A 27-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Tuesday on a felony count of grand larceny, and lessor charges after allegedly stealing property and then returning it to the victim over two days, a Carson City sheriff's deputy said.

Arrested was Amber Marie Heckman. She also faces charges of possession of a prescription drug without a prescription, a gross misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bail has been set at $28,637.

According to the arrest report, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy was called May 8 to a Sweet Way residence regarding the alleged grand larceny and learned the suspect, Heckman, was involved. On Tuesday, the victim informed the deputy that Heckman had returned the stolen property to them on May 9 and May 10.

On Tuesday, officers observed Heckman driving, made a traffic stop and placed her under arrest on the felony theft charge. The deputy located two plastic baggies inside the woman’s purse with meth residue. She was read her Miranda rights in which she waived, answering the officer’s questions.

She admitted to committing the grand larceny and admitted the baggies in her purse contained methamphetamine. She was also found to be in possession of a pill in which she did not have a prescription. Bail: $28,637.

In other arrests: Two Carson City women, ages 52 and 30, were taken into custody Tuesday 3:52 p.m. in the area of south Curry and Piaute on misdemeanor charges of petit larceny.

The two allegedly stole several items of clothing from Kohl’s department store. The items were valued $311. Bail for both women: $352.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.

Clark County firefighters would get a 2 percent cost-of-living increase under a proposed collective bargaining agreement with the county....

Dayton and surrounding communities are being asked to pull together to send one of Dayton Intermediate School’s most beloved teachers to Mexico to receive cancer treatment. This battle began in September 2013 and recently, Rene Bernard was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer and needs to raise $28,000 for the three-week treatment and to pay off medical bills incurred at Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

Bernard, who has taught five years at DIS (science currently and and formerly physical education and health) is too weak to face another round of chemotherapy, the only treatment available locally. The cure rate for the treatment in Mexico is 90 percent.

The single mother of a 22-year-old son, Alex, has determined that “desperate times call for desperate measures,” and believes thanks to her profound faith, that it is not yet time to go.

“She asked God to take her last night and woke up this morning, so the fight continues,” said Grace Jones, DIS school secretary.

DIS Theatre Department hosts a one-night benefit performance of “The Tempest, Kinda!” (in addition to this weekend’s performances, which are not benefit events) a humorous, rollicking Shakespeare parody Tuesday, May 19 at 6 p.m. at the school.

“For this show, tickets will be $10 rather than $5 and we will be selling refreshments and whatever else we can do to raise the money,” said Michele Crain, theater instructor and director. “Rene is iconic at our school, she is like an angel on foot and a kid whisperer who has taught me to pray, to have faith and to always fight for what is right and good, and she has given so much to so many.

“If we can just get her to Mexico, she’s got this because she is such a fighter,” Crain said. “This is her last stand, and we (school staff), her son and her sister are her family and with the community’s help, we can do this.”

A GoFundMe account has been set up and donations can be dropped off at DIS and of course, any donations above the ticket costs for Tuesday’s performance are welcomed.

If anyone would like to donate baked goods, those can be delivered to DIS as well.

“This is a teacher who students come back years later to visit and this is a woman who picks up homeless people at Smith’s brings them home, feeds them and lets them bath and does so without any thought for whether or not she may be in harms way doing so,” Jones said. “I know if the community knows, that they will come through because I’ve seen them do it time and again.”

The account is HYPERLINK "http://www.GoFundMe.com/MsBsCancerFightFn"www.GoFundMe.com/MsBsCancerFight or more information, call the school at 246-6250 or Grace at 775-772-6658.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Wednesday that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks, a measure strongly opposed by the White House....

Start-Up! is weekly column on entrepreneurship, start-ups, technology and innovation, powered by the Adams Hub for Innovation.

When talking about competition in the spirit of business, we often hear from fledgling entrepreneurs who proclaim with all belief that “we have no competition….!” Whenever I hear this in business plan competitions or investor pitches, I have to cringe. Although it is often a naïve statement from a passionate entrepreneur, it is usually so much more than that. It is an indication that the entrepreneur has not truly done their homework, but more importantly, it is setting themselves up for a rude awakening or worse yet, potential failure in some magnitude.

