At the March 13 Sparks City Council meeting, councilmembers voted to pay former Sparks Fire Chief Mark Lawson a $100,000 settlement for a wrongful termination claim after his brief stint as acting fire chief last fall. However, in Lawson’s “Final Offer” to the City (sent February 15 after the City rejected the $441,218.83 original demand), Lawson asked for $170,000 which the … [Read more...]
Bill would halt plan to give Reno a sixth ward, maintain at-large city council position
By Carly Sauvageau The Nevada Independent Devon Reese announced his plans last month to run for re-election for a seat on the Reno City Council. However, if SB12 — a bill from the City of Reno Charter Committee, a group made up of six appointees from state legislators and seven from the Reno City Council — doesn’t pass, Reese’s at-large seat could be removed from the … [Read more...]
Former nursing facility now open as newly-transformed apartment complex
The HUB@Oddie located at 1835 Oddie Boulevard recently underwent a total transformation and is now the location of 59 apartments that include studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom living spaces. The HUB was originally a skilled nursing facility that was managed by Renown Health, yet it has been vacant for the past three years. Lara Properties took over the land and began the … [Read more...]
Washoe Commission Chair Hartung resigns, will take job with state
The Nevada Independent Chair Vaughn Hartung is resigning from his position on the Washoe County Board of Commissioners to take a position on the board of the Nevada Transportation Authority, which regulates taxis and other passenger transportation services. An announcement emailed by Washoe County Tuesday did not indicate what position he would be taking, but said the … [Read more...]
Gaming regulators tentatively approve Century’s $195M purchase of Sparks Nugget
By Howard Stutz The Nevada Independent Nevada gaming regulators tentatively approved Colorado-based casino operator Century Casinos’ acquisition of the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, which would mark the company’s entry into the state. Century executives told the Gaming Control Board during a 90-minute hearing in Las Vegas Wednesday the Nugget would be the company’s … [Read more...]
Victorian Square improvement projects to be finished next month
A few weeks ago, the City of Sparks announced that a few capital improvement projects are being done in Victorian Square to be completed before summer comes around. Among these are the Nugget Event Center Forecourt Project and Victorian Square Infrastructure Improvements. The Nugget Event Center Forecourt Project was approved at the December 12, 2022, in a unanimous vote by … [Read more...]
Ceremony to honor veterans, Gold Star families
Vietnam Veterans of America- Sierra Nevada Chapter 989 of Reno and the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza in Sparks are inviting all veterans and the public to attend “Let Freedom Ring” on March 25 at 2 p.m. This ceremony is remembering and honoring veterans from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan with a tribute to Gold Star families. The guest speaker is Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros … [Read more...]
Bills crack down on profiting from child sex workers, luring students
By Carly Sauvageau and Naoka Foreman The Nevada Independent Lawmakers are considering a bill, AB157, that would impose harsher penalties for those living off the earnings of child sex workers than for those living off the earnings of adult sex workers. Under existing law, someone making a living off of any sex worker — minor or adult — could spend one to five years in … [Read more...]