natural

Look under your fruit trees. You might see dozens of tiny fruit on the ground. Don’t worry; it’s the June drop. Since trees often set more fruit than they can support, each June they shed an abundance of underdeveloped fruit.

Carson City native Lisa Schuette was elected to the Carson City Board of Supervisors for Ward 4 in the recent primary election, and she took the time to speak about her vision for Carson City and what she hopes to achieve as a Supervisor.

CARSON CITY — Governor Steve Sisolak announced Monday the Clean Cars Nevada initiative, which will evaluate the adoption of new regulations to provide Nevadans with more choices for low and zero emission electric passenger cars and trucks at dealerships throughout the state beginning in 2024.

A Public Utilities Commission of Nevada telephonic consumer session will be held Thursday to discuss NV Energy rate reductions for customers. For Northern Nevada electric customers, the utility proposes to decrease rates an estimated $24.1 million or 3.47 percent across all rate classes, which would result in an estimated decrease in the average monthly residential bill of $2.09, or 2.92 percent.

Governor Steve Sisolak received notification from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program Commission that the State of Nevada has achieved reaccreditation. This achievement was approved through a rigorous and voluntary assessment process coordinated through the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management, Homeland Security. The State was notified of the approval last week.

Nevada is in a new era of water management. As the driest state in the nation, responsible and sustainable management of Nevada’s limited water resources is the foremost priority of the Nevada Division of Water Resources.

In a program similar to PG&E and other electric utilities in California, NV Energy announced last week that it will implement its own plan that would shut off power to reduce wildfire risk in the Lake Tahoe area in the event of weather-related events such as strong, gusty winds.

South Lake Tahoe will begin the long-awaited rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic with the opening Friday, June 12 of select area attractions, trails, beaches, retail, dining and accommodations on both the Nevada and California side of South Shore.

UPDATE 11:14AM: The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 p.m. Friday for the following areas: Southern Mono County, Southern Sierra Front including Alpine, Northern Mono, Southern Lyon, and Western Mineral Counties, West Humboldt Basin in Pershing County and Lahontan Basin including Churchill and Eastern Mineral counties. The Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for Mono County, Mineral and Southern Lyon counties, Hawthorne, Yerington, Smith Valley, Mina, Schurz, Fernley, Fallon, Lovelock, Silver Springs, Nixon, and Imlay. Carson City, and Carson Valley are not in the Wind Advisory area.
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Strong winds expected Friday has prompted the National Weather Service to issue high wind and fire weather watches for portions of Northern Nevada.

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center released findings Wednesday from its annual Lake Tahoe Clarity Report, which showed In 2019 the lake's famed clarity decreased nearly 8 feet from the previous year’s dramatic 10-foot improvement. The average annual value in 2019 was 62.7 feet. The lowest value was recorded in 2017, when clarity was 60 feet.

The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is excited to announce that Coeur Rochester, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coeur Mining, Inc. and Crawford Cattle, LLC have entered into a first-of-its-kind agreement to protect critical sagebrush habitat in Nevada while ensuring continued environmentally sensitive and sustainable mining practices.

Nevada’s public land management agencies remain committed to protecting all residents and visitors through fostering wildfire-resilient landscapes and communities. As the weather warms up and Nevadans spend more time outdoors, land managers are encouraging residents to recreate safely and responsibly to help prevent wildfires, protect lives and property, and preserve our precious natural wonders that we all love.

Late Spring is in full swing in the Tahoe Basin and Tahoe black bears are searching for food. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears results in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues as well as fines and possible jail time for violators.

Besides needing funds available for small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, small-business owners need additional support and guidance, as well as opportunities to talk with other small-business owners.

As public lands and recreational areas begin to gradually reopen in Nevada, public officials are reminding residents and visitors to recreate responsibly by continuing to take precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19. With the Memorial Day weekend approaching, it is critical for everyone to practice responsible recreation to protect themselves and others in accordance with Gov. Sisolak’s Stay Safe to Stay Open initiative.

