USA

Visitors to America’s favorite lake, as was designated this year by USA Today, can expect a winter of major content as Lake Tahoe South resorts are poised with prime attractions, sizzling special events and a combination of unmatched outdoor recreation and nighttime amenities.

“The destination is on a major uptick with a record-breaking summer and the ongoing economic recovery,” said Carol Chaplin, executive director at the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “Plus, there’s an enthusiastic outlook as local weather indicators point toward a season of big snow.”

A small South Tahoe lodge is stepping up big by committing 10 percent of its Monday profits over the course of a year to one charity. The Avalon Lodge, a 20-room boutique property is launching its “Make a Difference Mondays” and inviting the public to nominate and vote to select the non-profit organization.

Lake Tahoe was named the “Best Lake in America” in a recent readers' poll by USA Today. Editors narrowed national nominations to the top 16; readers weighed in and the largest and most popular alpine lake in North America took home top honors by garnering more than 5,000 votes via Facebook and Twitter.
Go here for the story.
Lake Tahoe is recognized for its timeless beauty and an international reputation as an outdoor recreational Mecca. The combination of great outdoors, entertainment, nightlife, dining and gaming identify its unique character.

Carson City, NV – Two local folk musicians are finding benefactors for their music via the Internet. When the husband-and-wife folk duo Tom and Mary Kay Aufrance went looking for some financial help with publishing their upcoming music CD release, they decided to try a novel approach - auctioning off sponsorships on their CD via ebay.

Rolf F. Bornemann was born February 2, 1942 in Bremen,Germany, entered the USA in June 1957. After 4 years of high school in Angola, NY, he enlisted in the US Army for 3 years, then started his ...

CARSON CITY – A little-known benefit of Nevada’s public employee pension plan is the right to purchase up to five years of service towards retirement.

Referred to by some as “air time,” or the ability to add years of retirement without actually putting in the time in a public sector job, the benefit can allow state and local government workers to retire early, collecting annual pensions years before they would be eligible otherwise.

Driving home the future of visitors and spending to the Silver State, the Nevada Commission on Tourism's annual Rural Roundup at Lake Tahoe April 18-20 will headline the acclaimed author of "The Experience Economy and Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want."

James H. Gilmore's book, whom he co-authored with Joe Pine, was recognized by Time magazine as one of the “Ten Ideas That Are Changing the World." In it he asserts that consumers want authentic products and experiences — something rural Nevada is singularly positioned to offer with its historic destinations and attractions.

I was busy some other place when "Star Wars, The Phantom Menace" opened in 1999 in the USA. Lucky me. Not so lucky now when I went to see the reworked original decked out in 3D. It's a corny movie and the 3D adds little to the viewing except for the $3 extra per ticket. At the Galaxy Fandango in Carson City you can see the release without 3D and you won't be missing much.

Extreme snow sports legend and Transformers film wingsuit stuntman JT Holmes has finished shooting promotional TV spots for the Tahoe Fund’s Plate for Powder program, which gives purchasers of California and Nevada

The snow forecast to hit the Lake Tahoe region during the next few days is expected to give the Tahoe Fund's Plate for Powder program a boost along with Sierra ski resorts and businesses. Drivers who purchase a California or Nevada Tahoe vehicle license plate will receive two free ski lift or Nordic tickets to the resort of their choice. New Tahoe plates cost $50 in California and $61 in Nevada.

The year of 2011 was anything but quiet for the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG).
Pesky bears, a roaming gray wolf, significant poaching arrests, tsunami relief work and dramatic wildlife rescues were among the stories that captured the public’s attention.
DFG also welcomed new Director Charlton H. Bonham, who was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in August.

Forget the partridge in a pear tree, Tahoe South has 13 days of Christmas at Heavenly Village spanning Dec. 19 to Dec. 31 with live music, ice sculpting, fire dancers, professional ice skaters, interactive games, dining, shopping, photo opportunities inside a giant snow globe and a fireworks display.

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced today a lawsuit against Lender Processing Services, Inc., DOCX, LLC, LPS Default Solutions, Inc. and other subsidiaries of LPS (collectively known “LPS”) for engaging in deceptive practices against Nevada consumers.

Two of Lake Tahoe's most popular ski and snowboarding icons, Daron Rahlves and Jeremy Jones, have finished shooting public service ads this week for the nonprofit Tahoe Fund's Plate for Powder program (photos).

