MedleyStory

School District trustees seek community input on superintendent search

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:14:23 -0700

RENO -- As part of its continuing commitment to community outreach, the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees has scheduled a series of townhall meetings to gather information from the public regarding the search for a new superintendent of schools.

This is an opportunity for members of the community to offer input as the District moves ahead with the recruitment and selection process.

During these informal conversations, Board members will listen to parents, District employees, and community members to hear more about what skills, qualities, and characteristics they would like to see in the new superintendent. These conversations will help guide the Board in its decision-making process.

“All of the board members are looking forward to this public discussion,” said Ken Grein, president of the Board of Trustees. “We value the ideas and opinions of everyone in the community, and we are committed to hiring the best person to lead our District—and the 63,000 students whose educations depend upon our leadership—into the future.”

Identities revealed of deaths in Spanish Springs residential fire

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:10:53 -0700

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office confirmed with the Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office that formal identifications and next of kin notifications have been completed on the deceased male and female from Sunday's residential fire.

The decedents are 57-year-old Pamela Grund and 61-year-old Harry Grund.

Sheriff's Detectives are investigating this as a Homicide, however, they do not believe there was another party involved. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is advising that the public should not be fearful of an outstanding suspect as this investigation appears to be an isolated incident.

Detectives encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to immediately call their office at (775) 328-3320 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900 or www.secretwitness.com, or text the tip to 847411 (TIP 411) keyword-SW.

Topaz Ranch Estates wildfire spreads, destroys homes

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:43:26 -0700

CARSON CITY -- A fast-moving wildfire erupted in a rural neighborhood near the Nevada-California line Tuesday, destroying several homes, sending up huge plumes of smoke and forcing the evacuation of residents after authorities believed a controlled burn may have rekindled in strong winds.

The fire was reported around 2 p.m. in the Topaz Ranch Estates area in south Douglas County and about 50 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe. Many homes in the area are built on large hillside lots that are dense with sage brush and juniper.

Sgt. Jim Halsey, of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, said a controlled burn in the area was extinguished Monday, but may have restarted. By late afternoon, the fire was estimated at 400 acres, or just larger than a half-mile, and there was no estimate of containment.

The American Red Cross set up an evacuation center at the Topaz Estates community center, and the northern Nevada chapter's director of disaster services said she was told as many as 200 homes were threatened.

"We are receiving people there and animal control also is on scene to receive household pets but we don't have any preliminary numbers yet," Tanya Milelli said.

Several outbuildings were also destroyed, though officials had no exact numbers.

Highway 208 between Holbrook Junction and Wellington was closed to everyone except residents.

A hiker telephoned 911 to report he was trapped in the hills near the Lyon-Douglas county line about 3:30 p.m. He was able to reach his car where he sought shelter in heavy smoke, surrounded by fire, before a sheriff's deputy located him and was able to escort him to safety before 4 p.m., according to sheriff's dispatch radio reports.

By late afternoon, the fire was moving away from homes up into the hillside.

Winds were steady throughout the day, gusting throughout the day across the region that has seen very little moisture all winter, leaving vegetation dry and extremely flammable.

Tahoe Science Conference highlights environment, economics, research

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:43:36 -0700

More than 350 scientists, environmental policy makers and economic stakeholders will discuss Lake Tahoe’s environmental and economic future at the annual Tahoe Science Conference “Environmental Restoration in a Changing Climate” May 22 to 24 at Incline Village.

The conference, this year being held at Sierra Nevada College, features a scientific poster session and the opening of “Visualizing Change, a photographic exhibition,” on Tuesday evening followed by two full days of seminars and workshops covering more than 20 topics in three main areas:

1. Mountain Ecosystem Science: From Alpine to Zooplankton

2. Environmental Management: Finding Solutions in Economically Stressed Times

3. Seeing is Understanding: Learning through Lens and Aperture

Researchers and managers from Lake Tahoe and the West will gather to discuss the challenge of protecting the environment in the face of a changing climate and economy. Topics include new approaches for using remote sensing technologies to study the environment, nearshore ecology and conservation, wildfire ecology and forest soil impacts, aquatic and terrestrial invasive species, stormwater pollution and water quality, atmospheric sciences and pollutant monitoring, understanding the impacts of climate change. The conference will conclude with an engaging panel discussion on transforming science to policy making.

A two-hour public policy forum with a panel of experts will address balancing science, environmental improvement, economic development and public policy in the Tahoe basin on Thursday morning. The panel will be moderated by South Lake Tahoe Mayor Claire Fortier and will include Leo Drozdoff, Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources and a representative from the California Department of Natural Resources will participate in that discussion.

The plenary session “Change: The new normal in managing ecosystems in California” will be presented by Jeffrey Mount, a professor from the University of California, Davis, on Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the D.W. Reynolds Non-profit Center in Incline Village.

Conference participants will also get to experience Lake Tahoe in two 3-D movies, “Lake Tahoe in Depth” and “Mapping Change,” tour a LEED Platinum green building and take a walking tour of stream restoration and best management practices.

Presenters include top Tahoe scientists from the University of California, Davis, University of Nevada, Reno, the Desert Research Institute as well as agency managers, business representatives, and policy makers from around the region.

The conference has been organized by the Tahoe Science Consortium. The consortium member organizations are the University of Nevada, Reno; the Desert Research Institute; the University of California, Davis; the U.S. Geological Survey; and the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW). The Tahoe Science Consortium was formed in 2005 to promote scientific work in preserving and studying the Lake Tahoe Area.