What is the definition of competition…? Well there are many, but here’s the one that frames it effectively for me:

Competition is anyone taking a dollar that would otherwise be mine…

This is a very powerful definition, as it forces me to look beyond the folks that do exactly or nearly exactly what I do. For instance, if I want to open a go-kart track in any city in America, who am I competing with? Suppose there are no other go-kart tracks within 150 miles, then are there no competitors? Nope, not likely. On any given Saturday night, there are folks going out, and they have tons of choices as to how to spend $40. They could go to the movies, bowling, dinner, miniature golf, go-karts, etc. So the competition (in this case) is anyone offering entertainment on the weekend, which is much less obvious than other go-kart tracks.

When launching a new business, we must understand where the opportunities are to compete with the companies already in the space. So, how can we understand where the opportunity lies; how can we know if it’s enough to create sustainability?

Understanding the nature of competition is critical, and knowing exactly who is competing in any given market is crucial in understanding values, strengths, weaknesses and market perspective. The latter is where opportunity lies in wait to compete. Being able to compete requires knowledge, value, and tenacity. Understanding competitive weaknesses and market perspective will provide the foundation of information necessary to formulate a viable and defensible strategy for the benefit of the company and especially the market.

Market research and analysis provide the answers to these questions. Ideally all start-ups should conduct a S.W.O.T. analysis to understand their competitive landscape. S.W.O.T. analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This analysis should be done not only for the start-up but also for the competition so you can develop the best strategies to compete to not only leverage your strengths but to also capitalize on the competition’s weaknesses.

The first step is to understand your target market—what groups of people are most likely to buy your product or service (demographics—age, gender, marital status, income, etc.), and what is their mindset (psychographics—interests, hobbies, spending habits, aspirations, etc.). The Carson City Public Library offers substantial online research tools and trained staff to help you understand the size of your market opportunity based on demographics and psychographics. Then, the next and crucial strategy for determining your competitive strengths and weaknesses is to talk to potential customers.

While this strategy does not seem novel, the large majority of start-ups never complete this simple but powerful exercise. Simply talking with people, surveying potential customers, or getting feedback from customers of your competition will provide a wealth of information and value. The key is to be open and unbiased with the responses you receive -- it is better to find out there isn’t a need for your product or service than to sink all your savings and time into a business that is destined to fail.

Be certain that the value you bring to the market is real, and compare it to the value of others in the space. Talk to the competitions’ customers to find out what they like and what they don’t like. Find a pattern or consistent message that provides fodder for opportunity. Survey folks, find out if what you want to do is important enough for them to pay for it, and more importantly, will they pay more for it because the value is superior. We all shop for value, so be sure yours can beat the competition!

Matt Westfield is a serial entrepreneur, founder of Entrepreneurs Assembly and Adams Hub for innovation Entrepreneur in Residence and Mentor. Matt can be reached at Matt@EA-nv.org

A move to delay debate on an anti-bullying bill was ignored in the Assembly today was ignored, as a majority voted to approve the bill and send it to the governor’s desk....

Upgraded security for one of the most sensitive laboratories in the federal government’s nuclear weapons complex quadrupled in cost and fell years behind schedule before the Nevada project was put on hold to await a restart, according to an audit made public Wednesday....

8:33PM: The fire, in a house near Bordewich-Bray Elementary, has been knocked down, according to first responders.
***
Carson City fire and rescue were called tonight a structure fire in the 700 block of King Street on the west side of Carson City.

Do you want to meet an author or play with clay? Luckily, both of those are available to you today. The Friends of the Carson City Library are hosting Rockin’ Rev. Ken Haskins and Carson City Pottery needs help getting ready for an Empty Bowls bowl making event. Dancing shoes are perfect for salsa dance lessons at El Charro’s, but you may want cowboy boots for line dance lessons at Beercade. Practice those newly learned dance moves at Living the Good Life: DJ Bobby G is featuring Latin music. Sing to your heart’s content at Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar or at the Feisty Goat Pub: it’s karaoke night.

