It’s the reward for earning his elevation, the idea of toiling up a mountain to then harness gravity and descend down one way or another.
As his third skiBASE, which are logistically more complex than sky diving and BASE jumping, it is the next progression in the field of jumping. English thrives on pushing himself to progress in sports and skiBASE is a new way to master not only the air, but also the earth.
The evolution to skiBASE also came as no surprise since as a kid, English had watched Shane McConky skiBASE and wingsuit.
SkiBASE is also where English’s two worlds of ski and air merge. Having grown up in Truckee and clicking into his first pair of skis at three years old, skiing is second nature to English. A life in the mountains meant many outdoor activities and adventure which set the tone for this action-packed future.
At 18, he joined the military, where he initially learned how to jump as part of his job and hasn’t slowed down since. In fact, the day of the Tribune interview, he had jumped eight times, taking the calls in-between jumps.
Between his career and recreational jumps, he’s tallied approximately 1,600 jumps. Aside from testing out new equipment or doing a new type of jump, he doesn’t get nervous to jump anymore. But what does make him nervous might surprise you.
“It’s funny because I’m actually afraid of heights,” he says, “but I think it’s different when you’re so high up, you don’t have that relativity to the ground anymore.”
For him, being on a 15-foot ladder is scarier than jumping from 10,000 feet.
When it comes to all the ways he’s mastered the air—skydiving, wingsuiting, BASE jumping and now skiBASE—he will tell that wingsuiting is his favorite.
English flying a wingsuit over Suffolk Virginia. Provided / Kasey English
“It’s as close to human flight as humans can get,” he says.
Human flight has also taken him to incredible locations around the world to defy heights, including Switzerland, Italy and even record books after he was a part of a world record setting 39-person wingsuit formation in Perris, Calif.
He notes that stunts like the Lover’s Leap skiBASE require a multi-year progression with first becoming an experienced skydiver, to then gaining experience with different BASE jumps. That’s on top of being an expert skier and factoring in many considerations when planning a skiBASE, such as wind and conditions.
Currently, English has no intention of slowing down. This year, he hopes to add other pins on the map of the world, eyeing France and British Columbia as a location to wingsuit.
LAKE TAHOE, Nev./Calif.– The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is updating regional environmental goals, called threshold standards, for forest health and community wildfire protection in the Lake Tahoe Basin and is seeking public input, the agency said today.
As a founding member of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and leader of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, TRPA is working with land managers, scientists, and the community to restore balance and resilience to the basin’s forests.
“Lake Tahoe’s forests are a vital part of the basin’s ecosystem, wildlife habitat, and recreation, and they help protect the lake’s incredible clarity, but they have changed dramatically over time,” TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan said. “Setting measurable forest health targets based on current science is essential to restore Tahoe’s forests to a healthy, resilient condition.”
In the 19th century, silver mining on the Comstock Lode drove clear-cutting of the majority of Tahoe’s forests. Later, decades of fire suppression created dense forests with accumulated dead vegetation, increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Since the founding of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) in 1997, land managers have treated more than 100,000 acres through forest fuel reduction and prescribed fire projects. This work has been made possible by hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, state, local, and private funding.
Thousands more acres are planned, including 44,300 acres as part of the Lake Tahoe West project and priority fuel reduction work along evacuation routes to improve public safety during emergencies. Increasing the pace and scale of forest health projects underscores the need for clear, measurable benchmarks for the region, according to TRPA.
New Forest Health Threshold Standards
A growing body of science and past wildfires in the Tahoe Region show that modern forest management practices can reduce wildfire severity and support long-term ecosystem health. The four proposed forest health goals leverage advancements in fire science and climate research to restore a balanced mosaic of forest ages, manage canopy cover, and reduce stand density. They also set targets for predicted fire behavior in wildland areas and in the Wildland Urban Interface, which is the critical area along evacuation routes and around neighborhoods.
Members of the public can review the new goals at tinyurl.com/ForestThresholds. A survey at the end of the summary is available to provide feedback. The agency will provide an informational presentation on the proposed thresholds at the TRPA Governing Board Environmental Improvement Program Committee meeting on January 28, 2026. The Governing Board is expected to take action on the new standards on February 25.
Additional Background
The 2007 Angora Wildfire burned 3,100 acres in the southern portion of the Tahoe Basin and destroyed more than 250 homes. Since 2007 alone, Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team partners have thinned nearly 80,000 acres of forest and conducted tens of thousands of defensible space evaluations to help homeowners reduce wildfire risk on their properties. Some of this work helped firefighters protect Lake Tahoe during the 2021 Caldor Fire. The 221,000-acre fire burned nearly 10,000 acres in the Tahoe Basin, with no primary residences or lives lost.
Funding from the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, California and Nevada bonds and appropriations, local tax measures, and private-sector support has made this work possible.
As a core member of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, TRPA has streamlined processes and applied science-based policies to help increase the pace and scale of forest health projects. In 2022, the TRPA Governing Board adopted new policies that significantly expanded where ground-based mechanical equipment can be used on steep slopes in the Tahoe Basin. Nearly half of that area is in the Wildland Urban Interface near communities where hand crews and mechanical equipment now work together.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On January 22, 2026, at approximately 4:47 a..m, South Lake Tahoe dispatch received a 911 call of a possible structure fire in the 3300 block of Treehaven Dr. South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue and South Lake Tahoe Police responded to the scene. Upon arrival, public safety resources found the second story of a residence fully involved in flames. South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, with the assistance of Lake Valley Fire Protection District and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, were able to extinguish the fire prior to it spreading into any trees or neighboring residences.
South Lake Tahoe Police began an investigation and learned this was a domestic violence incident and the fire had been intentionally set. The investigation led to a suspect being identified as Jeremy Nichols of South Lake Tahoe. Nichols had fled the scene of the fire prior to law enforcement’s arrival and was not initially able to be located.
As the investigation continued, it was determined Nichols had a hotel room at Harrah’s Casino. With the assistance of Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, it was confirmed Nichols was inside a Harrah’s hotel room and refused to come out. South Lake Tahoe PD Detectives had since taken over the investigation, and a warrant was issued for Nichols’s arrest for the following charges:
Two counts of malicious arson to an inhabited structure
Domestic battery
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office made entry into the hotel room and safely took Nichols into custody on the arrest warrant. Nichols was booked into the Douglas County jail, where he will be held without bail pending extradition back to California. There were no injuries to any people or pets from the fire.
South Lake Tahoe PD Detectives and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Arson Investigators remain on scene, continuing their investigation. Also responding to the scene to assist is an Arson Investigator from Sacramento City Fire Department. South Lake Tahoe PD and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue would like to thank our neighboring public safety agencies, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Valley Protection District and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District for their assistance on this incident.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Temperature can mean the difference between four inches of rain and four feet of snow. That’s something the Tahoe region, and much of the west, has experienced this winter, evidenced by above normal precipitation, yet being plagued with what hydrologists call a “snow drought.”
Snow droughts come in two forms, dry and what the region is currently experiencing—wet. The Tahoe Basin has received 155% precipitation since Oct. 1, yet only a 95% of median snowpack.
Had the November precipitation brought four feet of snow, rather than the four inches of rain, those two values would likely be closer together with a more generous snowpack, “which would have put resorts in great shape for Thanksgiving,” Natural Resources Conservation Service hydrologist, Jeff Anderson, said, “instead of scrambling to open terrain after the Christmas storm.”
