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Collaboration of state agencies helps small businesses develop

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:09:27 -0800

RENO -- Collaborative efforts between the Nevada Small Business Development Center (NSBDC) and the Nevada Microenterprise Initiative/Women’s Business Center (NMI) are demonstrating solid benefits to funding sources and the public.

“More than ever state agencies must be efficient and results-oriented in how tax dollars are spent,” said Sam Males, NSBDC’s state director. “Working with top leaders like Lu Torres of NMI makes it easy not to duplicate efforts. We’re focused on our statewide presence throughout Nevada to provide effective programs and services that ultimately lead this state to a stronger economy via small business development and entrepreneurship.”

Males was also key in bringing the volunteer organization SCORE to the NSBDC offices at UNR’s College of Business more than a decade ago. “There is impressive talent among these business mentors who volunteer their time and expertise to help our small business community.” SCORE also offers free counseling and monthly small business orientations that dovetail nicely with the wide range of NSBDC services. With more than 40 SCORE volunteers in the Reno chapter they offer quite a diverse knowledge base of multiple industries and professions.

People need to know what’s out there and who’s out there to help. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development Procurement Outreach Program (POP) will help people to compete for government contracts. There are significant grants through the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program for technology inventions and transfer. The Nevada Women’s Business Center has programs for working mothers and women re-entering the workforce seeking self-employment and self-sufficiency. These agencies are under the umbrella in some capacity of the U.S. Small Business Administration or work closely with the SBA to provide small business assistance.

“Working together on our training programs has allowed us to better serve the range of people looking for solid business plan training,” said Kathy Carrico, NSBDC’s statewide training director. “NMI has adopted the micro-level curriculum of NxLeveL, our cornerstone program for more than a decade. Nevadans now have the option to choose the 15-week NxLeveL for start-ups or the 13-week NxLeveL for Entrepreneurs curriculum. This is also true for our Spanish-speaking population as well.”

People pursuing the American Dream of self-employment sometimes want that dream overnight. Similar to a college education that lands a better paying job, smart business planning over time will more likely account for a higher profit margin. What separates the NxLeveL from most other training programs is the length of the course, the topic selection, materials and expert guest speakers each week. “You have an opportunity to ask your legal questions to a lawyer, or your financial questions to a CPA” said Carrico. “NxLeveL is applied education where you learn it today and use it tomorrow.” In the micro-stages of planning it’s important to conduct a self-assessment and a feasibility study of one’s idea. Market research is critical. Once someone completes these processes they just might be ready to write their business plan with all its important pieces to open the doors, access some capital and be their own boss.

Not everyone is cut out to own and operate a business. Too many people have lost significant dollars and valuable time trying to do it alone. No assessment, no plan, no resources and limited funding will decrease anyone’s odds for success. Nevada has resource agencies that can help, educate, guide, mentor, teach and train. By working together and understanding the roles and expertise, tax dollars are spent efficiently and small business development becomes a viable path to a stronger economy. If you’re serious about growing your existing business, your future business or simply your business idea then let us know. Call the NSBDC at 775-784-1717 or access our training calendar at www.nsbdc.org for a full listing of these agency programs. Upcoming in Reno:

NSBDC’s NxLeveL for Entrepreneurs: 13 consecutive Tuesday evenings beginning February 21

NMI’s NxLeveL for Micro Start Ups: 15 consecutive Wednesday evenings beginning February 22

POP’s Building Successful Contracting Teams: February 16

SCORE’s Small Business Orientation: February 21 and February 25

NSBDC’s Small Business Innovative Research Seminar: February 22

SCORE’s Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: 4 consecutive Saturdays beginning March 10

Rural Nevada homeowners might be able to refinance their loans

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:55:29 -0800

RENO --

Through the President’s plan to help responsible homeowners, rural homeowners may finally get some help. A new rural refinance pilot program can help more than 1000 struggling homeowners in northern Nevada. The offer is to lower interest rates, even if your house is worth less than the mortgage.

Sarah Adler, with the United States Department of Agriculture says, “We are awarding these responsible homeowners for having been current on their loan for at least 12 months and giving them the opportunity to get an extra 100 to 150 dollars a month for their personal family use.”

With these tough economic times the help is just what some homeowners need.

“Many Americans have had to see a reduction in their income, fewer hours, less overtime, a job becomes seasonal rather than full time, perhaps the second partner in the family has lost their job, but they have maintained that commitment to owning their own home.”

However, only homeowners that have mortgages held by USDA Rural Development are eligible, and they have to be current on their mortgage for at least 12 months.

Jessica Jensen, a mortgage consultant says, “We do verify income, but there’s not credit there‘s no appraisal there’s no inspection so it’s a very smooth process.”

There is a closing cost, but it can be financed. This program is at no additional cost to the tax payer.

Sex offenders banned from public parks in areas of Lake Tahoe

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:55:37 -0800

Initial approval was given Tuesday by the Eldorado County Board of Supervisors that will make it a crime for registered sex offenders to frequent public parks.

Unless they have written permission from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, registered sex offenders will be charged a misdemeanor under the ordinance for entering county public parks, playgrounds, recreational areas and many other locations where children regularly gather.

“The recent case against Phillip Garrido is a good example of sex offenders' predatory behavior,” according to the statement. “Phillip Garrido was a registered sex offender, who, even after kidnapping and imprisoning Jaycee Lee Dugard, would frequent parks and videotape children as they played, searching for his next victim.”

Violators of the ordinance are punishable with up to six months in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Violations of the ordinance are punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Supervisors unanimously passed the ordinance Tuesday. Final approval of the ordinance is expected Feb. 14.

The ordinance was modeled after other city and county ordinances around California and was developed and proposed by District Attorney Vern Pierson, Sheriff John D' Agostini, Chief Deputy County Counsel Edward Knapp and El Dorado County Office of Education Superintendent Vicki Barber.

