By Michelle RindelsThe Nevada Independent The Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) is dropping plans to fire employees who did not heed a now-expired COVID vaccination mandate. The decision, announced in an all-staff memo dated Thursday, is an about-face for a department that in late January expressed plans to go full speed ahead on terminations for … [Read more...]
House approves $280 billion for veterans exposed to toxic fumes
By Humberto SanchezThe Nevada Independent The U.S. House approved a package worth more than $280 billion to extend health care coverage to about 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic fumes from burn pits, used mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan to get rid of trash and waste. The Senate passed a more limited package last month as part of a threepart strategy to tackle … [Read more...]
As Nevada shortage worsens, where will the new teachers come from?
By Jacob SolisThe Nevada Independent Twenty years ago, Lushawn Threats started an elementary education program at the College of Southern Nevada — the first step in the Cheyenne High School graduate’s lifelong dream of becoming a teacher. But within a year, she started to lose her vision. “I was legally blind for about five years,” Threats said. “And in that time, I … [Read more...]
March 9, 2022
Sparks City Council Meeting Highlights
The following are highlights from the February 28, 2022, Sparks City Council Meeting. Announcements/ Presentations Boards and Commission vacancies: One vacancy on the Sparks Building Code Board of Appeals for an electrical engineer or an electrical contractor with at least 10 years of experience. The position is for a two-year term ending 03/31/2024. Applications will … [Read more...]
Reno discusses critical need for affordable housing
By Tabitha MuellerThe Nevada Independent Amid growing unease about skyrocketing rental and home prices, Reno’s city council held a special meeting last Tuesday to discuss solutions that may alleviate pressure on the market and increase affordable housing. Over the last five years, one-bedroom apartment prices in Reno jumped almost 91 percent from a median of $668 a … [Read more...]
Frederick Column: Old is new: Incarcerate the homeless
After decades, and hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain, our touchy-feely neighbors in California are now talking about a “new” solution to chronic homelessness. Although leaders there shroud the concept in euphemistic language, it is actually a very old idea: Incarceration. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that he is calling for the mentally ill and drug … [Read more...]