Nevada poets and fiction writers have a unique new opportunity to express themselves and compete for an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with top literary professionals, including editors, agents, publishers, and prominent writers. Poets & Writers, the nation's largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers, has selected Nevada as the only state to participate in its annual Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award program.
A public information officer for the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) by day, Edwin Lyngar, a Battle Mountain native, becomes a writing machine by night, tackling issues that are drawing a fan base to him at Salon magazine's online website.
We often hear of public figures who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Sargent Shriver, father of Maria Shriver and former head of the Peace Corps, drew some media attention to the horrors of this terrible illness as did singer Glen Campbell who recently entered long-term nursing care. Pat Summitt, women's basketball coach at Tennessee, resigned from her duties as did Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. Readers and fans are saddened, but the quiet slipping away allows the disease to silently spread.
RENO - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nevada Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, Clint Koble, today announced that farmers and ranchers still have time to apply for low interest 2014 loans available through FSA's direct farm ownership program. The deadline to submit applications is Sept. 30, 2014.
Phone scammers are at it again in Humboldt County. Sheriff's officials said there were two more scam victims in recent weeks. One person immediately recognized the caller as a scammer, and then later reported the incident to the HCSO.
Opening statements were heard from attorneys and witnesses who took the stand last week in the lawsuit jury trial between John Davis Trucking, Amtrak and Union Pacific over the June 24, 2011 semi-truck/train crash 70 miles east of Reno that killed six people and left dozens injured.
Two of Winnemucca's finest were honored at the city council meeting last Tuesday, Aug. 5. Mayor Di An Putnam presented a five-year service award to Officer Chad Farstveet. Putnam commended Farstveet on his attitude and abilities, and said it was a pleasure to know Farstveet and to work with him.
The Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS) has joined with Western Nevada College arts and humanities exhibition "Always Lost: A Meditation on War" organizers to bring the unique war memorial to Nevada communities.
RENO - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald announced today the award of $1.9 million in homeless prevention grants to the Nevada counties of: Reno, Carson City, Sparks, Hawthorne, and Fallon. The grants will serve approximately 740 homeless and at-risk veteran families as part of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.
The Tri-County Fair, rodeo, and concert was the program for this past week's Humboldt County Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Martin Hotel. The fair and rodeo is now less than two weeks away. WCVA and Ag-3 Director Kim Petersen and the staff of both the convention center and the events complex at the fairgrounds work throughout much of the year to make sure everything is in place for the three-day fair scheduled this year for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29 - 31. The carnival that always accompanies the Tri-County Fair will open after school (4 p.m.) on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Humboldt County's largest parade will celebrate two special anniversaries this year: the 93rd anniversary of the Labor Day Parade, and the 150th anniversary of the Silver State.
The Humboldt County School District Board of Trustees approved a correction to the date for spring break. The 2015 spring break will be March 30 through April 3 - instead of April 6-10.
Aug. 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Kindergarten open houseSept. 4 at 6 p.m.School open houseSept. 15-19Safety week with emergency drill practices all week Sept. 24Picture day 
I've looked through a fairly extensive photo collection, and I haven't been able to find a picture of one. People didn't tend to take pictures of something so prosaic! It was the desert dwellers equivalent to the town's ice box or early refrigerator. Above is a photo of an old dwelling where residents would have used a deserter cooler.Without electricity options for cooling your food were pretty slim. If you could build a frame, wrap it in wire, make wire shelves for the food, cover the whole thing in burlap, you were well on your way. The last stage was just a bit more involved. If you were hauling your water, common on the Black Rock, you set a small water drum on top fitted a nozzle to it and let the water drip over the burlap. Underneath you placed a bucket to catch the runoff to be poured back into the upper drum. The wind did the rest providing the air movement necessary to make the whole lash up work. Not beautiful, and a far cry from today's stainless steel wonders, but very effective for its time.Compiled by Barbara Powell, nevadasdesertlegends.com, nevadaphotoarchive.com.