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Bill Raggio, who is considered by many to be the most powerful force in Nevada politics over the last 30 years, has died while on vacation in Australia Thursday evening. He was 85.

Jon Ralston of the Las Vegas Sun broke the news.

Raggio was first elected to the Nevada State Senate in 1972. He resigned from the seat he held for 38 years after supporting Democrat Harry Reid in 2010 over Republican Sharron Angle.

Raggio ruled the Nevada State Senate as the GOP leader and chairman of the Finance Committee. It's safe to say that few bills passed the Nevada Legislature in the last 30 years without his approval.

Raggio's legislative biography is here.

RGJ has posted a profile with photo gallery on Raggio's life.

Best quote: "You show me someone who doesn't have detractors, and I'll show you someone who hasn't done a damn thing in their lives."

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will conduct travel surveys with visitors and residents at several recreational and commercial locations throughout the Basin beginning this Friday, February 24. The interviewing, to be carried out by a professional survey research company, is scheduled to take place through Sunday, March 4. Surveyors will wear badges while patrolling survey sites. Results from the Travel Mode Survey will be used to track the success of and help plan multi-modal travel options around Lake Tahoe.

Watch out, there's another Heller in politics. Emmy Heller was just declared the winner of the vote for student body president at Carson High School. Her father Sen. Dean Heller has held elective office since before Emmy, 17, was born, and helped her craft her positions and talking points. But Emmy said the experience of running for election was so stressful that she doesn't want to pursue politics as a career.

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F.I.S.H. (Friends In Service Helping) has launched a campaign to refinance the mortgage on their building and free up extra funds to help the needy of Carson City. The group currently owes $1.7 million on the property on North Carson Street, which is valued at $1.6 million in today's market. Their interest rate is 7.75 percent, well above what can be obtained through refinancing. Executive Director Jim Peckham hopes to raise enough money to obtain a $1.2 million loan at 4 percent, which means they would have an extra $8,000 a month to serve the homeless and others in need.

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The owner of Cactus Jack's casino in downtown Carson City was hit with a $15,000 fine by the Nevada Gaming Commission for using unauthorized poker chips in poker tournaments. Guess the house doesn't always win.

Navy League Carson City Council Meeting. 5:30PM- 8:30PM, Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at Gold Dust West Hotel and Casino, 2171 Hwy 50 East, Carson City. The social hour is at 5:30PM, followed by a buffet dinner at 6:30PM. Speaker for the evening will be Associate Chief Justice of the Nevada State Supreme Court, Michael A. Cherry. Justice Cherry will talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and related legal issues facing our military member when they return home.

Carla Trynchuk plays violin for the Strings in the Schools group Thursday afternoon at Carson High School. Trynchuk will be the featured soloist this Sunday at the Carson City Symphony's Russian Treasures concert. For more information, see http://ccsymphony.com

The Carson City Sheriff's Department will be hosting a business academy beginning April 4, 2012 at 6 p.m. and running for six weeks. The course will be taking place in the Ormsby Room of the Carson City Sheriff's Office (911 E. Musser St.).

The aim of the class is to teach business owners and managers about the functions and workings of the sheriff's department as pertains to businesses. It is especially recommended to businesses in the casino, liquor, pawn, retail, restaurant, and auto repair industries.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies arrested Kirkland Wayne Abel, 40, an HVAC installer from Carson City, at about 4:30 this morning at the 900 block of East Fifth Street. Abel was arrested for felony allegations of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamines), as well as two misdemeanor allegations of possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana. Abel allegedly got into an argument with his wife when he discovered that his thermostat had been changed from 65 degrees to 66 degrees. Bail is set at $5,100 plus administrative fees.

Café at Adele’s hosted two events this week to promote changes at the restaurant and to raise money for The Greenhouse Project.

Community leaders met Tuesday to experience first-hand the changes owners Charlie and Karen Abowd have made, both to the restaurant and to the menu. The same was true of Wednesday’s event to benefit The Greenhouse Project.

See the full agenda below:

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Mining Association has filed a court challenge to the initiative petition filed by Nevadans United for Fair Mining Taxes that could lead to a tax increase on the industry from 5 percent to 9 percent.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra through Feb. 28:

Last Friday, Elaine and I, together with my cousin Lorraine and her husband Bob Scholes of Dayton, Nevada, took a memorable ride on the “Tram,” high in the mountains above Palm Springs, Calif.
Earlier, Elaine and I had convoyed with Sal and Catali Quilici of Dayton to visit Don and Norma Reasons at one of their friends’ home, located across from the ninth green at the PGA West – Stadium Golf Course in La Quinta.

John Cattoni, 88, passed away in Gardnerville, Nevada, February 18, 2012. Capitol City Cremation & Burial is in charge of arrangements. 775-882-1766Copyright 2012 -. All rights reserved. This mater...

The Carson City Emblem Club #507 is sponsoring “The Demise of The Downhome Dealers," a murder mystery set in a cowboy bar, on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Carson City Elks Lodge, 515 N. Nevada Street.

