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Pyrotechnics, parties and patriotism highlight Nevada Fourth of July events

From boat regattas to Old West Virginia City concerts, Ely steam train rides to fireworks over Lake Tahoe, Nevada offers plenty of ways to celebrate Independence Day. This summer, make the most of the holiday by attending one of the state’s many spectacular Fourth of July events.

There are unique celebrations from one end of the state to the other over the holiday weekend. From big-city pyrotechnics to patriotic speeches, you’ll be sure to have plenty from which to choose. For more information on this and other summer fun in Nevada, visit www.TravelNevada.com.

“Nevada has a distinctive role in American history, given our entry into the Union during the Civil War,” Larry Friedman, Nevada Commission on Tourism interim director, said in a news release. “We celebrate that heritage with plenty of Fourth of July events — and Nevada’s geographic and cultural diversity means there are so many different types of events on offer.”

Lake Tahoe Fireworks:
The American Pyrotechnics Association rates Lake Tahoe's spectacular Fourth of July fireworks celebration one of the Top 5 displays in the nation. Created by Pyro Spectaculars, Inc. and fired by Pyrodigital Consultants and features a wide variety of patterns, lights, designs and shapes. Scheduled to begin at around 9:45 PM.

The fireworks are visible from all over town. Nevada Beach is among the favorite places to see the event. Located about two miles east of the Nevada casinos on Elk Point Road, Nevada Beach is the ideal setting for a family barbecue at the beach. A wide, sandy shoreline leads down to the sapphire waters of Lake Tahoe. Charcoal barbecues and picnic tables dot the beach. The view across the lake to the West Shore and Desolation Wilderness is unsurpassed. And the view of the fireworks display is one of the best in town.

You can also watch the fireworks show on the Nevada side front and center from the beach to the south of Edgewood Tahoe's clubhouse. Edgewood offers a limited amount of tickets to this event, which includes dinner packages. Go to www.EdgewoodTahoe.com for details.

This annual family tradition is choreographed to music and broadcast on local radio stations KRLT-FM 93.9 and KOWL-AM 1490. “Lights on the Lake” is sponsored by the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.

Virginia City sticks with tradition:
The historic mining town digs deep into tradition this year, offering classic July 4 fireworks and entertainment. A parade down C Street is set to start at noon, and David John and the Comstock Cowboys will perform their repertoire of songs about America, cowboys, horses and the Old West at 5 p.m., with fireworks to follow after sundown. For more information go here: www.virginiacity-nv.org/

Take a ride on the V&T from Carson City to Virginia City over the holiday weekend. Click here for details.

Steam train rides in Ely:
It may be a small town just off the old Pony Express route, but Ely does holidays with a bang. Wake up early for a breakfast hosted by White Pine County, followed by a traditional parade at 11 a.m. and children’s games in Ely’s Broadbent Park. For a novel view of fireworks, head for the Nevada Northern Railway, where a historic steam train heads up Robinson Canyon , where passengers can see the show, or catch the pyrotechnics at the White Pine County Golf Course. For more, see the website www.elynevada.net.

Star Spangled Sparks:
This perennial event in Sparks includes a day of festivities at the Sparks Marina, followed by a rousing fireworks show in nearby Victorian Square. Events start at dawn, with free hot-air balloon rides. Also enjoy a Sparks Idol contest modeled after the TV show “American Idol”; a boat regatta in which people build homemade watercrafts out of cardboard, then test them in the Sparks Marina; and an array of food and vendor booths.

The fun is capped off in the evening with a fireworks show sponsored by John Ascuaga’s Nugget. For more, see the website www.janugget.com/events-calendar/star-spangled-sparks.asp.

Elko fireworks:
The annual fireworks show coordinated by Nevada Assemblyman John Ellison and sponsored by Ellison Electric and other community groups is the highlight of Independence Day in Cowboy Country. The pyrotechnics display runs about 45 minutes and is preceded by speeches by members of the VFW and POW*MIA. For more, see the website www.elkocva.com.

Las Vegas fireworks:
Station Casinos properties once again will offer a city-wide pyrotechnics display, with fireworks going off at five Station Casino properties: Aliante Station, Green Valley Ranch resort, Fiesta Rancho, Texas Station and Red Rock Resort.

Photo by: Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority

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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.

The Nevada Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is today, Thursday, May 2 at the Nevada State Capitol in Carson City. The memorial brings hundreds to the capitol grounds. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office arrested three for their alleged involvement in business thefts last month on Topsy Lane south of Carson City.

The national issue of suicide — particularly among veterans — touched many people who attended the Walk for Hope on Wednesday morning at Western Nevada College in Carson City.