Tahoe Truckee Region Local News

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – For Brian Martinez, head coach of Incline High School's football team, the Saturday, Nov. 23, state championship game against Pershing County High School represents the culmination of his eight-year coaching journey. The Highlanders are on the verge of their first state title since 1973, carrying an undefeated record into the championship showdown at McQueen High School in Reno at 10 a.m. 

TRUCKEE, Calif.– Two students from Alder Creek Middle School have been selected for the prestigious California Band Directors Association (CBDA) All-State Junior Honor Bands, a significant achievement for the school's music program. After months of preparation, these talented 8th graders, Cooper Shaffer and Dillynn Luther, were chosen from a competitive pool of musicians statewide.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – In a major milestone for efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue, the League to Save Lake Tahoe announced that the removal of lead-sheathed telecommunication cables from below Lake Tahoe's waters is complete.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – In a major milestone for efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue, the League to Save Lake Tahoe announced that the removal of lead-sheathed telecommunication cables from below Lake Tahoe's waters is complete.

STATELINE, NV – The Tahoe Knight Monsters, proud ECHL Affiliate of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights announced today that forwards Sloan Stanick and Bear Hughes have been recalled to the Silver Knights.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – An ordinance and city code amendment related to the Heavenly annexation received a second reading at the City of South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 20, per procedure. This comes after council passed the first reading and moved annexation proceedings forward at the Nov. 5 meeting.

OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. – The Placer County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve seven Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan items Tuesday night allowing Palisades Tahoe to move forward with the construction of a world-class village and base area.

OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. – The Placer County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve seven Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan items Tuesday night allowing Palisades Tahoe to move forward with the construction of a world-class village and base area.

December 13, 1935 – October 28, 2024
Sonya Karen Albrightson was born Dec. 13, 1935, in New Richmond, Wis., and passed away Oct. 28, 2024, in McMinnville, Oregon. She was the middle child of Paul and Bernice Albrightson, with older sister Diane and younger brother Jon.
Sonya earned an elementary education credential from St. Olaf College, where she sang alto in the concert choir, followed by a secondary education degree from the University of Minnesota. She married Edward "Ted" Smith in 1957 and they welcomed daughter Sarah in 1958 after moving to Oakland, Calif., where Sonya taught at Redwood Heights Elementary for 10 years. Sonya and Ted divorced in 1967.
Sonya married Don Fouts and they moved to North Tahoe in 1968, initially to Agate Bay and later to Dollar Point. She taught at Tahoe Lake Elementary and North Tahoe Intermediate for almost three decades. Their son Robert joined the family in 1972.
She loved teaching and her students, including the sons of jazz great Dave Brubeck in Oakland, who were placed in her class for her singing, piano and music education skills, and Olympic medalist Julia Mancuso at NTI. Sonya and Don divorced in the late 1970s. She moved to Portland in the mid-1990s upon her retirement, joining Sarah and Robert.
Sonya was small, quick-witted, optimistic, curious and energetic, if sometimes impatient when she didn't agree with your ideas or find them sufficiently interesting. She loved reading, nature, art, playing piano, biking and tennis. She and her friend Dottie Kuraisa of Heavenly Valley won the women's doubles championship at the Incline Racquet Club in 1973 and Sonya was invited to play a doubles match at the club with her idol, Billie Jean King ("She made me play the net!").
Her cycling adventures included covering Southern China for two weeks as a member of the second group of Americans allowed into the country for a bike tour in the early 1980s; riding from Vancouver, B.C., to San Francisco with teenage Robert and a Backroads group; and touring the Japanese Alps. She also hiked across Northern Britain from sea to sea.
In Portland, she was a longtime volunteer at the public library's Title Wave used bookstore, the Japanese Garden, and the Portland Rose Garden. She sang with a traveling senior choir based out of Meier and Frank department store. She loved dogs and continued walking her little terrier Soby daily on the beautiful paths of Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville until experiencing a major heart attack and the increasing effects of interstitial lung disease this summer.
She is survived by daughter Sarah Smith of Camp Sherman, Oregon; son Robert Fouts of Salem (wife Laura, daughters Cynthia and Natalie); and beloved siblings Diane Thompson (husband Jack) of Aberdeen, S.D.; and Jon Albrightson (wife Jean) of Minneapolis.
Remembrances in her memory may be made to a local animal rescue or the World Wildlife Fund.