The art exhibit “Visualizing Change,” is inspired by the initiative to encourage a convergence of science and the arts by photographer and Art Department Chair Peter Goin of the University of Nevada, Reno. He has collaborated with the Tahoe Science Consortium and a number of other noted Tahoe photographers for the exhibition, which was curated by Megan Berner of the University of Nevada, Reno. It is free and open to the public through July 27 in the Prim Library Research Gallery at Sierra Nevada College. The exhibition is a look at how photography acts as an agent of change, interpretation and revelation. The artist reception is Tuesday, May 22 from 5 to 8 p.m.

For more information about the conference and the Tahoe Science Consortium please visit www.tahoescience.org.

Skydiver missing after jump in Tahoe

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:26:00 -0700

LAKE TAHOE -- Police and rescuers are currently looking for a local man gone missing after he attempted a sky dive earlier this morning on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe.

The man was one of three skydivers who jumped out of a helicopter around 8 a.m. near Pope Beach on the South Shore.

According to reports, one of the skydivers landed on the beach, and the other two landed in the water. Only one of the two men that landed in the water was located

Douglas County and CALSTAR helicopters are searching the area, as well as boats.

The other two skydivers have been accounted for, but declined to comment on the situation.

Assembly Republican leadership calls for more campaign finance transparency

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:22:11 -0700

CARSON CITY – The leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus today used a Tuesday reporting deadline for candidates running for election this year to announce several proposals to require more accountability and transparency in the financing of campaigns in Nevada.

“In order to help reduce the influence of money in Silver State politics and to empower the public with real-time information about campaign expenditures and contributions, I would propose to my fellow state lawmakers, as well as to Gov. Brian Sandoval, Secretary of State Ross Miller and other state officials, that we begin the 2013 Legislature with a serious commitment to put our Nevada election campaign house in order,” said Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno.

Among the proposals presented today at a press briefing at the state Capitol: more “real time” reporting of campaign contributions, particularly in the periods leading up to the primary and general elections; reporting of gifts, including travel, by lawmakers in-between legislative sessions; enhancing auditing capabilities to ensure compliance with campaign finance laws; and establishing a cooling off period before retired lawmakers can return to lobby the Legislature. Another proposal would require ending fund balance reports showing how much money incumbents have on hand after an election.

“With so many outstanding individuals serving in the Nevada Legislature, I’m asking members of both parties to lead the way in establishing higher standards of public transparency and accountability,” he said.

Hickey was joined by Assemblyman Randy Kirner, R-Reno, and Republican Assembly candidate David Espinosa, in calling for the Legislature to take up campaign finance reform as a priority in the 2013 session. A similar event was also scheduled for Las Vegas later today.

The proposals were first reported by Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston on Sunday.

Hickey acknowledged that some progress was made in campaign finance reporting reforms in the 2011 session.

Bills sought by Miller now require electronic filing of campaign contribution and expense reports, and they will be filed Tuesday, well before the June 12 primary. The reports will be required to be updated before primary election day as well. The filings are also now more easily searched by the public.

But other efforts to make reforms, such as requiring the disclosure of trips paid for by lobbyists for lawmakers for “fact-finding” missions to such locations as London and the Bahamas, failed to see approval in the Democrat-controlled Assembly, Hickey said.

The trips cited by Hickey were paid for by PokerStars, a company that sought online gaming legislation in 2011. Three Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Steven Horsford and Assemblymen William Horne and Kelvin Atkinson, went on the trips. Founders of the company were later indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal gambling, among other charges.

There was also an effort by some Nevada lawmakers to require a two-year cooling off period from lobbying by former public officials, including lawmakers, but the provision was stripped from a campaign finance reform measure.

Kirner said Nevada ranked low in a national report released in March looking at state government transparency and accountability, making Nevada a high risk state for potential corruption. The ideas presented today should get bipartisan support, he said.

“And so these proposals, these new measures, I think, bring a sense of openness to the relationship between lobbyists and the Legislature, and presents a greater sense of accountability, which I think is in the interest of our citizens,” Kirner said.

Former state lawmaker and current lobbyist Jim Spinello, who works for R&R Partners, said anything the Legislature can do to increase transparency would be a positive development. Spinello, who served in the Assembly in from 1987 to 1990, said he tried to deal with the ending fund balances of candidates during his tenure without success.

“People have a right to know and should know how their elected officials are being influenced,” he said. “Anyone who says campaign contributions are not a form of influence would be kidding themselves.”

The technology available today makes such proposals as more frequent reporting of campaign contributions easily accomplished, Spinello said.

But campaign contribution limits to political parties and PACs could be more difficult with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizen United case, he said. The state of Montana is asking the court to reconsider aspects of its ruling, and 22 states, including Nevada, have joined in the request.

Geoffrey Lawrence with the Nevada Policy Research Institute, in a commentary published today, said increased lobbying and campaign finance transparency are badly needed.

The bill sponsored by then-Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, in 2011 that would have required lobbyists to report all spending on lawmakers, not just spending during a legislative session, passed the Senate but died in an Assembly committee without a vote, he said. It would have required reporting of trips like those paid for by PokerStars.

“Given the very recent history of apparent corruption in the legislative process, it’s imperative that lobbyist and campaign-finance reform be enacted to ensure greater transparency. SB 206 would have been a solid first step in that direction,” Lawrence said.

Hickey said he has briefed the Sandoval administration and Miller on his proposals, which he too said should receive bipartisan support. He has not yet discussed the ideas with Democratic lawmakers.

Sandoval said in a statement: “Increased transparency in government is good for the political process and should legislation be proposed, I look forward to working with the Legislature on meaningful reform.”