There are approximately 300 registered sex offenders in El Dorado County.

Veterans House in Reno needs your help

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:18:44 -0800

RENO -- An organization that helps out wounded American heroes is asking for the public's help for a chance to win a grand prize that would help really help out their cause.

The Veterans Guest House offers housing for wounded vets and their families while here for medical treatment. Now the charity is a finalist for “Aprons in Action.”

The Home Depot Foundation is accepting votes for who should win the $25,000 gift card. This winner is go on to compete for a possible $250,000 prize.

Click here by February 23, to help the home update it’s amenities.

Community-wide effort to rebuild Moana Stadium site

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:30:39 -0800

Reno, NV— Reno City Councilmembers Jessica Sferrazza and Sharon Zadra have joined forces with the Great Basin Youth Soccer League, Sierra Nevada Community Aquatics and other sports organizations to support the Miracle on Turf: The Rebirth of Moana Stadium Fields. This project to rebuild athletic fields will be the first step toward transforming the Moana Site into a multi-use complex featuring a modern aquatics facility, soccer fields, baseball fields and other community amenities. The Miracle on Turf event will be discussed today at the Reno City Council meeting, which begins at noon at Reno City Hall, 1 East First Street.

Northern Nevada has suffered a series of catastrophes over the last nine months. While these events have shone a light on the community’s strong character, they have also left residents shaken. These critical events occurred at a time when northern Nevada’s economy continued its agonizingly slow recovery, which has led to blight and decline. Moana Stadium is illustrative of these economic challenges; it is literally a crumbling building and has become the target of vandalism, making it an eyesore for the neighborhood.

In bright contrast, the Miracle on Turf is an opportunity for the entire region to come together and literally build a legacy that will benefit residents’ children, grandchildren and successive generations for years to come. During the weekend of June 2-3, 2012, neighbors and friends will converge on a portion of the site and begin the transformation into a series of athletic fields for use for soccer, rugby, football and assorted other flat field sports. This project will complement the mission to construct the future multigenerational aquatics center next door, a collaborative effort by groups including the City of Reno and Sierra Nevada Community Aquatics.

The two day Miracle on Turf effort will be similar to the 1968 community action that built Pat Baker Park on Bishop Street, Reno’s first “Instant Park”, which continues to serve that neighborhood today.

Councilmembers Sferrazza and Zadra have reached out to every elected official in northern Nevada to join them in this effort. So far the following leaders have committed their support:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,U.S. Senator Dean Heller, U.S. Representative Mark Amodei, Governor Brian Sandoval, Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki, Treasurer Kate Marshall, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, Secretary of State Ross Miller, State Controller Kim Wallin, Senator Greg Brower, Senator Don Gustavson,Senator Ben Kieckhefer, Senator Sheila Leslie, Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Assemblyman David Bobzien, Assemblyman Skip Daly, Assemblyman Ira Hansen, Assemblyman Pat Hickey, Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, Washoe County Commissioner Kitty Jung, and Washoe County Commissioner Bonnie Weber.

Many of them will attend the February 8 City Council meeting in support of this outstanding project.

While sweat and elbow grease will be the key ingredients to make the Miracle on Turf a reality, money is also necessary to realize this vision. The fundraising effort has already begun. The Peppermill Hotel Casino and Spa and the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa have each committed to contribute $10,000. We expect to hear from other substantial contributors at the February 8 City Council meeting. Soon we will work in conjunction with the Great Basin Youth Soccer League and other youth organizations to launch a community-wide drive for individuals and organizations to be a part of the miracle by contributing financially. Tax deductible donations can be sent directly to Great Basin Youth Soccer League, a 501(c)3 organization. Please mark your donation "Moana Stadium Fields".

Governor Sandoval speaks

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:42:03 -0800

RENO -- Joined by the Director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, Nevada Governor Sandoval unveiled a statewide plan to regionalize Nevada's economic development efforts.

Sandoval and Economic Development Director Steve Hil released the state's strategy at a news conference at UNR this morning.

A study released last fall detailed steps and key industries Nevada should focus on to expand its economy.

The Governor said he plans to attract businesses to our state and new job opportunities, along with a skilled workforce. He said he challenges to create 50,000 jobs by 2014. He ended by promising a bright future ahead for Nevada.

FOX 11 News' Shannon Moore will have full details tonight at 11pm.

Therapy dog ‘Aly’ healing patients

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:14:03 -0800

RENO --

Therapy dog, Aly, and her handler, Janet Forrester, make morning rounds at renown. Aly is a trained specialist in a popular form of treatment at renown. Patients say Aly helps them forget they are sick.

“I had a black lab at one time so she brings that back so yeah it’s great I think it’s a great program to have for therapy.”

“It’s just comforting, kind of feels a little bit like home when you have a dog around, she doesn’t smell like a hospital.”

Her handler says Aly knows what she is doing.

“I have a little thing I go through at home before we leave and I say, we are going to go visit we are going to go visit, and her tail just goes, so I know she thinks it’s a good thing.”

Even if it’s just petting her, shaking her hand, or staring into her eyes, patients say each moment with her is a healing one.

“There’s so many different emotions and feelings that can go along with a hospital stay patients can be frightened, they can be in a lot of pain they are bored they are lonely and just for a brief period of time the dog sort of suspends all of that.”

And at 3 years old, Aly, has many more years of volunteering left.

Nevada domestic violence by the numbers

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:40 -0800

Rebeca Ferreira knows firsthand about the isolation of being an immigrant victim of domestic violence, and she knows firsthand how the lack of data about such crimes is handcuffing agencies serving those women.

Before she started Safe Faith United in 2009 to help Las Vegas domestic violence victims, she escaped an abusive relationship. Her agency helps domestic violence victims, especially minorities, who she said have been mishandled by traditional services and unaccounted for in data.