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Reflecting on the past, embracing the future
Since I announced the end of the print edition of Tahoe Guide, I have been reflecting on my 18 years at Tahoe Guide (11 years as its owner), on the work we have done, on the feedback from our amazing readers and on what the future has in store for Tahoe Guide.
I’ve received a lot of support from many of you and I thank everyone who took our survey. Your feedback helped to shape this month’s newsletter and our website content. The top requests for coverage were: recreation, events and festivals, arts and entertainment, and environmental coverage.
Now as the sole staff member of Tahoe Guide, I’ll do my best to fulfill those requests and this month’s newsletter is chocked full as the holiday season approaches.
Most of you also said that you’d be willing to pay $25 a year to support Tahoe Guide. While we have advertising in this newsletter and on our website, it is really the readers – You – who can make the most difference.
Thank You if you have already signed up, particularly to those that did so for more than $25 a year. If $25 is too much, I ask that you contribute what you can. There are multiple options and everything helps.
So, how much does it cost to run the website, newsletter and social media pages?
Factor in time for basic reporting and writing; posting to the website and social media; operational costs like security and support for those pesky bot attacks; accessibility plug ins on the website; hosting and domain fees; fees for phone, internet and email; newsletter costs; software systems for managing our subscribers and client databases; insurance and other miscellaneous costs and we’re looking at around $5,000 a month minimum.
Most of our readers have asked us to continue reporting on environmental, public access, trash, traffic and related issues. That takes significantly more time and resources. That would add in at least another $2,500 a month.
See how it quickly adds up?
For now, I’ll be focusing our content on local events, arts & culture, winter recreation and exploring Tahoe and Truckee to share first-person experiences. I have some other projects for Tahoe Guide in the works, as well, so stayed tuned for more news in the next few months.
If you’re not a subscriber yet, I ask that you please join for only $25 a year. The newsletter and all content will remain free for now, but that will change later in 2025.
You can also read all our content at YourTahoeGuide.com.
Follow us @The Tahoe Guide or @TahoeGuide.
With Gratitude,
Katherine E. Hill
Owner & Publisher
publisher@yourtahoeguide.com
The post Tahoe Guide's next chapter appeared first on Tahoe Guide.

After serving the community for over 50 years, the Auburn Library is gearing up for a transformational renovation and a temporary relocation to North Auburn.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) proudly announces a major achievement in its ongoing recruitment efforts as it officially swears in 121 new officers, bringing the Department past its goal of hiring over 1,000 officers.

Royal Gorge Cross Country
Royal Gorge Cross Country is gearing up for an opening on Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 28. The ski area spans 6,000 acres with 92 miles of trails for 140km of skiing meandering through towering pines and wide-open meadows with sweeping views of the Sierra Crest.
North America's largest cross-country resort, Royal Gorge offers six trail systems featuring eight warming huts and also stretches to the Village at Sugar Bowl.
Find a list of local ski resort opening dates.
The Royal Gorge | One of the most breathtaking experiences in the Tahoe Sierra is skiing to The Royal Gorge. The Gorge is one of the natural wonders of the Sierra – a 4,417-foot deep gorge that is the namesake for the ski area.

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) recently completed a statewide operation of stings and sweeps to uncover unlicensed activity in the construction industry as part of a multi-agency effort organized by the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA).

Meyers Christmas Tree lighting. | Meyers Community Foundation
Kick off the holiday season by enjoying tree lightings and celebrations throughout Tahoe and Truckee.
Be sure to check out Tahoe Guide’s picks for some of the best holiday markets and bazaars in the region this season. Find more holiday happenings at YourTahoeGuide.com/events.
Find our favorite holiday events from performances to visits with Santa at YourTahoeGuide.com/family.
Truckee
Nov. 22, 4:15-6 p.m. | Downtown Holiday Festival & Bud Fish Tree Lighting, Truckee
South Shore
Nov. 29, 6:30 p.m. | Tree Lighting, Village at Heavenly
Tahoe Donner
Nov. 30, 5:30-6:30 p.m. | The Lodge Restaurant, Tahoe Donner
Kings Beach 
Dec. 6, 5-7 p.m. | North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach
Meyers
Dec. 7, 5 p.m. | The Divided Sky

TRUCKEE, Calif. – Truckee Donner Public Utility District announced that as of 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, customers are experiencing a power outage.

