Carson City’s Year in Review: a look back on 2020 (pandemic free edition)

It was an eventful year around the Carson City region notwithstanding the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's some notable stories that were not pandemic related that happened in 2020.

JANUARY
In a city faced with growth and demand for housing, Carson City supervisors approved the Andersen Estates project located west of Mountain Street and east of Ormsby Boulevard in west Carson City.

Carson City area citizens spent their Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the canyons near East Silver Saddle Ranch cleaning up dumpsites. In total, more than 50 volunteers removed 7,080 pounds of trash from the natural area. Items of all kinds were taken out of the canyons including plastic bottles, tires, yard trimmings, toys, and even kitchen sinks. Muscle Powered and Desert Pigs were generous enough to donate their time, volunteers, and equipment.

For the first time, the general public was able to get a glimpse of the Stewart Indian School, 130 years after the government boarding school opened in Carson City and 40 years after it was closed. The new Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum — long a dream of alumni and tribal leaders in the state, opened Jan. 13.

In January wildlife news, a fairly large mountain lion was spotted and photographed in northwest Carson City in the Timberline area.

A few days later a very well-fed looking bobcat was spotted and photographed in southwest Carson City. The cat apparently had just eaten a neighborhood duck.

Local deer hunters save 'King of Carson,' the capital city's famous buck after the animal got himself and his massive antlers tangled with what appeared to be a clothesline.

Sadly, the King of Carson, believed to be 11 years old, did not live out the year in 2020, having passed away in September from what wildlife officials said was natural causes.

In other news of the 4-legged variety and on a sad note, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office honored the life and career of retired K-9 Deputy Ary, who died in January. Ary led a distinguishable career in the K-9 Unit, joining the Unit in 2009 and retiring in 2016.

FEBRUARY

One of most read stories in February was submitted by Carson City Chamber Executive Director Ronni Hannaman who profiled 81-years old Dee Smith, a full-time employee at Carson’s Burger King.

In a friendly competition for a good cause, Carson City and Douglas County firefighters faced off in a stair climb contest to benefit the the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Carson City's own Ryker, an Spinone Italiano, won his Breed at the Westminster Dog Show. There were a total of 13 Spinoni entered to compete this year and Ryker brought home the gold with best in his breed.

The last day of February blew in quite literally when a giant dust devil tore through a West Carson City neighborhood destroying roofs, trees and causing quite a stir.

MARCH
The Carson City Chamber of Commerce recognized 10 local women as part of the nationwide Women's History Month celebration. The recognition follows Soroptimist International of Carson City's own "Celebrating Women Helping Women” event in February.

With nerves already heightened due to pandemic shut down, Carson City was rattled March 20 with a 4.5 magnitude earthquake centered east northeast of the Indian Hills area. A second earthquake shook the area a day later with a magnitude 3.2 quake.

In law enforcement news, Jerome Tushbant and Jim Primka were promoted to Undersheriff and Assistant Sheriff, respectively, during a swearing in ceremony held at the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. The changes were made a month after Undersheriff Ken Sandage retired after nearly 30 years of service.

In city politics, Supervisor Lori Bagwell announced her run as Mayor, winning the seat in the June primary. Lisa Schuette filed for Carson City Supervisor Ward 4 and won the seat handily in the June primary.
Maurice White filed to run for Carson City Board of Supervisors Ward 2 in March and was elected by voters in November.
Also filing in March for State Assembly District 40 was PK O’Neill. The District includes all of Carson City, the east side of Washoe Valley and parts of southeast Washoe County. O'Neill won the election in November.

Also of note, Carson Now celebrated its 10th anniversary.

APRIL

There was more shaking going on underneath us as south Carson City experienced another earthquake. It was small, a 2.2 magnitude, but was felt. Hundreds of aftershocks were reported since the March 20, 4.5 earthquake that shook the Carson City region, followed later by a 3.2 aftershock. The main earthquake occurred at a depth of five miles beneath the surface of northern Carson Valley, near the southwest flank of Prison Hill.

As Nevadans joined Americans during the lockdown and self quarantine, an odd documentary about tigers was featured on Netflix captivating the attention of many of those stuck at home in front of the TV. Wondering what the laws are for owning exotic animals around Carson City and Northern Nevada, we looked into it and came up with some answers.

With warming spring weather and people looking to get outside from being stuck inside, local hiking trails became saturated with hikers and bikers, prompting the city to offer some guidance on trail etiquette.

Another sign of spring in Carson City was the return of firefighting sheep to C-Hill. Unfortunately, there was an incident when two ewes and four baby lambs were attacked by an unleashed dog on C-Hill in Carson City.