The holiday storms over Christmas and New Years brought a combined 90-plus inches of snow according to UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, bringing the snowfall to around median levels and on track for the year, at least for now.
Much of the west hasn’t been so fortunate with the disparity between precipitation and snow continuing.
Precipitation received this winter. Provided
A measure of snow received so far this winter. Provided
With all the talk of “snow droughts”, it may come as a surprise that California is completely drought free for the first time since 2000 (though it came close in 2005 and 2011) according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It’s a nod to how much precipitation the west coast has received as well as other measures such as streamflow, reservoir levels, temperature and evaporative demand, soil moisture and vegetation health.
Meteorologist Heather Waldman says, “Drought is hard to define and the Drought Monitor is an imperfect tool for California’s climate, but the current water year is off to a wet start no matter how you look at it.”
The climate that defines California now, could shortly become a very different story. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) notes in its Dec. 30 report that although drought and flood have always marked the California climate, “extreme whiplash between wet and dry is becoming more pronounced, not just year to year but often within the same season or month.”
The Sierra snowpack supplies about 30% of California’s water needs, which is why it is referred to as the state’s frozen reservoir. According to DWR, the water supply this year will depend on a continued cadence of storms in winter and early spring.
With the largest snow-producing months in the Sierra Nevada, on average, being January, February, and March, much of this winter’s story is still untold.
Should a snow drought continue, what could that mean for the Tahoe region?
Anderson explains that since so much of the Tahoe Basin is the lake surface itself, both rain and snow immediately help fill the lake, so long as there is room to store water.
Lake Tahoe currently has 1.5 feet of storage available until it reaches its legal limit. Once the limit is met, water managers are required to release water.
Each year water managers try to fill Lake Tahoe. In a good snow year, snowmelt in spring and summer replaces the water being released, keeping the lake’s water elevation high. During a wet snow drought, however, too much rain could disrupt this scenario, possibly leading to a mismatch between water availability and water demand.
If the lake fills mid-winter, water must be released before there is downstream demand. This is compounded in spring as there is less snow to melt and inflow is outpaced by demand, sooner leading to lower lake levels.
Skiers, snowboarders and resorts are likely the ones feeling the immediate impact of the snow drought this winter, but if it continues, it will be felt in different ways throughout the year.
“One of the main issues with warm snow droughts is felt the following summer as forests melt out sooner than they would have if there had been more snow,” Anderson explains. “This would lead to a longer snow free season, and increase wildfire risk.”
Both the DWR and NRCS provide monthly updates on the snowpack and water forecast each month through spring.
The Tribune will continue to provide updates as the winter unfolds.
Barbara Halvorson-Magee, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2025, in Carson City, Nevada. Barbara moved to South Lake Tahoe in 1976 where she worked for The El Dorado County Public Works Department prior to retiring to Carson City. She was known for her love of music, laughter, traveling, and above all, her family.
A devoted Christian, she was a longtime member of Hope Lutheran Church.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Willie Magee; her brothers, Jerry and Gene Halvorson; and her younger sister, Mary Hewett. She is survived by her seven children: Lori Kohler (CT), Debra Sprinkel (CA), Sheryl Ireland (CA), David Shriver (NV), Barbara Donnan, Kristin Magee (NV), and Kelly Lehr (NV); as well as 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Outside Interactive, previous network owner of Lake Tahoe Television, has transferred its ownership to former General Manager, Peter Loughlin along with several other local owners and will relaunch as Adventure Outdoors Network – Lake Tahoe.
Peter Loughlin, longtime local and Lake Tahoe broadcast expert, is now CEO of Adventure Outdoors NetworkProvided/Adventure Outdoors – Lake Tahoe
In the process of transitioning out of an ownership role, the Outside Interactive network has been selling all operations for each of its TV stations with goals of converting the stations into affiliate programs that are locally owned and operated.
Loughlin, who is now CEO, established the station and has been in the Tahoe market since 1993. He was offered the chance to purchase the station from the previous ownership group, but was outbid.
After keeping him on as General Manager, Loughlin later received a call with another offer from the network owners.
“They said, ‘we can’t think of anyone else we’d rather sell the TV station to, to keep it a liable entity and to keep the programming going, so are you interested?'”, said Loughlin. “What I did was I diversified a little bit, so there are several owners involved in the TV station, but we’re all local.”
Loughlin expanded on the multiplicity within the new ownership group, noting that half of them are women.
“It’s not a male-dominated ownership group, and that was important,” Loughlin said. “We used to live in a patriarchal society, from a broadcast standpoint, and that’s not the new reality. You have to be diverse and you have to value other people’s opinions, their input and their contributions.”
Moving forward, Loughlin and the Lake Tahoe team began spitballing names and landed on Adventure Outdoors Network – Lake Tahoe, keeping the same direction of being a station that continues to be a source for outdoor recreation, news and activities.
There are some upgrades in store as the station plans to include more programming by investing in new streaming platforms and shooting on location with new equipment such as production vehicles and cameras.
“At the end of the day, what we have to keep in mind is, what is it that we have for a product – on the air, on streaming, on TV, and that’s really the most important thing,” added Loughlin.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard has nominated 97 athletes to represent Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 6-22, 2026. The athletes were selected to Team USA based on pre-determined Olympic Winter Games selection criteria by U.S. Ski & Snowboard and will be officially announced to Team USA on Jan. 26, 2026.
The Milano Cortina Games will take place across Italy, becoming the most geographically widespread Games in history. Athletes will compete across 25 venues in four main clusters: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme, with 116 medal events on the schedule. For ski and snowboard events, Bormio will host men’s alpine, Cortina will host women’s alpine, cross country, ski jumping and nordic combined will all take place in Val di Fiemme and freestyle, freeski and snowboard will be in Livigno.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard will send 97 athletes to the Olympic Winter Games, including 73 athletes from the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and 24 athletes from the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team. At the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, U.S. Ski & Snowboard accounted for more than 40% of Team USA’s delegation and brought home 15 of the 25 total Olympic medals won. Of the 97 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes represented, 48 are first-time Olympians.
Several athletes headed to Milano Cortina are entering the Games as multiple-time medalists and Olympians. The alpine team is led by two-time Olympic champion, three-time Olympic medalist and most decorated alpine skier of all time Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic champion, three-time Olympic medalist and winningest speed skier in history Lindsey Vonn and Ryan Cochran-Siegle, an Olympic silver medalist. Jessie Diggins, an Olympic champion and three-time Olympic medalist in cross country, will compete at her fourth and final Games.
Freestyle moguls is led by Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf, while Chris Lillis, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2022, returns for the aerials team. Olympic champion Alex Hall, two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira and three-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper, who is headed to his fourth Games, are leading the way to Italy for freeski. On the snowboard side, Chloe Kim, a two-time Olympic champion and the youngest Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding history, returns, alongside Olympic champions Red Gerard and Nick Baumgartner. Baumgartner is entering his fifth Olympic Winter Games.
“The athletes we are sending to the Games represent a large portion of Team USA and I am confident about the impact they will make in Italy,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “More than the results, our athletes are also bringing some of the most captivating story lines to Milano Cortina, and we are so excited to see the impact they will have while representing their country in February.”
“We are excited to announce the 97 athletes that will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games in just two weeks,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport. “Throughout this season, we’ve seen quite remarkable results from our athletes across all 10 of our sports and I know this is one of the strongest teams we have sent to the Games. I am excited to cheer for them on the biggest stage in sports.”
The full Olympic schedule can be found HERE. How to watch the Games via NBC-owned channels in the United States can be found HERE.