THURSDAY: Bike to Work Week

• Last Day to RSVP for the May Carson City Leisure Hour Club meeting on Wednesday, May 20 with speaker Sherry Rupert, Executive Director of the State of Nevada Indian Commission (call Dorothy Link at (775) 885-2542 to RSVP)
• ’The Driest State: Nevada Watersheds’ by artist Nolan Preese at the CCAI Gallery in the Courthouse: 885 E. Musser (8am-5pm)
• ’New Work’ by artist Pasha Rafat at the Nevada Arts Council: 716 N. Carson St. (8am-5pm)
• White Pine County Artistry by artist Dawn Dot Star at the LXS Gallery in the Legislature Building
• CCAI Exhibit: BRIC Art 5 at the BRIC: 108 E Proctor Street (8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm)
• ‘Spring has Sprung’ Art Show at the Nevada Artists Association Gallery in the Brewery Arts Center (10am-4pm)
• Preschool Story Time at the Carson City Library (10:15am AND 10:45am; get ticket at Youth Desk)
• All you can eat Wings at Firkin and Fox (all day; $11.95)
• EAA Luncheon and Chat –Young Eagles at 2500 E. College Parkway (11am-3pm, all welcome)

Thursday means the weekend is almost here, and believe me, there will be plenty of things to do here in Carson City! You can have Beer and Brats with the Nevada Sharks Fast Pitch team on Friday, and then again Saturday with the Sierra Nevada Ballet. Cops and Kids takes over the Courthouse parking lot. And Bike to Work week always ends with a great party on Third Street: rumor has it that the Trippin King Snakes are playing if the weather stays dry.

• Live Music with In Stride at Comma Coffee (12pm)
• Blood Drive at Harley-Davidson Financial Services: 3850 Arrowhead Dr. (1:30pm-4:30pm)
• Empty Bowls slab and template making party at Carson City Pottery: 248 E. Winnie Lane (after 4pm; No experience necessary. Come play with some clay!)
• CCAI Exhibit: Tuscarora, by artist Ron Arthaud at the Carson City Community Center’s Sierra Room (available during public meetings and most evenings 5pm-8pm)
• Salsa and Latin Dance at El Charro Avita (6pm-7pm lesson, $7; open dance 7pm-9pm, free)
• Trivia Thursdays at Alatte Wine and Coffee Bar in the Carson Nugget (6pm-8pm)
• Live Music with Terri Campillo and Craig Fletcher at Glen Eagles Restaurant (6:30pm-10:30pm)
• Meet the Author: Rockin' Rev, Dr. Ken Haskins "Reminiscing with Music Legends" at Browser's Corner Book Store: 711 E. Washington (6:30pm)
• Improv Workshop in the Brewery Arts Center Black Box Theater (6:30pm)
• Douglas Co. Historical Society's Second Thursday Lectures: A salute to American architect Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps with Guest speaker Mella Harmon at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center: 1477 Hwy 395,Gardnerville (7pm; $3)
• Historical Society of Dayton Valley Heritage of Dayton Lecture Series: School Life in Dayton in the 1960s with Speaker Julie Minor Workman at the Dayton Valley Community Center: 170 Pike St., Dayton (7pm)
• Smoke-free Karaoke at The Feisty Goat Pub: 1881 E. Long St. (7pm)
• Gentlemen’s Night at Carson Cigar Co. (7pm-9pm)
• Line Dancing Night at Beercade: 1930 N. Carson St. (7pm)
• Smoke-free Karaoke at The Feisty Goat Pub: 1881 E. Long St. (7pm)
• Latin Night with DJ Bobby G at Living the Good Life: 1480 N. Carson (7:30pm; instruction at 8:30pm)
• Industry Night and Free Pool at Remedy’s (8pm)
• Karaoke at Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar (8pm)

The Carson City Republican Women (CCRW) May Membership luncheon is Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 11:30AM at the Carson City Nugget. We will be taking pictures at the luncheon of members to be included in our 2015 Roster of Members. Spread the word and dress up for Fun and Photos! RSVP by Friday, May 15th to Judy Wakefield 882-6842 or themadknitter007@gmail.com. $20.00 (Cash only, no checks)

The event is hosted by Glen Eagles Restaurant and Lounge, 3700 North Carson Street. There are dinner seatings at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $65 per person and $500 for a table of 8. Tickets include dinner and dessert. There will be a cash bar available.

