By Amy Alonzo The Nevada Independent There aren’t a lot of similarities between Nevada and a rainforest. Except, surprisingly, that more than a dozen species of orchids — the delicate, flashy flowers typically thought to grow in sweltering jungles — grow in pockets across an extensive portion of the nation’s driest state. But for decades, orchids have largely gone … [Read more...]
Audit: Northern Nevada veterans home plagued by contract violations, financial errors
By Eric Neugeboren The Nevada Independent The company managing the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home has not been transparent about its finances and violated certain contract requirements, according to a state audit released Thursday. The findings were presented during a Thursday meeting of the state’s Executive Branch Audit Committee, a panel of state officials … [Read more...]
Honor our Veterans at the memorial plaza this Veterans Day
If you are looking for a way to honor our country’s fallen soldiers this Veterans Day, then consider heading over to the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza (NVMP) at the Sparks Marina for an immersive, commemorative experience. In 2014, late Sparks mayor and U.S. Navy veteran Ron Smith had the idea to build the NVMP, with a mission to create a space that preserves and honors the … [Read more...]
Billionaire proposes massive Nevada land trade with federal government
By Amy Alonzo The Nevada Independent In the 19th century, the federal government, looking to boost railway construction across the relatively undeveloped West, offered railroad companies an incentive: Expand the rail lines and receive alternating sections of land along the railway corridor. The railway companies delivered, laying thousands of miles of track, and in return … [Read more...]
Carson City ghost tour highlights Silver State’s spooky history
By Carly Sauvageau The Nevada Independent No town in the Silver State is complete without tales of miners, madams and misguided pioneers who take occasional breaks from the spectral realm to visit our mortal coil. So it should come as no surprise that Nevada’s capital has more than its fair share of ghost stories, many of which were explored at the 30th annual Carson … [Read more...]
Sparks Library introduces new Zoom ROOM
The covid pandemic changed how and where we work, judging from the surge of remote workers across the country. Even though many offices have opened back up again, many people are still on a hybrid or fully flexible/remote schedule. However, distractions at home can make it hard to get any real work done (or have a quiet place to get on a Zoom or conference call) and coworking … [Read more...]
Washoe County School Board approves 20 percent raises for teachers, police
By Rocio Hernandez The Nevada Independent Washoe County teachers and school police will likely receive raises of about 20 percent as part of two-year bargaining agreements approved unanimously Tuesday by the Washoe County School Board. Under the agreement with the Washoe Education Association, the union that represents the district’s nearly 4,000 licensed educators, … [Read more...]
Why it matters that northern Nevada is a federally designated ‘Tech Hub’
By Gabby Birenbaum The Nevada Independent The House finally picked a new speaker this week, meaning the chamber can finally begin to pick up spending bills with the next government shutdown date 20 days away. Meanwhile, Reno received a designation from President Joe Biden’s administration that positions the area for federal investment, and Nevada’s two senators split … [Read more...]