Hickey said other campaign-related ideas he would like to see discussed include moving the primary from June to a date closer to the November general election to reduce the length of the campaign season, and imposing limits on donations to candidates, political action committees and political parties.

“In shortening the length of the campaign season we might actually create an electorate that is actively engaged rather than being turned off and tuned out by the time November rolls around,” he said.

Washoe County commissioners approve final budget

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:15:37 -0700

RENO -- The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners approved the final Fiscal Year 2012/13 budget this morning during a public hearing in the Chambers.

The annual budget is required by statute and must be filed by June 1 with the State of Nevada. The final approved County balanced budget requires no lay-offs through 6/30/13, eliminates 51 vacant Full Time Employee (FTE) positions and calls for $6.3 million in departmental operating reductions, while providing a budgeted ending fund balance that is, at 8 percent, twice what is required by statute, and no tax rate increase.

The County’s two major sources of General Fund revenue (property tax and consolidated taxes) have declined by 15 percent since FY 2007/08, which has contributed significantly to the decline in revenue used to provide services. This will further impact the number of positions that the County has to serve its citizens as the ratio of Washoe County staff to population has decreased by 27 percent since 2005. While the Consumer Price Index has increased by 12 percent since 2007, the General Fund expenditures have decreased by 9 percent, creating significant pressures on service provisions.

Washoe County Manager Katy Simon says while the impact of the cuts will be difficult, it’s important to point out that no reserve funds were used. “We reduced our target ending fund balance to help close the shortfall this year. We budgeted 8 percent of the unassigned net resources to be available at year-end to tide us over into the next year, vs. the 8.3 percent we had proposed to set aside back in February. We do not require the use of reserves to balance this budget.”

Due to the fact that labor agreements are not concluded with all of the County labor associations, Simon says departments had to plan for the worst case scenario. That means that the adopted budget that was proposed is balanced without association wage concessions which was made possible by eliminating 51 positions that were currently vacant.

Simon says, “Washoe County has reduced our staffing from 8.1 employees per thousand population in 2006, to only 5.8 employees today in response to the dramatic reduction in revenues. We do understand that being unable to fill vacancies is very hard on employees who have to take up the slack when those positions aren’t filled, and very hard on the public which must endure ongoing service impacts. We remain hopeful that we can reach conclusions on labor agreements that can free up some, if not all, of those positions to be filled so that employees have more help.” Simon continued, “Wage concessions for Management, Commissioners, and Juvenile Services employees consistent with what has been asked of other employees are budgeted in this budget and will continue through 2012/13. In addition, the Courts have also agreed to look at wage concessions once the County’s labor agreements are concluded.”

Unlike many local governments in Nevada, the County will also be transferring almost $19 million into the trust that has been established for the long-term liability for retiree health benefits. The County negotiated with its employees to end that retiree health insurance benefit for employees hired after July 1, 2010. Simon points out that there are several positive indicators in this year’s budge, including:

Washoe County still maintains the highest bond rating in the history of Northern Nevada, which keeps our interest rate costs down when borrowing money.
Washoe County has budgeted an ending fund balance that is 200 percent of what is required by statute.
Washoe County hopes to receive a settlement from the State for a portion of the property taxes that were diverted from County resources; $6 million over two years will go directly into funding State-authorized infrastructure projects that will also create local jobs, and $1.25 million is proposed to go toward entirely eliminating a health insurance premium increase for employees and retirees next year. The Board also gave direction that, if and when that settlement is received, they would like to consider action to allocate a portion of it towards hiring additional deputies.
Washoe County has fully funded the Incline Tax refunds and still maintains millions of dollars in assigned reserves for risk management, equipment replacement, health benefits and other designated purposes.
Washoe County will be appropriately increasing the investment in employee development and training, and will be inviting employees and private sector representatives to help us identify the highest priorities.
Washoe County will be supporting a “Buy Local/Think Local” initiative to help grow the local economy, which helps us grow new tax revenues in the region to fund all our operations.
Washoe County is forming an Economic Development Team internally to assist new/expanding businesses in navigating through the planning and permitting processes, and is increasing support to the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) by $10,000.

The County’s largest fund, the General Fund, was approved for $301.2 million in expenditures and other uses for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2012. This represents a decrease in revenue from all sources of 8 percent, some of which is an expected decrease in property tax of $2.5 million.

Fires in Antelope Valley burn 6,000 acres

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:06:40 -0700

Battle Mountain -- Two fires about 60 miles south-west of Battle Mountain in Antelope Valley burned more than 6,000 acres.

Both fires were human caused and are under investigation. The fires were reported at 12:14 p.m. on May 14 and control was called at 10 a.m., on May 16.

There were structures in danger the first day and firefighters were able to handle the threat and save the buildings. There were no injuries on the incident. Three crews, eleven engines and two dozers were assigned to these fires for a total of 96 fire personnel. Both fires were officially contained as of 2 p.m., May 15, and most resources were released that evening. Some resources were held on the fire to complete the mop up.

Antelope 1 burned approximately 2,500 acres and Antelope 2 burned approximately 3,589 acres. The impacts of both fires are being assessed and appropriate rehabilitation measures are being developed.

This is a very dry year and it takes very little to get a fire started. Authorities are urging people to be careful with anything that can cause a fire; matches, bullets, fireworks and cigarettes.

Please report all fires to Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center (CNIDC) at 775-623-3444.

Early voting offered at your Washoe County library

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:04:05 -0700

VOTE EARLY AT YOUR WASHOE COUNTY LIBRARY

Voters can avoid long lines on Election Day by taking advantage of the convenience of early voting at four Washoe County libraries.