“Nevada is the embarrassment of the nation,” she said as she reviewed domestic violence statistics for the state in her office adorned with photos of victims. “Something must be done.”

Since Hispanic is an ethnicity and not a race, finding accurate domestic violence data is problematic, both in Nevada and across the nation.

Law enforcement agencies across the country do not follow a single system for reporting the ethnicity of a victim or perpetrator. The lack of such detail, advocates for abuse victims say, not only keeps law enforcement agencies from formulating strategies to curtail domestic violence; it also causes difficulty for aid organizations to land funding for services targeting Hispanics and immigrants.

“Services are funded by need,” said Rebecca Balog, director of the Pennsylvania-based Women of Color Network. “If needs aren’t clearly spelled out and quantifiable, then the money won’t come. There is a huge need for Hispanic families, but the statistics aren’t there to support funding.”

A recent federal Centers for Disease Control report found nearly half of all women living in Nevada at the time of the survey had experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.

Late last year, the Violence Policy Center issued a report, using 2009 data, that tagged Nevada with the highest domestic violence fatality rate in the country, a distinction the Silver State has had for four of the past five years.

Yet, those figures are only reported by race in terms of “white,” “black” and “other.”

While the center noted that the rate of fatalities from domestic violence among blacks is three times higher than that of whites, it could not compile such information for Hispanics.

The Violence Policy Center relies on the FBI’s supplementary homicide reports. There is a place on the paperwork for “race” and “ethnicity,” said Marty Langley, a policy analyst at the Violence Policy Center, but the ethnicity coding is not being used often enough by law enforcement agencies to compile national statistics, Langley said.

None of the reports out of Nevada, and fewer than half of the reports overall, were coded for ethnicity, Langley said.

“Traditionally, it’s been a very complicated variable to capture,” said William Sousa, UNLV professor of criminal justice and associate director of the Center for Analysis of Crime Statistics. “Depending on how it’s recorded, people who have Hispanic or Latin background may not be recorded in that way. It is an ethnicity, not a race, which complicates matters.”

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Suspect wanted for stabbing woman during Super Bowl party

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:15:10 -0800

SPARKS -- Sparks Police are trying to piece together the case of a woman who was stabbed in an area busy with fans during the Super Bowl this past Sunday.

Last Sunday the Sparks Police Department was notified of a possible stabbing that had occurred in the 800 block of Victorian Ave.

The victim was initially uncooperative with officers, however, she did state that she was walking in the 800 or 900 block of Victorian Ave between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. when she was attacked by an unknown Hispanic male. The victim provided no further description of the suspect.

After the alleged attack, the victim called a relative for a ride home from the area. Due to the severe nature of her injuries, the relative stopped at a DUI checkpoint being held on the Pyramid Highway and notified law enforcement, who summoned medical attention.

The victim was transported to Renown Medical Center for treatment of her injuries.

The area where the victim says the attack occurred is the area of several businesses which were been busy with Super Bowl fans.

The Sparks Police Department is asking for help from the public. Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is asked to contact Sparks Detectives at 353-2225 or Secret Witness at 322-4900.

Glider crash lands on ski run at Heavenly resort

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:02:52 -0800

LAKE TAHOE -- With hundreds of weekend skiers on the slopes, a glider crash landed on a ski run at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday, with the pilot and passenger having walked away unhurt in the crash. No one else was injured.

El Dorado County authorities report the incident happened at 1:26 p.m. near the front of the First Run area of the California Lodge of the Lake Tahoe resort, which straddles the California and Nevada border.
A spokesman for Minden-Tahoe Airport based Soaring NV, said the pilot was flying a Duo Discus aircraft and lost altitude and was forced to land. The pilot is experienced and was doing a flight review, the spokesman said. The pilot and passenger were unhurt, he said.

Heavenly Mountain Resort spokesman Russ Pecoraro called the incident "irresponsible."
"We're outraged that something like this could happen. We're glad that everyone came out of this okay, but there's no excuse for this kind of irresponsible behavior," Pecoraro said in an email. "We'll do everything in our power to make sure this doesn't happen again. We're extremely lucky no one was hurt today."
El Dorado County authorities interviewed the pair who explained what happened.

"They were descending, lost air and were forced to come down on this side of the mountain and looked for a suitable place to put it down and explored their options, believing it would be the safest location," said Greg Almos, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office deputy.

Though the glider came down there was reportedly not much damage to it. It may be up and running again this week, the spokesman said.
Winds around South Lake Tahoe were reportedly calm.

According to a witness, a snowboarder dove to avoid the wings clipping him. And another witness, Kouri Penn said that it looked as if the pilot was performing a stunt.
"He was so low over our heads we thought it was supposed to be that way," Penn said. "He went really low into the hill, took the incline with the left wing into the hill and immediately did a 180 degree turn, and came to a complete stop...after it happened, I watched everyone get out and knew it wasn't a stunt."

Broader measure of unemployment shows some improvement in through December

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:57:51 -0800

CARSON CITY -- A broader measure of Nevada’s unemployment picture, including those who have given up looking for work, showed some improvement through the end of 2011, a federal report released this week shows.

The rate in Nevada dropped to 22.7 percent in the 12 months through Dec. 31, down from 23.3 percent in the 12 months through Sept. 30, 2011.

The quarterly report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in part reflects improvement in the state’s official unemployment rate, which declined in both November and December when it hit 12.6 percent.

The national rate for the broader measure of unemployment in the 2011 calendar year was 15.9 percent. The only other state over 20 percent in 2011 was California, with a rate of 21.1 percent.

The report shows a state-by-state unemployment measure that encompasses discouraged workers and those who are working part time even though they would like full-time employment. When these individuals are counted, the unemployment rate is much higher than the official rate released each month nationally and by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Nevada leads the nation both in the official unemployment rate and this broader measure of joblessness.

