Humboldt County Sheriff's Office On April 2, 2024, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division received information that a male adult, identified as Brendan Foster who is 28 years of age, had been engaging in sexual activities with female juveniles under the age of 16 years after using the “Snapchat” social media platform to initiate contact and meet with the victims.
On May 29, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Humboldt County Emergency Management will be conducting a functional earthquake drill at the Convention Center. The purpose of this exercise is to test our County Emergency Operations Plan and our coordination with local, private, and state agencies.
What started as a few older folks, hosted by Bertha Stone and Tillie Roof, gathering at Nixon Hall to enjoy each other's company and a few refreshments in 1974, has blossomed into 50 years of diverse services and social interaction for local senior citizens.
As a part of a much larger plan to mitigate high nitrate issues in the water in Grass Valley, the Humboldt County Board of Commissioners has moved forward with a plan to blend the water from two systems, the Star City Water System (attained by the County in 2019) and the Gold Country Water System (attained in 2023) that service Grass Valley residents, to lower the nitrate levels until a Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) can be implemented.
At its regular meeting on March 19, the Winnemucca City Council (with all members present):
Mining lithium in Humboldt County has been a hot topic, especially as Lithium Americas has just secured conditional approval of a loan for their multi-billion-dollar project, and another company, HiTech Minerals, has requested a letter of support from the Humboldt County Board of Commissioners to the Department of Energy (DOE) for their funding application.
What better way to challenge one’s outdoor skills than an archery, trap shooting and pole casting competition? Nevada Outdoor School (NOS) is hosting the first annual Outdoor Skills Challenge, a recreational triathlon of sorts, on April 6 at the Winnemucca Trap Range.
Humboldt County is set to receive just over $2.5 million in multiple payments from litigation against opioid prescribers, manufacturers and distributors to be spent locally from now through 2038. The litigation is being carried out nationwide against those found to be major proponents in the opioid epidemic by a bipartisan alliance of attorney generals from around the United States. At their regular meeting on March 4, the Humboldt County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a request from the Family Support Center to use $276,120 of the funds Humboldt County has received so far to go towards addiction and mental health services.
With 400 children in the rural foster care system, Humboldt County is among those in dire need of more foster homes, with only four total to support displaced children. Virtual training provided by the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) for potential foster families is taking place March 19, March 21, March 26 and March 28, 5:30-8 p.m. on the Microsoft Teams application in order to introduce new, streamlined parent training in Nevada’s 15 rural counties.
The U.S. government offered Canada-based Lithium Americas a financial lifeline Thursday to develop a Nevada lithium deposit that contains the largest-proven lithium reserves in North America. Citing a need to secure a domestic supply of lithium for electric car batteries, the Biden administration agreed to provide a $2.26 billion conditional loan for the construction of a lithium carbonate processing plant at Thacker Pass in Humboldt County, Nevada. It’s the largest federal investment in a lithium mine to date.
March 2, Suzanne Montero was presented with the 2024 “Ranch Hand of the Year” award before the kickoff of the 35th annual Ranch Hand Rodeo. The event was held Saturday and Sunday, March 2-3, at the Winnemucca Event Center. Suzanne and her family run a Red Angus cow/calf operation at Leonard Creek Ranch, located 90 miles north of Winnemucca. As she puts it: “I live in the middle of nowhere on a wonderful hidden paradise away from cell phone service and people. I like to call it God's country.”
Some mountain biking trails may only be suitable for more experienced riders, but a pump track — a circular, paved bike park with turns, berms, and other features — is designed to be used by anyone. At its regular meeting on March 5, the Winnemucca City Council approved a proposal for the design and construction of a pump track at the recreation complex in east Winnemucca, near Lowry High School.
The Community Health Fair is a great opportunity to engage with local health services and utilize free resources that can help anyone move towards a healthier lifestyle. On March 16, the Community Health Fair will be held in the East Hall of the Winnemucca Convention Center from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and will have a wide array of medical and health vendors that provide important services.
The Winnemucca Grammar School (WGS) just finished the third season with WGS Lego robotics competition teams. The two teams are part of the FIRST and FIRST Nevada organizations. This year’s teams included 6-8 fourth graders who were all new to the FIRST Lego League (FLL). These students were chosen based on letters of interest they submitted in third grade.
At its apex from 1997 to 1999, student enrollment for the HCSD was at approximately 4,000 students; today, it is approximately 3,200 students, and with a pupil-centered funding plan, less students means less money for the district from the state to pay teachers, provide programming and more. At the regular meeting of the Humboldt County District (HCSD) School Board of Trustees on Feb. 27, the Board identified possible methods to recruit and retain teachers and address staffing based on student enrollment although no formal actions will be taken on any matter until more final budgeting is conducted.