Originally Published by Sierra Community House

Beginning November 1st, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) benefits will be delayed until the federal government reopens and funding resumes, leaving many of our neighbors without critical support to put food on the table. We are already hearing from families who don’t know where their next meal will come from—and we expect that number to rise sharply in the coming days.

As the only food pantry in our region, currently serving over 700 families a week, we’re mobilizing every resource we have to bridge this gap. We are anticipating a 30% minimum increase in demand. Food insecurity is already one of our community’s greatest challenges, and this loss of benefits will push even more families to the edge.

Saturday’s 35th Annual Tahoe Chocolate & Wine Festival was a beautiful celebration of community and compassion focusing on hunger needs in our community. The outpouring of support renewed our commitment to continue meeting the growing needs of local families every day.

If you missed it, please take a moment to watch this short video highlighting the impact your support makes: Watch: Sierra Community House 2025 Impact Video.

Now, we need your help more than ever to meet the growing demand for food assistance. Here’s how you can make an immediate difference:

• Join the 2.38 Plate Club – Become a monthly donor and sustain our Hunger Relief program.  It costs us about $2.38 to provide a meal to a community member.  Because of our strong partnerships and food rescue efforts, your donated dollars go much further.  Your monthly contribution will help sustain the growing needs of our community.
• Start a Virtual Food Drive- Help us spread the word and invite others to support our efforts by creating our own Sierra Community House – Virtual Food Drive
• Make a one-time gift. – Every dollar counts.
  We also accept gifts of stock and from donor advised funds.
  Checks may be mailed to:
  Sierra Community House, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV 89451
  Tax ID: 94-2985554
• Volunteer – Help us pack and distribute food to local families. Sign up here
• Advocate – Share our mission and raise your voice for policies that protect food assistance.

Managing individual food drop-offs can be challenging for our small team. While we deeply appreciate the community’s desire to help by donating food, monetary donations go even further.  They allow us to buy fresh, healthy food in bulk and reduce waste and storage challenges. For this reason, we are not currently accepting food donations, but your financial gifts and volunteer time make a huge difference.

Read a blog from Patrick Kratzer, our Director of Hunger Relief, which includes details on local food rescue efforts, here.

Thank you for standing with us during this critical moment. Because of you, our community is stronger, more connected, and better nourished.

Paul Bancroft

Executive Director

Sierra Community House

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/09/2025, Staff Report

With the growing popularity of electric bicycles (e-bikes) and motorized bicycles in our community, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is hosting an educational assembly to help students, families, community members, and bike enthusiasts understand the rules, responsibilities, and best practices for safe riding.

The interactive assembly will cover topics including:

• The differences between bicycles, e-bikes, and motorbikes
• Helmet requirements and safety tips
• Traffic laws that apply to all riders
• Common misconceptions about e-bikes and motorcycles
• How safe riding protects riders and the community

“Understanding the rules and safety practices for bicycles and e-bikes is essential for preventing accidents and keeping everyone safe in our vibrant community, where biking, driving, and other modes of transportation intersect for work and pleasure,” said Sheriff Darin Balaam. “We encourage parents and students to join us, ask questions, and learn how to ride responsibly.”

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We are celebrating the release of Wildwood Open Lands Foundation’s first cinematic creation, The Sheldon Massacre Expedition, a story of our team’s backcountry, citizen science, vehicle-based journey through Northwestern Nevada during May 2025.

You can view the film at the Wildwood Expedition YouTube Channel here:

The Sheldon Massacre Expedition

The project is undertaken in partnership with our friends KP at Zero Declination and Kurstin at Bikepacking Northern Nevada. Endless gratitude and appreciation of both KP and Kurstin, without their effort, this project would never exist. 

Please enjoy the film. Join us on Saturday, October 18th at Alibi Ale Works, Incline Village Public House in Incline Village, NV where we will be screening the film with members of the team. We will be partnering with Travel North Tahoe who will also be showing a short film. The  free, public event begins at 7pm. See you soon!

The Incline Justice Court is proud to announce a number of exciting updates. First, the court has a new website, which can be found atwww.washoecounty.gov/ijc/. We invite the community to check it out to see what the court has to offer the community.

Second, starting in July 2025, the court entered into a collaborative agreement with the Neighborhood Mediation Center and implemented a mandatory mediation program for all small claims cases. The court is excited about this program and the opportunity for litigants to attempt to reach an agreement outside of the courtroom setting, whenever possible.

Finally, the court is currently seeking a bilingual (Spanish/English) Interpreter/Clerk to join our team.

For more information about the job posting or to apply for the position, please visit https://www.washoecounty.gov/ijc/Job-Opportunities/Interpreter-Clerk.php.

At the heart of Incline Village, a quiet transformation is taking place for our pets – one powered by generosity, vision, and the belief that every life matters.  In 2025, the Tahoe Community Foundation, together with funds held at the Community Foundation, awarded a total of $36,000 in grants to Pet Network Lake Tahoe. These grants didn’t just support equipment purchases but opened the door to hope for both animals and their families across the Tahoe Basin. 

The impact of these grants was displayed at Pet Network’s recent Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on September 18, where community champions of Pet Network gathered to celebrate the unveiling of their revitalized Medical Treatment Area and Surgical Suite. The remodeled facility now houses advanced diagnostic and lifesaving tools including a CT scanner, ultrasound, endoscope, ventilator, and a veterinary Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The true significance of these upgrades came to life when Tubbs, a 13.5-year-old French bulldog, arrived at Pet Network Community Hospital in August, struggling to breathe and fighting a severe infection. Radiographs revealed foreign material in his colon and signs of life-threatening pneumonia. The situation was dire; without advanced care, Tubbs would have needed to be sent elsewhere, away from his family. However, thanks to the new ICU, Tubbs received the critical care he needed right here in Tahoe. The ICU chamber allowed for precise control of oxygen, temperature, and humidity, giving Tubbs the best chance at recovery. Day by day, he improved under the watchful eyes of the medical team, until he was stable enough to return home. Tubbs’ story is a testament to what community investment through philanthropy can achieve: a life saved, a family reunited, and a new standard of animal care in Tahoe.