Jered McDonald, an economist with the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said Nevada still has a significant number of discouraged workers who have given up looking for employment.

“It’s going to be, probably, another couple of years or so before that falls into the teens at the rate we’re going,” he said. “So this is a long-term deal. We’re coming out of this recession probably slower than we have any other recession and it’s just going to take some time.”

When the economy does pick up, the gap between the two measures should narrow, McDonald said. During the last economic expansion, the two numbers were within a few percentage points of each other, he said.

The Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States shows six different jobless rates using different measures. The broadest definition, U-6, includes discouraged workers, defined as people who want work but who had not searched for work in the previous four weeks because they believed no jobs were available to them. It also includes “marginally attached” workers, defined as those who had not looked for work in the previous four weeks for any reason.

Finally the measure includes those employed part-time for economic reasons, defined as those working less than 35 hours per week who want to work full time, are available to do so, and gave an economic reason – their hours had been cut back or they were unable to find a full-time job – for working part time. These individuals are sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that this broader definition of unemployment is based on relatively small sample sizes at the state level.

Helicopters re-seed land charred by Washoe fire

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:44:59 -0800

RENO -- Helicopters were seen flying over Pleasant Valley on Monday as crews were busy restoring the northern Nevada plant life charred in last month's Washoe Drive Fire.

Aircraft buzzed over more than 500 acres of Bureau of Land Management property Monday to drop seeds for sagebrush and native and non-native grasses. Federal officials say the mix is chosen based on its short-term ability to control erosion, and its ability to resist fire.

Erosion danger can last for a year or two after flames are put out.

Winds had pushed the Jan. 19 fire so quickly through the valley that many plant roots survived underground and may emerge again.

The same dry winter weather responsible for the rare January wildfire could serve as an impediment to successful seeding, experts said. A little moisture is needed to help the grass and brush seeds dropped by helicopter to take root and flourish.

Apart from Monday's seeding, BLM had been busy also seeding other fire areas, including the Ray May Fire which occurred last August. That fire burned 3,800 acres in Douglas County. The fact that the BLM had been seeding that fire area along with other smaller fires, helped make Monday's seeding easier. The BLM was able to adjust its contracts for those projects, import some additional seed and quickly implement its efforts at the scene of the Washoe Drive Fire, Bittner said.

The Washoe Drive Fire destroyed 29 homes and started when a resident improperly disposed of fireplace ashes. It came two months after the destructive Caughlin Fire.

Fiery crash kills truck driver US395 north of Reno

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:42:17 -0800

RENO -- A truck driver was killed in a fiery crash north of Reno when his semi-trailer slid off U.S. Highway 395, struck an embankment and burst into flames.

The crash forced the closure of the highway for several hours Tuesday morning just north of Reno to the intersection with California State Highway 70 at the Halleluiah Junction. At least one lane was reopened in each direction by 10:30 a.m.

California state trooper Lacey Heitman said the truck was fully engulfed in flames after it apparently ran head-on into an embankment.

The Nevada Highway Patrol says the overnight snow contributed to more than a dozen spin-outs between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. on a 10-mile stretch of the highway north of Reno. One child suffered minor injuries in an SUV rollover.

Morning weather causes several vehicle accidents

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:33:25 -0800

RENO -- The snow which fell in the Reno area earlier today near the approach of the morning commute created several calls for service for the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The stretch of roadway with the most calls for service was on US 395 between the N. McCarran and Cold Springs interchanges. Between 6:00 am and 9:00 am, this 10-mile stretch of highway generated 9 calls involving accidents and over a dozen spin-outs or slide-offs.

8 of the accidents were non-injury events with mostly single-vehicle collisions where motorists lost control of their vehicle and struck an adjacent guardrail or roadway barrier.

One of the accidents involved included a three-vehicle collision on US 395 just after 6:00 am near the Panther Valley interchange.

Only one accident this morning had reported injuries and those were minor in nature when the vehicle in question, a silver SUV, rolled over and came to rest on its top near the south bound Red Rock interchange. The child riding in the vehicle was not transported, but he was treated at the scene.

Also, NHP assisted the California Highway Patrol with traffic control duties due to an accident involving a commercial motor vehicle on US 395 north of the intersection of California 70, or the Halleluiah Junction, in Lassen County. Two NHP troopers rerouted traffic onto westbound US 70 or allowed motorists to return southbound to wait out the road closure. No other details about this collision were available, but two heavy duty tow trucks from Cal-Nevada Towing in Reno were dispatched to the scene.

Reno police investigate drive-by shooting

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:11:54 -0800

RENO -- Reno Police Department are investigating a drive-by shooting that occurred yesterday afternoon in North Reno.

Officers of the Reno Police Department responded to the 2300 block of Tripp Drive after receiving calls of shots fired. Officers learned that the shooting followed a fight that occurred on the south side of the football field of Hugh High School. A white SUV was described leaving the area on Tripp Drive when shots were fired from that vehicle, striking another passing vehicle.

No one was injured, and the investigation is ongoing.

Police are looking for two suspects believed to be Hispanic males. The first one is 18-20 years old, with black slicked-back hair, a thin mustache and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt. The second is in his early 20's, with a shaved head, thick mustache and goatee. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt.

This investigation continues and anyone else that may have information regarding these suspects is encouraged to contact Secret Witness at 322-4900 or the Regional Gang Unit at 334-3852.

Gov. Sandoval unveils economic development plan

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:40:14 -0800

RENO -- Joined by the Director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, Nevada Governor Sandoval unveiled a statewide plan to regionalize Nevada's economic development efforts.

Sandoval and Economic Development Director Steve Hil released the state's strategy at a news conference at UNR this morning.

A study released last fall detailed steps and key industries Nevada should focus on to expand its economy.

FOX 11 News' Shannon Moore will have full details tonight at 11pm.