Libraries will offer early voting for the Primary Election from May 26-June 8.

Citizens can vote early at any location, no matter where in Washoe County they live.

“We’re happy to be able to offer the convenience of early voting to our community again this year,” said Washoe County Library System Director Arnie Maurins. “We also hope voters will spend some time exploring their local library, seeing the great services we provide, and signing up for a library card if they don’t already have one.”

Early voting will also take place at other Washoe County locations including the Registrar of Voters Office, Reno Town Mall, Shoppers Square, Sun Valley Neighborhood Center, and the University of Nevada Joe Crowley Student Union.

For a complete schedule, see http://www.washoecounty.us/voters or call the Washoe County Registrar of Voters Office at 328-3670.

2 injured in rollover crash near Fernley

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:23:57 -0700

FERNLEY -- A man and a woman suffered serious injuries due to a rollover accident that occurred yesterday in the morning near Fernley.

Yesterday morning at approximately 11:12 am, troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover crash on US 50 Alternate, approximately 8 miles south of Fernley.

The details of the investigation so far indicate a blue 1995 Mercury Villager van, driven by 43-year-old David B. Spencer of Silver Springs, was traveling south bound on the two-lane highway at a very high rate of speed. Mr. Spencer had one passenger riding in the van, 44-year-old Samantha K. Ton, also from Silver Springs.

Mr. Spencer failed to negotiate a right hand curve in the highway and continued to travel into the opposing lane before traveling off the east side of the highway. His vehicle struck a section of barbed wire fence before hitting a ditch causing the vehicle to vault into the air. The van rolled over several times ejecting the female passenger before coming to rest on its roof.

Both occupants sustained serious injuries and were airlifted from the scene by Care flight and taken to Renown Regional Medical Center. No other vehicles were involved.

Trooper Chris Kelly of the Major Accident Investigation Team is handling this case and would like to talk to any witnesses to the crash or anyone who may have observed a driving pattern of the van shortly before it departed the roadway. He can be reached at (775) 689-4661 or at ckelly@dps.state.nv.us regarding case number NHP-120520454.

State needs to fill hundreds of jobs

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:40:00 -0700

The state government is having trouble filling more than 1400 jobs on it’s website

One issue may be a perception of low pay for government workers or that there is a pay freeze on.

To make the process easier, testing hours in Carson Cityare being expanded, and applicants face fewer test as well.

To find a complete list of openings, log onto www.dop.nv.gov

Washoe County Fire services final budget gets approval

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:36:31 -0700

RENO -- After more than two years of financial uncertainty due to the Great Recession, loss of $7 million in revenues and the dire prospect of Truckee Meadows and Sierra Fire Protection Districts' fire station closures, the new TMFPD/SFPD Consolidated Fire District is now financially sustainable.

Earlier today the Washoe County Commissioners, acting as the Board of Fire Commissioners for the Districts, approved the final consolidated Fire Districts’ budget.

Fire Chief Charles A. Moore said during his report this morning in the Commission Chambers, “This financial sustainability is due to the strong, conservative financial leadership of the District's Board of Fire Commissioners with the tremendous assistance from our Firefighters' Union IAFF Local 3895 and Chief Officers Association. These employees stepped forward and saved the Consolidated Fire District $2.5 million per year due to negotiating minimum 3 person engine companies and salary levels consistent with regional parity. These employees put public safety above themselves and were equally dedicated to insuring fire stations were kept open as was the Board of Fire Commissioners.” The TMFPD/SFPD Consolidated Fire District budget is $21,250,141 and includes 24 hour, seven days per week staffing for 11 career fire stations, and 13 volunteer fire stations servicing all areas of the Fire District including Caughlin Ranch, Windy Hill, Verdi and Hidden Valley. The budget was based on the Boards of Fire Commissioners’ March 27, 2012 decision to implement Plan B for a TMFPD/SFPD consolidated Fire District.

The decision established a tax rate of 54 cents per $100 of assessed value for both the fire districts. This is an increase of approximately 2 percent or 6.87 cents in the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District tax rate or $24 per year increase in the average property tax bill for fire service. The tax rate for SFPD changed from 52 cents to 54 cents per $100 of assessed value for a less than 1% increase in the average property tax bill. Due to the decline in the assessed valuation, however, it is anticipated the average tax bill will still experience a decrease even with the increase in the districts’ tax rates.

The Fire Services budget includes more funding for volunteer programs including; $480,000 for a Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) Paging System, VFD Capital Improvement Program and the VFD Palomino Valley Fire Protection Well for water service for fires. It also includes seed money to establish a volunteer residence program for the first time in Washoe County.

Moore said, “I am confident that as of July 1, 2012, there will be a promising new day for the TMFPD and SFPD. For more than 20 years, State and local governments in Northern Nevada have tried to consolidate the two fire districts without success. Now, the Board of Fire Commissioners has set us on a course to consolidate fire service in the unincorporated area of Truckee Meadows to the betterment of our citizens we protect.”

The budget includes paying for all the District's workers compensation and retiree health liabilities, wildland fire liabilities and funding for necessary capital improvement programs, fuels management programs and operational contingencies. The TMFPD/SFPD Consolidated Fire District is one of the largest firefighting forces in Nevada excluding Clark County.

Police subdue man's attempted suicide plan

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:20:41 -0700

RENO -- Reno Police arrived in time to save the life of a suicidal subject at south Reno on Friday afternoon.