The polarizing attitudes and ideology that has taken over the American political environment -- as witnessed in recently-held political debates and rallies, nationwide -- is a danger to traditional American democratic values of diversity and respect of the “marketplace of ideas”, where people are not listening to each other, where respect for diversity is lacking, where the prevailing political attitude seems to be “my way or the highway”.

Grocery shopping and produce safety have been concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Desert Farming Initiative, part of the University of Nevada, Reno Experiment Station, provides information to help producers and consumers minimize food-safety risks.

RENO — With wildland fires eating up the forests and rangelands of Nevada each summer, and fire season now upon us, University of Nevada, Reno scientists are examining how drought, climate change and land management will affect future fire activity and how fires can in turn influence plant, soil and hydrologic processes.

The Nevada Supreme Court is the highest court in the Nevada Judicial system, and represents the third branch of government. There are two seats up for election: Seat B and Seat D.

RENO — During the COVID-19 crisis, small-business owners need additional support and guidance, as well as opportunities to talk with other small-business owners. University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering virtual question-and-answer “Coping With COVID-19 Town Halls” for small businesses every Wednesday, and webinars on specific topics for small businesses every Friday.

The weather is warming up quickly across Nevada, making it a perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. Fitness experts recognize how beneficial physical activity is to mental health, especially in light of the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting outdoors is a great way to get active, synthesize vitamin D with controlled sun exposure, improve memory and concentration and promote a general sense of well being.

Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team member, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, is planning to conduct understory burns in Glenbrook on Tuesday, May 12 and in Zephyr Cove on May 20, 2020, weather permitting.

RENO — The forest of the Sierra Nevada mountains is an important resource for the surrounding communities in Nevada and California. Thinning the forest by removing trees by hand or using heavy machinery is one of the few tools available to manage forests.

Editor’s Note: This week's guest writer is Bridget Gordon-Johnson. She is a counselor at Carson High School. This is her report.

Staying connected to students, virtually, is the biggest challenge every educator is facing right now. Teachers, paraprofessionals, school counselors, administrators, school secretaries, custodians, and everyone for that matter is missing the energy and life students bring to our worlds.

On April 17, Carson City District Court rejected the city’s motion to dismiss the case involving Tahoe Hemp LLC.

Tahoe Hemp is suing Carson City for $15 million after the city refused to allow the company to grow hemp on the Buzzy’s Ranch property, despite an agreement with the Jarrard Family Trust.

UPDATE: According to Animal Control Officer Stephanie Baeta, the dog is safely in custody at the Carson City Humane Society.

What was relayed to Officer Baeta by the shepherds is that the dog attacked the sheep, and the presumed owner of the dog attempted to pull the dog away, at which point the dog attempted to bite the owner, so the owner abandoned the dog on the scene. The shepherds were left to contain the dog, and animal control arrived on scene shortly after.

The dog, who Officer Baeta reports has been very gentle and sweet with animal control staff, is in a ten day bite quarantine. If no owner comes forward to claim the dog after ten days, it will become property of the humane society and they will be evaluated for adoption.

She also said they were able to save one lamb following the attack.

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Two ewes (mother sheep) and four baby lambs were killed Thursday after an unleashed dog attacked the herd of firefighting sheep that are currently working their way through Carson City's foothills mowing down cheat grass.

Nevada State Parks and currently following the governor's directive to help stop the spread of COVID-19. They're asking the public to please, stay home, so we can all get through this together.

To protect the health and safety of park visitors and staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathedral Gorge State Park, including Miller Point, will be fully closed, effective April 16, until further notice. The park will be closed to the public for all activities, including camping and day-use.

In light of current directives from the Governor related to health concerns, many facilities are closed, leaving few options for exercise and recreation. The Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department reports that an unprecedented number of people are utilizing Carson City’s more than 8,000 acres of parks, trails and open space. Trailhead parking in some locations is over capacity.

The Waterfall trailhead on Kings Canyon Road is experiencing especially large numbers of visitors, resulting in traffic congestion and parking related issues.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is implementing fire restrictions earlier than usual this year to reduce the number of human-caused fires and reduce firefighter exposure to COVID-19 during the current pandemic.