Weekly wages for Nevada workers continue to show improvement, indicating the state’s economy is on the mend, said Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

“Average weekly wages in Nevada have been trending up since bottoming out in the recession,” Anderson said in a news release. “Specifically, during the first half of the year, wages in Nevada averaged $830, a rise of 2.6 percent relative to the first half of 2011 when they came in $809 per week.”

Hostess Brands Inc.’s outlets in Carson City and Reno will close at 5 p.m. Tuesday as part of the company’s announced intent Friday to wind down operations after struggling to keep up with rising labor costs and the ever-changing tastes of Americans.
The company, whose roster of brands dating as far back as 1888 including iconic childhood treats such as Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Wonder Bread and Drakes, filed a motion to liquidate Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court after striking workers across the country crippled its ability to maintain production.

For the next two weeks, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, with the Carson City and Lyon County offices, will increase patrolling for unsafe and distracted drivers.
The sheriff's offices in the three jurisdictions received federal grant funds, said Sgt. Pat Brooks.

Beginning in June 2014 Nevadans will have a second area code to remember when dialing Southern Nevada. The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada has approved a second area code of 725 in the same geographic region as the existing 702 exchange in Southern Nevada.