Nationwide foreclosure settlement hits delay

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:28:51 -0800

Nevada’s Attorney General is looking for a better deal for the state’s struggling homeowners.

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is refusing to sign onto a multi-state settlement over foreclosure abuses

It would require the five largest mortgage lenders to reduce loans for borrowers in other states.

Masto says her staff is still reviewing what she calls "intricate draft settlement terms.”

Experts weigh in on Saturday’s low caucus turnout

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:54:15 -0800

RENO -- The Washoe County Republican Party is pleased overall with the way things went on Saturday - but are attributing the low turnout to the way the 2008 caucus went.

“There were long lines, it was very crowded. And even though we solved those problems I don’t think people had that expectation until they actually experienced it. I think it kept a lot of people away from the caucus” said Dave Buell, chairman of the Washoe GOP.

UNR’s Political Science Department Chair Eric Herzick said you get a variation in caucuses because it’s largely done by volunteers and individual county organizations, “in Clark County you had a number of problems you had the evening Sabbath caucus which made counting ballots last too long, last too long, they missed the media outlet deadlines on the east coast, it did not go well in Clark”

Some republicans and leaders alike are now pushing to replace the system with a presidential primary election. Similar to general elections, Voters cast secret ballots at polling places unlike Caucuses which often involve discussions that encourage participants to stay for the duration. Requiring legislative approval, it’s an issue that’s expected to be debated in the 20-13 session.

Herzick said it comes down to a matter of funding.“It’s going to cost the state roughly 1.5 million dollars to conduct this. I don’t see where legislators are going to jump on board and say, please... we need more government and we need 1.5 million.”He also said opposing parties aren’t likely to support the switch either, “I can see democrats just laughing and saying o, you want us to spend money because you the republicans can’t get your caucus together?”

Some critics are speculating the low participation may have been due to the fact that many assumed Romney would win - so they didn’t bother showing up, an attitude that upsets organizers like Buell.“I think people have to pay attention, we have the highest unemployment rate in the nation, we have the highest foreclosure rate, we have the highest bankruptcy something needs to be done to fix this economy and put Nevadan’s back to work”

Colorado and Minnesota are the next states to hold their GOP caucuses, both of which go to the polls on Tuesday.

RENO -- Officials report that Saturday’s Nevada GOP Presidential caucus participation was down across the state.

GOP officials were expecting 17,000 people, but only 6,700 showed up. Washoe County GOP Chairman Dave Buell said the 2008 experience with the republicans really turned them off to a caucus, “there were long lines, it was very crowded, and even though we solved those problems I don’t think people had that expectation until they experienced it.

They’re discussing the idea of replacing the system with a presidential primary election. More to come, tonight at 11.

National GOP officials say Obama vulnerable in Nevada because of tough economy

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:02:47 -0800

CARSON CITY – A national Republican official said today Nevada’s economic landscape has changed dramatically since the state went for President Obama in 2008, and increasing GOP voter registrations in the battleground state are evidence of dissatisfaction with his administration.

Rick Wiley, political director for the Republican National Committee, said in a telephone conference call that Nevada has the highest jobless rate in the nation and has suffered through 60 months of the highest foreclosure rate in the nation.

While Nevada’s economic woes didn’t start with the Obama Administration, the president has said his performance on the economy should be evaluated by voters when considering his bid for a second term, Wiley said.

The comments come the day before as many as 60,000 Nevada Republicans are expected to participate in the state’s First in the West GOP caucus. The four Republican candidates have made numerous appearances across the state in the past few days.

Nevada’s jobless rate has started to improve, however, and declined to 12.6 percent in December. The national unemployment rate for January announced today also declined, to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent in December.

Nevada was one of nine “battleground” states that went for Obama in 2008 that President Bush had won in 2004.

But Wiley said 53 percent of independent voters in Nevada in a recent poll said they disapprove of his performance, and 17 percent of Democrats feel the same way.

The voter registration numbers are reflecting this disillusionment, he said.

“For months now the Republicans have been gaining on the Democrats there,” Wiley said. “We had an advantage of about 3,200 in the month of January and we continue to make gains to catch the Democrats.

“They had a huge margin after the 2008 Democratic caucus where they invoked some same-day registration,” he said. “And we’ve narrowed that gap down to about 47,000 now which just proves the point that Republicans are getting very enthused about not only voting against Obama but voting and supporting our eventual nominee.”

The Nevada State Democratic Party dismissed the Republican voter registration gains in January. The January numbers were released Thursday by Secretary of State Ross Miller.

“With their voter registration efforts at full throttle in anticipation of their competitive caucus, the Nevada Republicans were only able to register less than 4,500 new voters during the entire month of January – barely making a dent in the nearly 50,000 Democratic voter registration advantage in the state,” said Senior Communications Adviser Zac Petkanas.

“When Nevada Democrats held a similar competitive caucus in 2008, we registered 30,000 new voters in one day alone,” he said. “There’s a word for Republicans bragging to cover up an embarrassing month in voter registration: pathetic.”

RNC Hispanic Outreach Director Bettina Inclán said during the conference call that a majority of Latinos believe the economic downturn has hit them hardest.

“It is especially true for Latinos in Nevada,” she said. “They are facing an unemployment rate of 18.6 percent in the state and 10.5 percent nationally and they are ready to change the direction in Washington.”

Inclán said there are about 224,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Nevada, about 14 percent of the total.

Group pushes for War Memorial in Carson City

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:57:58 -0800

CARSON CITY -- A group is moving ahead with plans to build a memorial on the Capitol grounds in Carson City honoring Nevada's fallen soldiers.

The Nevada Appeal reports the group formed by the Gold Star Families of Nevada met Saturday to go over design plans for the proposed State of Nevada War Memorial.

The group, which includes military, law enforcement and government representatives, hopes to place the monument behind the Capitol building south of the Veterans Memorial Plaza.

