Calendar

CARSON CITY – A legislative panel today voted to request that a bill be drafted and introduced in the 2013 session requiring the Clark County District Court to create a Veterans’ specialty court.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s casinos returned to their winning ways in April, posting a statewide total win of $855.7 million for a 6.2 percent gain over April 2011, the Gaming Control Board reported today.

Clark County overall was up 8.9 percent in April to $743.7 million while the rest of the state did not fare as well. Washoe County was down 15.5 percent, South Lake Tahoe was down 4.4 percent and Elko County was down 2.3 percent.

CARSON CITY – Former Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley may not be a candidate for public office this year, but this apparent lack of political ambition has not stopped her from maintaining a campaign fund worth nearly half a million dollars.

Here’s an advance notice of something very special in the Outdoor world that will occur in just several days:

Draw a great big red circle around the date of Saturday, June 9 on your calendar and then plan to have a fun-filled day in the Great Outdoors.
June 09 is Nevada’s Free Fishing Day for the year 2012.

On that day, you can fish anywhere you want, and not need a Nevada fishing license or a Nevada Trout Stamp or a Nevada Second Rod Stamp.

Summer officially kicks off in North Lake Tahoe Memorial Day Weekend with the 6th Annual Opening Day at the Lake.
This four-day special event is Friday, May 25 to Monday, May 28, and is comprised of celebrations and festivities along the West Shore and the North Tahoe region. This event is produced by Lake Tahoe’s West Shore Association.

In celebration of Historic Preservation Month, the Carson City Historic Resources Commission is holding their third annual Historic Preservation Scavenger Hunt from May 1-15, 2012.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s Tax Department could enhance its audit efforts by adhering to its own risk assessment formula for determining which businesses to review for compliance, an audit released today said.

The audit of the agency by the state Division of Internal Audits found that it does not follow its risk assessment results when determining which businesses to analyze for potential tax collections.

CARSON CITY – A Carson City District judge today rejected an initiative petition proposing to create a new and higher rate of taxation for Nevada’s largest casinos, finding that the 200 word description of effect of the measure was misleading.

In rejecting the petition, Judge James Todd Russell said he did not believe he had the authority to rewrite the description himself.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s taxable sales climbed 4.8 percent in January to $3.15 billion, with increases in all major consumer categories except construction, the state Department of Taxation reported today.

It was the 19^th month of taxable sales increases in Nevada and brought the increase for the fiscal year 2012 to date to 7.2 percent. Taxable sales increased by 6.1 percent in Washoe County and 3.5 percent in Clark County in January.

Today is Feb. 29, also a very special day on the calendar as it is a leap year day that only happens once every four years.
According to www.Wikipedia.org, here’s why:

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee today approved a request from the Department of Taxation for $260,000 to hire a team of auditors to track cigarette sales to protect a $40 million a year payment to Nevada from the nation’s major tobacco companies.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s casinos brought in $855.7 million in gaming revenue in December 2011 for a 2.1 percent gain over the same month in 2010, the state Gaming Control Board reported today.

The Las Vegas Strip saw a 3.6 percent gain, bringing in $518.4 million.

Collaborative efforts between the Nevada Small Business Development Center and the Nevada Microenterprise Initiative/Women’s Business Center (NMI) are demonstrating solid benefits to funding sources and the public. “More than ever state agencies must be efficient and results-oriented in how tax dollars are spent,” said Sam Males, NSBDC’s state director.

CARSON CITY – Las Vegas businessman Monte Miller said today he is seeking a hike in the gaming tax for the state’s largest casinos to offer the Legislature and voters one more revenue option in the face of a possible Texas-style margin tax that could appear on the ballot.

CARSON CITY – A broader measure of Nevada’s unemployment picture, including those who have given up looking for work, showed some improvement through the end of 2011, a federal report released this week shows.

The rate in Nevada dropped to 22.7 percent in the 12 months through Dec. 31, down from 23.3 percent in the 12 months through Sept. 30, 2011.

CARSON CITY – Several major events in Las Vegas, including the final table at the World Series of Poker, combined with a healthy baccarat win, pushed Nevada gaming revenues up 7.1 percent in November, the Gaming Control Board reported today.

