By Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Deputy Secretary of State for Elections Matt Griffin is leaving his post next month to return to private law practice with the Capitol Company, Secretary of State Ross Miller said today.
Miller appointed Griffin as his elections deputy when he took office in January 2007.

Work has started to change Doppelganger’s Pub into the High Sierra Brewing Company in Carson City. The signs have been going up and the facade painted over the last couple of weeks. A couple of months ago this was supposed to be changing into the Knee Deep Brewing Company, but the deal with Knee Deep in Reno fell through, so now it’s just going to be known as High Sierra. This is the same owner, Jim Phalan, as the Firkin and Fox Pub just down the street, so I think we’ll see a bit of stability come to this location now. Just like he stopped the revolving door of restaurants at the St. Charles, he should be able to do the same thing to the Lucky Spur.
Go to aroundcarson.com to see more photos.

Geothermal Development Associates of Reno received the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Achievement Certificate today.

The award recognizes businesses that have achieved significant success in the global marketplace and have also benefited from the programs and assistance of the International Trade Administration’s U.S. Commercial Service. Chuck Alvey, president/CEO for the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada made the presentation.

The Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau was awarded $14,000 in grants last week from the Nevada Commission on Tourism for three different marketing efforts, providing support for the destination’s Divine Nine Golf Co-operative, its own website and video production and advertising materials for the Virginia & Truckee Railway.

Greater Nevada Credit Union’s scholarship program was recently named one of the “Five Best Scholarships for Nevada Residents” by NewsMax, a national news media organization.

It was a party made with plenty of good cheer, chili, hot cider and lots of ice skating as the Carson City Chamber of Commerce rang in the Christmas spirit tonight with its annual holiday party at Arlington Square Ice Rink.
The party featured a medley of holiday songs performed by the Carson High Capital Stars. Festivities inside the heated pavilion included great conversation among chamber members and city, state and school representatives, hot food, cocoa and cider compliments of Grandma Hattie's and cookies compliments of the Carson Nugget.

On Friday, Dec. 17th Fox and Hound will host Moment Skis and Life More Natural for the premiere of Level 1’s Eye Trip, a worldwide documentation of ski action as you’ve never seen it presented before. Skiing’s counterculture continues to buck the trends of what’s come before them. In addition, the night serves as a benefit for LMN’s Tahoe to Tanzania solar project for Reno/Tahoe youth. Time to get hyped for the season in South Lake Tahoe!

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The panel that oversees Nevada’s public employee retirement system was told today it would cost about $1.2 billion over the next two years to change from the current defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan for new state and local government workers.

The Reno-Tahoe-Truckee community has six opportunities this December to enjoy TOCCATA’s wonderful tradition of producing selections from "Handel's Messiah" in a Holiday Concert, including a performance in Carson City on Tuesday, Dec. 21.
The Carson City performance will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center. The Carson City concert features the 60-voice Carson High School Concert Choir, alumni and Carson soloists, and will be a benefit for the high school choir’s future tour presentations.

Other performances are:

The Nevada State Musum's Underground Mine Exhibit will be the subject of the December History Lecture series. This illustrated program will be presented by Curator of History, Bob Nylen.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the exhibit on Nevada Day, Oct 31, 1950. You will have the opportunity to see and explore through pictures, one of the finest mine replicas in the world. The program will be at the Nevada State Museum, 600 N. Carson Street beginning at 10:30 am. (775) 841-4111.

By Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons has appointed Sue Lowden to the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners. Lowden has lived and worked in Nevada for more than 30 years. She is a former Nevada state senator who recently ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

A Lake Tahoe area public-private energy organization and the U.S. Energy Department have teamed up to make renewable energy more commercially available.

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Incline Village-based Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization today announced their collaboration to accelerate the commercialization of a clean technology innovation owned and developed by the Laboratory.

CARSON CITY – Secretary of State Ross Miller today asked the state Board of Examiners to adopt a new rule requiring private employers who are awarded state contracts to use the federal E-Verify® program to ensure that only eligible workers are hired at their companies.
Miller asked that the board take up the issue at its next meeting in January.

RENO, Nev. — Gary Blomquist, a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, has won the Entomological Society of America’s prestigious Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology. He was honored at the Society’s annual meeting in San Diego Sunday.

A Carson City man faces several felony charges including methamphetamine trafficking after being stopped by the Nevada Highway Patrol on Sunday.

Clint G. Malone, 27, is being held at the Washoe County Jail and faces charges of meth trafficking, driving under the influence, speeding, driving on a suspended driver's license and two misdemeanor traffic-related failure to appear warrants. The bail amount was set at $22,054.

By Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Lobbyists and policy-makers who can’t wait to get a jump on the 2011 legislative session can start their reading assignments now.
Forty-four bills have already been drafted and pre-filed on the Legislature’s website in advance of the session that will begin Feb. 7.

Join the Brewery Arts Center and the BAC to Broadway Kids for one of America's favorite Christmas stories and now a classic stage play, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."
The tale has been a favorite of young readers since 1972. Funny, memorable and outrageous. Performances are in the Maizie Harris Jesse Theater at the Brewery Arts Center on Friday and Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m. For tickets call (775) 883-1976.

Join the Carson City Chamber of Commerce in welcoming the Business Resource Innovation Center with an official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony today at 4:30 p.m.

Located at 108 E Proctor Street across from City Hall, the center brings together the building, planning, business license and business development departments under one roof for the first time. The center also makes resources from the Carson City Library available for those who need to do research for starting or expanding their businesses.

CARSON CITY – Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval said today he is pleased with the ruling by a federal judge in Virginia finding a key element of the new national health care law unconstitutional.

Western Nevada College offers a diverse series of art exhibits through Thursday, Jan. 27. An exhibition of life drawings in ink by Alison Harris explores the reality of three women through a series of drawings and paintings. Jill Brugler's colorful and playful "Stream" exhibit gives visual form to feeling using clay and steel. Michelle Legras Peltier's "My Work is My Prayer" portrays her personal vision of what she sees and experiences on treks through Nevada's mountains and deserts

The Red Hut in South Lake Tahoe will host a Burger Night fundraiser to benefit the Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation.

Looks like Carson Now is running a Christmas light contest, showcasing some of the displays around town. First prize is a $100 gift certificate to Ti Amo at the Fandango, so there’s some incentive, and it looks like the contest is still open for nominations if you have a favorite house, or even your house, that you’d like to submit. Voting has already started though, so houses going in now are at a bit of a disadvantage.

RENO, Nev. – University of Nevada, Reno Orvis School of Nursing researcher Michele Pelter has been awarded $377,000 from the National Institutes of Health to study detection of ischemia, a condition that can lead to heart attacks.

Over the two-year course of the study, Pelter will work with two local cardiologists, Dr. Richard Ganchan and Dr. Anita Kedia, who will serve as consultants on the study. She wants to see if different monitoring of patients experiencing symptoms of possible ischemia could lead to better care.

At least 24 million people in the U.S. struggle with addiction to alcohol and other drugs. The good news is that millions in recovery stand as evidence that there is hope – people can stop using, reconnect with family, and go on to productive, happy lives. The Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey is one group promoting the fact that recovery is possible, prevention works and treatment is effective.