After Gov. Joe Lombardo signed the first big state employee pay bill of the session last week — moving forward with a pair of $500 bonuses for state workers that received unanimous support in both chambers of the Legislature — another state worker pay bill has already drawn a stark partisan divide.
Concerned that social services will be strained in the future as workers age and may have neglected saving for retirement, Nevada lawmakers are again proposing following states such as Oregon and Colorado that have adopted state-backed retirement plans for those working in the private sector.
Nevada is one of just nine states with no income tax. That leaves Nevada largely reliant on a sales and use tax — applied at one of the highest rates in the nation — to generate roughly a third of state revenue.
A trio of bills seeking to implement new restrictions on access to firearms sparked backlash from Second Amendment proponents and brought out stark partisan disagreements among Democratic backers and Republican opponents. The bills, heard Thursday in a rare joint meeting of the Assembly and Senate judiciary committees, propose prohibiting access to certain semi-automatic firearms to those under 21 years of age, criminalizing possession of guns near polling locations, adjusting state law banning “ghost guns” and restricting access to guns for those convicted of a hate crime.
Summer is coming and students are in the homestretch with only seven weeks of school left, but the Humboldt County School District Board of Trustees are still discussing important issues as the next school year is already looming. At the board's regular meeting on April 11, the Trustees, all present, evaluated the staffing plan for the 2023-2024 school year, as prepared by HCSD Superintendent Dr. Dave Jensen.
The U.S. Department of the Interior proposed a new rule that would give conservation priorities equal weight in public land use decision-making — a change experts say constitutes one of the most significant land management policy moves in decades. The proposed Public Lands Rule represents the culmination of decades of efforts to push the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) toward prioritizing conservation, as the organization’s ethos has traditionally focused on facilitating economic development on the vast amount of land it manages in the West.
As I drive around the area, I can see that some of the winter wheat planted last fall has responded well to the above average precipitation received over the winter months.
Mother Nature has a way of keeping us on our toes. This winter has been no different. While we have not experienced the amount of snowfall that our neighboring counties have, we have felt some impact as demonstrated in the image below: I am writing to keep all of us on our toes and to begin to prepare for the upcoming Spring Thaw. So far Nevada will have over $20 million in damage from the Atmospheric River events that have already occurred. There will be 1.1 million acre feet of water headed to Fallon once the snow melts. Additionally, Elko hasn’t even started melting and the last photo received from Lee Cabaniss, Elko County Emergency Manager, shows snow to the roof of the bathrooms at Ruby Mountain’s lowest elevation.
Elementary students visited the Winnemucca Events Complex on March 28 where they learned all about agriculture. From goats, chickens, horses, sheep, dogs, and cows, to by-products, bugs, crops, feed, and much more, students got hands-on-experience at multiple ag themed stations.
There’s nothing like sitting criss-cross-applesauce in the grass and creating nature-inspired music or admiring photos that highlight the beauty of Nevada in order to connect with nature. On April 22, the Humboldt Museum is hosting Mark Vollmer and Jim Eaglesmith for a Story Songs workshop that will blend outdoor photography and inspiring story songs about nature, helping participants to connect with the beautiful outdoors in honor of Earth Day.
The 7th annual Jackson Mountain Homemakers Basque Dinner will take place on Saturday, April 22, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Orovada Community Hall in Orovada. Although the venue has moved, the event will continue to feature a delicious meal of homemade lamb stew, chorizo, Basque beans, potatoes, salad, bread, wine and desserts.
A Finding of No Significant Impact, and Decision Record are now finalized for the Plan of Operations Amendment (Plan) for the Valmy Development Expansion of the Marigold Mine. The purpose of the development will be to mine for gold.
Nevada is one of just nine states with no income tax. That leaves Nevada largely reliant on a sales and use tax — applied at one of the highest rates in the nation — to generate roughly a third of state revenue. But some Democratic lawmakers are concerned that the state’s tax structure, and thereby its ability to produce revenue, lags behind the needs of the growing state.
Starting in August 2023, Great Basin College will offer two new dual credit high school programs with an emphasis in mining, geology, and metallurgy that will seamlessly transfer to GBC or the University of Nevada Reno (UNR) for the completion of an associates, bachelors, or professional degree.
Marty Plaskett upgraded his farming equipment and spent $60,000 on new sprinklers to conserve water, even before the rural Nevada valley where he farms alfalfa began more strictly managing groundwater.