The ICU chamber that kept Tubbs stable while the Pet Network medical team cared for him was paid for through a grant from Tahoe Community Foundation’s Community Impact grants. This grant, along with three other grants from the Community Foundation and other funds held at the Community Foundation have helped Pet Network Community Hospital obtain the equipment necessary to care for Tahoe’s pets. 

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Tahoe Community Foundation, we can now provide lifesaving care that simply wasn’t possible before,” says Dr. Marlène Tremblay, Hospital Medical Director. “Every animal given a second chance in our ICU, and every family reunited with their beloved pet, reflects the true impact of this gift. The support of the Tahoe Community Foundation is not only saving lives today—it’s creating a future where no shelter or community pet goes without the care they deserve.” 

Grants made through the Community Foundation bring together the resources of a multitude of donors to create collective impact, offering holistic support to the diverse needs of the Tahoe region. Through Community Impact and Action Grants, the Community Foundation directly funds nonprofit organizations, but the reach extends far beyond just these grants. With decades of unique and personal relationships with the nonprofit community, the Community Foundation advocates on behalf of its nonprofit partners, ensuring philanthropic support is directed to the region’s most pressing needs. 

By championing the needs of nonprofit partners and guiding donor support where it matters most, the Community Foundation helps ensure organizations like Pet Network 

Lake Tahoe can continue delivering compassionate care to animals across our region. When we come together to elevate generosity, we are building a community that thrives—one where organizations like Pet Network Lake Tahoe can continue to provide compassionate care and create lasting impact.

For more information about our grant programs and community impact, visit https://www.TahoeCF.org.

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About Tahoe Community Foundation 

Tahoe Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating community philanthropy, serving as a resource for donors to make confident and meaningful investments in their community, and offering nonprofit organizations support, insight, and strategy. Tahoe Community Foundation is a pillar in the community, serving to create meaningful and lasting impact, and to Elevate Generosity in Tahoe and beyond.

About Pet Network Lake Tahoe: Pet Network Lake Tahoe, an AAHA Accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which encompasses Pet Network Humane Society and Pet Network Community Hospital, is a premier veterinary practice and animal welfare organization dedicated to saving lives, promoting wellness, and strengthening the bond between pets and their families. As a leader in shelter medicine, rescue, and adoption services, Pet Network serves the Lake Tahoe community with comprehensive medical care and a deep commitment to animal welfare.

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/07/2025, Written by Katelyn Welsh

Clean Up The Lake brought organizations and agencies together on Thursday, Oct. 2, for its third Litter Summit, an annual gathering that tackles litter in the Tahoe basin.

“This is a community which relishes in taking care of itself, giving back, and rallying a community to do better,” Jenny Uvira, Clean Up The Lake’s programs manager said. “If the locals aren’t going out of their way to take care of their home, who else going to want to continue on with that?”

In a representative fashion, the all-day event at the Thunderbird Lodge saw no single-use items and used recycled Sailer Jerry tins to hold silverware. Participants brought their own reusable mugs and water bottles.

READ MORE >

Photo: Clean up the Lake

Updated BMP Plan Implemented to Ensure Site Stabilization – Submitted by IVCBA member Barton Health

 With grading season nearing its close and winter approaching, Barton Health has finalized improvements to ensure environmental protections are in place at its proposed new hospital location site, 168 Highway 50. Barton has invested in an updated site stabilization plan demonstrating its continued commitment to Lake Tahoe, the surrounding environment, and the local neighborhood.

This new site stabilization plan was developed by NCE, a respected local engineering and environmental firm with expertise in erosion control and stormwater design in the Tahoe Basin and has received TRPA approval.

Key upgrades to the site include:

• Curb installation along adjacent roadways minimizing stormwater run-on from the surrounding areas.
• Soil decompaction across the parcel through ripping and tilling to restore natural soil absorption of precipitation.
• Mulch application and Installation of Fiber Rolls to protect the soil surface and reduce erosion.

“Our team designed this updated site stabilization plan to minimize erosion and ensure the site captures and infiltrates stormwater,” said Jason Drew, Principal Scientist with NCE. “By decompacting soil, placing mulch, and eliminating off-site run-on, the site now mimics the natural conditions of adjacent undeveloped areas.”  

These enhancements follow TRPA’s guidance, building on work completed last year and further improving a site that was once highly developed.

“Environmental stewardship is a core component to Barton’s mission of caring for the health of our community,” said Dr. Clint Purvance, President and CEO of Barton Health. “We remain committed to meeting the growing healthcare needs of our community while also prioritizing the health of this beautiful area we are fortunate to call home.”

For more information about the Barton Health Dual-Campus Strategy, including project status and updates, visitBartonHealth.org/Dual-Campus.

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About Barton Health
Barton Health is a nonprofit health system providing high quality, compassionate care to Lake Tahoe residents and the area’s visitors. Advancing its mission of improving community health and well-being, Barton Health’s Dual-Campus Strategy plans to expand regional medical services and ensure the continued delivery of high-quality care throughout Lake Tahoe’s South Shore. The proposed Hospital Replacement Project at 168 Highway 50 will modernize aging facilities and increase healthcare services and access for the community. To learn more, visit BartonHealth.org.