NHP to open Tahoe office

INCLINE VILLAGE -- After a nearly 20-year absence, the Nevada Highway Patrol plans to open a substation at Lake Tahoe again.

NHP Major Tony Almaraz said a budget package sent to Nevada lawmakers would allow him to station several troopers at the lake.

Troopers currently are unable to spend as much time on Lake Tahoe highways, Almaraz said. The Nevada side of the lake is split between two NHP patrol units, one from Reno and the other from Carson City.

Washoe County Sheriff's Capt. Steven Kelly welcomed the plan, saying deputies often must wait up to 30 minutes for an NHP trooper to arrive to begin a proper investigation.