There are tickets available at the city manager’s table for the 7 p.m. dinner, and other table seatings available at 5 p.m. with wait service by city officials.

Tickets can be purchased at www.nvfish.com

For more information call 775-882-FISH, or email info@nvfish.com.

See the flier below.

have_a_heart_flyer.pdf by Carson Now

The Nevada Economic Development Conference, Stronger Economies Together 2015, will be held May 19 through 21, 2015 at the Joe Crowley Student Union on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. Registration is open.

At least 350 business community leaders, policy makers and government officials from throughout the region are expected to attend. The conference will offer eight tracks addressing: access to capital, agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, tourism, transportation and workforce development-as cornerstones of economic growth. In addition to the sessions, the event will provide a pre-conference workshop, institute specials, offsite tours and networking opportunities.

“We encourage anyone interested in connecting with Nevada’s economic development network to attend this informative conference. Business owners, manufacturers, banks, virtually anyone involved with the future vitality of our region will benefit from the experience,” said Dean Haymore, Board President of Western Nevada Development District.

The conference is presented by Western Nevada Development District, College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno and USDA Rural Development. The purpose of the event is to encourage dialogue and education regarding Nevada economic development challenges and future opportunities.

Session presenter, Lynn Beteag, Administrator, for the Nevada State EB-5 Regional Center will discuss accessing capital through foreign investment and the benefits of the EB-5 Program. The EB-5 program was implemented by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which facilitates US economic growth, allowing international investment, which leads to local job creation in exchange for immigration benefits. In 2014, over $5 billion dollars of EB-5 foreign capital was invested in US projects.

“The Nevada Economic Development Conference is an opportunity to generate dialogue on our regional economy. The Nevada State EB-5 Regional Center is excited to participate in this conference and utilize this opportunity to educate regional businesses about the most important aspect of EB-5 Program- primarily job creation in the US through the leveraging of foreign direct investment. It is all about creating local jobs!” said Ms. Beteag.

During the conference, additional nationally and regionally recognized experts will address a variety of topics including: grant capital, creative economic development, tourism, workforce development and more.

Registration for the various events is still open and can be completed online at: WNDD.org, email: Fred@unr.edu or phone: 775.883.7333 X 2000.

For more information about the Nevada State EB-5 Regional Center (NVEB-5), visit: NVEB5.org or call. 855.498.6360.

About The Nevada State EB-5 Regional Center

The professionals at the Nevada State EB-5 Regional Center (NVEB-5) work to bring together exceptional business ventures, both new and expanding, and foreign capital investors. Through a stringent application and investment process, foreign investors can become fully qualified to obtain a U.S. Green Card for legal immigration into the United States. Unlike traditional EB-5 Regional Centers, NVEB-5 is a unique blend of a non-profit and an approved U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) organization. NVEB-5 is located in the State Capital in beautiful Carson City, Nevada and works closely with the State of Nevada’s Northern Nevada Development Authority (NNDA) and the USCIS. The NVEB-5 board of directors are highly qualified and well-respected business managers, governmental officials and community leaders who provide sound solutions for businesses and viable opportunities for foreign investors. For more information on how to become a project or foreign capital investor, please visit: NVEB5.org or call: 855.498.6360.

The University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Business Online Executive Masters of Business Administration has been named one of the “Top 25 Online MBA Programs for 2015” by the Princeton Review. The list is the first ranking of online MBA programs that is based on both surveys of administrators at the schools and of students enrolled in the schools' online MBA.

