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Virginia City Bonanza Days to feature Comstock lecture, commemorative coin

Carson City attorney Wally Earhart will portray President Lincoln and deliver the Comstock Historical Lecture at the revival of Virginia City's Bonanza Days on March 5.

He will be joined by the Comstock Civil War Re-enactors who will assist in hosting the dinner in character. The Marshall Mint will premiere the first strike of its new Big Bonanza commemorative silver coin at the event.

The inaugural Big Bonanza Days Dinner and Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 5, at Virginia City's newest hotel, the Silverland Inn & Suites. Longtime Nevada media personality Dave Finley will emcee the program.

The Silverland is the major sponsor of the event. Proprietor Hugh Roy Marshall is a longtime amateur Nevada historian.

The inaugural Big Bonanza Silver Strike Award will be presented to the Nevada Historical Society for its 111-year commitment to historical preservation. No-host cocktails and a silent auction begin at 5:00 p.m., dinner and presentations from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The cost is $50 per person, tables of eight are available for $500. Seating is limited and the Silverland Theater is already 85 percent sold out.
"We encourage everyone to make reservations now," event producer Jim Webster said.

"We are proud to donate proceeds to the Nevada Historical Society at the University of Nevada, Reno," Marshall said.

"The society is undergoing serious financial stress and we want to do all we can to help," he added.

For tickets, major sponsorships and auction donations, contact Webster at (775) 379-4787, im@bigbonanzadays.com or John O'Brien at (775) 224-5838, john@bigbonanzadays.com.

Rooms at the Silverland Inn & Suites are available for $99 plus tax. The hotel will donate $20 from the price of each room to the Nevada Historical Society. Reservations may be made by calling Ann Weaver at (775) 847-4484.

Silent auction items will include five-foot-wide full-color, high-definition panoramic photographs of Comstock historic sites by University of Nevada journalism Prof. Howard Goldbaum. Marshall has contributed a mint condition set of Bonanza King medallions bearing the images of legendary silver barons James G. Fair, James Flood, John Mackay and William S. O'Brien.

Marshall and O'Brien co-host "Tales of Nevada-Past and Present" every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on KBZZ 1270-am. The program is entirely about Silver State history and may also be heard live online via kbzz.com.
The Big Bonanza Days revival is a frequent topic. Nevada Historical Society Interim Executive Director Sheryln Hayes-Zorn was a recent guest. Reno native Neal Cobb, an editorial board member of the new "Nevada in the West" magazine, is a frequent contributor and coordinates the program.

This Saturday, Feb. 19, the program will feature former Reagan administration aide Dr. Tyrus W. Cobb of Reno. He served as director of Soviet and European affairs and as special assistant to President Reagan. (He is no relation to Neal Cobb.)

In the 1960's and 1970's, Bonanza Days was headlined by actors from the classic "Bonanza" and "Wagon Train" television series, among many others. The sounds of double jack contests and parades were heard in the venerable mining district. The new Big Bonanza Days may eventually expand to similar areas.

This year's renewal will feature the state's actual history with fond remembrances of its fictional TV history. Fact and fiction merged when the stars came to town.

At random times over the next two weeks, BigBonanzaDays.com will post humorous vignettes of past events along with some of the outrageous exaggerations that made the Comstock famous.

For more information and continuous updates, go to www.BigBonanzaDays.com.

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Firefighters in Yerington and the Lyon County Sheriff's Office are on scene Monday morning of a semi truck rollover on Aiazzi Lane and Miller Road in Yerington. The entire area is closed to all traffic.

It's time again for the biggest one-day food drive in the country, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive happening Saturday, May 11. This event is vital for helping food banks to provide food during the summer months.

Polka Dot Powerhouse, Carson City Chapter, invites you to be a guest at our May monthly business luncheon. Come meet Carson City's most dynamic, positive, action forward women to connect for business and friendship. Join us for collaboration, celebration, and fun! Special raffle prizes for all guests.

We’re back, bigger and better than ever! Please welcome the second annual Mark Twain Days, May 10-12. For a listing of events take a gander at the website here.

You will find something of interest or my name’s not Mark Twain, or used to be anyways. And this year Virginia City is joining in on the fun along with Carson City. Wow!

Nevada Division of Forestry state nursery is open for business beginning Thursday, May 9. When we first bought our home in 1988 with its 2.5 acres, there were some poplars, pines, blue spruce, willows, and grass, but little else. I soon discovered the state nursery and filled the yard with flowering shrubs and other plants. I added lilacs, sand cherries, golden and Nevada currants, sumacs, Apache plumes, and incense cedars.

The Lyon County Sheriff's Office arrested a Dayton man Saturday for possession of child pornography. During the investigation, officers also learned the man was a local little league coach.

Mrs. Carson City America, Kassandra Tapia, is set to grace the stage of the Mrs. Nevada America Pageant, scheduled to take place on June 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. She is proudly representing the Capital City, and she aims to not only showcase her poise and grace but also advocate for her powerful platform, Cycle Breakers.

Nevada Author, Sandie La Nae will be selling her Carson City and Virginia City books the three days of the Mark Twain Days, May 10, 11, and 12.

As part of Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday celebration, the Smokey Reading Challenge is underway. Launched this morning at the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records in Carson City, the program is designed to engage children across Nevada in an exciting reading journey to learn about wildfire prevention, forests, and careers in natural resources with Smokey Bear.