Local athletes
2026 U.S. Olympic Alpine Team
Keely Cashman (Strawberry, CA; Team Palisades Tahoe; Montana State University; 4/4/1999; 2022)
AJ Hurt (Carnelian Bay, CA; Team Palisades Tahoe; Dartmouth College; 12/5/2000; 2022)
TRUCKEE/TAHOE BASIN, Calif. — From Sage Leaf to Tahoe Bagel Co. and FiftyFifty Brewing Co., several Truckee/Tahoe-based restaurants are expanding beyond the Truckee-Tahoe region. For some owners, the decision reflects business realities, with Reno offering opportunities the lake can’t.
“In Incline, we’re three lights long — we’re very small,” said Lara Hammett, owner of Sage Leaf. “We only have so many restaurants here and so many spaces that can even house a restaurant. We’ve kind of maxed out our footprint, and we don’t really want to compete with ourselves.”
Hammett said the team considered expanding to Kings Beach, Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe, but as a Nevada-based business, opening a location in California would have meant navigating a new regulatory environment. Instead, they decided to move away from the lake. Sage Leaf is set to open a Reno location next month.
“Reno is our closest large metropolis, and it’s a much bigger market than Incline,” Hammett said. “While there’s still some seasonality, it’s far less. From a hiring standpoint, almost every application we get when we post a position in Incline — especially back of house — comes from Reno.”
That staffing reality, combined with Tahoe’s limited commercial real estate, has made Reno an increasingly attractive option for successful mountain-town businesses.
“I would think these expansions have to do with initial success and subsequent opportunity-seeking in close but different-enough markets,” said Jack Carrico, director of advising and Northern Nevada manager at the Nevada Small Business Development Center.
“For Tahoe-to-Reno expansions, we help business owners think carefully about the differences in markets,” Carrico said. “Tahoe may have more tourists as customers, while Reno tends to have more locals. That transition can be appealing for owners looking for more normalized monthly income.”
In addition to Sage Leaf, many other businesses have made the basin to Reno jump, including Inclined Burgers and Brews, Lake Tahoe AleWorX, Sprouts Natural Cafe, Great Gold, Drink Coffee Do Stuff and Coffeebar. Biggest Little Steakhouse, Dopo and Brews Brothers also have a presence in both locations, although those restaurants started in Reno first.
FiftyFifty Brewing Co. is another Truckee-based business preparing to open a Reno location, citing similar factors.
“Tahoe is exceptionally hard because of seasonality, both as an employee and employer,” said Alicia Barr, owner of FiftyFifty Brewing Co. “In Reno, you don’t see those big lows as often. You have a more built-in, year-round business model, which makes things easier from a staffing perspective and even from a supply-chain standpoint.”
However, for Jeffrey Kaplan, owner of Tahoe Bagel in South Lake Tahoe, seasonality is not a deterrent — it is one of the defining elements he appreciates about doing business in Tahoe. Kaplan said fluctuations in tourism were not a motivating factor in the decision to expand to Reno. Instead, the move was driven by Nevada’s more favorable environment for small business owners.
“Nevada is more small-business friendly, from a property tax standpoint to some of the state requirements,” Kaplan said.
When considering expansion, Kaplan said the primary motivation was moving into Nevada and to access a larger market. Tahoe Bagel Co. initially explored opening locations in Gardnerville and Carson City, but ultimately chose Reno due to its broader customer base and greater overall market potential.
Still, shop owners have emphasized that expanding east doesn’t mean leaving home behind.
“Truckee is home, and Truckee will always be our flagship location,” Barr said. “Truckee-Tahoe isn’t the easiest place to live or do business, but we all choose to live here because we love it so much. You do what it takes to make it work.”
Hammett echoed that sentiment, pointing to the close-knit nature of the Tahoe community.
“We have such a strong sense of community here,” she said. “People recommend us because they know us. Everyone really has each other’s backs and wants small businesses and families to succeed.”
STATELINE, Nev. – Guts, glory, and a full tank of methanol – that’s what you can expect this weekend at the Tahoe Blue Event Center as the Xtreme International Ice Racing (XIIR) Series goes all gas with literally no brakes for its second round stop in Tahoe on January 24. To add to the adrenaline-fueled entertainment, locals will also be given a chance to race on the ice.
Xtreme International Ice Racing will stop in Tahoe for its second round out of nineProvided/Colby Long
Anthony Barlow, XIIR Founder and former rider, started the racing series in 2003. Barlow, being from Southport, England, took his humble beginnings as a pro speedway racer, and his love for the ice, and turned them into a year-long sensation.
“I was a Redbull rider from 2004 until I retired last year. The first year, we did seven rounds, and after that, it just boomed,” said Barlow. “I remember we went to Cincinnati, and it was an absolute flop. Then we went to Tampa, Florida, and we had 9,000 people.”
With three premiere styles of racing, who wouldn’t find the extreme sport to be a spectacle to witness? All-terrain vehicles (ATV), flat-track, and speedway bikes capable of going 0-60 mph in three seconds, they zoom around the ice with studded tires, making twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The riders race in heats, and each heat allows four competitors at a time to earn points to qualify them for the final race.
There are three premiere styles of racing: ATV, flat-track, and speedwayProvided/Colby Long
“I like all aspects of it. I like the journey, I like driving and promoting. I love seeing the fans happy, and to watch people race,” added Barlow.
Colby Long, a Central Florida native and motorcycle enthusiast, started ice racing a decade ago and hasn’t stopped since. His love and passion for riding has taken him down many roads of various terrain – dirt, sand, or mountainside, he’s willing to do it all.
Long moved to Indianapolis, Indiana to take his racing to the next level in his sophomore year of high school.
“About 10 years ago, I was at a race, and I was approached by this British guy and he came up and said, ‘Hey, why do you race eight months out of the year when you can race all 12?'” Long said.
Never having raced on the ice, he decided to give it a shot. “I had no idea what I was doing, I didn’t know what it was going to be like riding on the ice, because even in Indianapolis, we don’t get much outdoor ice.” Now, he runs all three premiere classes in one night, one of the only racers in the league to do so.
Long has won four championship titles so far in the series, but aside from his off-roading skills, his greatest highlights are entertaining the crowd and contributing to each community they visit during the series.
“I remember being a young boy, going to motorcycle races, big races, big shows, and you look at these guys like they’re superstars, and we get that. So anything I can give back after a race, whether a kid wants a pair of goggles, or a jersey, we always try to throw it out and give back.”
With six contracted riders, XIIR travels around the entire country and Canada, competing for the championship title. “This year, we’re doing an East Coast championship, West Coast championship and Midwest championship,” said Barlow, and racers participating in the entire series qualify for the World championship.
Long has one four championships to dateProvided/Colby Long
A unique and popular aspect to the series is when the locals are able to join in on the fun.
“We have local riders that come to race against the pros, and you get to see good battles out of it,” said Long. “We include GO-KARTs, trikes, youth bikes, and all kinds of stuff.”
XIIR encourages all Tahoe locals interested in getting involved, to grab their pitbikes, ATVs, flat-track bikes, or the like, and come compete in the XIIR Series.
Get ready for some nail-biting action this weekend at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. The event offers a family-friendly experience for all ages and starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 24. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.
When people say you eat with your eyes first, this week’s feature is the type of dish that gives you a full belly at first glance. Its playful colors are a precursor for what you are about to have hit your tastebuds, and it also happens to feature one of my favorite fishes.
