Have you been thinking of finally taking a great vacation in 2011? Join the Carson City Chamber of Commerce at Red's Old 395 Grill beginning at 5:30 today for a discussion on the 2011 Collette Vacations Chamber Trips.

For a preview of the intineries to be presented click on the links below.

RSVP so the Chamber can reserve a spot exclusively for you.

The Carson City permit center will be closed Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 4 to Aug. 6, while the permit center facilities are being moved to 108 E. Proctor Street. The permit center will reopen at its new location on Monday, Aug. 9.

The permit center handles all permits relating to the Building, Business License, Engineering and Planning Divisions of the Public Works Department. The Building Division will continue to conduct scheduled building permit inspections during the office closure. The permit center is currently located at 2621 Northgate Lane.

LAKE TAHOE — Get ready for jazz, Celtic, mystery, comedy, bluegrass, percussion and a whole lot more at the Lake Tahoe Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival. The Festival takes place at the historic Tahoe Tallac site, a 74-acre setting currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a 1800’s favorite getaway for Northern California’s elite members of society.  But you don’t have to be an elite member of society to enjoy the variety of affordable and sometimes even free events at the Valhalla Festival.

Toni Van Cleave talks about this year's Senior Follies at the Carson City Senior Center:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9LV2LAS4t8

Pea and marble-sized hail fell on Carson City shortly before 5 this afternoon. The weather pattern should continue through this evening, according to www.carsonweather.com and the National Weather Service in Reno.
According to the weather service, thunderstorms will produce abundant dry lightning for the lower elevations of northeastern California and western Nevada. Thunderstorms may have some moderate to locally heavy rain in the cores but fast storm motions will provide abundant dry lightning strikes on storm peripheries and the threat of numerous new fire starts.

CARSON CITY – A group seeking to mandate the use of secret ballots in all elections involving union representation has filed an initiative petition to make such a requirement the law in Nevada.
The proposal to amend Nevada state law was filed July 15 with the Secretary of State’s office and lists Steve Wark of Las Vegas as the state chairman of the Save Our Secret Ballot effort.

Check out some of these great photographs of Locomotive #18 posted by Scott Schrantz at aroundcarson.com. The engine, bought in 2005 by the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway, was in service on Saturday.

The National Weather Service reports that a low pressure system near the California coast could produce thunderstorms again in the Carson City and Tahoe region today similar to those on Saturday and Sunday. Lighting and gusty winds can be expected with the storms if they indeed generate.

A dog that had apparently bit a person earlier tonight attacked a Carson City deputy when he responded to a separate civil dispute just inside the gate of a 5th Street home. The dog was fatally shot.
The deputy was bit and sustained multiple wounds by the large shepherd/Labrador dog on the lower calf area. The dog apparently cornered the officer within 10 feet inside the gated yard.
"The officer was unable to stop the dog," said Sheriff Ken Furlong, who was at the scene.

A flash flood warning issued for Carson City has expired but continues through 6:15 p.m. in central Douglas County, according to the National Weather Service in Reno. Rain and heavy winds have punched the region, with reports of power outages in east and west Carson City.

In addition, the westbound lane of Highway 50 going up to Spooner Summit is closed, with Nevada Highway Patrol diverting traffic. No word yet on the cause for the closure.

A power line snapped and a transformer is down in the area of Spear and Nevada streets near Division. Carson City fire crews and the Carson City Sheriff's Office closed portions of traffic in the area. The downed power lines did not arc and were not live on the ground, according to fire personnel on the scene.

Low humidity and a threat of dry thunderstorms has prompted the National Weather Service in Reno to issue a Red Flag warning through 6 p.m. Sunday for the Carson City region. Go to and bookmark www.carsonweather.com for the latest.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions will occur. The affected areas are: Carson City, Douglas, Storey, Southern Washoe, Eastern Lyon counties; Mineral and southern Lyon counties; northern Washoe county.