The Nevada Jeep Club held their first Washoe Valley Cleanup on Saturday, May 4 and collected more than 450 pounds of trash along Highway 395.

Partnership Carson City has launched “Rediscovering Your Mental Health Series,” a five-week program aimed at promoting mental wellness during Mental Health Awareness Month this May. Each week, participants will have the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques to enhance their mental well-being and foster a healthy community.

The Carson City Leisure Hour Club members continue celebrating the organization’s 127th year with a presentation on the upcoming Jazz and Beyond festival.

At the club’s dinner meeting on Thursday, May 16, Cherie Shipley, a member of the event planning committee, will talk about the annual Jazz and Beyond festival, how it formed, and the impact it has had on the community. Jazz and Beyond is scheduled for August 16 to August 25, 2024.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of May 6-12, 2024. Closures are expected at the following locations due to road and utility work:

Organized by Carol Park, the Elks held an open to the public, two-day indoor garage sale at the lodge in March as a fundraiser for Holiday with a Hero. Lodge members donated all items sold and assisted at the event which received excellent support from the community.

An 18-year-old Carson City man was arrested at a local diner after allegedly stealing a car from a used car lot two days prior to test drive it.

Friday May 10 at 7:30PM, Valhalla Tahoe kicks off their season with a living history presentation, “The Reno Cure,” at the Boathouse Theater. Reno has long been known as “The Biggest Little City.”

The Carson City Symphony Association will present a concert, "Pleasures of Music," on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church, 3680 N. Hwy. 395, south of Best Buy, Carson City. The concert is a Mark Twain Days event. Admission is free, donations welcome,

Members of the Rotary Club of Carson City will learn how its annual Educational Grant has helped local students at the club’s next meeting. Carson School District K-12 Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator Brittany Witter received the club’s Carson City School District’s Professional Development Center Grant last year with the goal of funding the “Literacy and Love of Reading through Social Studies” project.

Western Nevada College hosted a ceremony to celebrate students succeeding in training to reestablish themselves in the workforce on Thursday.

Perfection in a fur coat is the best way to describe Cher, our cat of the week. Just 7 months old, she is a pretty little short-haired girl with a sweet and social personality.

Carson High School's Senior in the Spotlight this week is Parker Schmid, a remarkable young man whose sparkle radiates in every aspect of his life. From academics to extracurriculars, Parker's journey embodies excellence and compassion, traits that set him apart from his peers.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Courtesy of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office: On May 3, 2024 at approximately 1430 hours, Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputies responded along with Central Lyon County, Carson City and Storey County Fire personnel to the area of 34 Newman Ln. for a report of motorhome on fire. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the fire had spread and multiple other abandoned vehicles caught fire as well. No one was hurt or injured during the incident. The incident is currently under investigation, which is being conducted by the Nevada State Fire Marshall’s Division.

UPDATE 2:38 p.m.: Firefighters from Storey are also now responding.

UPDATE 2:33 p.m.: Multiple vehicles on the property are engulfed in flame.

***

Around 2:15 p.m. a fire was reported at 34 Newman Lane in Mound House.

Firefighters from Carson City and Lyon County are enroute to the scene.

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: According to Sheriff Ken Furlong, a student reported they saw a weapon. The incident was investigated and there was no weapon found. The lockdown has now been lifted and students are leaving the school.

UPDATE 1:15 p.m.: Update 05-03-24 at 1:15 p.m.
One student has reported an alleged weapon sighting. It has not been corroborated, but school officials and the sheriff’s office are investigating out an abundance of caution.

***

UPDATE 12:50 p.m.: The following update was provided by the district:

Carson High School was put on lockdown this afternoon around 12:15 p.m. No person was injured. There is an active situation being investigated in cooperation with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. We will provide more information as it becomes known. The school is secure. Do not go to the school. No entrances will be permitted at time. The district will provide updates every 30 minutes. Expect the next update at 1:15 p.m.

***

Carson High School is currently on a lockdown as of 12:40 p.m. Friday, but there has been no incident reported according to Sheriff Ken Furlong.

Two School Resource Officers are on scene investigating why the alarm went off.

The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners heard a presentation from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) on the current status of the Highway 50 Preservation Project in Dayton.

Kids ages 8-14: Join Skiing is Believing at Western Nevada college for our multidiscplinary sport & fitness camp! Every day of every week, Skiing is Believing staff will help provide a variety of sports for kids to develop their physical skills and promote emotional development through exercise and community service.

After months of thorough community engagement and meticulous deliberation, Douglas County has announced the completion of its new Strategic Plan. This document, which will guide the County's decisions and resource allocation for the next five years, is the result of extensive input from both internal and external stakeholders.

The unpredictability of spring this first weekend of May continues with the threat of snow showers in the Sierra on Saturday, along with gusty winds and rain down to the valley floors for Carson City and surrounding areas. The storm system should moved out by Sunday morning.

Carson High School Culinary Arts and Early Childhood Education students competed at the three-day state conference last month for Nevada Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. This was the first time the school’s programs participated in the conference. A total of 25 students competed in eight events.

Family fun, lively bands and historical characters return to Dangberg Historic Park in Minden beginning in May. Favorite presenters, bands and Chautauquans will be joined by new ones as well.

Carson City’s former Board of Supervisor and business owner Stan Jones was posthumously awarded Thursday the Historic Preservation Award for his long time work for downtown Carson City.

Each year, a Historic Preservation Award is awarded by the Historic Resources Commission to Carson City residents or organizations who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to historic preservation.