Maggie’s Seabass and Arrabbiata PastaRob Galloway / Tahoe Daily Tribune
Starting with the pasta, the vegan bucatini (slightly thicker spaghetti) is crafted in-house with the addition of saffron which gives it a slightly sweeter flavor. It’s wrapped in a spicy arrabbiata sauce which includes fresh tomatoes, Calabrian chiles, garlic, red and white wine before getting tossed with a little bit of cream, guanciale, and sun-dried tomato. Once twirled on the plate, it’s topped with a seasoned and grilled Chilean sea bass and topped with curled bell peppers.
The sea bass is cooked to a perfect medium and with its buttery flakiness, provides a stellar canvas to let the pasta and sauce shine. But even with the slight heat and layers of flavor from the sauce, the delicate flavor of the fish is not lost, letting its mild sweetness melt into your palette.
The combination of the fresh and sun-dried tomatoes can write the book on being balanced. Along with the creaminess, the salty punch you get from the guanciale makes this one of the best sauces I’ve had in a while. But I am also an extreme lover of sun-dried tomatoes, so take that for what it’s worth.
Anytime you can give me seafood and pasta, I’m going to have a good time. But when it’s elevated like this, it’s time to party.
Maggie’s Restaurant and Bar is located within the Desolation Hotel at 933 Poplar St. in South Lake Tahoe. For more information visit desolationhotel.com or reach the restaurant by phone at 530-725-0118.
Mountain Nature Tours – 1:30 p.m., Mt Rose Ski Tahoe, 22222 Mount Rose Hwy. Meeting Area: On the snow by the Main Lodge stairs Looking to explore and learn more about our stunning region? Join the Mt. Rose Green Team for our free Nature Tours! Spend an hour on the slopes discovering fascinating topics like Mt. Rose history, trees and forest health, Sierra water and snow, and more. For more information, visit https://skirose.com/calendar-events/ or call (775) 849-0704.
Smoked Out Soul ~ Rumpus ~ Funk Brunch Allstars – 8 p.m., Crystal Bay Casino, 14 Highway 28. North Lake Tahoe’s live-music fans are in for an incredible evening when San Francisco’s funk-fusion outfit Smoked Out Soul brings their signature blend of futuristic DJ production laced with live horns, synth, percussion, drums & guitar. They will be followed by Canadian drummer/DJ house-dynamo RUMPUS, whose explosive hybrid sets have become a fixture at major festivals and legendary underground parties. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1199888515363739/ or call (775) 833-6333.
DJ DELO in the Mix – 9-11:30 p.m., AleWorX Stateline. For more information, visit https://laketahoealeworx.com/event/dj-delo-in-the-mix/2026-01-23/.
DJ N-Tune at HQ – 9 p.m.-1 a.m., MontBleu Resort, 55 Highway 50. Catch a vibe with DJ N-Tune here at HQ Center Bar on January 23rd! For more information visi t lateniteproductions.com Additional dates: 1/23, 1/24. For more information, visit https://casinos.ballys.com/lake-tahoe/events-calendar.aspx?date=1/23/20 26&display=event&eventid=2477887 or call (775) 588-3515.
Dueling Pianos at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe – 8:30-10:30 p.m., Harveys Lake Tahoe, 18 Highway 50. Join us at the Mountain Bar located on Caesars Republic casino floor for a free show you don’t want to miss. Put your favorite song request in, grab a drink at the Mountain Bar and enjoy the fun! Playing Friday and Saturday at 8:30 PM. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/dueling-pianos-at-caesars-republic-lake-tahoe/2026-01-23/ or call (775) 588-6611.
Wine Tasting on the M.S. Dixie II – 5-8 p.m., M.S. Dixie II at Zephyr Cove Resort, 760 U.S. Hwy 50. Sip & Sail: A Wine Country Journey on Lake Tahoe. Join us aboard the M.S. Dixie II for an unforgettable evening that pairs the rich flavors of California’s wine country with the perfect appetizer. A curated selection of premium wines by Joyce Wine Co. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/wine-tasting-on-the-m-s-dixie-ii/2026-01-23/.
Saturday, January 24
Dead Winter Carpenters w/ The Coffis Brothers – 8 p.m., 14 State Route 28. Dead Winter Carpenters w/ The Coffis Brothers Sat. Jan. 24th 2026 I Doors: 7pm Show: 8pm I Tickets: $18 ADV / $23 DOS I Tickets: https://tixr.com/e/163466 DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS: Hailing from North Lake Tahoe, CA, americana/roots rock band Dead Winter Carpenters has built a reputation for pouring their heart and soul into each performance. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1916053142307998/.
DJ Montague – 9-11:30 p.m., AleWorX Stateline. Additional dates: 1/24, 1/29. For more information, visit https://laketahoealeworx.com/event/dj-montague-5/2026-01-24/.
MicroMania Wrestling – 8 p.m., MontBleu Resort, 55 Highway 50. MicroMania Midget Wrestling is a high powered, explosive, athletic Pro Wrestling show with just the right touch of comedy thrown in to make for an unforgettable BIG event not necessarily BIG people!! These 5 foot & under micro athletes may be short in stature but are giants in the world of entertainment where they will keep you on your feet screaming from the opening bell through the Main Event! or call (775) 588-3515.
Tahoe Club Crawl Fall/Winter 25/26 – 8-11 p.m., Tahoe Club Crawl, 31 US HWY 50. Tahoe Club Crawl is an organized VIP nightlife tour of the Tahoe South. With the purchase of your ticket, you will receive a welcome shot at 3 out of 4 stops, appetizers, free indoor games at Tipsy Putt and VIP entrance into Peek Nightclub, Lake Tahoe’s hottest Club! You will meet amazing people and have the night of your lives. We meet every Saturday at 8:00 PM Aleworx Stateline, unless told otherwise. Be Sure To Check Out our Ice Cream Shop, Aloha Ice Cream Tahoe “Winner of Best Ice Cream in Tahoe 7 Years In A Row” (Opened Seasonally) For more information, visit https://tahoeclubcrawl.ticketsauce.com/e/tahoe-club-crawl-fall-winter-25-47?aff=cityspark.
Tumua – 7:30 p.m., Harrahs South Shore Showroom, 15 US-50. Get ready to laugh out loud with Tumua Tuinei, one of Hawai’i’s fastest-rising comedians, as he brings The Chee Hoo Tour to Harrah’s Lake Tahoe South Shore Room. Known for his sharp storytelling, local humor, and relatable takes on island life, Tumua has quickly built a loyal following both in Hawai’i and across the mainland. Don’t miss an unforgettable night of comedy and aloha energy!
Tuesday, January 27
Tahoe’s Tricky Bird ID Series – 6-7 p.m., Struggling to tell apart those look-alike woodpeckers and raptors in Tahoe? Curious about the subtle differences between similar species? Want to strengthen your ID skills for woodpeckers, sapsuckers, and raptors… both in flight and during their life stages? Look no further! TINS and birding enthusiast Rich Chambers are here to help. Join us for a free, fun, and informative 3-part online class series where Rich will guide participants through some of the toughest bird ID challenges specific to the Tahoe and Truckee region. Through expert tips, clear comparisons, and real world examples, you’ll sharpen your skills and gain confidence in identifying these tricky species. The series will be held on three consecutive Tuesdays from 6:00-7:00 PM on January 27, February 4, and February 10 with a Carson Valley Raptor Field Trip (optional) to conclude the course on February 11. Register for the online class below. We hope to see you there! Fill out my LGL Form! For more information, visit https://www.tinsweb.org/upcoming-events/tahoes-difficult-bird-id-class.