As part of a nationwide recognition campaign, Carson City Sheriff's Office and the Carson City Fire Department, as well as the Nevada Department of Public Safety recognized dispatchers and recent retirements as part of National Telecommunicators Week.

Carson City and Nevada lost one of its most prized and celebrated restaurants in 2019 due to fire. In April 2020, the landmark Carson City building that was Cafe at Adele’s at the corner of North Carson and John Street was demolished.
Adele’s was forced to shut down after a March 28, 2019 fire caused smoke damage throughout the building. The decision to close permanently was made in October 2019 after Adele's owners, Charlie and Karen Abowd, were unable to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company that would cover reconstruction costs.
An effort to save the building through the Carson City Historical Society and have it moved to another location was attempted, however, it could not generate enough money to cover the costs of having the building removed.

MAY

More earth shaking in May, this time near Tonopah, where a magnitude 6.5 earthquake happened early May 15, and was felt widely in Carson City, northern and southern Nevada. The earthquake caused extensive road damage near the epicenter.

Carson Middle School was recognized as a Distinguished School for performing an exemplary Project Lead The Way program. Only 176 schools across the country received the top honors for their commitment to student engagement and access.

In other school news, nearly 70 Carson High School seniors were recognized for collectively earning more than $1 million in scholarships. Their accomplishments were celebrated in a virtual awards ceremony, May 14, which highlighted the academic success of the Class of 2020.

It was a truly frightening moment on May 4 when a local elementary school student, who was waiting for their lunch from the school delivery service, was approached by a man who then lured the child into a car, abducting her and then dropping the child nearby. The girl was able to provide Carson City Sheriff's Office investigators a description of the vehicle and the suspect, who was later found and arrested at Mills Park. The suspect, Kahlil Deshaun Williams, entered an "Alford" plea of guilty in September to kidnapping in the first degree, a category A felony, and faces 5 years to life in prison.

JUNE
Graduation ceremonies were held throughout the region in June, adapting to COVID restrictions, including Pioneer and Carson High School. The CHS ceremony featured a motorcade parade in which graduates were escorted to the stage by motorcade, many of the cars decorated for each graduate. More than 467 seniors were able to turn their tassels across the stage. Pioneer's graduation was part of a 5-part culmination that took place on June 2. The ceremony honored all 47 graduates as well as the staff members that helped them along the way.

Western Nevada College’s 2020 graduates were honored by the school, their families, friends and community in a drive-through commencement June 26 in Carson City. WNC graduated a record 650 students, including 94 students from the Jump Start College Program.

In the continued rush to reach the great outdoors and far away from being indoors, Forest Service opened up its campgrounds around California, Lake Tahoe and in Nevada.

An arsonist was responsible for a fire that destroyed the historic Dayton Depot on June 17. When deputies arrived, witnesses directed them to a 63-year-old man, who was laying on the ground near a brush fire. The man was later identified as Kurt Selzer. There was a second brush fire in the area as well. Selzer was in possession of a lighter and a nearly empty jug of acetone at the time deputies contacted him. He later admitted to setting two fires.

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced that seven communities in Nevada were recognized by Main Street America for their demonstrated commitment to comprehensive commercial district revitalization and proven track record of successfully applying the Main Street Approach. Gardnerville received the top tier of recognition being designated as a 2020 Accredited Main Street America program.

It was Christmas in June as movie crews and cast arrived in Carson City to film the Lifetime network movie "Feliz NaviDAD" starring Mario Lopez and directed by Melissa Joan Hart. Filming of the movie, and another, Once Upon a Main Street, in August, took place at various locations around Carson City and in Douglas County. The movies premiered on the Lifetime Network in November and have been shown throughout this holiday season.

JULY

Looking for ways to bring families together in a safe setting, the Brewery Arts Center and longtime partner Carson City Classic Cinema Club teamed up to bring a plethora of summer drive-in movies to Carson City. These movies were made possible by Garrett Lepire, Battle Born Tree Service, Carson Tahoe Hospital and KD Sound.

Not only did the BAC and local sponsors team up for the drive-in movies, but they also did something very inventive since the BAC summer concert series was canceled. The arts center, with the help of Miles Construction, The Change Companies, the Nauman Foundation and Carson Tahoe Hospital, put on a Flatbed Concert Series weekly through the summer. The idea was to put musicians on the back of a flatbed and travel around various neighborhoods to deliver music. It was a huge success.

