Local

Subscribe

Nevada’s moose population has erupted in recent decades. For the first time ever, the state will allow hunting to ease a gender imbalance

Standing roughly 6 feet tall at the shoulder with spindly legs and bulbous torsos, moose are lanky, awkward and the second-largest mammal in North America. With a propensity to spend their time in thick stands of vegetation and brush, they are populous in cold northern states such as Alaska (home to 175,000 moose) and Maine.

Commissioners updated on lithium projects in the region

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.

Republicans accuse Nevada secretary of state of 'impossibly high' voter registration rates

Republicans are accusing Nevada of voter roll maintenance so lax that the number of registered voters exceeds the number of voting-age adults in certain counties, although the state says the GOP’s calculations are based on unreliable data.

Fifth-graders release classroom grown trout in Water Canyon

Fifth grade students from French Ford Middle School (FFMS) braved the gray skies and rain on March 12 to release the trout that they have watched grow in their classrooms in Water Canyon.

Battle Mountain General Hospital requesting bids for marquee

Battle Mountain General Hospital is inviting sealed bid proposals from qualified suppliers for the design, supply, and installation of one large marquee with programmable digital capabilities, along with two smaller directional marquees.

BLM to begin the FY2024 McGee Mountain Herd Management Area Burro Gather Operations

DENIO JUNCTION — On or about March 18, the Humboldt River Field Office plans to begin a wild burro gather on and around the McGee Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) located approximately 24 miles southwest of Denio Junction, in Humboldt County, Nevada.

BLM to hold virtual public information forum for Rooster’s Comb Solar Variance Project

ELKO — Two virtual information forums will be held to gather public input for the proposed Rooster’s Comb solar variance project. This proposed solar project could encompass approximately 3,293 acres of public lands in Lander and Humboldt counties, approximately 18 miles north of Battle Mountain, Nevada.

State pulls $23 million in pandemic aid from health projects as allocation deadline nears

With fewer than 10 months until Nevada must allocate all funding received through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), state legislators on Wednesday agreed to pull more than $23 million in previously approved funding from various health projects unlikely to meet federal deadlines. Scraped funding included four state health projects and personnel in the agency responsible for children and family mental health amid hiring challenges. The de-obligations also included cost-cutting measures in certain ARP-funded projects, but also mean the state now has $47 million in unused ARP funds.

Which Nevadans can now file their taxes for free? New online program is part of effort to ease the filing process and comes amid opposition from for-profit tax preparation companies

Nearly half a million Nevadans are eligible for a new service allowing them to directly file their taxes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for free. Nevada is one of 12 states included in the Direct File pilot program, a new tool that permits low- and middle-income filers with simple tax situations to file directly with the agency online. The program officially launched Tuesday, accepting returns at all hours after an initial pilot had time constraints. Who is eligible? To use the tool, filers must have a W-2, 1099-G, SSA-1099 or 1099-INT form. Income received from independent contractor and gig work, pensions, online marketplaces or awards cannot be reported with Direct File. The tool is targeted at lower and middle-income filers, so there are income restrictions on the use of Direct File. Ineligible groups include: • Individuals making more than $200,000 a year ($160,200 if a filer had multiple employers) • Joint filers whose combined wages are more than $250,000, or for whom one spouse earns more than $200,000 • Individual filers who are married but filing separately, and earn more than $125,000

Federal funds will improve water infrastructure for Yomba Shoshone Tribe

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad today announced that USDA is investing in water infrastructure for the Yomba Shoshone Tribe in Nevada, which is part of USDA’s Rural Partners Network. The new water tank, water lines, fire hydrants, and other improvements will provide the community with clean drinking water and safe and sanitary wastewater systems.

Pershing County track and field team grows by leaps and bounds

Last year, the Pershing County track and field team finished with only six athletes. This year's roster lists 16 boys and 12 girls. On Friday they excelled at the Dayton Dust Devil Invite.

BLM seeks input on proposed Spring Valley gold mine in Pershing County

LOVELOCK – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input to inform the development of an environmental impact statement for the proposed Spring Valley Mine Project in Pershing County, Nevada.

Nevada Outdoor School hosting first Outdoor Skills Challenge

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.

Nevada gets federal approval to test out Medicaid funds for housing

Nevada Medicaid recently received federal approval to use funds to cover housing and supportive services through Medicaid’s managed care providers. The pilot program will help an estimated 20,300 Nevadans who had identified themselves as homeless when applying for Medicaid. As the state implements the program, it is also seeking approval from the federal government to cover housing and other support services for a broader range of Nevadans on Medicaid, via a new Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) waiver opportunity called Section 1115.

Education leaders and budget gurus cast doubt on worst-case scenarios. Instead, a looming revision of how funds are allocated presents a bigger issue

Last September, the Board of Regents in charge of the state’s public higher education system received a presentation that, if correct, suggested enrollment trends that could upend Nevada’s higher education budgets within the next decade and force steep cuts. But the doomsday scenario doesn't seem to worry the state’s top higher education officials. In interviews with The Nevada Independent, a mix of institutional leaders and budget gurus cast doubt on whether the worst projections would come to pass, especially as post-COVID enrollments have started to rebound.