Cost is $25 per person and includes dinner (Cowboy Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies, Dessert) and the play. Cocktails start at 5 p.m., with the dinner and play starting at 6:30 p.m. The events is put on for the benefit of many community charitable programs.

CARSON CITY – A new campaign aimed at helping truck drivers and truck stop employees become more aware of how to identify and alert authorities to instances of underage children being forced into acts of prostitution was announced today by two Nevada organizations.

U.S. Representative Mark Amodei today addressed the members of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce at the organization's first Soup's On luncheon at Gold Dust West. Shown with (left) Lisa Stirgus, Wells Fargo Bank Vice President/District Manager and Jean Perpich, Loan Manager.

CARSON CITY – Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., said today he is not optimistic that Congress will make any substantive progress on a balanced budget or deficit reduction this year given the focus on the presidential election.

But Amodei, in town on a brief recess, said he is hopeful that progress can be made on Nevada-related public lands bills he is sponsoring as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.

See the full inspection reports below:

The action-Satanic film "Ghost Rider, Spirit of Vengeance," currently booming away at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, stars Nicholas Gage as Johnny Blaze, motorcycle stunt rider with a hangup that puts him in seclusion until summoned again to ride his motorcycle blazing with fire and to don his alter ego at Ghost Rider, with the burning skull.

Right off, this is a lousy movie from the making sense point of view and it is the latest in Gage's series of flops. But he keeps trying and his grimaces are standard stock from the past.

The film "This Means War," currently on view at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, stars Reese Witherspoon as Laure Scott. Which is good because she almost brings this turkey of a romantic comedy to life all by herself.

The Carson City Library will show the Academy Award nominated film, “The Tree of Life”, on Friday, February 24th, at 6:30 p.m. This film is directed by Terrence Malik, and stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood and into his adulthood. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

This month, Get Healthy articles have been focusing on love – loving your heart, celebrating Valentine’s Day, and sexual health. But what happens when love isn’t what it’s supposed to be? What if violence is involved and someone is at risk for physical or psychological harm? Since February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, this column will bring attention to some of the warning signs of dating violence, and highlight some of the resources in our community that are there to help victims of abusive or controlling relationships.

Girl Scouts is celebrating their 100th year anniversary and the Carson City Girl Scouts are putting on a Birthday Bash! The bash is on Monday, March 12th at the Carson Mall from 6:30pm – 7:30pm. This event is for all current and former Girl Scouts and active or retired military personnel.

Vail Resorts, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Kirkwood Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe, Calif., recognized by skiers and snowboarders as offering some of the best high alpine advanced terrain in North America.

Alexia Patricia Bishop, 4-1/2 months, of Carson City, passed away February 17, 2012. Fitzhenry's Funeral Home is trusted with arrangements. 775-882-2644Copyright 2012 -. All rights reserved. This m...

Paul Alan Harley Wood passed away unexpectedly on February 18, 2012. Alan was born on March 4, 1947, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Elmer and Irene Wood. He is preceded in death by his parents, and two si...

UPDATE 10:30PM: Plans to raise the speed limit within South Lake Tahoe along Highway 50 were presented to the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday.

CARSON CITY – The state Board of Finance was told today that Nevada now expects to receive between 30 and 33 cents on the dollar in recovery from a $50 million investment loss when Lehman Brothers unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy in September 2008.

Nevada state Treasurer Kate Marshall said the state initially expected only 10 to 11 cents on the dollar when the firm filed for bankruptcy protection during the height of the nation’s financial crisis.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies arrested several individuals for serious crimes over President's Day weekend. Among those are:

  • Manuel Ricardo Pinuelas, 39, a self-employed Carson City resident, at about 4:30 p.m. Friday afternoon at the 4000 block of Emerson Drive. Pinuelas was arrested for a felony embezzelment and unlawful use of a credit card warrant in his name. Bail is set at $5,000.

Recognized for stewardship and care taken in the building and construction of developments around Lake Tahoe, the 22nd annual Best in the Basin awards were announced Tuesday by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
The TRPA, which sets policy for development around Lake Tahoe, will recognize the winners, listed below, during the 2011 Best in the Basin awards presentation during the meeting of its Governing Board on Wednesday, Feb. 22 in Stateline. Go here for the agenda.

c-a-l ranch store

Workers inside the old Safeway building on North Carson Street are busy ripping up the old flooring and getting the space ready for its new tenant, C-A-L Ranch Store.

A new sign went up in front of the building this weekend, and store manager Gus Mohr said he is crossing his finger to have the new store open by May 1.

"This week we have guys coming in to do the demolition work," Mohr said, looking out at the empty interior of the building.

Mohr managed the C-A-L Ranch Store in Spanish Fork, Utah for 11 years before moving to Carson City to open this new store.

CARSON CITY – For years the Nevada state Senate was a pretty stable place, with many lawmakers serving for decades.

From one election cycle to the next, the names and faces in the 21-member body didn’t change very often.

That reality was altered in a big way when term limits finally began to have an impact on the state Legislature starting in 2010.

CARSON CITY – A national nonprofit organization seeking fundamental reforms to state budgeting today sent a letter to the nation’s governors urging them to follow General Motors’ lead and freeze defined benefit pensions for all public employees.