Wednesday, January 28
Pizza Making Class – 6 p.m., South Lake Brewing Company, 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Learn how to make and stretch pizza dough with Lecsi and Cam from the Slice Shack! All supplies are included. You’ll get one pizza to cook yourself, plus an extra dough to practice with. For more information, visit https://www.southlakebeer.com/store#!/Pizza-Making-Class-w-The-Sliceshack-Winter-2026/p/800783124 or call (530) 578-0087.
Tahoe Chamber Mixer – 5-7 p.m., The Ridge Tahoe, 400 Ridge Club Dr, Lake Tahoe. Tahoe Chamber Mixer at Tube Tahoe 5:00-7:00 pm, Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Join us for a Chamber evening mixer at Tube Tahoe, where you’ll connect with fellow members, meet new faces, and enjoy light appetizers plus one complimentary drink. This welcoming event is open to both Chamber members (free with current membership) and non-members ($10), offering a great opportunity to strengthen and grow your business connections. For more information, visit https://visitlaketahoe.com/event/tahoe-chamber-mixer-2/.
Thursday, January 29
Valhalla Tahoe brings the Tahoe Improv Players – 6-9 p.m., Lake Tahoe Golf Course, 2500 Emerald Bay Rd. What happens when you mix a hot buffet, audience suggestions, and a group of professional funny people? Valhalla Tahoe brings the Tahoe Improv Players back for a special winter show on January 29th, delivering fast-paced, totally unscripted comedy in the style of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” No scripts. No safety net. Just big laughs made up on the spot—using your ideas (choose wisely). For more information, visit https://valhallatahoe.com/events/ or call 530 318-5458.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe was proud to receive a 2025 Community Impact Grant from the Community Impact Fund and the Gap Fund held at the Tahoe Community Foundation. This generous donation of $26,000 helped support the launch of the Meyers TK Afternoon Program, which started in the 2025–2026 school year.
The Club was excited to announce the expansion of its TK program to include Meyers Elementary. With this addition, all of its school sites, including Bijou and Tahoe Valley, now offer TK programs, allowing the Club to serve more families and provide greater early learning opportunities throughout the community. This funding from the Tahoe Community Foundation helps sustain the program and provide a safe, enriching space for our youngest Club members, while also supporting the organization’s growth despite reduced government funding.
“The financial support from the Community Impact Grant was pivotal in enabling us to start the Meyers TK Afternoon Program. The grant covered start-up costs, such as furniture and supplies, and also helped to fill the gap between membership fees and operational costs. We are so grateful to the Community Impact Fund and the Gap Fund for their generosity and support of our families and community,” stated Jude Wood, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe.
The Meyers TK Afternoon Program is now well into the school year, and its impact on the members is immeasurable. “The thirteen members have grown so much. They are a close-knit bunch and have learned how to work as a team, apologize when needed, and solve problems,” said Crissy Daniel, Meyers Site Coordinator. “Through the programs and support at the Boys and Girls Club, these young members have grown in confidence, embraced new opportunities, and become proud, active participants in their own learning and leadership.”
Despite President Donald Trump’s repeated rejection of Project 2025 while campaigning, one year into his second administration, the federal government has fully or partially implemented over 80% of the public land actions contemplated by the conservative roadmap.
This is according to a new report from the Center for Western Priorities, a left-leaning conservation and advocacy organization and think tank based in Colorado. The report evaluates 70 directives from Project 2025 that were related to public lands and identifies whether the administration has made any progress toward achieving each.
It concluded that 50% of the directives have been fully completed, 34.3% are in progress, and 15.7% have not been attempted.
Project 2025 is a conservative playbook written in 2022 ahead of Trump’s election and inauguration for a 2025 Republican presidency. The over 900-page “Mandate for Leadership” was produced by The Heritage Foundation, a right-leaning think tank based in Washington, D.C., with over 30 authors and over 300 contributors.
Trump publicly disavowed the roadmap several times during his campaign. During a Sept. 10, 2024, debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump said, “I have nothing to do with Project 2025,” going on to claim that he had purposefully not read it and had no plans to ever read it.
“The speed with which President Trump has embraced a plan he once claimed to know nothing about is staggering,” said Kate Groetzinger, communication manager at the Center for Western Priorities and a lead contributor on the report, in a statement. “By gutting federal agencies, fast-tracking logging, and locking in long-term drilling leases, the Trump administration is effectively turning our national public lands into sacrifice zones for private profit.”
What Project 2025 said about public lands
When it comes to public lands, Project 2025 laid out actions that would rollback and rescind many Biden-era policies and rules around endangered species and climate action, increase domestic energy production (with special attention paid to Alaska), logging and other development activities on public lands, as well as reform federal statutes like the National Environmental Protection Act, or NEPA, and the Endangered Species Act.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order. One of Trump’s day-one orders sought to increase domestic energy production, something that has had a direct effect on public land management across the U.S.The White House, X/Courtesy Photo
The majority of the public land items pertain to the Department of the Interior and its subagencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. William Perry Pendley, an attorney who led the Bureau of Land Management during the first Trump administration, wrote the Project 2025 Interior Department recommendations.
Under Biden, Pendley claimed that the Interior Department was “at war” with its mission, including its “obligation to develop the vast oil and gas and coal resources for which it is responsible” as well as its mandate to manage Bureau of Land Management lands with multiple-use and sustained-yield principles.
“Instead, Biden’s DOI believes most BLM land should be placed off-limits to all economic and most recreational uses,” Pendley wrote.
A few of the public land directives also fell under the roadmap’s recommendations for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Council on Environmental Quality, which was established to oversee federal agencies’ implementation of NEPA.
The Environmental Protection Agency section of the roadmap was written by Mandy M. Gunasekara, an attorney who led the agency during the first administration. Project 2025’s Council on Environmental Quality recommendations were included in those for the president’s executive office, which was written by Russ Vought, a political advisor who is now serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
What the Trump administration has completed from the roadmap
A chart from a Center for Western Priorities report demonstrating which public land directives from Project 2025 were implemented, initiated or left alone during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. The report evaluated 70 directives from the conservative roadmap.Center-for-Western-Priorities-Project-2025-Public-Land-Actions-Report
The Western Priorities’ report split its analysis of the actions in Project 2025 into several categories pertaining to fossil fuel production, federal land protections, agency staffing and expertise, Alaska’s natural resources, environmental reviews, endangered species, logging on national forests and miscellaneous actions.
The findings are “a warning to those who care about public lands: opposing the sale of public lands is not enough — if the Trump administration and Heritage Foundation have their way, our public lands will be effectively privatized by the end of Trump’s presidency in 2028,” Groetzinger stated.
“This will be achieved through the gutting of federal agencies, the issuance of long-term logging and drilling leases, and the permanent destruction of habitat by the proliferation of clear cuts, well pads, and mines,” she added.
The recommendations surrounding environmental review under NEPA and those to increase fossil fuel production have been the most widely implemented.
“All 10 of the actions related to limiting environmental reviews recommended in Project 2025 identified by our team have been completed or attempted by the Trump administration,” the report states.
The report concluded that nearly 70% of Project 2025’s recommendations related to fossil fuels have been completed, and 20% are in progress. Western Priorities identifies that “in progress” refers to orders made or the initiation of a rulemaking process to implement the action, but the rule is not finalized.
