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The Nevada Highway Patrol advises Highway 395 through Washoe Valley, from SR 431 Mount Rose to Carson City will remain closed through Friday and possibly Saturday. Motorists should find alternative routes to Carson City as agencies continue to work on the fire.

10:00 p.m. update: Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said tonight the Washoe Drive Fire has consumed and estimated 3,700 acres, burned at least 20 structures and has resulted in one fatality.

Hernandez would not go into details of how the person died. He said the 250+ firefighters on the scene have stopped the forward progress of the fire. He said the fire started in the East Lake area, and then followed the Highway 395 corridor north, where it was stopped just south of Galena High School.

Our Mission is to research and explore any paranormal activity in the greater Carson City area. To preserve protect and promote those locals important and noteworthy to the spirit/scientific realm, and to educate the public about the importance of those who cannot or will not escape the confines of the ether.

Here is a map released by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office showing the perimeter of the Washoe Drive Fire:

Officials reported this morning that the Washoe Drive Fire destroyed 26 homes, and has currently consumed 3,900 acres.

At a 9 a.m. press conference, officials reported the blaze is 50 percent contained, and that 700 firefighters are working to extinguish hot spots in advance of the high winds that are forecast for this afternoon.

See map of fire area

See fire map below the fold:

Here is the latest from Washoe County on evacuations. Go here as this list is being updated.

More video from someone driving through fire area in north Washoe Valley.

For more videos, go here.

Warning: Strong language:

CARSON CITY – Reno Republican Assemblyman Pat Hickey was unanimously elected today to be the new GOP Assembly Caucus Leader.

The former minority Leader, Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, stepped down because of his intention to run for the Nevada State Senate in District 19.

Assembly Republicans currently hold 16 seats in the 42-member Assembly, while Democrats control 26 seats.

Hickey, who represents District 25 in Reno, returned to the Assembly in 2010 after an absence of several years.


View Washoe Drive Fire (1/19/2012) in a larger map

UPDATE 510PM: Fire burns more than 3,000 acres with zero containment; 4,000 evacuated; no count on home and structure losses.

At 4:40 pm this afternoon, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, under his constitutional and statutory authority, made a state declaration of emergency which qualifies local governments for federal assistance associated with this event. The National Guard is on standby at the request of Sandoval and Washoe County. California has also provided fire assistance as part of a Governor to Governor agreement with Jerry Brown. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been and are being affected by this fire,” Sandoval said. “Declaring a state of emergency ensures that every resource from the local, state and federal level is available to assist. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Public Safety have also engaged with local responders.” Additionally, Nevada has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75 percent funding assistance for eligible costs. The request was made by the Nevada Division of Forestry on behalf of Washoe County at the onset of the fire.

More below the fold.

The snow forecast to hit the Lake Tahoe region during the next few days is expected to give the Tahoe Fund's Plate for Powder program a boost along with Sierra ski resorts and businesses. Drivers who purchase a California or Nevada Tahoe vehicle license plate will receive two free ski lift or Nordic tickets to the resort of their choice. New Tahoe plates cost $50 in California and $61 in Nevada.

Greater Nevada Credit Union VP of IT

Greater Nevada Credit Union (GNCU) recently named Linda Barker as Vice President of Information Technology. Barker is responsible for leading the credit union’s technology initiatives and supporting its internal team, business partners, and members.

Catch the live video here. The agenda is here.

Charles (Chuck) R. Wayne went home to be with his Lord Friday, January 13, 2012, at the age of 56. Chuck was born in Fort Bragg, N. Carolina, on May 28 1955, the eldest son of Charles R. Wayne Sr....

Health inspection reports of local restaurants:

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s charter school law was strengthened in 2011, seeing its ranking among the states moving to 20th from 23rd as a result, a national group reported this week.