Santa Claus with local children during a celebration in Incline Village, Nev. | IVCBA
Enjoy Tahoe Guide’s picks for some of the best holiday events to enjoy through mid-December. We’ll release another list in mid-December of more great events to enjoy. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get Tahoe Guide delivered to your inbox.
Find more holiday happenings at YourTahoeGuide.com/events.
Enjoy the work of local artisans at the region's best holiday markets. 
Find a list of local tree lighting celebrations. 
Community Thanksgiving
Nov. 28 | North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach
Heavenly Holidays
Nov. 29-Dec. 31 | Shops at Heavenly Village
Magical Memories
Nov. 29-Dec. 31 | Everline Resort, Olympic Valley
Santa Train
Nov. 30 | Truckee River Regional Park
North Tahoe Community Choir Holiday Concert
Dec. 5 & 7 | St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, Incline Village
Candy Cane Lane
Dec. 7 | UNR Lake Tahoe, Incline Village
Christmas on Main Street
Dec. 7 | Loyalton
Festival of Winter Lights
Dec. 13 & 14 | South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center
Handel's Messiah & Holiday Favorites
Dec. 13, 15, 20, 21 & 22 | Area venues
Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus
Dec. 14 & 15 | Truckee High School
Tahoe Nutcracker
Dec. 20-22 | Tahoe City

Downtown Truckee during the holiday season. | Drone Promotion, Truckee Chamber of Commerce
Looking for unique gifts and holiday cheer? Tahoe’s holiday markets and craft fairs are the perfect place to shop locally, support artists and soak in the season's spirit. From art exhibits to festive block parties, these events offer something special for everyone.
Here’s Tahoe Guide’s picks for some of the best holiday markets and bazaars in the region this season. Find more holiday happenings at YourTahoeGuide.com/events.
We’ll release another list in mid-December of more great events to enjoy. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get Tahoe Guide delivered to your inbox.
Find our favorite holiday events from performances to visits with Santa at YourTahoeGuide.com/family.
Find a list of local tree lighting celebrations. 
Shop Local
Support local small businesses and artisans by shopping locally and at these many arts and crafts fairs and markets.
On the North Shore, Purchase a gift card from the Love North Tahoe program to support shopping, dining and recreation at North Shore businesses. | lovenorthtahoe.com
Holly Arts art exhibit & sale
Until Jan. 5 | North Tahoe Arts, Kings Beach & Tahoe City
Holiday Markets
Nov. 30; Dec. 7, 14, 21 | South Lake Brewing Co.
Soules Holiday Craft Bazaar
Dec. 3 | Soule Domain, Kings Beach
Festive Fridays
Dec. 6, 12 & 20 | Downtown Trucke
Winter Market
Dec. 6 | Lake Tahoe School, Incline Village
Holidays Open Studio Tour 
Dec. 6 | Glenshire
Holiday Makers’ Market
Dec. 7 | Tahoe Backyard, Kings Beach
Merry & Muller Holiday Wine Market
Dec. 7 | The Coachman Hotel, South Shore
Winter Faire 
Dec. 7 | Truckee
Holiday Block Party
Dec. 12 | Truckee Tahoe Airport
Festival of Winter Lights
Dec. 13 & 14 | South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center
Holiday Markets
Dec. 14 & 21 | Boatworks, Tahoe City
River Ranch Sip N Shop
Dec. 19 | Alpine Meadows
Holiday Bazaar
Dec. 21 | Tahoe Flow Arts, Tahoe Vista

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Since its time as a high-altitude training site for Olympic athletes in 1968, South Lake Tahoe has attracted those who believe in the principle "live low, train high." That mindset has drawn international, world-ranked athletes to Athletex, where co-owner Rob Pyfer is hosting a high-altitude boot camp to train for the World International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (WIBJJF) No-Gi Championship on December 11 to December 14.

TRUCKEE, Calif. – The Town of Truckee's River Revitalization Steering Committee (R2SC) is hitting a major milestone. For the first time since its launch in 2023, the committee is calling for applications from interested property owners who want to redevelop and revitalize their property.