Plans include a Walk of Remembrance, a Gold Star Monument with a fallen-soldier statue and a Wall of Sacrifice for Nevada's fallen military members.

A cost for the project has not yet been estimated.

The state Department of Veterans Affairs would establish the criteria for who would be entitled to be listed.

GOP ends NV vote count; Romney on top with 50%

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:55:59 -0800

LAS VEGAS -- Nevada Republicans have finally finished counting the votes in their Saturday presidential caucuses.

As projected, Mitt Romney won handily, finishing with 50 percent. Newt Gingrich was second with 21 percent, edging out Ron Paul who had 19 percent of the vote. Rick Santorum finished last with 10 percent.

The results were released early Monday, nearly two days after voters began casting their ballots.

Party officials blame the delay on voting discrepancies and their old-fashioned voting method of using handwritten ballots.

GOP executive director David Gallagher says representatives from the campaigns approved the counting.

Only 32,963 voters participated in the caucuses, far short of the 44,000 Republicans who voted in the 2008 GOP caucuses. Romney also won four years ago, during his first run for the White House.

BLOG: The chaos caucus: Nevada GOP's national embarrassment

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:49:17 -0800

To be honest, it didn’t exactly take a crystal ball to see this coming a mile away.

Before I left Saturday morning to take my wife and a pair of the nicest neighbors you’d ever want to have to the GOP presidential caucus, I wrote about what to watch for later that evening once the caucus results were released:

“And finally, will the caucus itself come off without a hitch, or will Nevada Republicans once again end up a national embarrassment?”

You can say this about Nevada Republicans: they are consistent. They never blow an opportunity to blow an opportunity. And hoo-ahhh…did they ever blow this one!

I don’t know about the rest of the valley, but at the precinct meeting I monitored – despite the first balloting being done on the wrong ballots – we were in and out in less than an hour. So let’s say other caucus sites weren't so well-organized. Still, by all accounts just about all of them were finished by noon.

Which is around when the first sign that this was gonna be a major league PR mess emerged, as the Los Angeles Times reported that their reporter on the ground here in Las Vegas, Ashley Powers (no relation to Austin), had been foolishly thrown out of a precinct meeting as a “spy.”

And so it began.

Anyway, with much fanfare, pomp and e-circumstance, the Nevada GOP announced a couple weeks ago that it was going high-tech and would start releasing the caucus results at 5 p.m. via Twitter. At around 7 p.m. the party tweeted that with only 8.1% of the precincts counted – and none from Clark County – Mitt Romney was way ahead with 40.5% of the vote.

That was enough for the Associated Press to call it for Romney and for Romney to begin working his way down to the victory party at the Red Rock Casino.

Meanwhile, the “after sundown” caucus – hastily approved and clumsily planned – to accommodate Jewish and 7^th Day Adventist Republicans got underway…but not without major controversy. As Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston tweeted at the time: “So why such big crowd at the Adelson school? Because -- wait for it -- Ron Paul's campaign did a robocall to supporters to crash.”

And crash they did.

I received this text message later in the evening from a longtime political operative whose friend received the call:

“Ron Paul’s campaign called (name deleted) at 6:30 and told him he needs to caucus again because the caucus this morning didn’t count and they were doing it over. They were fraudulently telling people to vote again!!! I couldn’t believe it. If I wasn’t there to explain to him why there were 2 caucuses today he would have gone back!”

At 7:30 p.m., Ben Spillman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on “repeated clashes between local Republican party officials and would-be caucus-goers who resented being required to affirm their religious beliefs before being allowed to participate.”

Spillman also referenced the Paul campaign robocall, reporting that it stated “that if they missed an earlier caucus for any reason they could show up at the sundown event” and still vote. Chaos ensued.

An 83-year-old man, Alan Kaplan, objected to a 29-year-old man - who objected to being required to sign a religious oath statement - being escorted out of the building by makeshift “bouncers,” including Assemblyman John Hambrick. “You want to take him out, take me out, too, you son of a bitch,” Kaplan yelled at Hambrick.

Later Kaplan told Spillman that he fought in Vietnam, but “I didn’t fight for assholes like that.” Lovely.

While all of this was going on, folks on the East Coast – which is home to the national media covering the election and three hours ahead of us - were starting to go to bed, with less than 10 percent of the high-tech caucus vote officially announced on Twitter. Newspaper deadlines were already being missed left and right.

At 6:59 p.m., Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus – the guy who put the strong arm on Nevada to move its caucus from January 14 to February 4 - tweeted from his iPhone: “Thx @nvgop - keep the results coming - nice work!”

Depends on your definition of “nice work.” Priebus would surely live to regret that tweet by night’s end.

At 7:39 p.m. - with still just 10% of the caucus vote officially released – Romney took the stage at his victory party.

Seven minutes later, the Nevada GOP tweeted that 14.3% of precincts had now reported in, with Romney ahead of Gingrich 39-29%.

At 7:54 p.m., Steve Sebelius of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweeted: “Coming up on one hour AFTER @nvgop originally said we'd get Clark results. And still no Clark results. What's with?!”

“What’s with,” indeed.

Two minutes later, the Nevada GOP released results with all of 16.6% of precincts reporting. Romney ahead by about 11 points over Gingrich.

At 8:25 p.m., the party actually went BACKWARDS; tweeting results with 15.1% of precincts reporting. Unbelievable.

By 9 p.m., the party still had only released 1/5 of the precinct results.

At 9:27 p.m., Molly Ball of The Atlantic tweeted: “Actual vote total at Adelson School night caucus: Ron Paul 183, Romney 61, Gingrich 57, Santorum 16.”

Obviously, the Paul robo-call was effective, but it’s hard to see how the party can accept these results.