The administration’s actions to increase fossil fuel production started on day one of Trump’s second term with an executive order promising to “unleash” domestic energy. This was followed by an Interior Department Secretarial order in February, which rescinded many Biden-era climate efforts and eliminated “undue burdens” on domestic energy. These orders and subsequent actions achieved Project 2025’s recommendations around ending the coal leasing moratorium, re-opening energy leasing in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic areas, re-prioritizing quarterly lease sales on BLM land and more.
The passage of Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” in 2025 advanced additional energy production efforts, including mandating rolling lease sales and reducing royalty rates for oil and gas companies.
So far, the actions surrounding federal land protections have been the least implemented. The report found that less than 20% of the roadmap’s recommendations around land protections — such as those granted to national monuments —have been completed. However, nearly 70% are in progress.
Similarly, Western Priorities reported that 20% of the nine actions about endangered species have been completed, but 55% are in progress.
This includes species-specific actions around grizzly bears and gray wolves. Project 2025 recommended that both species be delisted from the Endangered Species Act. While bills to delist these species are moving separately through Congress — including a bill from Rep. Lauren Boebert, CO-4, about gray wolves— the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also taken steps that move Project 2025’s goals forward, the report claims.
In November, the Fish and Wildlife Service also announced four proposed rule changes that will impact the Endangered Species Act, two of which align with Project 2025’s recommendations “to change how critical habitat is designated and what criteria must be considered when evaluating areas to exclude from critical habitat,” the report states.
According to the report, some of the actions that the administration has “not yet” attempted include:
Increasing transparency and data around Endangered Species Act decisions
Reducing the number of field coal reclamation inspectors
While the Trump administration has brought many changes to public land management and protection, the report notes that Western constituents have drawn a clear line surrounding public land sales, as evidenced by the June proposal from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to sell up to 3 million acres of public land during the reconciliation process. The proposal was ultimately defeated, after opposition to any sales came from a broad, bipartisan spectrum of interests.
“President Trump will undoubtedly continue to implement Project 2025 as he enters the second year of his second term,” the report concludes. “Westerners will, in turn, continue to rise up and defend the existence of public land.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Tahoe Women’s Community Fund is moving into its 11th year of giving out grants to local nonprofits. The grant application will be available from Feb. 12 on for all nonprofits that serve the South Shore of Lake Tahoe directly.
Any nonprofit serving the South Shore of Lake Tahoe may apply during our granting cycle, which runs from Feb. 12 to March 10, but nonprofits may only apply for one grant in one area of need. Nonprofits that received a grant in 2025 are ineligible to apply for this cycle but can reapply in 2027.
TWCF will be giving away $120,000 this granting cycle thanks to its 258 members and 11 Super Sponsors. Grant application will be available on their website.
“Thank you to our 258 members,” a TWCF press release stated. “And a sincere thank you to our Operational Sponsors for their support of TWCF as an organization, as well as our Super Sponsors for matching our membership dollars and doubling our giving dollars! Together, we have created an amazing granting organization for our families, our friends and our community!”
South Lake Tahoe is a winter paradise offering a wide array of activities to complement its world-famous skiing and snowboarding. Whether you’re looking for high-thrill adventures or serene moments by a crackling fire, this guide covers the must-try experiences to make your winter visit truly unforgettable.
If you’re seeking an active way to take in Tahoe’s serene beauty, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are perfect options. Hope Valley Outdoors, just south of town, features over 60 miles of trails winding through meadows, valleys, and mountain paths. These tree-lined routes offer sweeping views and a chance to connect with the snowy landscape. Explore gear rental shops here.
Snowmobiling with Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center Lake Tahoe
Feel the rush of winter with a snowmobile tour through the snow-blanketed forests of South Lake Tahoe. Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center provides access to breathtaking panoramic views at elevations nearing 9,000 feet. For family-friendly options, Tahoe Snowmobiles and Lake Tahoe Adventures offer tours suitable for all ages.
Sometimes, the simplest joys are the most memorable. Sledding and tubing are perfect for families and thrill-seekers alike. Adventure Mountain Lake Tahoe offers machine-groomed sledding and tubing hills for all ages. Other great spots include Hansen’s Resort on Ski Run Blvd and Tube Tahoe at Tahoe Paradise Golf Course in Meyers.
Complete your winter wonderland experience with an old-fashioned sleigh ride. Pulled by majestic draft horses, these decorated sleighs glide through snowy fields and pine forests, creating magical memories against Tahoe’s stunning backdrop.
After a day of adventure, there’s nothing like soaking in natural hot springs. South Shore also has one of America’s only Japanese-style cedar bathhouses – learn more about this unique and nourishing experience here. There are a few different options, but for those seeking a little luxury, we recommend the trek to David Walley’s Hot Springs, a soothing retreat where you can relax in healing waters surrounded by the Sierra Nevada’s breathtaking scenery. Consider making a stop at Nevada’s oldest thirst parlor, the Genoa Bar & Saloon. Learn more about all of our spa options here.
6. Fireside Cozy Time
South Lake Tahoe knows how to do après-ski right. Gather around a fire pit with family and friends to toast marshmallows, sip hot cocoa, and share stories of the day’s adventures. From boutique coffee shops to cozy mountain lodges, you’ll find plenty of spots to warm up and create lasting memories.
Even when it’s snowing outside, you can climb to new heights indoors. Blue Granite Climbing Gym offers year-round climbing opportunities, from beginner-friendly walls to advanced challenges. Classes, clinics, and youth programs make this a must-visit spot for climbers of all skill levels.
Channel your inner Olympian with a curling session at the Lake Tahoe Ice Arena. Lake Tahoe Epic Curling offers Sunday evening “Learn to Curl” classes, as well as private group events. It’s a unique way to bond with family or friends while trying something new on the ice.
Looking for something a little different? Head to Yosemite Axe Throwing for a fun and exciting indoor activity. Perfect for groups or solo adventurers, this thrilling pastime lets you channel your inner lumberjack while staying warm and dry.
Tipsy Putt combines mini-golf fun with a laid-back vibe and a fantastic drink menu. It’s a great indoor option for families during the day or for adults looking to unwind in the evening. Enjoy some lighthearted competition while escaping the winter chill.
Bonus: See Lake Tahoe From The Sky
Image appears courtesy: Tahoe Helicopters
There are so many ways to see the richness of Lake Tahoe, but what about from the sky? The expert pilots from Tahoe Helicopters offer you the opportunity to see iconic sights. Imagine the beauty of Emerald Bay, Fallen Leaf Lake, Desolation Wilderness, Crystal Bay or Sand Harbor from thousands of feet above. They offer all kinds of flights, including an hour-long sunset tour. Be sure to bring your camera and be the envy of all your friends.
South Lake Tahoe has something for everyone during the winter season. From adrenaline-pumping snowmobile tours to serene hot springs, your days here can be as action-packed or laid-back as you choose. So, pack your snow gear, plan your perfect winter getaway, and experience the magic of Tahoe like never before.
Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Mountain Resort is BIG! In fact, with a vertical of over 3,500 feet spanning 4,800+ acres, it’s not surprising that it’s one of the top 10 largest resorts in North America. With so much acreage, Heavenly has something for everyone. From well-spaced trees, a multitude of easy-going cut ski runs, two canyon areas with challenging chutes (Mott and Killebrew), and one true alpine bowl (Milky Way), you’ll never say that Heavenly is a boring place. For first timers though, visiting this hulking brute of a resort can be downright frustrating. Don’t worry, we’re to help! With a little bit of planning and guidance, you’ll be able to traverse this mountain like a pro, reducing the stress and increasing the fun.