The University’s Executive MBA program, offered in partnership with Extended Studies, is designed to accommodate the schedules of working mid-career executives and experienced professionals. It ranked No. 24 on the list of 25 top programs in the country. The Princeton Review chose the schools for the list based on its surveys in 2014 of 80 institutions offering online MBAs and of about 2,000 students enrolled, plus graduates of the online programs. Data points were weighted in more than 60 unique fields to tally the final list. Criteria focused on five areas: academics, selectivity, faculty, technical platforms and career outcomes.

“Each of our top 25 schools offers a first-rate MBA online as well as on campus,” Robert Franek, senior VP-Publisher, The Princeton Review, said. “Like highly successful businesses, these highly respected business schools are serving their customers with innovative options. For working professionals unable to move to a ‘brick and mortar’ campus for an MBA, these schools offer an opportunity to learn from some of the world's best business school professors and earn the degree from anywhere in the world.”

Courses for the Online Executive MBA at the University are taught by College of Business faculty and focus on managerial skills in problem identification and analysis, and application of those skills. The program offers professionals an affordable option from a nationally top-ranked school while allowing students to continue work in their career.

“The sustained excellence and national recognition of the College of Business Executive MBA is a great asset to the Graduate School and the University,” David Zeh, University vice provost of graduate education and dean of the graduate school, said.

The University’s Executive MBA program had its first graduating cohort in the fall of 2011. A number of factors have contributed to the program’s success including careful planning to determine program feasibility and readiness; comprehensive implementation; the quality of students selected for the program and the quality of faculty teaching the program. Additionally, the Executive MBA has maintained a student retention rate of 90 percent, which is much higher than the national average.

"We are incredibly proud of the Online Executive MBA programs we have built in the College of Business," Kambiz Raffiee, the program's director and associate dean of the College of Business, said. "This is a huge deal and a major milestone for the program. The hard work of faculty, students and administration of the program have made this possible. We develop our courses with students’ future success as our ultimate goal, making sure they are both challenged and supported as they develop advanced business skills."

Raffiee also credits the College of Business’s Corporate Partners program and the additional national rankings the program has received for its success.

In January 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Online Executive MBA No. 29 of 195 schools in the “Best Online MBA Programs” category. The College’s Part-Time MBA program is also nationally ranked by Bloomberg BusinessWeek at No. 24 for Part-Time MBA programs. The Princeton Review also gave a nod to the College including it in “The Best 296 Business Schools: 2015 Edition.”

The College of Business’s Online Executive MBA meets the accreditation standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the highest attainable level of accreditation in business education.

For more information about the program, go here.

— Nicole Shearer is a Communications Officer for the University of Nevada, Reno. She can be reached at
nshearer@unr.edu

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office along with other law enforcement agencies throughout the State, will be participating in Joining Forces through the rest of the month of May. The focus of the event will be seatbelt safety “Click it or Ticket.”

Grant Funding for this event is provided by the Nevada Department of Public Safety-Office of Traffic Safety. These monies are used to pay for additional deputies who will be out looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing their seatbelts when stopped for traffic violations.

Joining Forces is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement program that promotes statewide enforcement in the areas of DUI, distracted driving, seat belt use, speeding and pedestrian safety. The goal of these enforcement campaigns is to save lives by increasing public awareness about the dangers of making poor choices while driving.

Republican Jeb Bush, seeking to end a controversy related to his brother’s legacy, said on Thursday that based on information known now, he would not have launched an invasion into Iraq....

A Carson City man, already in custody on four felony charges after a May 5 police chase and attempted carjacking, faces felony drug trafficking and sales charges after being served a warrant Wednesday while in jail, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Efrain Jimenez, 36, was served the two-felony count warrant from an FBI agent. The warrant was issued May 12, 2015 out of Sparks Township Justice Court and carries a $100,000 bail.

On Tuesday, May 5, Jimenez was arrested after he allegedly fled from a deputy during a traffic stop, jumped out of the moving vehicle he had been driving with his pregnant girlfriend still inside, and then attempted to carjack a vehicle occupied by a juvenile from a South Carson Street parking lot.

