Tahoe clarity decreasing; wildfire evacuation tags; improving social justice; more.

June brought a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases for Nevada County, but the county’s public health staff is optimistic: We’ve flattened the curve before.

A massive chunk of homes in the Tahoe area are short-term rentals, but has COVID-19 prompted property owners to stretch their thinking? Are long-term rentals the way of the future? Businesses like Landing Locals, a platform connecting homeowners with long-term tenants, may be the way of the future. Broadcast by Alex Hoeft; reported on by Alex Hoeft and Becca Loux.

New cases of COVID-19 are popping up again. Placer, Nevada, and Washoe counties have all seen their highest single-day case counts during June, linked directly by Nevada County representatives to increases in social gatherings. Broadcast and reported by Alex Hoeft, with additional reporting by Becca Loux and Mayumi Elegado.

Placer, Nevada, and Washoe counties have all seen their highest single-day case counts during June, linked directly by Nevada County representatives to increases in social gatherings.

It started with a tough choice for a local first grader: Look cool by joining in on teasing a biracial girl about her skin tone or stand up for a friend whose families visited each other often? It ended with a white family rethinking everything they thought they’d taught about tolerance, and a biracial family moving out of the region, feeling unsupported and alone. Mayumi Elegado, our publisher and editor-in-chief, spoke directly with Megan and Ambrose Seifert about their experience and view of the school’s inadequate response to the incident.

School’s out for summer, but we’re all still on Zoom. Our local Sierra College was the very first community college in California to make the leap to distance learning on March 8, doing so 11 days before Gov. Gavin Newsom was to announce the official stay-at-home order March 19. An English professor Christina Nemec wrote a Moonshine exclusive describing the transition.

Fire season is here! So how does preparation for such a natural disaster change in light of the coronavirus crisis? Moonshine Ink hosted its fourth Tahoe Talks, Fire in the Face of COVID-19 to answer just that question. We discussed with local fire experts and area leaders to understand the realities of such a possibility during an already fragile timeframe.

Placer, Nevada, and El Dorado counties are in stage three of California’s reopening plan, meaning lodging (including short-term rentals), campgrounds, and gyms are able to open as of June 12. Plus, Truckee chief of police Robert Leftwich announced his retirement this past week amid a leaked email that many attribute to negative views on race relations. Story by Alex Hoeft; broadcasting by Alex Hoeft and Mayumi Elegado.

Higher-risk places including short-term rentals are given the green light.