Indeed, the Las Vegas Sun reports this morning that “While many of the participants in the evening caucus qualified under the religious exemption, others – who missed the morning caucus for a variety of reasons including work, illness or oversleeping – said they signed the declaration anyway so they could caucus.”

In other words: They were ineligible to vote by the established rules…and they lied.

At 9:53 p.m., Spillman tweeted that the sundown caucus was concluding “with a 70s costume party and free food.”

Seriously?

“Seriously.”

Oy vey.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

At the same time, the Nevada GOP tweeted that “787 out of 1,835 precincts” had been counted. “Just awaiting counts from Clark County!”

I say again: My precinct wrapped up voting before 10:00 a.m. - and just about every other precinct in Clark County, not counting the sundown caucus, was finished voting by noon. TEN HOURS earlier!

At 10:26 p.m. Ralston started a new Twitter hashtag: #thingsfasterthannvgop. He started the ball rolling with “The evolution of man.” Others quickly joined in; if for no other reason than to pass the time. Some examples:

Sebelius: “Glaciers carving valleys. #thingsfasterthannvgop”
Ralston: “Reading Ulysses. #thingsfasterthannvgop”
Sebelius: “Light from the most distant star reaching earth. #thingsfasterthannvgop”
Ralston: “Bicycling from Las Vegas to Reno. #thingsfasterthannvgop”
Me: “WALKING from Las Vegas to Reno. #thingsfasterthannvgop”
Kirk Caraway of Carson City: “The re-opening of the Ormsby House #thingsfasterthannvgop” (inside joke for Carson Cityites)
Ralston: “The Hundred Years War. #thingsfasterthannvgop”
David Schwartz of the Las Vegas Sun: “Monorail turns a profit. Vegas houses no longer underwater. Unemployment in NV at 2006 levels. #thingsfasterthannvgop”
Karoun Demirjian of the Sun: “the line at the DMV #thingsfasterthannvccgop”
Guy Clifton of the Reno Gazette-Journal: “Getting @BrianSandoval to say he's pessimistic. #thingsfasterthannvgop”

At 10:51 p.m. the ridicule went national, with Nate Silver of the New York Times posting this “Hangover”-inspired tweet: “Nevada GOP to release Clark County results just as soon as it figures out why Mike Tyson's tiger is in their bathroom.”

At 11:00 p.m. I tweeted: “It's 11 o'clock. Do you know where your caucus results are?” No one did.

At 11:12, Ralston tweeted: “Even if the Mensa members down at Clark GOP HQ were re-counting every ballot by hand, it shouldn't be taking this long.”

Amen.

At 11:37 p.m. Danny Tarkanian – husband to Nevada GOP Chairman Amy Tarkanian, who is resigning officially as of today – tweeted: “Counting ballots at Clark GOP. We might not finish before my wife's term ends.”

Ouch. I went to bed. But Anjeanette Damon of the Las Vegas Sun soldiered on.

At 12:58 a.m. this morning she tweeted: “Multiple precincts in Clark where precinct capt's weren't diligent in signing people in. Ballot count doesn't match sign-in counts.” She followed that up with: “Unconfirmed report that precincts with mismatched ballot/sign-in counts will be dumped. Lots of votes in question.”

Uh-oh. This is gonna get ugly. REAL ugly.

At 3:48 a.m. the Nevada GOP reported that 56% of precincts had officially reported.

At 4:06 a.m. it reported results with 70.4% of precincts officially reporting.

At 6:15 a.m., the liberal Public Policy Polling firm tweeted: “No one cares because it's so lopsided but this is a WAY worse vote counting fail than Iowa.” It followed that up with: “I guess everyone who wondered how the Nevada GOP could be so incompetent as to nominate Sharron Angle has gotten their answer now.”

Ouch.

By 8:33 a.m. this morning, the vote count in Clark County STILL wasn’t complete…leading Ralston to tweet: “Which will come first: Final score of Super Bowl or final score of #nvcaucus? Any bets?”

Republican and Romney supporter Ron Futrell responded with “Which year SuperBowl?”

Morning Score chimed in: “Romney won an anti-climactic, 25-point victory in Nevada last night. The biggest loser appears to be Nevada's Republican Party, which is still counting the ballots from Clark County.”

It added: “A river of criticism flowed across Twitter last night. Every political junkie in America was peeved with what they viewed as the inept Clark County Republican Party.”

Good grief.

Oh, and just to add a little insult to the injury, while Chairman Tarkanian predicted that 70,000 Republicans would turn out and participate in the caucus this year, it looks like my prediction of 40,000 is gonna be much closer.

Mercifully. Can you imagine how much worse this fuster-cluck would be if 70K actually had shown up?!!

Rubbing salt into this turnout wound, Silver wrote this morning: “New rule: if you don't turn enough people out to fill your state's largest football stadium, you lose early voting status."

As well Nevada Republicans should.

The Nevada GOP this morning is a complete, total, national laughingstock. This is beyond embarrassing. This is beyond humiliating. GOP leaders here ought to be forced to wear brown bags over their heads from now until the convention.

Better yet, every one of them should follow Amy Tarkanian’s lead and resign. Today. Top to bottom. No party leadership would be better than what these folks have provided. What has occurred is inexcusable.

The GOP here has known about this caucus for FOUR YEARS. Nevertheless, it blew the opportunity to use it for voter registration gains. It blew the opportunity to get lots and lots of presidential candidates here early and OFTEN. It blew the opportunity to use it to raise a boatload of money via the Western States Republican Leadership Conference.

And it REALLY blew the opportunity to do the right thing for religious voters by waiting too late to do anything to accommodate them…and then not affording WORKING Republicans the same opportunity.

The final indignity. At 9:10 a.m., just before I finished this up, Ralston tweeted that “campaign attorneys (are now) involved.” Lord, help us.

And some people still wonder why I’m not a registered Republican in this state?

I’ve had enough. Time to get ready for Lingerie Bowl IX!!!

