The Washoe County School District (WCSD) is in the process of changing its policy on school closures.

The deadline for public comment on this policy change is APRIL 12th at 5pm. (updated 4/4/23)

The link to review the new policy can be found here: https://www.washoeschools.net/Page/3928

If you have concerns about these changes, please email WCSD at:  Policy@washoeschools.net

Or the Incline Schools Area Superintendent, Mike Paul, at:  mpaul@washoeschools.net

Additionally: WCSD is developing a long-term plan for school facilities, and the district is considering changes for our Incline Village schools. We would like to invite you to a regional conversation on Wednesday, April 5 at 5 p.m. in the cafeteria at Incline High School. At the regional conversation, you will hear about initial concepts and learn more details, ask questions and provide your input on the options that will be presented. Any potential changes would take place no sooner than Fall 2024. 

Options under consideration include consolidation of students and classes into two buildings and repurposing of a third. No final decisions will be made at this meeting, and there will be more opportunities for you to learn more and to weigh in on the options. This will be an important meeting and we hope you will join us. 

The meeting will be offered in English and Spanish. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information, visit our website at: www.washoeschools.net/FMP. 

Reno, NV – March 21, 2023 – CARE Chest is proud to celebrate its Executive Director, Anne McNulty, for being chosen as Nevada’s 2023 Woman of the Year (McAndrew, 2023). Part of USA TODAY’s ongoing Women of the Century project, the Women of the Year award recognizes women across the country who have made a significant impact in their community and abroad. McNulty was chosen to receive this award because of her work at CARE Chest, a Nevada nonprofit helping provide free Medical Resources to low-income Nevadans (at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Line). Her background as a social worker, mother, and proud Nevadan shine through each day to anyone she encounters. Her compassion, can-do attitude, and drive have helped CARE Chest grow into a statewide agency serving more than 18,000 Nevadans each year.

“My proudest moment as a professional was opening our offices in Las Vegas to serve the Southern half of the state. My proudest personal moment has been watching my children grow into amazing humans and adults.”

“My definition of courage is looking at a fear or an obstacle, an adversity straight on and developing a plan to address it and take it on. That is courageous whether it is something professionally or personally.”

Since assuming the role of Executive Director in 2019, Anne has pushed the agency to grow capacity and the agency’s ability to more efficiently and effectively provide medical resource programming in the State through rural and metro areas while shifting service models to increase access and improve each consumer’s experience. Thanks to those efforts, CARE Chest serves 37 communities monthly in addition to serving individuals at the Reno headquarters and Las Vegas distribution center.

Congratulations, Anne for receiving this honor!

About CARE Chest

CARE Chest is a Nevada 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency serving Nevadans in need by providing medical resources free of charge. With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, and outreach locations across the state, CARE Chest provides Medical equipment and supplies, monthly diabetic testing supplies, prescription assistance, supplemental medical nutrition, Independent Living services and low-interest CARE Loans to nearly 20,000 individuals annually. Since 1990, CARE Chest has provided over 500,000 unique services to individuals throughout Nevada. To find out more information about CARE Chest, visit CAREChest.org. 

The SkillPointe Foundation, chaired by Incline Village resident Laura Petrucci, and the Home Depot Foundation announced an investment of $200,000 in trade school scholarships for women, in celebration of Women in Construction Week (March 5-11). The Home Depot Foundation’s Path to Pro Scholarship for Women by SkillPointe Foundation will provide $4,000 in financial assistance to women entering or currently enrolled in construction trades programs.

There are nearly 400,000 unfilled construction roles nationwide, with The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics reporting only 11% women construction workers.

“The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than half of a million dollars in trade school scholarships to extend support beyond our training programs and help bridge the opportunity gap for more students seeking high-earning careers,” said Shannon Gerber, The Home Depot Foundation’s executive director. “We’re proud to have trained more than 39,000 trades professionals and awarded nearly 200 trade school scholarships to-date, and we’re thrilled to continue that momentum with an intentional focus on women.”

The SkillPointe Foundation will partner to administer the scholarships nationwide. “We are thrilled to share this opportunity with residents of the Lake Tahoe/Northern Nevada area, and honored to help increase the presence of women in the trades,”  said Laura Petrucci, Board Chair of The SkillPointe Foundation. “Through our partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, we have provided skills training scholarships for hundreds of aspiring construction industry workers from coast to coast.”

Recipients will be selected based on requirements including:

• Candidate must be female
• Candidate must be a high school graduate or have a GED equivalent
• Candidate must intend to enroll or be currently enrolled in an accredited construction trade college or postsecondary program in the U.S.

To learn more and apply for The Home Depot Foundation’s Path to Pro Scholarship for Women by SkillPointe Foundation, please visit https://www.myscholarship.app/the-home-depot-foundations-path-to-pro-scholarship-for-women

Press release from North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.

 The winter that keeps on giving is still alive and well! While we are hoping with the official arrival of Spring that we will see the sun more than snow, until then, “Know Before You Throw.” 

Taking advantage of breaks between storms is the best opportunity for snow clearing preparations. 

Quick Tip Reminders: 

• Look up! Snow accumulations can fall and harm/kill you, depending on their size. Clear roofs of excessive snow and ice buildup, being careful not to damage vents and electrical supplies to the building. Clearing the roof can be dangerous so residents are advised to leave this work to professionals (see OHSA Safety Advisory here). 