Jimenez was booked into jail on four felony charges: battery with intent to commit robbery, attempted grand auto larceny, eluding with endangerment and possession of a controlled substance. He also faces misdemeanor charges of obstructing an officer, driving with fictitious license plates and being an ex-felon failing to register. His local bail is $62,500.

In other arrests:
— A 20-year-old Carson City man, William Carlstone Goulardt, was arrested Wednesday, 8:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of South Carson Street on felony suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, and five misdemeanor charges: DUI drugs second offense, following too closely, no proof of insurance, failure to use turn signals, and violation of bail conditions.
According to the arrest report, Carson City sheriff’s deputies were called at 7:49 p.m. to assist with a traffic stop in which a green Acura had been following too closely in heavy traffic.

The Acura was observed driving approximately 40 mph in congested traffic with approximately one car length with the Acura and a car in front of him. A deputy observed the Acura change lanes without using a turn signal. When the deputy made contact with the driver, Goulardt, he could not provide a current proof of insurance and the officer could smell a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle, the arrest report states.

The deputy asked the man about the marijuana odor and the man provide a valid medical marijuana card. The deputy asked the man if he had recently smoked marijuana. Goulardt said he smoked marijuana the evening prior. Officers asked the man if he would participate in Standardized Field Sobriety Tests in the a parking lot. The man said he would consent.

While conducting a horizontal gaze nystagmus test, the officer observed six clues of impairment. The man also completed a walk and turn and one leg stand unsatisfactorily. The officer asked dispatch to run a criminal history on the man to determine if he had prior DUIs. Dispatch advised he did have a prior DUI in February 2015.

The Department of Alternative Sentencing also placed a hold on the man for violating bail conditions. He was taken to jail where he consented to a blood draw and then moved to an intake area where a search was done. Inside the man’s wallet a deputy found a small clear bag that contained what Goulardt told officers was cocaine. He said he forgot it was in his wallet. Bail: $9,230.

— A 19-year-old Carson City man was arrested early Thursday, 12:53 a.m. in the area of Northgate and Hot Springs Road on a misdemeanor warrant, failure to appear, issued March 25, 2015 out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail: $955.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.

Another spring storm will impact the Sierra and western Nevada this week with much colder temperatures, rain in the Carson City region, and high elevation snow. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the Lake Tahoe Basin and a Winter Storm Warning for the west slope of the Sierra, according to the National Weather Service.

The main impacts are expected Thursday evening through Friday morning when snow will likely accumulate above 6,500 feet. Expect chain controls and possible road closures for Sierra passes. Snow may accumulate as low as 6,000 feet in the Lake Tahoe Basin but shouldn’t last long due to spring sun angles. For western Nevada valleys, expect rain showers with isolated thunderstorms.

Showers and thunderstorms are possible around Carson City, Carson Valley and Dayton areas this afternoon, with heavier showers probable overnight into Friday. Rain will begin to taper off Friday night, with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms on Saturday and a 30 percent chance for thunderstorms Sunday.

The Winter Weather Advisory is effect now through 11 a.m. Friday morning for the Lake Tahoe Basin. Light snow showers are expected to develop Thursday in the higher elevations. Anywhere from 4 to 8 inches of snow is possible in the system, with locally up to a foot along the Sierra crest. Up to 4 inches of snow is likely below 7,000 feet.

Weather forecasters say their confidence is good that snow will accumulate above 7,000 feet and have lower confidence of snow amounts accumulating below 7,000 feet, especially in the Lake Tahoe Basin. There is a chance, however, of snow levels dropping to 5,500 feet in heavier showers, according to the weather service.

Travel over the Sierra will be impacted Thursday night into Friday morning across all Sierra passes including State Route 207 over Kingsbury, Highway 50 over Spooner, Monitor, Ebbetts, Sonora, and Tioga passes. Road closures are possible. Snow may also impact travel over Carson Pass and Mount Rose Highway. Highway 395 may also be snow covered over Conway Summit.

