Sunken Fireworks Barge Removed from Lake Tahoe; Rahlves’ Banzai Returns; Three Tahoe Truckee Unified Schools Earn Top State Honors; More

INCLINE VILLAGE

The fireworks barge that sunk off Ski Beach in Incline Village on July 4, 2025, has been recovered, along with all related debris, including munitions.

Kevin Moore of Kevin Moore Associates, who was contracted by the insurance of the owner of the barge, oversaw the operation with assistance from Parker Diving, Big Valley Divers, and Auto Care Towing.

According to Moore, the removal was challenging and difficult and took about a week and a half, during which the beach and adjacent waters were closed to the public. Smaller debris was removed first, then the barge was broken into three pieces and lifted up with airbags from as deep as 160 feet.

“It’s deep, and it’s high altitude, so the divers can only dive for 20 minutes at a time,” Moore said on Saturday, March 28. “Today has been … really successful and we brought the barge up to shore. Prior to that we’ve been attaching lines and airbags as we brought it up to within about 15 feet yesterday. And then we took some hatches off, put some new hatches on that had lines to go in, so we could pump water out and air in.”

The dive team consisted of four deep divers and another four to six divers, and a decompression chamber was on-site to ensure their safety. An 80-ton rotator crane was used to drag the three pieces of the barge out of the water and lift them onto a truck. The barge will be stored in a yard near Alpine Meadows.

Moore said that the unusually warm and calm weather was of great help. “We got lucky the last two weeks, but we had to stop. There were several days where we had wind pick up and the divers can’t go down, it’s too rough.”

Ski Beach has reopened to the public.

~ NM

EASTERN PLACER COUNTY

Placer County will host a virtual town hall meeting on Monday, April 13, at 6 p.m. to provide information and gather community input on the proposed Cabin Creek Biomass Facility project.

The meeting will focus on a proposed small-scale, multi-phased biochar production facility at the Cabin Creek site on county-owned land south of the Town of Truckee in Eastern Placer County. Community members are encouraged to attend, learn more about the project, and share feedback.

The first phase of the project is designed to use a variety of sustainably sourced biomass materials, including non-merchantable biomass, to create a high-quality biochar through non-combustion thermal conversion technology. The second phase focuses on expanding biochar production and capturing byproducts for electricity and heat production. By creating a reliable market for woody biomass, the project aims to reduce the costs of critical forest management across the North Lake Tahoe region, an effort that is vital to helping reduce the risk and severity of high-intensity wildfires.

If approved, the facility would operate year-round to generate biochar for distribution in local markets.

• Reducing wildfire fuel loads by creating lower-cost disposal options
• Generating renewable products through carbon-negative processes
• Improving air quality by reducing smoke from open burning
• Supporting local jobs and rural economies through forest management and facility operations

Public feedback gathered during the meeting will help inform the environmental document being prepared for the conditional use permit. 

Residents can join the virtual meeting at placer-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/95770074043.

~ Placer County press release

UNITED STATES

U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus, have announced the Support Our Firefighters Act to provide federal wildland firefighters with mandatory rest and recuperation time and ensure they are paid for their work.

The Support Our Firefighters Act would ensure federal wildland firefighters receive three days of paid rest and recuperation leave after a 14-day period and four days of rest and recuperation following a 21-day period.

Federal wildland firefighters are subject to an annual compensation cap, which includes base pay, overtime, and premium pay. During peak fire season, many federal wildland firefighters work extensive hours while assigned to an incident. This often leaves firefighters with an impossible choice: continue working to fight fires and protect communities or get paid. This cap is completely arbitrary and is blatantly unfair. To help address this issue, the bill would permanently waive the pay cap for federal wildland firefighters so that they are fairly compensated for their lifesaving work.

Despite risking their lives and traveling cross-country for months at a time to protect American communities and forests from wildfires, many of the more than 18,000 federal wildland firefighters live paycheck to paycheck, sometimes working overtime without fair pay. 

A one-pager on the Support Our Firefighters Act is available here.

Full text of the bill is available here.

~ Sen. Alex Padilla press release

RENO

A general statement not attributed to any one source says history can never be erased, and more than 120 years ago, George Santayana stated in The Life of Reason, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

This year’s speaker at the annual Day of Remembrance on April 14 is Dr. Samuel Kassow, a recognized scholar who has referred to those thoughts and phrases from previous generations. He will discuss the writing of historical events focusing on Jewish people living in the Warsaw Ghetto. His topic is Witnesses: Holocaust Testimony in Words and Art.

Kassow, who discussed his upcoming appearance with the Nevada New Group, is a Charles H. Northam professor of history at Trinity College in Hartford. He will speak at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in the ballroom from 7 to 9 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, but there’s limited seating. RSVP here.

For many generations, Kassow is known for his presentations on the Ringleblum Archive, described as a collection of documents and materials that originated out of the Warsaw Ghetto. The collection focuses on the plight of the Polish Jews and their lives in a segregated part of the city. Kassow was born in 1946 in a displaced persons camp in Germany to Holocaust survivors.

Kassow is the author and editor of a number of books on Jewish and Russian history. His Reno talk, though, will focus on “Who Will Write our History. Rediscovering a Hidden Archive from the Warsaw Ghetto and the Ringleblum Archive.”

