By Kayla Anderson Sparks Tribune In the near empty Sparks Legislative Building on Monday, the City of Sparks swore in Ed Lawson as its 26th major of Sparks, succeeding Mayor Ron Smith who died of cancer in August 2020. Lawson first joined the Sparks City Council in November 2010 when he was elected to the Council representing Ward 2. Lawson was then reelected in … [Read more...]
Sherman Frederick: Buckle up, boys & girls
Gun sales from coast to coast and throughout the fruited plain have soared in the runup to the presidential election. And where are sales profoundly up? In the seven presidential “toss up” states of Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin. Gun sales growth in those states are up -- wait for it -- 77.9 percent.Ammo sales surged 139 … [Read more...]
Lake Tahoe area grappling with influx of visitors, and problems during pandemic
By Kayla Anderson Sparks Tribune It seems like ever since the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation in March, people have been escaping the cities to hide out in the mountains where there’s more space and access to the outdoors. Then summer came around and destination spots like Lake Tahoe that are normally teeming with tourists have been impacted especially hard. … [Read more...]
Andrew Barbano Column: Tribal trauma, Belarus R Us and a hero passes
“Democracy without education becomes tyranny without limitation.” Our version of representative government found a toehold because the population of the colonies in the late 18th Century had a respectable level of education. So stated one of my college history profs who mentioned the above quote, some version of which goes back to Socrates and Plato. So how can a highly … [Read more...]
Sparks Mayor Ron Smith dies after battle with pancreatic cancer
By Kayla Anderson Sparks Tribune City of Sparks Mayor Ron Smith passed away on Friday, August 21, following his two-year battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 71. As a Sparks resident for more than 35 years, Smith had a visible passion for his community, eventually running for (and winning) a Sparks City Council seat in the 2006 election representing … [Read more...]
Harry Spencer Column: So Long, ‘Tray’
Harry Spencer One of the social mores that all athletes practice is calling their fellow teammates by their last name or a nickname. Hence the above headline which immortalizes the sobriquet most often used for the late Dick Trachok. The practice of using the surname probably had its genesis in the service during the war years of the last century. When you have a … [Read more...]
Covid-19 cases reported at several area schools
By Kayla Anderson Sparks Tribune School started on August 18 with only a few in-person sessions and canceled school days due to poor air quality, therefore we’re still in the early days of knowing how Covid will affect students and families. As of August 31, there have been 16 total confirmed cases of Covid that have been identified amongst staff and students within the … [Read more...]
Harry Spencer Column: Competing conventions
Harry Spencer atching the Democrat convention and the Republican convention over the past two weeks revealed that they were a study in contrasts. The Democrat version was strictly a virtual presentation where the Dems trotted out a number of antediluvian swamp dwellers who attempted to paint candidate Joe Biden as a lovable, empathetic and caring individual. They … [Read more...]