For the latest highway conditions call 1-800-427-7623 for California and 1-877-NV-ROADS for Nevada.

The final hurdle in a process that began in 2013 was cleared Thursday for Heavenly Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe with final approval by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Epic Discovery Project, a year-round outdoor recreation plan to straddle the resort's Nevada and California border.

Heavenly Mountain Resort has sought approval for expansions to its on-mountain summer activities, as part of Vail Resorts’ Epic Discovery program. The Epic Discovery plan was submitted in July 2013 and has undergone a comprehensive environmental and public review.

Earlier this year, the proposal received approval from the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. On Thursday, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board gave its approval of the proposal, allowing the resort to move forward with implementation. Heavenly expects to begin construction of the activities this summer.

Epic Discovery is designed to connect children and families with the national forests in an active, fun and engaging way, utilizing existing infrastructure, such as Heavenly’s Gondola, lifts and on-mountain facilities, and blending into the natural environment in a thoughtful manner.

The expanded activities at Heavenly Mountain Resort are designed to appeal to a wide range of visitors. They include zip line and tree canopy tours, an alpine coaster, a mountain bike park, multi-use trails, ropes courses, and interpretive and educational tours to teach visitors about the Lake Tahoe Region’s cultural and environmental resources.

“We appreciate the hard work of our partners at the U.S. Forest Service, TRPA and Lahontan through this entire process and helping us advance it from a proposal to an approved project,” said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly vice president and chief operating officer. “The concept of Epic Discovery really began several years ago with the question: why can’t we make summer at Heavenly as special as the winter? Thanks to our agency partners, we are now on the path to make that initial question a reality for our guests.”

The Lahontan Water Board acted as Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality act to ensure all potential environmental impacts were evaluated and addressed. The Water Board also issues permits to ensure construction and long term operation and maintenance does not adversely affect water quality.

“Our permit allows Heavenly to proceed with its new summer programs while making improvements to water quality and ensuring protection of sensitive stream zones and meadows,” said Patty Z. Kouyoumdjian, executive officer for the Lahontan Water Board.

Heavenly’s Epic Discovery program is the second large-scale summer use plan approved by the Forest Service following the 2011 passage of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunities Enhancement Act. Vail Mountain’s Epic Discovery project was approved by the U.S. Forest Service in October 2014.

“By approving new summer activities at Heavenly Mountain Resort, the Forest Service has taken another step toward providing sustainable recreation in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Jeff Marsolais, Forest Supervisor for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. “The Epic Discovery Project takes advantage of existing facilities to reach families, youth and urban visitors, engage them in managed outdoor summer recreation and teach them how to take care of Lake Tahoe and their national forests.”

“This Epic Discovery Project represents an exciting and collaborative model for sustainable, year-round recreation that balances environmental preservation and education with economic revitalization and improved recreational opportunities, consistent with TRPA’s Regional Plan,” said Joanne S. Marchetta, Executive Director of TRPA.

The plans for Heavenly revolve around the concept of “learning through play” by featuring extensive environmental educational elements among the numerous new interactive activities located in already developed areas of the mountain focused primarily at the Adventure Peak area at the top of Heavenly’s Gondola, as well as in the East Peak and Sky Meadows areas. Heavenly has already begun work with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, the League to Save Lake Tahoe and The Nature Conservancy, to bring scientific and educational content to the eco-discovery experiences.

Epic Discovery will generate a number of jobs related to construction of the new facilities, as well as increased year-round employment for operations and maintenance. This will directly support a healthier year-round economy for the local community. Heavenly will roll out the implementation of Epic Discovery in phases over several years, concentrating initially on the activities surrounding the Tamarack Lodge area at the top of the Gondola and then moving on to the East Peak Lake and Sky Meadows areas of the resort.

A bill sought by Wynn Resorts that critics said would have substantially weakened Nevada’s anti-SLAPP statute is dead after a lawmaker said Thursday it won’t come up for a vote in his committee....

This is up statewide:

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