~ Steve Ranson, Nevada News Group event advance

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Celebrate stewardship for Lake Tahoe at the South Tahoe Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe. This year’s theme, Reduce. Restore. Reconnect., invites residents and visitors to celebrate the environment while committing to care for it everyday.

This free, family event features a full lineup of activities, including hands-on learning, stewardship, and collective action from partners around the region. Explore immersive experiences hosted by local organizations and businesses and discover simple, actionable ways to protect Lake Tahoe.

The festival will feature food vendors, free raffles, and live entertainment, including performances by The Imposters, Cirque du South Lake aerialists, OMNI Tahoe, and an interactive community drum circle.

Attendees are encouraged to walk, bike, or take public transportation as part of a shared commitment to reducing environmental impacts.

Following the festival, the celebration continues with the Take Care Tahoe Earth Week Challenge, offering daily events and opportunities for the community to stay engaged and take part in meaningful, ongoing actions to care for Lake Tahoe.

For more information, visit southtahoeearthday.org.

~ Tahoe Earth Day Foundation press release

TAHOE/TRUCKEE

The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) is celebrating a wave of state recognition as three of its schools were recently honored for academic excellence and innovative student support by California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

Distinguished Honors for Alder Creek Middle and North Tahoe High Schools:

Alder Creek Middle School (ACMS) and North Tahoe High School (NTHS) have both been named 2026 California Distinguished Schools for exceptional student outcomes and innovative support systems.

Selection for this award is based on rigorous data from the California School Dashboard, including academic achievement metrics, graduation rates, and college and career readiness. This year, the state placed particular emphasis on schools that perform at the highest levels or make significant strides toward closing the achievement gap.

Sierra High School (SHS) was named a 2026 Model Continuation High School. SHS is one of only 59 schools statewide to receive this prestigious designation, which honors excellence in instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, and guidance services.

In his official announcement, Thurmond gave SHS a special mention for its Career Technical Education (CTE) Ag and Natural Resources program. Specifically, he highlighted the creativity of SHS students, who are currently producing a film on the reintroduction of wolves. This project has earned an invitation to an International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana.

The state also praised the Sierra Teen Education Parenting Program’s (STEPP) onsite daycare, which provides essential support to student parents.

~ Tahoe Truckee Unified School District press release

TAHOE CITY

Six local community leaders have joined the North Tahoe Community Alliance’s all volunteer board of directors. The board will help make recommendations about how to reinvest TBID and TOT funds generated by tourism in support of local priorities that benefit residents, businesses and visitors. 

The members who assumed their board positions at April’s meeting include:

• Northstar Business Association (designated seat) – Amy Kylberg
• Northstar California (organization nominated seat) – Kelsey Everton
• Palisades Tahoe (organization nominated seat) – Mike Martin
• The Ritz-Carlton (organization nominated seat) – Josh Johnson
• Tahoe City Downtown Association (designated seat) – Robb Olson
• West Shore Lodging/Property Management (designated seat) – DJ Ewan

The NTCA Board of Directors guides the work of the organization in its responsibilities under the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (NLT-TBID) and in contracts with the County of Placer to leverage tourism-generated funding through the efforts of NTCA, the North Tahoe Chamber, and Lake Tahoe Travel to support a community vitality, economic health and resiliency, and destination stewardship. 

The board includes six seats that are nominated by organizations, and 10 designated seats elected by the membership, as specified in the NTCA bylaws. All board members volunteer their time, with no compensation, to help shape and guide the activities of the NTCA.

In addition, the full board elected its new executive committee with Jill Schott named as board chair. Kevin Drake will serve as vice chair, Caroline Ross as board secretary, DJ Ewan as treasurer, and Sue Rae Irelan will contribute to the executive committee as past chair.

Learn more at northtahoecommunityalliance.com.

~ North Tahoe Community Alliance press release

TAHOE CITY

After more than eight years of dedicated service, Executive Director Ben Grasseschi is stepping into his next chapter. Tahoe Cross Country and Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association are thrilled to welcome Dave Eastwood as new executive director, effective May 1.

Since 2017, Grasseschi has guided Tahoe Cross Country with vision, integrity, and a deep care for the community. He strengthened youth programming, nurtured a welcoming culture for staff, volunteers, and trail users, and championed environmental stewardship. His insight and dedication have left a lasting mark on the organization and the broader Nordic skiing community. The board of directors and staff extend their profound gratitude to Grasseschi for his leadership and commitment, and wish him every success in the next chapter of his journey.

New executive director Dave Eastwood brings decades of leadership experience across the Nordic, alpine, and outdoor industries. Most recently, he served in senior roles at Auburn Ski Club Training Center, overseeing multi-disciplinary programs, managing coaching staff and athletes, and supporting major regional and national competitions. His background also includes executive leadership at Royal Gorge Cross Country. His career reflects a deep commitment to community-based outdoor recreation, athlete development, and organizational excellence.

The board of directors is confident that Eastwood’s experience, collaborative approach, and passion for Nordic skiing will guide Tahoe Cross Country and Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education into their next chapter, building on the strong foundation Grasseschi leaves behind. 

~ Tahoe Cross Country press release