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“You are not going to have another Iowa. We will have an accurate vote count." – Nevada Republican Party Chairman Amy Tarkanian in a tweet to Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus at 9:07 a.m. this morning

Woman arrested for shooting at imaginary people

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:28:26 -0800

RENO -- A woman has been arrested for shooting a rifle at what she described as imaginary people that were out to harm her.

Saturday night at around 10:30 p.m., Officers responded to 9507 Western Sikes Dr. on a 911 hang-up were the female caller stated that there were subjects on scene trying to harm her. Upon arrival Officers located the suspect, 41-year-old Steffanie Kidder of Reno, who admitted to using methamphetamine, and appeared to be delusional. The suspect told Officers that she was afraid of several imaginary people she felt were trying to harm her, and that she had just shot at them.

Further investigation revealed that after smoking methamphetamine with her boyfriend, Kidder armed herself with a .22 rifle. She then fired several rounds from inside of a parked van in an attempt to shoot the imaginary people from her delusion.

Kidder was arrested without incident, and there were no reported injuries at this time. She was found to be an ex-felon, and was arrested on the listed charges.

Luckily no one was injured during the above incident; however, this is another example of the potential violence that accompanies the illicit use of methamphetamine.

Steffanie Kidder has been charged with Ex-Felon in Possession of Firearm, Discharge of a Firearm from Inside of a Vehicle, Possession of a Firearm While Intoxicated, Discharge of a Firearm in Public

Anyone with information in regards to this case is urged to contact the Reno Police Department Detective Division at 334-2115, or Secret Witness at 322-4900.

Breaking News: New York Giants Win Super Bowl XLVI

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:49:21 -0800

The New York Giants win Super Bowl XLVI, beating the New England Patriots 21-17.

Santorum, Paul look past Nevada caucuses

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:01:43 -0800

MONTROSE, Colo. — Rick Santorum said Saturday he wants to "endanger" rival Newt Gingrich while presidential rival Ron Paul claimed to have "reason to be optimistic" heading into Tuesday's contests as both Republican hopefuls peered ahead past the Nevada caucuses that handed both defeat.

Santorum and Paul both campaigned outside of Nevada and instead eyed upcoming contests in Minnesota and Colorado, signaling neither was likely to change his strategy in a race that seemed to have become a two-man contest between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Gingrich, the former House speaker. With intense rhetoric, both Santorum and Paul assailed Washington in the hopes the topsy-turvy contest for the Republican nomination would yield yet another reshuffling just a month into voting.

"If you're a swing voter, who are you going to believe?" Santorum said to a crowd packed into a hotel ballroom here on Colorado's Western Slope. "America is not looking for well-oiled weather vanes. They are looking for leaders."

In Chanhassen, Minn., Paul said the state's caucus system "rewards people who believe in something."

"We have reason to be optimistic about not only our future, but maybe we have optimism about Tuesday's election too," Paul said with a grin as he looked out at a couple hundred people wedged into a car collector club lounge.

Paul didn't mention President Barack Obama or any of his GOP competitors by name, diving instead into a lecture about a need to protect personal liberties, revive the gold standard, abolish the Federal Reserve and shift to a less-interventionist foreign policy.

"Our problems are a lot longer than 3 years old. They've been going on for a long time," Paul said, aiming his barbs at President Woodrow Wilson instead of Obama during an appearance in Rochester, Minn.

Paul is building off a decent base of support in Minnesota, where he drew nearly 16 percent of the 2008 vote. Organizers were holding "practice caucuses" during his weekend events in Minnesota. He's banking on help from anti-war Republicans and tea party members.

Santorum, meanwhile, was heading to Minnesota late Saturday after the Nevada caucus results were announced. He planned a full day on Sunday, including a church visit and a stop at the factory that produces the sweater vests his campaign sells for $100 each to raise money.

What he lacks in organization, he is hoping to supplement with sharper criticism.

Santorum's strategy has been to bloody Gingrich, outlast his one-time ally and then emerge as the eventual alternative to front-runner Romney. He also looked to have a strong showing Tuesday in Missouri, which is having a non-binding primary that lacks Gingrich's name on the ballot. Santorum said he hoped the head-to-head matchup with Romney would change the narrative of his sagging fortunes.

Opening his day, Santorum told Republicans here that Washington has gone too far in its environmental policies, especially here in the West. He said overreaching environmental regulators were trampling on ranchers with a Washington-knows-best approach.

"'We'll make sure that you don't do something to scar the land or endanger a newt,'" Santorum said. "No, not that Newt. I want to endanger that Newt. That's a different story."

It wasn't going to happen in Nevada, though.

Romney, as expected, captured the Nevada winner's medal, and Santorum urged Republicans in conservative Weld County, Colo., at a Lincoln Day dinner to give his campaign one last shot.

"I ask you to reset this race. Create an opportunity for someone who can speak to Americans about what America is all about," Santorum pleaded at the same hour it became clear Romney was the victor in Nevada.

And he showed no signs of relenting on Romney or Gingrich, even as he appeared at a county GOP fundraiser as results became clear.

"Here are two candidates that are not just compromised but will be slammed even bringing up those issues. Why would you do this? ... Why would the Republican Party nominate candidates with those positions?"

Paul, meanwhile, kept close tabs on Nevada, where he placed second in 2008 behind Romney. The Texas congressman had hoped for an outright win this time. Advisers had hoped the state's independent, live-and-let-live ethos is receptive to Paul's libertarian message and that his band of diehard supporters can be counted on to show up at the caucuses.

Paul's campaign has spent $350,000 on television ads in Nevada, just behind Romney who spent $371,000, according to the Smart Media Group which tracks political advertising. Newt Gingrich did not advertise on television in Nevada and Santorum placed only a $12,000 cable buy.

"We just don't have those resources," Santorum conceded.