• Be aware that a roof may collapse with little or no warning. The following warning signs could indicate that you have a danger of roof collapse. You should immediately evacuate the building and notify your local building official, fire department, or contact a structural engineer to determine if the building is safe if you observe the following:  

• severe or new roof leaks. 
• cracked or split wood members. 
• bends or ripples in metal supports. 
• recent cracks in walls, gypboard or masonry. 
• cracks in welds of steel construction. 
• sprinkler heads pushed down below ceiling tiles. 
• doors that pop open. 
• doors or windows that are difficult to open. 
• bowed utility pipes or conduits attached to the ceiling; or creaking, cracking, or popping sounds. 

• Look down! Keep all exits clear of snow, so that occupants can escape quickly if a fire, or other emergencies, should occur. Keep in mind that windows should be cleared to allow a secondary means of escape in case the primary means of escape is blocked by fire. Keeping exits clear also allows emergency workers to gain access to your building. 

• Look all around! Keep all chimneys and vents clear to prevent carbon monoxide from backing up into the building. Some vents, such as pellet stove vents, may exit the building through a wall and are susceptible to being blocked by excessive snow buildup. 

We have seen a significant increase in gas leaks, Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms, and other hazard-related emergencies resulting from repeated storms and heavy snow. 

• Know where your gas meter shed is located and keep it clear. Buildup of snow around natural gas meters and piping, as well as falling ice and snow from rooftops, can create hazards for natural gas customers. Promptly clear snow or ice build-up around meters. Use a broom, not a shovel, whenever possible to avoid causing damage. Keep rooftop areas above natural gas meters and piping clear of ice, icicles and/or falling snow to prevent damage. 

• Make sure you have working CO alarms installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Test them monthly. If your utility vents are located on the side of your home, make sure to keep them clear as snow accumulation can cause carbon monoxide to back up into the house. 

Hopefully following these safety tips will help to alleviate potential winter weather related situations. 

We learn from declassified documents and an excellent article in The Week magazine, that back in 1961 a brave 25-year-old leader of an Air Force ordinance disposal team got an urgent call. Lt. Jack ReVelle was assigned the daunting task of finding and disarming two hydrogen bombs that fell from a B-52 bomber seconds before crashing in North Carolina.

Jack found, and personally diffused the primary corps of those hydrogen bombs, carrying each of them against his breast to safety. Had either one of those uranium and plutonium filled bombs detonated, well, North Carolina would not need area codes today because nobody would be living there, much less playing golf at Pinehurst. 

RIP Dr. Jack ReVelle, who, in 2020, died in his sleep from complications caused by exposure to radiation.

Accidents happen. Nuclear accidents have a military code name, “Broken Arrow.” How ironic, sad and senseless it would be, were the world to end from a broken arrow.

This is no longer thumb wrestling, friends. How do you spell “escalation” in 2023? D-O-O-M-S-D-A-Y! The fellow who has his finger on Russia’s nuclear arsenal has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. There is a warrant for his arrest, and the more losses he suffers in his Ukraine misadventure, the more likely he is to resort to nuclear weapons.

No, the thumb wrestling days between Gorbachev and Reagan are long over, this is serious business, with survival in the balance. When a Russian warplane sideswipes an American drone over the Black Sea, well, it is time for the rest of the world to unify, condemn this hazardous game of chicken, and demand that all parties, “Stand Down!” 

At this critical point in time we need all the world’s 195 countries to speak as one voice. Impossible? Not really…

In Maui’s Race to End the Arms Race, scheduled for July first, Maui high school students will don sashes to represent each nation of the world, run their 10k race, then make their case for an end to the arms race toward a war nobody can win. Each student will have one minute to make their case, and in one hour and a half we will have heard the words that will stop the doomsday clock and save this blue ball that we have all come to love.

I’ve been told by a few that this is merely a pipe dream, and it could never happen, but I maintain if you don’t have dreams, you can’t have dreams come true. Against the assault of 195 high school kids representing the entire world, appealing for a drawdown, well, nothing can stand. As Maui’s Bruno Mars might like to say, “Hot Damn…Don’t believe me, just watch!”

Listen to the Audio: https://anchor.fm/mcavoy-layne

Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees Meeting Synopsis
Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Time: 5:00pm

Meeting Location: The Board Room at the Administration Building, 893 Southwood Blvd. Incline Village, NV 89451

Meeting Agenda >

Watch Livestream recording of this meeting >

Originally published in the Sierra Sun on 3/26/23. Written by Madison Schultz. Photo from Rosewood.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Within the 22 square miles that make up Incline Village, there is a variety of restaurants, ranging in casual bites and cocktails, to fine dining, full-course destinations. Riding the line between both relaxed and upscale, Rosewood Tahoe was born.

Founded by couple Alexa and Adam DeMezza alongside good friend and business partner Danny Baker, the group broke ground on the restaurant in spring 2022. A year later, and the three are excited that Rosewood Tahoe is officially open for the public to enjoy. 

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Originally published in the Sierra Sun on 3/23/23. Submitted to the Sun. Photo submitted to the Sun.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Tahoe Forest Health System announced that Jayson Koppinger, MD, has joined their team at Incline Village Community Hospital.

Dr. Koppinger specializes in providing comprehensive eye and vision care. He is medically and surgically trained to diagnose and treat the full range of disorders affecting the eye and surrounding tissues.

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