So, you’ve skied all the terrain around Sky & Canyon Express lifts and want to check out the Nevada side of the mountain. To do this, you’ll need to take the Skyline trail from the summit of the Sky chairlift. Be forewarned… keep your velocity and don’t get distracted by the lake views to your left. At over a mile in length, you need to pass the entrance to the Pinnacles and still keep going forward. You know you’ve made it once you see the Dipper chairlift, otherwise, keep that acceleration up.
Comet/Crossover (Comet Express to Stagecoach)
Heavenly Mountain Resort Lake Tahoe Dipper Comet. Photo LocalFreshies.com
Comet & Dipper offer skiers and snowboarders fantastic views of the Carson Valley below and great groomers to lay out some turns. If you make it to this side, don’t miss the Olympic Downhill trail. Stretching over 5.5 miles and covering nearly 2,000 vertical feet, it’s the perfect option for those who want to carve to their heart’s content. To get to it, you’ll need to take the Comet trail (off of the aptly named chairlift) and blast your way onto Cross-over. DO NOT slow down, otherwise, you’ll be walking or skating the entire length until you get to the top of $100 saddle. From here, you’ll schuss your way to the bottom of Olympic.
Pepi’s (Top of Stagecoach To Dipper)
From the top of the Olympic Express, take a right and proceed onto the Olympic Downhill trail. This run will get your legs burning as you wind your way all the way down to the base of Stagecoach Express. For those that want to get back to another part of the mountain, the traverse from the top of Stagecoach via Pepi’s is a challenging one. The easiest of the two options is to ski to Upper North Bowl and take Olympic Express up. From there, make a left onto Von Schmidt’s, which will let you drop back into the Dipper/Comet base area easily. The second and more direct route would be to take Pepi’s from the top of Stagecoach. This is another flat route, meaning you need to keep your speed up, or you might end up walking again.
California Trail (Top of Dipper To Sky)
Family Skiing Heavenly Mountain Resort Lake Tahoe
After so much skiing and snowboarding, your legs are done for the day. The problem is you’re still in the Nevada area. From the top of Dipper, you’ll want to head skier’s left onto the California trail. Keep up your speed until you pass the Tamarack chairlift overhead. From there, you can let yourself relax and link some turns. Take a tight left turn as you ski past the Tamarack/Gondola area. You’ll need to make sure you keep the momentum going. This long traverse can be deceptive, leading to you not reaching the bottom of Sky.
Being the largest and highest ski area in Lake Tahoe, Heavenly Mountain can be challenging to navigate. Instead of getting frustrated, be sure that you have a plan. If you do, you’ll make your time on the mountain “Heavenly.”
Whether you’re team-building over craft brews or savoring dungeness crab cakes lakeside, you can experience the true mountain hospitality only found in South Lake Tahoe. Nestled amid the continent’s largest alpine lake and the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevadas, there’s a reason why the South Shore is a highly sought-after destination for events of all kinds.
You can book space at flexible indoor and outdoor venues, fully convertible sports arenas, and advanced facilities. From the Tahoe Blue Event Center, our state-of-the-art sports complex, to ample meeting rooms at mountain resorts, cozy lodges, and boutique hotels, we have a venue for what you need. Choose from 143,000 sq. ft. of event space options, 10,000+ hotel suites, 365 days of outdoor activities, and a 24-hour entertainment scene all in one place. Plus, you’ll be within walking distance of thrilling nightclubs, scenic views, and diverse restaurants.
Speaking of diverse restaurants, the following dining establishments and catering services are designed for groups in town to take care of business or take home a championship.
Private Rooms
With these standalone spaces, you can move about freely and enjoy the team-building experiences that arise from sharing meals with one another.
Perched atop a hill overlooking Lake Tahoe, Chart House is a legendary seafood restaurant boasting a private banquet room. With lunch, dinner, and buffet packages, your guests can soak in the views while enjoying the freshest of dishes and the friendliest of service.
Who doesn’t like pizza? Every pie at Base Camp Pizza Co. is crafted with locally sourced ingredients. They also offer “that unmistakable Tahoe vibe” and dedicated space for up to 60 people. And sure, Karen can get a salad here too.
Tucked away inside The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe Resort, you’ll find a 442-sq. ft. private dining with a patio for up to 30 guests and an exclusive 418- sq. ft. board room space complete with fireplace, private bathroom, and patio for up to 12 guests. Relish gourmet dining, unwind at the spa, play a round of golf, hit the slopes, or stay the night at this all-in-one luxury resort property.
Whole-Restaurant Takeovers
Let’s just say you have a party-of-five and then some. Below are a few establishments that can handle your wild bunch, no matter how large (and in-charge).
Try California-style Mexican, a lighter take on Mexican and South and Central American cuisine, made with primarily organic and sustainable ingredients, as well as craft cocktails made with fresh-squeezed juices. Azul Latin Kitchen can accommodate parties of 20-50 or a full buyout for up to 120 guests. Its sister restaurant, California Burger Co., has the same accommodations with a menu of local ingredients, a curated selection of rotating drafts, and buns baked daily.
Taste one of the best wurst restaurants in the state. Himmel Haus is a German eatery and bierhaus featuring a wide variety of drinks and a simple menu of Bavarian-inspired food. Your party of 30 or whole-restaurant buyout of 80 will fit in just fine—with or without the lederhosen.
You and up to 400 of your closest attendees can overtake the entire Lake Tahoe AleWorX, an award-winning establishment serving wood-fired pizza, craft beer, cocktails, salads, and classic pub food. Trust us, you’ll savor the scenery just as much as what’s on your plate.
Catering Constants
Let our local gems cater to you on every level. Find meals that are built for fueling corporate retreats and teams hungry for victory.
Lake Tahoe’s only Scottish Pub, MacDuff’s Public House, serves from-scratch, locally sourced Scottish favorites and handcrafted cocktails. Their catering services are available onsite, offsite, and at their private venue called The Barrel Room.
Bella Tahoe is an award-winning and critically-acclaimed catering company with everything from specialized brunches cooked on-demand to five-course buffets and takeaway boxed meals to full-service catering options that are all customized to your event’s specifications.
Indulge in the rich flavors of Tahoe’s newest dining experience. Featuring large-party catering and private dining options, the menu at Primo’s Italian Bistro showcases a modern, innovative approach to Italian cuisine. Sip on Italian varietals alongside distinguished California wines, signature cocktails, inventive mocktails, and craft beers. Bonus points for checking out their late-night menu.
Diverse Diets
Whether it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or vegetarian, we don’t think of them as restrictions so much as opportunities for true innovation. Here are some South Shore favorites offering allergen-friendly selections and adapted menus based on dietary preferences.
Sprouts Natural Food Café prepares healthy, organic, gourmet meals with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options that are clearly labeled. Add some color to your plate and feel good about what you’re eating even while you’re away from home.
My Thai serves up mouth-watering, authentic Thai cuisine that allows you to choose your preferred protein and provides a specialty veggie menu. You can also choose your own adventure with each dish’s spice level.
Consistently voted Best Coffee in South Lake Tahoe, Cuppa Tahoe is a coffee shop, bookstore, and private co-working space ideal for executive breakouts and boutique meetings. Their seasonally rotating menu includes several mouthwatering, plant-based items. We recommend the Vegan Hot Mess.
Let’s Meet (& Eat)
One thing’s for sure: you should save room for excellence. Transcend your agenda and satisfy your cravings at the same time in South Lake Tahoe. Browse South Shore venues designed for games, meetings, and conventions of all sizes. You can also scroll through this handy group pamphlet for more reasons to fall in love with the lake.