The new fitness student often finds it difficult to complete a pull-up or push-up and may strain for even an inch of lift. There are good reasons why these moves are hard to accomplish.

Sochi, Russia is next on the list for orthopedic surgeon, Terrence Orr's medical volunteerism. As a physician with Tahoe Orthopedic & Sports Medicine, he will be previewing the future site of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games as part of his role as Head Team Physician for the United States Men's Alpine Ski Team — a position he has held since 1999.

A Nevada Highway Patrol officer suffered minor injuries after being hit by a driver who was allegedly under the influence at the intersection of Highway 395 and State Route 88 early Saturday morning.
NHP Trooper Dan Lopez was driving a Ford Crown Victoria sedan patrol call when the driver of another vehicle allegedly ran a red traffic signal at the intersection striking the left side of the patrol car at 5:19 a.m., said NHP Trooper Chuck Allen.

An evening to benefit The Greenhouse Project takes place Wednesday, Feb. 22, beginning at 6 p.m. at Café at Adele’s.
The event is limited to 80 attendees. Each will receive a glass of wine and tastings from the three new menus offered by Charlie Abowd, chef and owner of the establishment.
“We’re showcasing selections from the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus,” said Karen Abowd, project president. “This is an opportunity for the community to see the changes we’ve made at Café at Adele’s, to enjoy an evening of fantastic food and support the work of The Greenhouse Project.”

The Nevada Prolife Coalition would amend the state constitution to protect “the unalienable right to life of every prenatal person.” Simply put, it would define life as beginning at conception.

The Honorable Judge James E. Wilson determined that the description of the effect of this bill was nowhere near adequate. He did not say that the measure was illegal, however, but he did order NPC to substitute the following language into the initiative before they collect signatures:

Carolyn Parisi-Cross, 68, was born September 26, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York to John and Marie Parisi. The angels took her to be with her family on February 15, 2012. Carolyn was an Air Force Vet...

Charles Rumrill, 66, a Gardnerville resident, passed away February 6, 2012. He was born on June 12, 1945 in Los Angeles, California to Edmund and Lillian Rumrill. Charles moved to Gardnerville in 2...

The State of Nevada is accepting bids to replace part of the historic Marlette Lake water system that brings water down to Carson City and Virginia City.

The project will replace 3,600 feet of 50-year-old 18-inch pipe with a new 24-inch pipe.

Those interested in bidding can get more information here.

Linda Lou Huckaby, 66, of Carson City, Passed away on February 13, 2012. Autumn Funerals & Cremations. 775-888-6800.Copyright 2012 -. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadc...

Beverly Ann Carlton, 79, of Carson City, passed away on February, 14, 2012. Autumn Funerals & Cremations. 775-888-6800Copyright 2012 -. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broa...

Edward Abowd passed away on February 13, 2012 at the age of 91. Abowd was a well known and well loved resident of Carson City for the last 25 years. Ed, also affectionately known as Uncle Eddie,...

Douglas County authorities have arrested a California fugitive from justice who was convicted of sexual assault on a minor.
Rick David Oliver, 47, of Yuba County, Calif., was captured by Douglas County Sheriff's authorities and the FBI on Friday afternoon after he was located in the 1100 block of Linda Anne Court in the east valley area of Gardnerville, said Douglas County Undersheriff Paul Howell.
The law agencies learned that Oliver was at the location, recently having fled California to avoid sentencing and capture from law enforcement, Howell said.

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency employee Jeff Cowen was honored as the recipient of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber and Resort Association’s Employee of the Year Award for his outstanding work as TRPA’s Community Liaison.

“I was shocked and truly honored to receive this recognition,” Cowen said about the award. “I am lucky in my job because I get to inform the community about all the great work being done by TRPA staff. I know I share this award with them,” he said.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies served inmate Helen Marie Holguin, 36, a Carson City waitress, at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday evening. Holguin was served with three felony warrants for fraudulent use of a credit card, and one felony warrant for attempted fraudulent use of a credit card. Bail is set at $40,000.

All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

The Carson City Chamber of Commerce's Home and Garden Show will take place on April 28 at the Carson Mall. The show begins at 10 a.m. with ribbon cutting by Mayor Robert Crowell & Chamber Board of Directors.

The film"The Vow," currently on view at the Fandango Galaxy theater in Carson City, is a good bad film. The bad is the sweetness-loaded script and the apparently rock-dumb male lead, Channing Tatum, as Leo Collins. The good is co-star Rachel McAdams as Paige Collins. This is billed as a romantic comedy, ideal as a "date" outing. Maybe, but ...

Movie opens with a brief scene of now then goes back to five years earlier when Paige and Leo exchanged vows in a yuppie-like wedding. Thus, "The Vows."

CARSON CITY – With the potential for several vacancies within the state District Court system in the 2012 election year, the Secretary of State’s Office has issued a legal interpretation to address the issue of nominating candidates to vacated seats and to clarify questions about the process.

At least one District Court judicial seat in Clark County, and possibly more, could soon be vacant.

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