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...]
Shari Way turning into Scary Way again this Halloween
Driving along Shari Way in Sparks, it’s immediately obvious why the street is called Scary Way as it gets closer to Halloween. It started with the Beetlejuice house at 3192 Shari Way and now Halloween is a full-on neighborhood event. On Halloween night, thousands of people flock to Shari Way for a one-of-a-kind trick-or-treating experience, usually having to park several … [Read more...]
As Congress moves forward on cannabis banking, NV industry cautiously optimistic
By Gabby Birenbaum The Nevada Independent When Brandon Wiegand first started working in the Nevada cannabis industry nearly a decade ago, everything was done in cash. “We were running cash payroll,” said Wiegand, now the president of the Nevada Cannabis Association (NCA) and chief commercial officer at Jardín Premium Cannabis Dispensary. “We were doing cash vendor … [Read more...]
NDOT to gather input on future I-80 improvements East of Sparks
The Nevada Department of Transportation will host an in-person and virtual public information meeting to gather public feedback as part of initial environmental review for proposed future widening of Interstate 80 east of Sparks. The meeting will be available both in-person and virtually to learn more and provide input about proposed future interstate … [Read more...]
More than a third of Nevada students chronically absent, continuing pandemic-era trend
By Eric Neugeboren and Rocio Hernandez The Nevada Independent Ignacio Prado has noticed a change at Futuro Academy in East Las Vegas ever since the pandemic: More parents are keeping their kids at home if they are sick. It’s a factor that Prado, the K-5 charter school’s executive director, says is contributing to the school’s absenteeism rates, which decreased in the … [Read more...]
Andelin Family Farm a place for fun for all ages in October
Zombie paintball, a Creepers Corn Maze, turkeys, camels, barrel train rides, capybaras, porcupines, food trucks, and pumpkins galore, the Andelin Family Farm is the place to be this October as it has activities that appeal to people of all ages. A general admission ticket gives one access to jump pads, a sand dig area, mini ziplines, rabbit hole slides, hay rides, a small hay … [Read more...]
Why Vegas is on the hook for natural disaster protection plans in Northern Nevada
The Nevada Independent Electrical grid failures have been pinpointed as sources of some of the country’s most damaging and deadly wildfires — the 2018 Camp and Woolsey fires in California, the 2020 Santiam Fire in Oregon and the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado. When the smoke dissipates, the cost of paying for these disasters hits utilities, and their customers, hard. In … [Read more...]
City of Sparks secures property for new fire station
The City of Sparks recently closed escrow on a property in Pioneer Meadows Business Park to build Fire Station 6, which is a major step in the process that began back in 2018. Sparks Fire Division Chief Kevin Jakubos says that the need for a new fire station was identified five years ago when they performed a statistical analysis of the area and saw how fast the population of … [Read more...]