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Google Doodle features Ferris Wheel inventor who once lived in Carson City

Valentine's Day is not only bookmarked for sweethearts. As Google reminds us Feb. 14 is also the birthday of a man with historic ties to Carson City and a subsequent invention — the Ferris Wheel — that continues to make hearts, minds, memories and even stomachs go 'round and 'round.

The man who invented the Ferris Wheel for the Chicago World Columbian Exposition in 1893 grew up briefly in Carson City. George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. arrived in Nevada in 1864 at the age of five. Today, Feb. 14, marks the 154th birthday of Ferris, who is being celebrated by a Valentine's Day Google Doodle.

His father, George Ferris Sr., was a horticulturalist who was responsible for much of the landscaping in Carson City in the 1870s, including the grounds of the State Capitol.

The Ferris’ lived in the Carson Valley for two years, then moved to a house on the southeast corner of Third and Division streets in Carson City. In 1875, George Ferris Jr. left Nevada to attend the California Military Academy in Oakland. In 1880, he received a degree in civil engineering and was hired by an architectural firm in New York City.

After a few years, he was hired by a Pittsburgh firm and it was while working there that he designed the Ferris Wheel as an attraction for the World Exposition in 1893. The 250-foot wheel was an immediate hit at the fair and in less than a half year carried 1.4 million passengers. In 1904, the wheel was moved to St. Louis for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Following the show, it was destroyed for scrap. However, the wheel outlived Ferris, who died in Pittsburgh in 1896 at the age of 37.

Information provided by the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. A Wikipedia entry can be found here.

Below is a YouTube on the Google Doodle and a write-up on Ferris by Guy Rocha, former Nevada State Archivist. You can also read more about the Sears-Ferris House in Carson City here.

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UPDATE 9:55AM: Firefighters continue to work in the Davis Fire area, having gained 76 percent containment since the wildfire started a week ago Sept. 7. The fire has burned 5,824 acres.

The St. Teresa of Avila Women's Society is holding their first Annual Craft & Coffee Fair on Friday, Sept. 20 from 5- 8 pm. and Saturday Sept. 21 from 10 am - 6 pm. The craft fair will have over 30 vendors with handcrafted goods and gifts. Start your holiday shopping early! The Craft & Coffee fair will be held at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church. 3000 N. Lompa Lane, Carson City.

Homecoming celebrations kicked off this afternoon with an assembly, and Carson High School was pleased to announce the student-elected candidates.

Here are all the upcoming events in the community for Carson City School District students and families, hosted by the district or community organizations.

The Carson Nugget Casino will donate over 100 tickets for the John DiResta Celebrity Comedy show to the Carson City, Reno, and all other Northern Nevada Firefighters to recognize their hard and heroic work battling the wildfires in Northern Nevada.

On Friday during Lyon County Sheriff Brad Pope's "Message of the Week," it was released that following a court ruling out of Maricopa County, Arizona, they will no longer be publicizing mug shots or the names of those arrested until appeals have been resolved.

Black Ice Theatre Company, in partnership with Carson Valley Community Theatre, is proud to present our fall production of "Misery", written by William Goldman and based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Stephen King.

Evacuations have now been lifted in the Montreux area, though residents are cautioned while in the area as crews continue to work.

According to John Cervantes, Operations Section Chief, the fire is now officially in the mop up stage.

The Carson Creepy Short Horror Film Competition is back, and this year, we’re cranking up the terror to spine-chilling new heights. Get your tickets today to see what your local aspiring filmmakers and horror aficionados have created to scare your socks off!

There will be two screenings held on October 19th, one at 3 and one at 7pm, or you can attend both and catch all the flicks!

Get tickets: https://breweryarts.org/event/20241019-carson-creepy/
3 PM - $12.00
7 PM - $22.00
Both - $27.00

Brewery Arts Center - West Building - Performance Hall
511 W. King St.
Carson City, NV

Meet Peaches, Catmandu’s cat of the week. This sweet girl is an absolute peach.
Less than 4 years old, she's a long-haired white cat with a black mask and tail. She is currently sporting a lion cut as she was horribly matted when she came to Catmandu. Although she is a full-figured girl, she is absolutely adorable with her haircut.

