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Western wildfire expert thinks ‘we need to scrap the whole process and make a new one’

With busy lives, it’s easy to slip into the mentality of “out of sight, out of mind.” But for land managers, scientists and fire officials, wildfires are constantly on the mind, whether it’s predicting and managing blazes or studying the impacts of fires and how to mitigate them. At IndyFest, an annual conference hosted in Las Vegas by The Nevada Independent, two of Nevada’s leading wildfire experts — Tim Brown, director of the Western Regional Climate Center at the Desert Research Institute, and Christina Restaino, director of the Living With Fire program at UNR — offered insight into why wildfires have gotten so bad, their hidden costs and the mitigation efforts that are needed from local up to federal levels.

As Congress moves forward on cannabis banking, NV industry cautiously optimistic

When Brandon Wiegand first started working in the Nevada cannabis industry nearly a decade ago, everything was done in cash.

Report: Nevada drops in national health rankings amid long waits, doctor shortages

Despite making significant strides in reducing teenage birth rates, lowering HIV infection rates and diminishing tobacco and alcohol use among young people, Nevada has dropped seven spots in a national ranking of state health outcomes since a statewide assessment was last published in 2019.

City asking for input on pool design for potential aquatics center

A new municipal pool has been a desire of the community since the decline of the Bode Howard Memorial Pool started many years ago, but a new facility, as one can imagine, is very expensive.

GOED’s Main Street Program seeking input for Strategic Plan

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) Main Street Program is seeking input in the development of individual community plans through this survey in addition to planning workshops scheduled throughout the state.

Annual Futures Forum showcases development in Humboldt and Pershing counties

The annual Nevada 95-80 Futures Forum, hosted by the Nevada US-95/I-80 Regional Development Authority brought together a wide array of community stakeholders from both Humboldt and Pershing Counties to discuss the current economic development in the region and what the future looks like.

Water-efficient landscape training and certification offered by Extension

RENO, Nev. – University of Nevada, Reno Extension invites local green-industry professionals, including landscapers, groundskeepers and nursery workers, to attend the Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) training Nov. 13-15. The free training series will prepare participants to take the certification exam offered Nov. 16 to become certified QWEL professionals.

USDA has rural funding programs available

USDA RD Nevada held a Rural Partners Network (RPN) forum focused on bringing together rural communities and targeted federal and civic partners. This event, called the Rural Partners Network Federal Partners Forum, was among the first of its kind in the nation. Speaking at the event were Assistant to the President Neera Tanden, RPN Executive Director Lee Jones, Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke, as well as USDA Nevada Rural Development State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad.

Local radiology director wins statewide award for launching lung cancer screening program

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the nation and was the leading cause of death for men and women in 2021, claiming the lives of an estimated 131,860 people, according to the results of study published by the National Cancer Institute.

DeSantis joins Nevada Republican caucus; Haley to run in primary

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has filed to run in the Nevada Republican Party’s presidential caucus, his campaign told The New York Times in a story published Sunday. His decision to skip out on the state-run presidential primary will allow DeSantis to win delegates in the party-run caucus, depending on how he performs in a contest that also includes former President Donald Trump. A campaign spokesperson told The New York Times that “DeSantis is committed to earning every single delegate available.”

Tim Scott files for Nevada presidential primary; Chris Christie opts for party-run caucus

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) filed Friday to run in Nevada’s presidential primary this February, becoming the second major Republican candidate to skip out on the Nevada GOP’s party-run caucus.

GOP hopefuls split between primary, caucus as Nevada presidential filing comes to a close

Monday marked the end of candidate filing for Nevada’s 2024 presidential nominating contests, with Democratic hopefuls and some Republicans filing for the state-run primary and the bulk of top GOP candidates filing for a party-operated caucus.

Nevada delegation united behind Israel with war on horizon

Rosen, who is Jewish and a former synagogue president, was one of the first Democrats to join Republican calls for the U.S. to refreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets — yet unspent — in the wake of the attack, given Iran’s long standing alliance with Hamas By Gabby Birenbaum The Nevada Independent After war broke out between Israel and Hamas over the weekend, the Nevada delegation is standing behind Israel. And Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) picked the winning candidate in Republicans’ internal ballot for the next House speaker — only to see him exit the race one day later.

Nevada Democratic lawmakers funded nonprofits; how and why a firestorm of controversy followed

Several Nevada Democrats have found themselves in the political crosshairs for helping pass two bills in the final days of the legislative session that awarded $110 million in state funds to their nonprofit employers and dozens of other community groups. A PAC supporting Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who signed the legislation, said there is a “culture of corruption” within the state Democratic caucus. Fox News said the party was “embroiled in scandal.” At least one lawmaker involved announced plans to not run for re-election.

Research into precision irrigation management of alfalfa begins

RENO — A three-year research project led by the University of Nevada, Reno will develop open-source software to help farmers better manage water supply, especially for Nevada’s crucial crop of alfalfa. The project is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture as a grant of its Engineering for Precision Crop and Water Management Program.