There’s something special about Sparks’ elementary schools, and this year is no exception. At Alice Maxwell Elementary School last Thursday morning, the room was packed with students, local dignitaries, teachers, media, and education officials gathered at an event unofficially known as the “Oscars of Teaching”. To celebrate what was in store, everyone from Sparks Mayor Ed … [Read more...]
Eddy House breaks ground on new living complex for at-risk youth
The Eddy House recently broke ground on the construction of a 36-unit apartment complex next to its existing shelter near Willow Street in Reno. The new Transitional Living Community is part of its $14 million campus expansion, funded in part through the Nevada Housing Division and Home Means Nevada Initiative (helping residents who have been affected by the lack of … [Read more...]
Nevada’s 2024 rental market stabilizing, but prices remains above pre-pandemic levels
By Carly Sauvageau The Nevada Independent Though experts predict 2024 could finally see more stable rents after rapid cost increases in recent years, many Nevada tenants are still feeling the strain as rents continue to outpace what is affordable for a person earning the median income in Nevada. After rents fell in late 2022 for the first time since the COVID-19 … [Read more...]
Contract awarded for new Victorian Square art piece
The Sparks Arts and Culture Advisory Committee recently chose sculptor Jim Gallucci to design and install a public art piece to be installed in Victorian Square this upcoming October. The project is part of the Together We See Sparks creative placemaking plan that was approved by the city council in May 2020. In June 2023, the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee voted on two … [Read more...]
If enrollment drops, what happens to funding for Nevada’s colleges and universities?
By Jacob Solis The Nevada Independent Last September, the Board of Regents in charge of the state’s public higher education system received a presentation that, if correct, suggested enrollment trends that could upend Nevada’s higher education budgets within the next decade and force steep cuts. But the doomsday scenario doesn’t seem to worry the state’s top higher … [Read more...]
Sparks Heritage Museum celebrates the City’s119th birthday on Friday
On March 15, 1905, the City of Sparks was created when then Governor John Sparks signed a bill to mark its existence. On March 15, 2024, the Sparks Museum will be celebrating the city’s 119th birthday at 5:30 p.m. with cake, the Mayor’s Exhibit, and the launch of the Sparks History Map. Inside the museum, the Mayor’s Exhibit pays homage to every mayor that has represented … [Read more...]
Snowpack jumps 30 percent after massive weekend storm
By Amy Alonzo The Nevada Independent A massive early March storm has all but restored the snowpack across Nevada to median levels after what started as an abysmally low snow year in many locations. The multiday storm that shuttered highways, delayed openings of schools and government buildings and prompted forecasters to issue blizzard warnings dropped 30 percent of … [Read more...]
Nevada joins federal lawsuit to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
By Eric Neugeboren The Nevada Independent Nevada has joined a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and seven other states to block the proposed merger of major grocery store chains Kroger and Albertsons over its impact on consumers and employees. The lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, said the proposed $24.6 billion merger would … [Read more...]