Nevada’s overall score improved from 97 points to 111 out of a potential of 208 points in the report issued Tuesday by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies took custody of Anthony Kendall, 25, an unemployed transient, at the Carson City Detention Facility at 9:40 a.m. Jan. 10. Kendall was transferred to the facility from Douglas County for a felony possession of a controlled substance warrant in his name. No bail has been set.

An officer arrested Joanne Holder, 58, a disabled Carson City woman, at 4:20 a.m. today at Jack in the Box on Highway 50 East. Holder was arrested for a gross misdemeanor misuse of 911. Bail is set at $2,500.

The Carson City Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring Beauty, Health and Wellness fair at the Carson Mall, Jan. 18 from 1-5 p.m. The Chamber's monthly mixer will follow at 5 p.m.

I was a close friend of Chuck Wayne and he had many students in CC.

Read more here.

Ann Louise Mertz, 84, of Dayton, passed away January 11, 2012. Autumn Funerals & Cremations. 775-888-6800James Dean Dutcher, 75, of Carson City, passed away January 12, 2012. Autumn Funerals & Crem...

Here is this week's fishing report for January 18-25. This report covers streams, lakes and rivers in Nevada, Northern California, southern Oregon and the Sierra.

ALMANOR LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:

This is almost a repeat of a story written back in November but with a different twist and some additional details.
Enjoy: Late January is a very special time of the year in the lives of about four thousand, hardy Alaskans.
They live in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost community in the U.S.
It is located in the Far North, on the edge of the Arctic Ocean, 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle, 725 airline miles north of Anchorage and 1,122 miles from the North Pole.

A doe mule deer takes life easy on a lazy, sunny afternoon on Sunday, January 15 near Davis Lake, Calif.
The doe should be aware that area should be covered with several feet of snow by now. But that is set to change as a weather pattern is expected to settle into Northern Californ, Western Nevada and the Sierra beginning Thursday.
— Photo by Elaine Quilici

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds anglers they are required to return their 2011 Fishing Report and Restoration Cards by Jan. 31. Information collected from report cards provides DFG with data to monitor and manage California’s diverse recreational fisheries.
Report cards are due for sturgeon, abalone, spiny lobster and north coast salmon fisheries, as well as the steelhead fishery.
Information specific to the steelhead report cards can be found at http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/steelhead-report-cards-due-by-j....

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens cited a Southern California man early Sunday morning for poaching dozens of lobsters inside a Marine Protected Area (MPA).
Wardens observed Marbel A. Para, 30, of Romoland (Riverside County) and a companion SCUBA diving in the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve after midnight on Jan. 15.
This location, which is in the Heisler Park area off the coast of Laguna Beach, has historically been closed to lobster fishing for years (even prior to the establishment of the MPA).

The New Year has always been the perfect time to reflect and look ahead with a fresh perspective. As the primary wellness provider for the South Lake Tahoe area, I would like to address questions you may have about the future of healthcare and what Barton Health has planned for 2012 and beyond.

CARSON CITY – Nevada ranked 30th among the states in how it protects animals in 2011, scoring only 25 points out of a possible 66, The Humane Society of the United States said in a national report released today.

Ranking first with 46 points was California, followed by New Jersey and Oregon with 40 points. In last place was South Dakota with eight points, with Idaho second to last with nine points.

CARSON CITY – Nevada voters can now be better informed than ever before with the Wednesday launch of Aurora, a user-friendly, searchable database for all campaign and public officer finance disclosures, Secretary of State Ross Miller said today.

Aurora, which can be accessed directly through the Secretary of State’s homepage, will provide a new level of insight into who is funding campaigns, and how those funds are being spent, he said.

South Shore native Darcie Goodman-Collins has been named the new executive director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe, officials announced today. She replaces Rochelle Nason who resigned last September.

I spotted this eagle high up in a tree watching me during my walk...You'll be surprised what you see if you take the time to look.

Carson City sheriff's deputies arrested Michael Jerrod Jacobsen, a 25-year-old transient, at around 12:30 this morning at the 300 block of Hot Springs Road. Jacobsen was arrested for misdemeanor obstructing, misdemeanor drug paraphernalia, a felony parole violation, and a previously existing felony warrant.