Fire season came in a big way in July with the Numbers Fire south of Gardnerville. The fire that started July 6 burned 18,380 acres, destroyed 3 homes and 37 outbuildings. The fire is believed to have started from a faulty semi exhaust system.

Closer to Carson City, fire crews knocked down the Topsy Fire on July 23 that was started by a lightning strike. This fire moved quickly, but firefighters in Carson City and Douglas County were able to get a hold of it before flames moved into homes and businesses.

Carson City Chamber of Commerce Leadership graduates unveiled its 2020 Project with a ribbon cutting and graduation. The class and the Class of 2019 took it upon themselves to not only create a welcome bee habitat but to further enhance this trail by marrying art and nature by planting 25 bee friendly trees.

AUGUST

A collaboration between Carson City Library and Google featured an online workshop for Nevada small businesses including the Nevada Small Business Development Center and the Connected Commerce Council for Nevada. Also promoted by the Carson City Chamber of Commerce, the event was part of Google’s "Grow with Google" initiative, which aims to provide people with free resources to grow their digital skills. U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto participated in the online session as well — discussing the importance of digital skills in Nevada and encouraging attendees.

In another inventive move to bring summer recreation to the area, V&T Railway announced the launch of rail bikes along the tracks. The “Made in America” rail bikes are innovative, and easy-to-peddle. Individuals, families or friend groups were able to easily access the breathtaking beauty of Carson River Canyon in comfort on these bikes. V&T brought this concept rail bike ride tours forward at the right time as part of a late summer and early fall outdoor recreation opportunity.

With eyesores that wouldn't go away without some heavy tow equipment and a well thought out plan, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management law enforcement removed approximately 45 abandoned vehicles illegally dumped on public land. Many of the vehicles were removed from the Mound House area east of Carson City and north of Reno in the Sun Valley area.

Carson City was included as part of a nationwide drive-in movie project hosted by Walmart and held in parking lots across the country. The Carson City Walmart on Market Street was the only location in Nevada to hold the drive-in movie showings of "Spy Kids" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."

The Historical Coin Press No. 1 inside the Nevada State Museum in Carson City minted a special medallion commemorating Abraham Curry, the first superintendent of the Carson City Mint. The 30 mm, .999 fine silver medallion is a limited series of 2,000 pieces. The Carson City Mint, in operation from 1870 to 1893, is now incorporated into the Nevada State Museum, Carson City, building.

SEPTEMBER

With Carson City residents having gone through several difficult months, one of the toughest among locals was the passing of Carson City Mayor Robert L. "Bob" Crowell who died Sept. 12 after suffering a series of health setbacks. He was 74. "Mayor Bob" as he was known around town, was a native Nevadan, born in the mining town of Tonopah and raised in Carson City. An attorney by profession, Bob was a Vietnam Veteran and retired Navy Captain. He was elected Mayor of Carson City in 2008 and assumed his duties as Mayor on Jan. 5, 2009. He was re-elected in 2012 and 2016. Prior to being elected Mayor, Bob served 11 years on the Carson City School Board of Trustees. But Mayor Bob, also a cancer survivor, was much more, championing Carson City everywhere he went. In a somber ceremony the day of his passing, Mayor Bob was brought back home to Carson City with full honors in front of city hall. A celebration of life ceremony was held Oct. 29.

Empire Elementary School in Carson City met the requirements to be designated as an official Governor’s STEM School. The Advisory Council on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM Council) and the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT) developed the official Governor’s STEM School Designation based on national best practices to provide schools with a blueprint for integrating STEM into daily classroom instruction.

NV Energy and Nevada Division of Forestry partnered to reduce the risk of wildfire in Carson City in the Clear Creek watershed through targeted goat grazing. More than 300 goats from High Desert Graziers in Smith Valley, NV, grazed more than 100 acres of private property off of Highway 50 through September and October of 2020 in an extreme wildfire risk area.

Those looking to do some late summer camping around the region had a tough time finding a campground as the U.S. Forest Service closed a number of forest campsites, including the Lake Tahoe Basin, due to high risk of forest fires. It was a devastating month for wildfires in California and Nevada, affecting air quality throughout northern Nevada.

The pandemic did not stop the Carson City Kiwanis from hosting its 7th Annual Pancreatic Cancer Golf Tournament and Carson City Bench Press Championships at Silver Oak Golf Course. The sold-out event resulted in 140 golfers teeing off and 9 weightlifters bench pressing to raise over $10,000 for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and over $3,000 for the Marilyn Elaine Scholarship.