The Tahoe Fund announced today that 12 major Lake Tahoe-area ski resorts are offering two free Alpine or Nordic tickets for every purchase of a California or Nevada Lake Tahoe license plate between December 12 and April 15.

Zimride, the largest online ride-sharing service in North America, today announced that a new route between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe will open to the public beginning Thanksgiving day, bringing Bay Area residents convenient, inexpensive access to one of the country’s top winter destinations. To celebrate the route’s launch, Zimride is giving away $20,000 worth of free gas to riders on the route.

Tahoe's original ski resort, Granlibakken, near Tahoe City, is lodging central in 2012 with various ski and stay packages for seven area resorts.

“How much more warm weather and sunshine can we take,” laughed Kay Williams, deadpanning over last season’s epic seven-month winter and 700+ inches of snow. “Sure, various ski resorts like to be the first to open or last to close, but we want folks to know that we’re ready with early-season offerings.”

Fourteen members from the Positive Karate USA studios in Carson City and Kings Beach earned first and second-degree black belts last week in Reno.The members were: Jason Ott, Rob Reardon, Kealey Me...

Are you a fan of "The Doctors" television show? You should be. The - and USA Weekend are giving away a trip for two to see a live taping of "The Doctors" TV show in Hollywood. The prize inCopyrig...

Well, I didn't make it to the Occupy Wall Street or Occupy Las Vegas protests, but this week I did venture through the Occupy Inner Harbor in Baltimore and Occupy McPherson Square in Washington, D....

Squaw Valley USA, the iconic Lake Tahoe-area resort that has been home to some of the country’s top downhill skiers, is joining operations with neighboring Alpine Meadows. See story here. Here is the official press release dated today:

By Aimi Xistra-Rich
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation has opened registration for the 2011 – 2012 Alpine, Freestyle, Freeride and Snowboard Programs. With a variety of options from the One-Day Program to the Full-Time Competitive Program, the Lake Tahoe foundation has something for all ages and levels of skiers and riders. Registration packets are available online, at the HSSF building, or by calling the HSSF administration office. Those who register and pay in full now will receive the early registration pricing; prices increase $100 on November 1, 2011.

OLYMPIC VALLEY - Nearly a year to the date after his official hiring as CEO at Squaw Valley USA, Andy Wirth revealed plans last week for numerous transformative projects at the North Shore ski r...

The sci-fi-western-thriller "Cowboys & Aliens," currently showing at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, finally achieves what most studios have long sought, a film with five writers, much of whose script is simply explosions.

Fareed Zakaria is a TV talk show who knows the complex world of economics, the Mideast and international politics. His book "The Post-American World, Release 2.0," paints a world where the United States is no longer the sole superpower. Not that superpowers are measured in size of armies but rather in economic sense.
Zakaria writes well and with a tremendous fund of knowledge, and while he paints a grim picture for the USA, he doesn't write the country off.

By the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
A bear enters the cab of a truck on Boulder Mountain.

Two young bears peak through cabin windows near Hobble Creek.

And, just a few days ago, a mother bear and her yearling cub are seen wandering in Ogden Canyon.
Black bear sightings are being reported across Utah.

From northern Utah to points down south, people are seeing bears across Utah right now. And in places they've never seen them before.

PRESS RELEASE — Squaw Valley USA starts the five day countdown to the resort’s June 15 season pass deadline. Following the June 15 deadline, most season pass prices are slated to increase so skiers and riders are encouraged to buy now to get the best season pass deal in Lake Tahoe. Starting at $399 for adults and $99 for kids, Squaw Valley 2011-12 season passes are on sale now at squaw.com.

Thirty-three religious leaders from all over USA, including one from Switzerland, are attending this innovative seminar, who include Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Quaker, Unitarian, Wiccan, etc. This maiden seminar of the Seminary will reportedly become its annual feature.

The first stage of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California was canceled minutes before it was set to begin because of concerns over snow and slick riding conditions at South Lake Tahoe. Organizers had hoped to shorten the course, but riders at the last minute voiced concern about conditions.

Amgen Tour of California officials say they should have a decision by 9 a.m. as to what they intend to do about the Stage 1 kick-off set to begin at South Lake Tahoe given that snow is expected in the Sierra through the morning.