At 6,224 ft. above sea level, everything is elevated here—including your next event. Attendees will leave feeling so invigorated and satiated, the only problem you’ll have will be convincing them to board their returning flights (which is a great time to mention that we’re just a short drive away from Reno-Tahoe International Airport).
Already like what you see? Send us your RFP. (We promise not to rhyme anymore than that.) Let’s set the table for your success.
From the NHL Outdoors to the Grand Slam of Curling, South Lake Tahoe is no stranger to the world stage, especially when it comes to winter sports. Thanks to a diverse array of indoor and outdoor venues, fully convertible sports arenas, and advanced facilities, you can host any type of competition throughout the year. Nothing compares to the South Shore; find out exactly why below—and start practicing your victory lap.
All-Star Facilities
When it comes to venues, the Tahoe Blue Event Center is your MVP. This state-of-the-art sports complex features an NHL-regulation-sized ice rink, NBA regulation-sized basketball court (that can be converted into a volleyball court), and a multi-purpose arena designed for wrestling, gymnastics, and cheerleading. Basically, if the sport exists, you can probably play it here. The ~27,000 square feet of arena floor space can be configured to accommodate curling, hockey, and figure skating, to name a few. Browse additional specs and capabilities with this handy Tahoe Blue Event Center chart.
Home to an ECHL ice hockey team known as the Knight Monsters, Tahoe Blue Event Center has hosted professional games, concerts, trade shows, conferences, banquets, comedy acts, and various live performances—all with streamlined logistics and top-notch amenities included.
Speaking of logistics, talk about a smooth operator: the center’s multiple locker rooms, exclusive suites, club seats, and spacious back-of-house designated areas are ready for whatever your playbook holds. With seating for around 4,000 fans, modern sightlines, and multiple concourse spaces intended for vendor booths, concessions, and merchandise shops, at least your choice in venues will be a guaranteed win.
Post-Game Experiences
When you’re in South Lake Tahoe, the adrenaline rush continues long after the buzzer sounds. For starters, enjoy the country’s highest concentration of ski resorts within a 100-mile radius. Or come back for another season to take a hike alongside hidden waterfalls, stunning peaks, and lush meadows. You can also roll through our mountain bike trails, with family-friendly paths for starter cyclists to technical climbs for advanced riders. Of course, there are plenty of courses: golf in view of the Sierra Nevada’s granite peaks or along the lake’s shore. South Lake Tahoe’s 300 days of sunshine per year and fresh alpine air will invigorate your athletes’ bodies and minds.
Oh, so you like the nightlife? You like to boogie? We knew you had great taste. Good thing you have full access to 24/7 entertainment. The South Shore holds a trove of craft breweries, lakefront restaurants, casinos, savory steakhouses, vibrant nightclubs, serene beaches, and eclectic shops, all within walking distance of your venue or hotel. How convenient. And while we always keep the South Shore updated, we also contain rich history. Walk in the footsteps of Mark Twain, visit a castle, or dive into our underwater state park to scope out a shipwreck.
South Lake Tahoe has also covered your bases when it comes to top-rated, family-friendly activities. Have your kiddos done enough outdoor adventuring for the day? We get it. The Puzzle Room Tahoe, magic shows at The Loft, all-ages games at multiple arcades, and indoor-mini golf are sure to keep them occupied (and wear them out before bedtime).
You Call the Transportation Shots
This isn’t your average sporting event destination, so we don’t have your average transportation. Lake Link, a free microtransit shuttle system, provides on-demand rides 365 days per year, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Equipped with bike and ski racks, the shuttles include wheelchair accessibility and supplemental services.
We’re also only a short drive away from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, with a direct airport shuttle, the South Tahoe Airporter, at hand when you need it most. And the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) recently expanded its Route 50 Express Service to offer rides for select Tahoe Blue Event Center events as well as late-night rides on the weekends. This extended service provides convenient, reliable, and free transportation, supporting a variety of events for both locals and visitors alike. Make the most of your time here with scenic tours and bus rentals. The fleet consists of three luxurious, 28-passenger mini-coaches for local, regional, and statewide destinations. Plus, our company is the only one to ever offer tours from Lake Tahoe to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park. You can book bus charters and rentals for all occasions, such as weddings, corporate events, airport transfers, and private tours.
Where Sports are Always in Season
At 6,224 ft. above sea level, everything is elevated in South Lake Tahoe. We keep you at the top of your game 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Nestled amid the continent’s largest alpine lake and the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevadas, it’s easy to see why the South Shore is a highly sought-after event destination. Browse our starting lineup of sports venues and see for yourself.
We all know Lake Tahoe is famous for its skiing and snowboarding scene. But what if you want to take a break from that and do something else. Or maybe the snow hasn’t come yet? Well, of course, you can still ski on man-made snow and the experience is great. However, there are a ton of things to do in Tahoe during the winter months that don’t need getting on a chairlift.
1. Lake Tahoe Cruise
Tahoe’s blue is best experienced from a boat. Book one of the Tahoe cruises and immerse yourself in the crisp mountain air and the blue water. Seeing the shores from a boat gives you a completely different experience. Your experience will be unique, whether you decide to do a morning cruise or a sunset cruise.
Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Tahoe aboard the M.S. Dixie II.
Some of the most memorable (or maybe not-so-easy-to-remember but definitely fun!) times are had on board a Lake Tahoe boat tour. Check out the M.S. Dixie II, the Tahoe Bleu Wave or the Spirit of Tahoe. Enjoy great food, great drinks and even better people aboard one of these South Lake Tahoe boat tours.
2. Hit the Spa
Pampering the body as well as the soul is almost a rule when it comes to visiting Lake Tahoe. Pick one of the many spa options Lake Tahoe offers and indulge yourself. Besides getting a massage or a facial, pick some goodies from the spa for yourself or for gifts for your loved ones for the holidays.
The Spa at the Landing Tahoe
3. Night Out
When you feel like you need some more action in your life, plan on an evening out. In December, the Heavenly Village is having full three weeks events culminating with a New Year’s concert. So, pack something warm in your bag and head out for a fun evening.
If you missed the party at the Heavenly Village, don’t worry. There’s always something to do in Lake Tahoe in the evening. Check out the casinos if you are into gambling, or go see music. Comedians, musicians, and excitement await you.
Peek Nightclub – Harrahs Lake Tahoe
5. Ice Skating or Sledding
So what if the snow isn’t perfect right now? The entire family can have a blast ice skating or sledding in Lake Tahoe.
Ice skating in the Heavenly Village | Photo by Jamie Kingham
6. Hiking
Tahoe is always a great place to go hiking or snowshoeing. A few popular hikes are in Lake Tahoe that allow for amazing photography. Whether your spirit animal is more Instagram influencer than John Muir, you’ll find your favorite Lake Tahoe hiking trails on the south shore.
Sunrise from Emerald Bay
7. Take the dog to the beach
South Lake Tahoe is a dog-friendly heaven. Why not bring the pooch with you to experience the lake. From gourmet pet stores to dog-friendly hikes and beaches, there’s plenty to explore. Check out this blog post for more details.
8. Just enjoy the Lake
Sit on the beach or at a lakefront restaurant and take it all in. Whether you are into meditation or not, the lake will calm your senses and relieve the stress. Then, you can go home refreshed and ready to enjoy the holidays.
Fire pit at Jimmy’s Restaurant at the Landing Resort Lake Tahoe