Celebrating the best they could under the pandemic circumstances, Carson High School’s homecoming court was honored at the State Capitol grounds on Sept. 28. The celebration featured the Carson Blue Thunder Bands and CHS Cheer.

OCTOBER

President Donald Trump made a campaign stop at the Carson City Airport on Oct. 18. Trump, against a backdrop of blue skies, brown mountains and vintage airplanes, was greeted by more than 13,000 people, according to campaign and law enforcement officials.

Carson City voters were met with extremely long lines the first day of early voting. This year's poll site was held at the Carson City Community Center. Early voting continued through Oct. 30. Voters in Carson City picked Trump over Joe Biden in the general election, 54.15 percent to 42.87 percent.

Due to the pandemic, Nevada Day was celebrated in Carson City without its famed organized parade. The statehood celebration (156 years) did go on, with an impromptu parade downtown and a 'reverse parade' and Made in Nevada Film Festival at Western Nevada College, along with a balloon launch, chili feed at the Carson Nugget, a chalk art competition, golf tournament, best beard and drilling contests, and plenty of downtown food and drink specials. The statehood celebration even saw an updated version to its state song, "Home Means Nevada."

NOVEMBER

The Carson City Board of Supervisors appointed the newest Board member, Stan Jones on Nov. 5, to fill the role of Lori Bagwell, who was recently elected as Carson City’s newest mayor. Her seat represents Ward 3. Jones is a longtime business owner with a distinguished military career and a proven record of community service as a volunteer and service on numerous boards. Jones, along with his wife, own and operate the Purple Avocado and has been a member on many Carson City boards, including the Ron Wood Center, the V&T Railroad Commission, the Carson City Arts and Culture Committee, and more.

Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies responded Nov. 11 to an emergency aircraft landing that happened in a field near Fremont Elementary School. Motorists driving along Saliman Road took photos of the plane as it was being towed.

Veterans Day 2020, which usually features a host of parades and other celebrations around the Silver State, was instead done virtually this year due to the pandemic. See the video presentation here. In Virginia City, however, the annual parade went on in the form of a cruise designed for social distancing.

Former Carson City Clerk-Recorder Alan Glover, who served nearly 40 years of public service including elected seats in the Nevada Legislature, died Nov. 30. Prior to serving 20 years as the capital city's Clerk-Recorder, Glover spent 14 years in the Nevada Legislature, serving 10 of those years in the Assembly and four in the State Senate.

Reimagining learning, the Carson City Library announced in November it is bringing robotics technology and engineering to Carson City middle school students in 2021. Utilizing analog and digital learning, students will build components of a bionic fish, elephant, and chameleon over the 3-day Bionics Camps designed to encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) related career exploration and development.

DECEMBER
A Douglas County Sheriff's Office sergeant is recovering after being shot three times Dec. 20 in Gardnerville. The suspect, who was taken into custody, shot Sgt. John Lenz three times, striking him in the chest and face. Both shots to his chest were stopped by his body armor and one shot was to the left side of his face in his cheek. The suspect was charged with attempted murder.

Sgt. Lenz returned to his Carson City home with a law enforcement escort and a warm welcome from civilians on Dec. 29.

In business and building news, the first business at the new Cochise Crossing shopping center located at the corner of Cochise and S. Carson Street, Chick-Fil-A, announced it will have a grand opening on Jan. 21, 2021. This will be Carson City’s first Chick-Fil-A.

Looking to the heavens, Carson City photographer Bill Hopp was able to capture "The Great Conjuction" a lineup of Jupiter and Saturn. The celestial event last happened 800 years ago.

Another holiday favorite that had to change direction due to the pandemic, The Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights was celebrated virtually on Dec. 4. Meanwhile, Carson City Chamber volunteers helped create some magic at the Governor’s Mansion, decorating it for the holidays.

National Wreaths Across America Day, celebrated at Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City on Dec. 19, honored veterans by placing wreaths on headstones and markers at over 1,200 locations throughout the U.S. and abroad to those who served our country.

The Greenhouse Project held a ribbon cutting ceremony Dec. 11 for the new outdoor classroom which will be used to host both students from Carson High School as well as community classes on gardening and agriculture. In May of this year, the Greenhouse Project announced a grant provided by the William N. Pennington foundation for $25,000 to be used to build the classroom. That grant along with donations from local community partners made the dream of a new classroom come to life.

Arrests were made Dec. 8 in connection with a string of BB gun vandalism crimes in Carson City. Three suspects admitted to the crimes and bb guns, pistols and rifles were recovered, according to the Carson City Sheriff's Office.

Here's hoping and wishing for a safe, healthy and happy 2021.