Last Friday at around 2:15 p.m., officers of the Reno Police Department were dispatched to 4180 Rewana Way on a report of a suicidal subject armed with a knife and threatening to cut his own throat. Officers met with the reporting person, the wife of the suicidal subject, outside the address. She stated the subject was alone in the residence and had access to multiple firearms. Police negotiators called the subject and he made suicidal statements as well as threatening statements with the firearms. He additionally sent out photographs via text message depicting a serious and potentially life threatening laceration to his neck. Due to the threat the subject represented to himself and neighborhood residents, police were determined to contact the subject to facilitate medical attention and render the area safe for residents. Despite exhaustive efforts by police negotiators, the subject refused to exit the residence. The subject had become increasingly lethargic during negotiations and eventually became unresponsive to negotiators. The Reno Police SWAT team responded and ultimately entered the residence. The suicidal subject was located inside the residence. He had suffered significant blood loss was extremely lethargic and incoherent and in possession of a firearm. The subject was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center and treated for his injuries.

2 bodies found at scene of Spanish Springs fire

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:12:42 -0700

SPANISH SPRINGS -- Authorities say the bodies of two adults have been found at the scene of a house fire, and their suspicious deaths are under investigation.

Washoe County sheriff's spokesman Armando Avina says the bodies of an adult man and adult woman were found inside a garage fully engulfed in flames in the 9000 block of Spanish Trail Drive early Saturday night.

He says the cause of their deaths is still unknown, and the identities of the two people have not been released, pending formal identification and notification of next of kin by the medical examiner's office.

Avina says the garage was fully engulfed in flames when emergency crews arrived, and the blaze caused significant damage throughout the house.

Reports state that sheriff’s deputies responded to assist the Reno Fire Department with traffic control on the fire. Once Reno firefighters extinguished the flames, bodies of a man and woman were discovered. Sheriff’s detectives were then called out to continue the investigation.

The garage fire also caused significant damage was done to the rest of the residence.

The sheriff’s detectives division encourages anyone with information on this incident to call 328-3320 or Secret Witness at 322-4900, report online at www.secretwitness.com or text the tip to 847411 (TIP 411) keyword “SW.”

Welcome to Nevada, Mr. Superintendent

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:07:52 -0700

Education reformers tend to get flattened in Nevada. James Guthrie knew as much when he became the state's new superintendent of schools last month.

To be run down on his third day of work just seemed a bit soon.

While Guthrie was walking from his building to the governor's office, a car veered off the street and onto the Carson City sidewalk he was using. There would be no waiting for Superman - the 75-year-old leaped to the side, and the vehicle clipped his leg before speeding off.

Apparently, the teachers unions didn't have a car fast enough to get the job done.

Guthrie shared that anecdote in a Thursday meeting with the Review-Journal's editorial board. Fortunately, his injuries were minor, and he wasn't discouraged by the rude welcome to Nevada. His sense of humor and his sense of purpose remain intact.

Already, Guthrie has given the education establishment more than enough reasons to run him out of the state. Odds are, he's the first Nevada superintendent to be flipped off by a teacher during his first month on the job - he said the woman didn't appreciate his assertion that more money alone wouldn't make our schools better.

Among his goals for Nevada:

READ FULL STORY

American Cancer Society cautions Nevadans about skin cancer

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:54:37 -0700

LAS VEGAS -- Temperatures are rising in Nevada - and so are skin cancer rates. The American Cancer Society (ACS) wants to make sure people stay safe this summer.

Yolanda Wide, ACS health initiatives coordinator, recommends wearing sunscreen with a skin protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 when outdoors, and reapplying it hourly. And if you are concerned about a mole that doesn't look right, don't hesitate to check it out, she adds.

"Individuals interested in receiving a skin cancer screening can call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 to find out if there is one scheduled in their area."

The EPA estimates that 480 Nevada residents were diagnosed with melanoma in 2009. Melanoma is responsible for about 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths. The agency says Humboldt County has the highest rate of new melanoma diagnoses in Nevada.

Wide also advises staying away from tanning beds and telling young friends and relatives to do the same.

"Mostly, it's teenagers who use tanning beds; we have literature geared specifically for them, so they understand that they are dangerous."

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, will account for more than 75,000 cases in 2012, according to ACS.

Anyone who is concerned about a mole that doesn't look right should check it out, Wide says. When looking at moles, remember "A-B-C-D," to recall what the doctor should check, she adds.

"'A' stands for asymmetrical. 'B' is for border: If the edges are ragged or blurred, that is another sign to be cautious and talk to a doctor about the mole. 'C' is for color: Make sure the pigmentation is not uniform. 'D' stands for diameter: If a mole is the size of a pencil eraser or larger, it should be examined."

The Friday before Memorial Day is known as "Don't Fry Day," Wide says. It is set aside to raise awareness about skin cancer and help people take steps to protect themselves.

More information is available at cancer.org and at www.epa.gov.

BLOG: Candidates who speak with forked tongues

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:47:37 -0700

The voting public generally believes that all politicians lie, but few politicians go as far as Nevada Assemblyman Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas) in justifying that belief.

In a recent mailer for his campaign to move up to the state senate, Hammond - a public school teacher - wrote the following: “I expect the highest degree of honesty and integrity of my children and my students, and I pledge the same to the people I represent in the state legislature.”

The mailer includes the headline “STOP THE TAX HIKES,” under which he wrote: “The worst thing we can do in this economy is raise taxes on families and small businesses. So when the tax and spenders in Carson City demand more of our money…Scott Hammond will say NO.”

