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Carson City arrests: Man discovered at residence of recently deceased jailed for burglary

A 41-year-old man was arrested Jan. 19 in the 800 block of Sharrow Way for suspicion of burglary, a Carson City sheriff's report said.

Jason Raymond Sparks, listed from Yerington, also faces a gross misdemeanor charge of unlawful occupancy.

According to the arrest report and subsequent investigation, the man is suspected of entering a vacant home without the consent of the current owners. The home had belonged to the current owner's mother in law who had passed away and no one was authorized to be inside the home. The current owners confirmed they did not know the suspect who had been occupying the home.

Carson City Sheriff's Office deputies had made prior contacts with the suspect. They interviewed him and determined his prior statements (that he worked for the FBI) and statements he made during this investigation (he was a real estate agent and that the residence was a state building) the subject is affected by unknown mental health issues, the arrest report states. He was booked on the charges. Bail: $22,500.

— A 51-year-old Carson City man was arrested Tuesday in the 2600 block of Concord Drive for misdemeanor suspicion of domestic battery.

According to the arrest report, deputies were called to the area regarding a welfare check on female subject that was yelling outside a residence.

Deputies arrived and made contact with the couple. The female advised she and her husband were in an argument over finances, and stated her husband slapped or punched her in the face during the incident.

The deputy observed a swollen bump, around 1 inch in diameter, on the woman's right cheek. The deputy made contact with the man who advised they were in a dispute and he pushed the woman. Based on the injuries the man was arrested for domestic battery. The man provided a preliminary breath test of .215. Bail: $3,137.

— A 49-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Tuesday for suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tracey Lynn Merz-Johnson was taken into custody at 8:32 p.m. According to the arrest report, a Carson City sheriff's deputy made a traffic stop on a vehicle in which the left tail-light was not illuminated. The officer spoke with the driver, who had two passengers including Merz-Johnson.

Due to the driver having a history of drug violations and was on parole and probation, a deputy canine was deployed to conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle. The dog alerted positive. Deputies located a backpack belonging to the woman, and inside located methamphetamine and two clear meth pipes with burnt residue. The woman said the drugs and paraphernalia were not hers, the report states. Bail: $3,637.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.

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The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is gearing up for our most popular holiday weekend, the Fourth of July. Tahoe is a cherished place, welcoming to all responsible recreationists of diverse backgrounds, and it is essential that Tahoe visitors and residents alike take care of this spectacular place to protect Tahoe’s environment and improve the Tahoe experience for all.

Join us Saturday, July 20 for a day of free live music and art at the Silver Pavilion Stage in the Silver City Park, 12 to 6 p.m.

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St. Mary's Art Center, a nonprofit organization located in the former 1876 St. Mary Louise Hospital in historic Virginia City, hosts local published author, Martin A. David, in a creative writing workshop, “You Can Write”. The five-class series occurs every Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon beginning July 11 and ending August 8.

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Muscle Powered hike Galena Creek Trail

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Sports fan, occasional local columnist and one-time announcer for Western Nevada College Wildcat baseball, Chris Graham of Carson City made his first professional play-by-play debut Friday night for the Ogden Raptors.

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Overnight lane closures will take place on southbound Interstate 580 in Carson City Monday, July 1 as the Nevada Department of Transportation installs an overhead traffic sign.

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Prison Tours

August tours at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City are filling up for the summer, and tours are opening soon for the fall.

The Levitt AMP Carson City outdoor concert series continues Saturday with Urban Renewal Project, a 16-piece collective that combines elements of jazz, hiphop and vintage soul that will bring genre-bending music to the Connections Central stage at the Brewery Arts Center.

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