CARSON CITY – A state panel today supported a request from the Department of Taxation for $260,000 to hire a team of auditors to track cigarette sales to protect a $40 million a year payment to Nevada from the nation’s major tobacco companies.

Each year, as my last article for that year, I present my Annual Don Q Awards for a number of different reasons: Outstanding, good, not so good, bad, serious, funny, dumb, head-scratching, are-you-kidding, etc.
Those annual awards are presented to all kinds of people or places or things for what has occurred throughout the year. It’s an interesting way to end the year, so here are my 2011 winners:

Rumors that the Carson City school calendar and the daily start time for classes are changing is false, according to Superintendent Richard Stokes. While there are studies showing that teens perform better when they don't have to wake up early, Stokes said the district is not ready to change their start times without seeking input from all parties. He also said the school calendar will likely be similar to this year, with classes starting the third week of August.

****

St. Paul's Lutheran Church will be participating in the Compassionate Friends nationwide candlelight vigil on Sunday honoring children "gone too soon." Participants plan to gather at 6:30 p.m. at the church at the corner of Saliman and Highway 50, with the vigil beginning at 7 p.m.

****

Health inspectors found 22 critical food safety violation at Nevada prisons this year, including spoiled food, insects and rodents. All violations were corrected.

With holidays around the corner, a number of Carson City lodging establishments have built-in deals and specials for travelers to the capital city.

Nowhere is the passion and dedication of women motorcyclists more apparent than at an AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference. The popular event returns July 26-29, this time in Carson City — one of the West's premier motorcycling destinations.

With Wednesday being Nov. 30, and with all of the crazy “Black Friday” shopping madness now safely behind us, we can begin, once again, to think rationally about ideas for Christmas gifts for that special person(s) in our lives.
So, if you were not part of that frenzied mob scene on the day after Thanksgiving, or if you are still scratching your head about what to get for that person, here are some “Don Q” suggestions for Christmas gifts:
Any one or more of these could create a very enjoyable Christmas.

Here is the fishing report for the week of Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. This report covers rivers, streams and lakes in Nevada, the Sierra, Northern California and Southern Oregon.

CARSON CITY – A report from the Tax Foundation on unemployment insurance taxes says 34 states have had to borrow $37 billion from the federal government to pay jobless benefits, and employers around the country face the prospect of higher tax rates as a result.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s gaming win declined 6.1 percent statewide in August over August 2010, but the downturn is not as significant as it might appear, a Gaming Control Board analyst said today.
Nevada’s casinos won $886.9 million in August, nearly $58 million less than the same month last year, said state gaming analyst Michael Lawton.

Whether it’s taking in motorcycle rides, local theater, a ghost walk, wine tasting or a charity golf tournament, there’s plenty of events lined up this weekend in Carson City. Go here for the latest blog from the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau outlining this weekend's activities and go here for a calendar of events through the rest of the month. There's also lots of activities lined up for the month of October. Go here to learn more.

CARSON CITY – Fourth Estaters and members of the public interested in the esoteric world of political campaign contribution and expense reports should be salivating with the knowledge that as of Jan. 1, this information will finally be available in a usable format.
Secretary of State Ross Miller said that as a result of campaign finance reporting reforms he sought and the Legislature approved this past session, the contributions candidates receive and the expenditures they make on their campaigns will soon be much more transparent.

It's a Saturday stroll through historic downtown Carson City and so much more. In its second season the Downtown Wine Walk is one of the capital city's weekend gems, where sight-seeing goes hand-in-hand with tasting, public art galleries, gift shops, great restaurants, casinos and more. Check out this latest blog from the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

With Friday well underway, it's time to get the weekend started. Lots of music and activities are stacked up, beginning today, in the capital city. Check out this latest blog from the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau on the weekend events.

Follow friendly spirits on a two-hour stroll through the eerie historic district of Carson City. Fact and spooky legend combine for colorful tales, told by pale apparitions. Discover the secrets of those who lived (and died) in the 1800s Victorian-style homes along our Kit Carson Trail.

Tours depart from 3rd and Carson St. next to the circa 1900 St. Charles Hotel. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the walk. To get yours before they vanish, stop by the Visitors Center, 1900 S. Carson St., or call (775) 687-7410 or 800-NEVADA-1.