So much for “honesty and integrity” from Assemblyman Hammond. Here’s why:

When running for the Legislature in 2010, Hammond refused to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge which promises the voters of his district and the people of Nevada that he will “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.” And when asked in a recorded candidate debate why he refused to sign the Pledge, Hammond declared:

“I want people to look at me and if I tell them I won’t raise your taxes I want them to understand that I won’t. You know, I walk up to my commitments and I keep them. When I tell you face-to-face that I’m not going to raise taxes, I don’t think I have to sign a piece of paper to prove it.”

Well, um, apparently he does.

You see, despite now claiming in his mailer that “the worst thing we can do in this economy is raise taxes on families and small businesses,” that’s EXACTLY what Hammond did in the last legislative session. In fact, he voted to raise taxes on families and businesses to the tune of a whopping $620 million!

“Honesty and integrity”? Puh-lease.

Making matters worse, Gov. Brian Sandoval has already announced that he intends to re-impose that $620 million worth of tax hikes again next year. Would Hammond, as a state senator, vote against raising those taxes on Nevada’s families and small businesses?

He’s not saying. But even if he did, who among us would now take him at his word?

You know, political discourse these days is pretty harsh, and I really do try not to call politicians liars when what we’re really talking about is simply a philosophical difference of opinion, not an outright stated falsehood. But there’s just no way around it and no way to sugarcoat it on this one:

Scott Hammond was purposely deceitful in his mailer; he told demonstrable untruths. No wonder the public believes all politicians speak with forked tongues.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, founder of CampaignDoctor.com and blogs at MuthsTruths.com. He can be reached at chuck@citizenoutreach.com

'Click it or Ticket' campaign kicks off today

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:39:09 -0700

Coinciding with the Memorial Day weekend, the annual nationwide “Click it or Ticket” seat belt awareness and enforcement campaign begins today and goes through June 3, 2012.

During this two-week timeframe, state troopers, sheriff’s deputies, and police officers will be joining forces and placing a high priority on this vitally important traffic law. With the upcoming 3-day Memorial Day weekend quickly approaching, larger volumes of traffic are anticipated on our roads and highways and we want every motorist to know the importance of buckling up while driving or riding in a motor vehicle.

The theme for this year’s campaign is simple: “Always focus on your driving and be certain that everyone riding in the vehicle is buckled up every trip, every time.” It only takes two seconds to buckle a seat belt and this injury-reducing and life-saving task should be an automatic practice for everyone riding inside a motor vehicle.

Although recent surveys have indicated that approximately 94 percent of all motorists in Nevada were wearing a seat belt in 2011, that still leaves approximately 180,000 Nevadans

unrestrained in motor vehicles. According the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, another disturbing fact is that nearly 50 percent of the 61 fatalities this year in automobile crashes in Nevada were not wearing seat belts.

Nevada jobless rate drops below 12% in April for first time in nearly three years

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:28:12 -0700

ARSON CITY – Nevada’s jobless rate dropped below 12 percent for the first time in nearly three years in April, a state agency reported today. The statewide seasonally adjusted rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 11.7 percent.

It was the eight consecutive month of declines, and brings the state jobless rate down from a peak of 14 percent reached in October 2010. The number of unemployed Nevadans has fallen from 193,600 to 158,600 over the period, the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) reported.

“Nevada has recorded year-over-year private sector job gains every month since early 2011, a clear sign that we are slowly but steadily working our way toward a stronger economy,” said Gov. Brian Sandoval. “We will continue to push for job growth in our economy, especially in key economic sectors to ensure the unemployment rate continues to decline.”

New job growth in Nevada is being driven by the private sector, which has added employment in every month since January 2011. So far this year, private sector job levels are trending about 13,800 higher than a year ago. That is on top of approximately 12,000 new jobs added in 2011. Those improvements are being partially offset by declines in the public sector, which has lost 6,400 jobs since January 2011.

Mining employment hit 16,000 jobs in April, setting a new peak dating back more than 20 years.

The unemployment rate in each of the state’s three metropolitan areas fell below 12 percent and reached levels not seen in nearly three years. In the Las Vegas region, the unemployment rate fell to 11.6 percent in April, down from 12 percent in March. The unemployment rate in the Reno-Sparks area fell by six-tenths to 11.4 percent in April.

In the capital region, the unemployment rate fell six-tenths to 11.8 percent in April, down from 12.4 percent in March. In the Elko micropolitan area (Elko and Eureka counties), the unemployment rate declined three-tenths to 6.3 percent. The rate is 5.2 percentage points lower than the statewide average and 1.4 points lower than the national average of 7.7 percent.

The local rates are not seasonally adjusted.

“Much has been made of late about the underlying reasons behind the downtrend in the unemployment rate,” said Bill Anderson, chief economist for DETR. “While job growth has been positive of late, contributing to the drop in the jobless rate, there are some structural forces at play, as well. Specifically, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) has been trending down both at the state and national level for many years.”

At the beginning of the recession, about 66 percent of the U.S. population was in the labor force (either employed or unemployed). As of April, the LFPR was just 63.6 percent, suggesting individuals (presumably without a job) are dropping out of the labor force and are not counted amongst the unemployed.

In Nevada, the labor force participation rate has been trending down since the early 1980’s, after reaching a peak of 73.7 percent. The current LFPR stands at 64.9 percent, down from 67.8 since the start of the recession. While recent declines in the LFPR can be attributed to a poor job market, longer term trends point to changes in the structure of the economy and demographics of the population.

Results were mixed for Nevada’s major industry sectors. Mining employment rose by 100 in April and set a new series peak dating back to 1990. The trade, transportation and utilities sector added 2,900 jobs, with a strong showing from retail trade (+1,600), transportation/warehousing/utilities (+1,100); and an increase of 200 jobs in wholesale trade.