DUANE EARL SKIDMORE passed away peacefully in his sleep January 13, 2012. He was born April 13, 1924 in Montrose, Colorado to Rowena Mae and William F. Skidmore. He was preceded in death by his ...

Carol A. Gardner, 67, passed away January 16, 2012, in Carson City, NV. Carol was born December 2, 1944 in Alberta, Canada to Clayton and Rita McGaw. She has been a resident of Minden, NV for t...

Charles E. Smith, 57, of Carson City passed away January 14, 2012. Funeral services will be at 12pm, Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at Calvary Chapel in Carson City. Visitation will be from 10am-12pm ...

Movie: A Joyful Noise

There are several things wrong with the music comedy "A Joyful Noise," now playing he Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and elsewhere.

But those faults are outweighed by the music, a contemporary kind of gospel that moves nicely but lacks the true feeling of gospel singing. And the leads are just fine — Queen Latifah as Vi Rose Hill, Dolly Parton as G.G. Sparrow and the exuberant and lovely Keke Palmer as Vi's daughter Olivia.

Ducks down at the Carson River enjoying the water and apparently practicing their synchronized swimming routine...One of 'em is off his mark a bit though.

The unusual winter weather has been a boon for ice skaters. Here some skaters take to the ice on Tenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park. This area is normally under several feet of snow at this time of year and likely has never been conducive to ice skating. Hat tip to Sierra Foothills Report.

CARSON CITY – A conservative Nevada think tank today announced the second case taken on by its Center for Justice and Constitutional Litigation (CJCL), this one aimed at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for allegedly flooding a Pahrump church camp through negligent and illegal work on two streams.

Leave it to the Proscenium Players to stack the cards and place some outrageous bets beginning Friday, January 20. Celebrating their 47th season, the Carson City-based theater troupe will let the chips fall where they may during the murder mystery dinner “Dealt a Deadly Hand: Murder at the Carson City Casino Royale.” Check out the latest blog from the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Performances are Friday’s and

Freshly fallen snow and cold temperatures made for challenging driving conditions this morning and caused several fender benders on Interstate 80 between the E. McCarran Blvd and Waltham Way interchanges, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

Normally a dusting of snow in my front yard would not merit a photo, but this has been anything but a normal winter. It's been two months since the last recorded trace of precipitation. Let's hope the storm forecast for later this week brings a lot more than this.

UPDATE: 9:15PM: A 23-year-old Bay Area man who died on Saturday after slipping on ice and plunging about 150 feet near Cascade Falls, has been identified by family members as Michael James Machell of El Cerrito, Calif.

The action-thriller "Contraband," now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, stars Mark Wahlberg as Chris Farraday, a reformed former ace smuggler living in New Orleans with with wife Kate (Kate Beckinsale) and two sons (largely ignored) making home burglar alarms as a business.

Then his brother-in-law Ben Foster (Sebastian Abney) screws up a drug deal and Chris has to step in to save him and his family from the drug boss Tim Briggs' (Giovanni Ribisi) murder threats.

A celebration of life for Don & Avis Dixon, owners of Dixon's Garage, will be held on Saturday, January 21, at 2pm in the Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center. Friends and colleagues are...

James, affectionately known as Jim, Jimmy, or Dad, passed away Sunday, January 8, 2012 at the young age of 53 after suffering complications following a stroke. He was born July 29, 1958 in Pho...

Steven John Hamm, 38, formerly of Carson City, passed away January 5, 2012, at his home in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Steven the son of Susan Jean Hamm was born January 27, 1973 in San Jose CA, a...

Bad luck for Carson on the Friday the 13th when they took on the McQueen High School Lancers. The Senators lost 52-32.

Friday the thirteenth is usually bad luck. But on this Friday night it was a game full of excitement. The Senators beat the Lancers of McQueen High School 42-39.

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