As we go about our business after work on Fridays, celebrating the end of the week, about 30 people clad in red t-shirts and carrying American flags have gathered for three years running to walk down Carson Street in support of our American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I first met Mike McElfish, organizer of the Friday Red Shirt Walk, in September 2008 after he helped coordinate a similar walk in memory of Army Sgt. Timothy Smith of South Lake Tahoe who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on April 7, 2008.

Rides the train pulled by Virginia & Truckee locomotive No. 25 this weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (every 40 minutes or so) at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Tickets available at the Wabuska Depot at the Museum. Cash or check only. For information, call (775) 687-6953 or check www.nsrm-friends.org/calendar

Carson City Sheriff's Office deputies are looking for possibly two vehicles in a road rage dispute that happened earlier tonight in the area of Highway 395 and Fairview on-ramp.
Sheriff Ken Furlong said one of the vehicles has been stopped.
Initial feedback from those who reported the incident at around 7 tonight said that at least one person was heavily bleeding because of the dispute. Those reports, however, cannot be confirmed because the alleged person hasn't yet been found, Furlong said.

Here is the Carson City area road construction report for Monday, July 26 through Sunday, Aug. 1. Expect some minor delays along the way.

As a result of the next phase of the Nevada Department of Transportation freeway project, the following closures will be in place:
— Valley View Drive will be permanently closed between Edmonds Drive and Line Drive beginning Monday, July 26.
— Koontz Lane will be closed between Raglan Circle and Edmonds Drive until January 2011.

There are about a million people who know Kenny Guinn better than I do.

But it's that fact that makes the interactions I had with him so interesting.

As a political columnist, I took my fair share of shots at him, on issues like Yucca Mountain and his big tax rebate program. Besides sending his nuke dump point man out to counter my criticisms, he never held those against me.

A Carson City caretaker for the elderly faces felony drug charges after authorities found a methamphetamine pipe and an assortment of prescription drugs in a backpack and purse.
Susan Carole Akin, 42, faces a felony charge of possessing prescription drugs without a prescription, a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $28,632.

Hundreds of items recovered from a string of burglaries in the Carson City, Douglas County, Reno and Sparks areas will be on display for crime victims to review.
The display will be on Monday, July 26 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Carson City Sheriff's Office, 911 East Musser Street.

The YBP has an exciting event approaching!

On July 27th, we are happy to have The LED Light sponsor this month’s mixer. Mary Wecker, owner of The LED Light will be giving us her insight on becoming a successful business owner. We will also be given a tour of LED Light’s beautiful new facilities. Come enjoy appetizers and a no-host bar. All your generous tips will be donated to the Dayton Valley Soccer League.

CARSON CITY – A firm hired by the Nevada Legislature to produce a report on the state’s revenue structure has been sent a notice of default for failing to turn in the document by a July 1 deadline.
Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, said the notice was sent Wednesday to Moody’s Analytics, the contractor hired to perform the study. The company has 10 days to respond by producing the final report or the contract will be terminated, he said.

Karen Chandler talks about her production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" playing at Brewery Arts Center this weekend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6DyvUc9reM

A Carson City Chamber of Commerce mixer will be held tonight at Carson City Toyota Scion, beginning at 5 p.m.
This is going to be a great networking event and opportunity, with General Manager Dana Whaley throwing the party. Meet the Chamber's new ambassadors who will be there to introduce themselves and help you facilitate and network with other businesses.
Carson City Toyota is located at 2590 Carson Street.

Carson City authorities have arrested a woman after finding several stolen iPods and other property in an investigation that covers multiple Northern Nevada counties.

A two-year-old boy fell out of a raft in the Carson River near Brunswick Canyon tonight and was transported to Carson Tahoe Hospital.
The condition of the boy is unknown. According to emergency dispatch and personnel at the scene, the child was unconscious but was breathing at the time of the rescue and subsequent transport to the hospital.