“On the down side, a number of industries shed employment in April,” Anderson said. “Construction (-900) continued to trend down, setting a new post-boom low.”

Man killed by Reno police identified

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:05:00 -0700

Law authorities have released the name of the man killed by a Reno Police officer on Friday.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office, who is handling the shooting investigation, identified the man as Jace Herndon, 41, of Reno. However, WCSO has not released any other details.

Reports state that Herndon was pulled over near downtown at the 400 block of Court Street at around 3:10 p.m. The vehicle Herndon was driving is believed to be stolen; two other people were riding the in the vehicle.

Authorities are not releasing many details surrounding the confrontation that lead to the shooting and Herndon's death. They have simply stated that, “Officers from the Reno Police Department verbally engaged the driver in the vehicle and shortly thereafter were involved in an officer involved shooting.”

The four officers involved in the shooting have been placed on routine administrative leave during the investigation.

The Regional Officer Involved Shooting Team is talking to witnesses. The Regional OIS Team asks anyone with information about this to call detectives at 328-3320, Secret Witness at 322-4900 or go to www.secretwitness.com, or text the tip to 847411 keyword SW.

Miss Nevada organization to host meet and greet with titleholders, contestants in Minden

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:02 -0700

MINDEN -- The public is invited to a special meet and greet hosted by the Miss Nevada Organization this Saturday in Minden. This free event will be held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Minden, Nevada. Miss Nevada 2011 Alana Lee and Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen Bailey Gumm will be joined by the 12 contestants competing to become Miss Nevada 2012 and the 16 young women vying for the title of Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen for this free event. Contestants and titleholders will sign autographs and pose for pictures during the 90 minute event. “This is the first time the organization has hosted a meet and greet in Minden and we are so excited to introduce the contestants to the community,” said Amy Hacker, executive director of the Miss Nevada Organization. “This is an incredible opportunity for both our organization and the city of Minden and we look forward to this event becoming a tradition.” The contestants will be in town for a two-day orientation in preparation for the 2012 Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen competitions which will be held July 2 and 3 in Mesquite, Nev. During the weekend the contestants will participate in a variety of workshops all designed to assist with their final plans for competition. For more information about the Miss Nevada Organization, or to purchase tickets for the 2012 competition, please visit www.missnevada.org.

Truckee Meadows Fire rotection district issues ban on open burning

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:41:23 -0700

RENO -- Due to record levels of dryness and extreme fire conditions which maximize the potential for catastrophic fire, the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD) is restricting any and all open burning in Washoe County for the summer season. The ban on open burning follows several red flag warnings that have already been issued in Northern Nevada this spring.

Truckee Meadows Fire Chief, Charles A. Moore, says residents are the first step in fire prevention. “Any spark could start a major fire. Citizens are urged to use caution with any and all activities that could generate a spark, including use of power tools and barbeques. Even parking your car on vegetation can start a fire by way of very hot catalytic converters. Both the Caughlin and Washoe Fires were propelled by significant wind and we are asking citizens to be proactive during this season, which is why we issued a ban on open burning.”

Arrowcreek Fire Station Open

Earlier this week, the TMFPD Arrowcreek Fire Station at the intersection of Thomas Creek and Arrowcreek Parkway opened for full operations including 24/7 staffing. The station will service the areas of Arrowcreek, Galena, Mt. Rose and South West Reno. In addition, the Joy Lake Road Fire Station, located at 4000 Joy Lake Road is also in full operation.

Chief Moore says, “This a significant new resource for us in that it opens up an additional dimension to our response in the southern part of our district. We are better prepared to respond up and down US 395, Mt. Rose Highway and to stabilize emergencies that occur north and south of that area. As of Monday we have been fully operational with a 24/7 crew of three as well at the Joy Lake Station.”

There will be grand opening of the Arrowcreek Fire Station June 15th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and food will be provided by Bronx Pizzeria. The grand opening will be open to the public.

Young veterans searching for work after serving the country deserve support

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:24:17 -0700

During Shaun Clark’s time in the U.S. Army, he was deployed as airborne infantry to Afghanistan, Iraq and to Haiti after the earthquake. He’s experienced more in three years than most of us will in a lifetime. At 21, he’s back home and asking: Now what?

That’s the question facing many young veterans, who served in some treacherous war zones and now find themselves living in a civilian world that must seem at once dull, a little confusing and not very welcoming.

The unemployment rate for veterans who have served on active duty at any time since September 2001 — referred to as Gulf War-era II veterans — was 12.1 percent in 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was significantly higher than the rest of the population.

For male veterans ages 18 to 24, the situation is worse, with an unemployment rate of 29.1 percent in 2011, compared with 17.6 percent of young male nonveterans.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is trying to fix this deplorable problem with a program called Hiring Our Heroes, and they held a job fair at the Venetian on Thursday. (First lady Michelle Obama has a similar initiative.)

Many young veterans joined the service right out of high school and need to catch up on the basics, such as how to write a resume.

Once they know the basics, young veterans confront a problem: how to translate duty, honor and country into bullet points on a resume.

Nathan Smith, who was a Marine Corps infantry officer, is executive director of Hire Heroes, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that offers employment training for veterans and connects them with employers. As he put it, “How do you put ‘Infantry in Afghanistan’ on a resume?”

He said that when he talks to employers, his message is, “Hire for attitude and train for skill.”

This is especially crucial for young men whose primary experience has been combat arms in the Army and Marine Corps. (Navy and Air Force veterans often leave the service with technical skills in demand in the private sector.)

