It was a packed house the morning of January 22 at the Sparks Legislative Building on 4th Street as people gathered for Mayor Ed Lawson’s annual State of the City Address. In the hour-long special meeting attended by the city council, Sparks municipal judges, the city attorney, county/state officials, Lawson’s family, Washoe County School District trustees, and others, the … [Read more...]
Winter storm highlights need for more highway workers
By Tabitha Mueller The Nevada Independent Two days before a winter storm shut down government offices in Northern Nevada, Gov. Joe Lombardo asked if certain licensure requirements could be waived by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) to address a shortage of highway maintenance workers who keep roadways clear. The storm that began Wednesday night and left … [Read more...]
Deputy elections official named interim registrar
The Nevada Independent Washoe County commissioners voted 3-2 on Wednesday to appoint Deputy Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess to the interim registrar role. Commissioners Jeanne Herman and Mike Clark were in opposition. Burgess’ appointment comes after former Registrar Jamie Rodriguez’s resignation on Jan. 2. That was part of a significant wave of turnover in the … [Read more...]
Rosen introduces Washoe county lands bill years in the making
By Gabby Birenbaum The Nevada Independent Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced a much-anticipated lands bill for Washoe County, opening up new parcels for development in the housing-starved area in a conservation and development compromise mirroring prior Nevada lands bills. The Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act, first requested by Washoe County and the cities … [Read more...]
Election season ramping up in Rail City
Election season is ramping up in America as presidential candidates vie for the attention of the public. In the City of Sparks, offices up for re-election this year include City Council representatives for Wards 1, 3, and 5, the position of City Attorney, and Municipal Court Judge Department 2. Filing for City Council and City Attorney positions will be … [Read more...]
Sparks City Council meeting highlights
The following are highlights from the Jan. 8, Sparks City Council Meeting. Announcements/ Presentations Council approved: General Business Council rejected the offer to settle Lawson v. City of Sparks in the amount of $600,000.00. Council approved: Council held public hearings and: Planning and Zoning … [Read more...]
Suit to bar Trump from Nevada ballot over role in Jan. 6 dismissed for lack of standing
By Sean Golonka The Nevada Independent A Nevada-based federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to bar former President Donald Trump from the ballot in Nevada over Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 uprising after the judge found the Texas man who filed the case lacked standing to do so. U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro cited other federal district … [Read more...]
Wingfield Springs dog park approved and expected to open around August
At the January 8, 2024, Sparks City Council meeting, councilmembers approved a $726,696 contract with Truckee Meadows Construction to build the approximately 2-acre Black Hills Dog Park on a vacant City-owned lot on the corner of Vista Boulevard and Black Hills Drive. The new dog park was approved by the City Council and added to the Foothills at Wingfield Springs HOA … [Read more...]