By Rocio Hernandez The Nevada Independent At the end of a small residential street in a southeast Reno neighborhood sits a recently completed 1,840-square foot home built almost entirely by local high school students. The single-family home on 4917 Hombre Way is the latest point of pride for the Academy for Career Education (ACE) High School. It’s the public charter … [Read more...]
Washoe school board appoints new trustee to serve District E
The Nevada Independent The Washoe County School Board has appointed Alex Woodley as the next trustee for District E, which covers the northwest section of Reno and parts of Lemmon and Panther Valleys. Woodley was sworn into office right after the votes were tallied Tuesday at a special board meeting. Woodley emerged as the favorite after the six trustees participated in a … [Read more...]
New fire chief resigns amid reports that he’s facing criminal charges
Mark Lawson was scheduled to be sworn in as the new fire chief of the Sparks Fire Department on Dec. 12, but that won’t be happening now as Lawson resigned from the position on Monday. “I am here with terrible bad horrible news,” said city manager Neil Krutz in a video message to Sparks Fire Department employees Monday. “This morning I met with Chief Lawson and asked … [Read more...]
Tuesday night tradition brings unhoused population to Reno city plaza
By Carly Sauvageau The Nevada Independent Reno City Plaza, an expanse of concrete sitting alongside the Truckee River, is a symbol of downtown life. Adorned with Burning Man art such as the space whale and Believe sign, it’s been the site of several celebrations, social justice protests or even just an open area for skaters to practice tricks. It is also a gathering … [Read more...]
Where is Nevada spending its $2.7 billion in American Rescue Plan funds?
By Sean Golonka The Nevada Independent When President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law in March 2021, Nevada legislators and state officials heralded the funding package, including nearly $7 billion for Nevada, as an opportunity to not only mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, but to make long-term investments into the state’s services and … [Read more...]
Sparks native named city’s new fire chief
Mark Lawson was hired as the new fire chief for the City of Sparks at Monday’s city council meeting. Lawson is the city’s first externally recruited fire chief in Sparks’ history and comes with 32 years of fire suppression experience, and a background in both fire prevention and law enforcement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “I believe … [Read more...]
Christmas comes to Sparks this weekend with plenty of holiday events on tap
Santa Claus is coming to town this weekend and kids will be able to catch a glimpse of him all around Sparks. The 39 North Pole Village will be lit up December 1-3rd, featuring a free holiday light festival full of thousands of twinkling lights along with holiday shopping booths, activities, entertainment, and more. 39 North Pole Village will be open in Victorian Square Dec. … [Read more...]
Nurses, mothers bemoan closure of St. Mary’s maternity ward
By Carly Sauvageau The Nevada Independent For decades, families have welcomed new members at the maternity ward of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, but that tradition abruptly ended the evening of Nov. 11. The sudden closure after 72 years of operation marks the end of an era for the hospital. On Thursday morning, nurses attended a vigil at the corner of … [Read more...]