READ FULL STORY

iPhone App about downtown Reno a labor of love — for locals

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:19:12 -0700

Mike van Houten built a new iPhone App, an application that details life in the heart of Reno, as a gift to his neighbors in the Biggest Little City.

Van Houten hopes, however, that the app proves to be a gift that keeps on giving as his JM Studio Inc. begins marketing the concept, as well as the underlying code, to other cities across the United States.

At this point, JM Studio and G&J Technology — a Reno firm that wrote the application’s code — have well over 800 hours invested in developing and de-bugging the app, which is available for free download through the iTunes App store.

Much of the work, van Houten says, came as he personally wrote most of the short descriptions of about 150 locations in Reno’s downtown and mid-town neighborhoods that are at the heart of the new app. He also took many of the photos himself.

It’s not exactly like he was starting from scratch. A resident of the downtown area, van Houten launched a well-regarded Web site, Downtownmakeover.com, just as the resurgence of Reno’s core was building momentum in the middle of the last decade. Building by building, business by business, Van Houten detailed the redevelopment efforts.

It, too, has been a labor of love as the site doesn’t carry any advertising.

“I really believe in a vibrant urban center,” says van Houten. “We built it as a gift to the community.”

He began working with the G&J Technology in December to develop a similar product for iPhone users.

On the surface, the app is all about downtown Reno. Dining options, an events calendar, news briefs, features on entertainment venues, information on parking and transit, details about locally owned businesses and weather updates are all very locally oriented.

But the underlying code, van Houten says, creates a template that can be easily customized for other cities.

That coding puts to use features such as color-coded icons, Facebook and Twitter sharing feeds, mapping tools and retina-display design and multi-task support. The technology allows information on downtownmaker.com and the new app to sync back and forth in real time. The market for downtown-oriented applications appears to be substantial, van Houten says.

Before he began work on the Reno project, he took a look at nearly every downtown app available through the iTunes App store — apps for cities from Las Angeles to New York.

“They were all missing something,” he says. “I wanted to build something that was better than all of them.”

JM Studio has begun marketing its template to downtowns and tourism agencies across the country, basing its sales pitch on the capability to complete a cost-effective app that relies on a template whose expensive coding already has been written.

Secondarily, van Houten also hopes the app delivers a message to local residents as well as outsiders that sophisticated technology can be developed in northern Nevada.

A key piece of the local marketing plan for the new app, he says, will be the visitors center that opened last week in the Reno Envy store at 135 N. Sierra St.

There, visitors can capture an QR code on a poster to easily download the new app.

Indoor navigation system for blind designed by UNR scientists

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:06:21 -0700

RENO -- A University of Nevada, Reno engineering team has developed a low-cost accessible software that uses smartphone and robot technology to help people with visual impairments.

UNR computer science engineering team Kostas Bekris and Eelke Folmer presented their indoor navigation system for people with visual impairments at two national conferences in the past two weeks.

The researchers explained how a combination of human-computer interaction and motion-planning research was used to build a low-cost accessible navigation system, called Navatar, which can run on a standard smartphone.

“Existing indoor navigation systems typically require the use of expensive and heavy sensors, or equipping rooms and hallways with radio-frequency tags that can be detected by a handheld reader and which are used to determine the user's location,” Bekris, of the College of Engineering’s Robotics Research Lab, said. “This has often made the implementation of such systems prohibitively expensive, with few systems having been deployed.”

Instead, the University of Nevada, Reno navigation system uses digital 2D architectural maps that are already available for many buildings, and uses low-cost sensors, such as accelerometers and compasses, that are available in most smartphones, to navigate users with visual impairments. The system locates and tracks the user inside the building, finding the most suitable path based on the users special needs, and gives step-by-step instructions to the destination.

“Nevertheless, the smartphone's sensors, which are used to calculate how many steps the user has executed and her orientation, tend to pick up false signals,” Folmer, who has developed exercise video games for the blind, said. “To synchronize the location, our system combines probabilistic algorithms and the natural capabilities of people with visual impairments to detect landmarks in their environment through touch, such as corridor intersections, doors, stairs and elevators.”

Folmer explained that as touch screen devices are challenging to use for users with visual impairments, directions are provided using synthetic speech and users confirm the presence of a landmark by verbal confirmation or by pressing a button on the phone or on a Bluetooth headset. A benefit of this approach is that the user can leave the phone in their pocket leaving both hands free for using a cane and recognizing tactile landmarks.

“This is a very cool mix of disciplines, using the user as a sensor combined with sophisticated localization algorithms from the field of robotics,” Folmer, of the University’s Computer Science Engineering Human-Computer Interaction Lab, said.

The team is currently trying to implement their navigation system in other environments and integrate it into outdoor navigation systems that use GPS.

“My research is motivated by the belief that a disability can be turned into an innovation driver,” Folmer said. “When we try to solve interaction design problems for the most extreme users, such as users with visual impairments, there is the potential to discover solutions that may benefit anyone. Though the navigation system was specifically developed for users with visual impairments, it can be used by sighted users as well.”

For their work on the indoor navigation system for the blind, Bekris and Folmer recently won a PETA Proggy Award for Leadership in Ethical Science. PETA's Proggy Awards ("Proggy" is for "progress") recognize animal-friendly achievements. The navigation system was deemed such an achievement because it could decrease the need to rely on guide dogs.

They presented and demonstrated their research at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in St. Paul., Minn. on May 15 and on May 7 at the CM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, which is the premier international conference on human-computer interaction.

For more information on the system, visit http://eelke.com/navatar. For more information about the University of Nevada, Reno College of Engineering, visit http://www.unr.edu/engineering/.