Davis FireQuick Facts: We are now at 56 percent containment - Evening of September 12, 2024

Paranormal Investigation, Haunted places

Join us for a thrilling adventure at Haunted Hills, Mills & Depots 2024! Immerse yourself in the history and mysteries of the Haunted Comstock. This is a fundraiser for The Comstock Foundation for History and Culture.

Evacuation Update for the Davis Fire for September 12th

The following area has been downgraded from an Evacuation Order to an Evacuation Warning. This means that residents in this area are allowed to return to their homes.

UPDATE 2 pm Thursday:

Courtesy of Washoe County Sheriff

The following area has been downgraded from an Evacuation Order to an Evacuation Warning. This means that residents in this area are allowed to return to their homes.

This week's pet of the week is Grammy. Grammy is a 9-year-old Pit Bull Terrier Mix and the sweetest of the golden girls. Grammy came to us as a stray, so we are still learning her true colors.

The morning briefing is out as of 9 a.m. Thursday, during which officials said crews on scene kept containment on all sides of the fire. Those evacuated from Washoe Valley have been allowed to return.

Good morning, Carson Now readers, here’s our update for Thursday morning.

Outlook on the Davis Fire is positive but is dependent entirely on the weather, according to fire officials during a Wednesday press conference that included officials from Washoe County, Truckee Meadows Fire, NV Energy and more.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, however, all active fires are currently within containment lines, which so far, have all been holding.

Several buildings were destroyed during Saturday's blaze from the Davis Fire in the old 395 corridor in Washoe City. The area was shut down for some time in part due to downed power lines which have since been removed.

I've been taking my dogs to beautiful Silver Saddle Ranch in Carson City for nine years and have seen many, many coyotes.

UPDATE 330PM: The NV Energy outage has grown to 2,635 customers in Carson City without power. NV Energy earlier had advised that it was canceling its Public Safety Outage Management (PSOM) watch for south Carson City, Genoa and Glenbrook areas but did advise outages are possible today due to weather events.
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UPDATE 2:13PM: Carson Now's Kelsey Penrose reports from the field Wednesday afternoon where it is breezy but blue skies. She advises people to not let down their guard down or have a false sense of security as wind is expected to pick up later this afternoon. See her video report here.
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UPDATE 10:52AM: Approximately 2,379 customers remain without power, according to NV Energy.
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Firefighters on the Davis Fire achieved 31 percent containment overnight on the west side of the fire. Firefighters are bracing for gusty winds today, which has prompted a rare PDS Red Flag Warning.
Here is the latest Davis Fire update for Wednesday morning from Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. We will update this report as more information comes in.

NV Energy says it has canceled a Public Safety Outage Management (PSOM) Watch for Genoa, south Carson City and Glenbrook "due to updated weather forecasts in these areas."

Students, Teachers Celebrate National Arts in Education Week with Events
Carson City students and teachers celebrate passion and creativity for National Arts in Education Week, Sept. 9-13, during instruction time, at lunch and before and after school.

A 37-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday for suspicion of grand larceny, obtaining money under false pretenses and obtaining or using an ID of another person, according to a Carson City Sheriff's Office booking report.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of numerous emails sent to Douglas County residents in an attempt to fraudulently obtain money by threatening means.

As of Wednesday morning, additional evacuation warning zones have been added throughout South Reno. As of 11 a.m., evacuation warnings have extended as far north as McCarren and Kietzke, while the area west of 395 including the Summit Mall is included.

The City of Las Vegas posted on social media that fire crews are headed to Reno to help support fire stations while crews continue to battle the Davis Fire.

Vehicles traveling US-395 Alt From Eastlake Boulevard to I-580 take note, vehicles over 9 feet are prohibited due to gusty winds. Today, as we repair I-580 guardrail posts burned by the Davis Fire, our thoughts remain with first responders and all community members impacted. Stay vigilant, stay informed and stay safely away from the fire area. Find fire-related highway closures, and all highway conditions, at NVRoads.com.

Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space is actively working on a master plan for John D. Winters Centennial Park. A master plan acts as a guide for future projects by establishing a long-term plan for the entire sports complex.