Community,

COVID-19 has devestated small businesses around the country, especially those that rely on foot traffic as a means of getting people through the door. But as people work to protect their health by staying indoors and ordering online, small businesses tend to suffer. However, in Carson City, the community response has been strong this holiday season, and shoppers have been taking advantage of both in-person shopping as well as online shopping through local vendors.

Dear Friends: On a cold Christmas Eve in 1914, German, French, and British Soldiers hunkered down in the muddy trenches that had become their home during World War I. Between those trenches was a war-torn expanse of ground that was simply referred to as “no-man’s land.”

This December, dozens of Bently Nevada employees came together once more to support local families in need through the Adopt a Family Program.

The Fernley Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to improving Fernley’s community facilities for the city’s residents, is commemorating the progress of the Fernley Community Campus project. The FCF announced the progress and acknowledge key players at a Media Day on Friday, December 18 outside of the William N. Pennington Fernley Complex.

This holiday season, The Salvation Army’s Del Oro Division, which covers Northern Nevada and Northern California, has raised $800,000 less with its iconic Red Kettle Campaign compared to last year. In 2019, the nonprofit brought in $2.4 million to support Christmas assistance and fund programs throughout the year. So far this year, The Salvation Army has brought in just over $1.6 million. With just two days left in the campaign, the nonprofit is asking those in the community who are able, to please give and support their neighbors in need.

I think we can all agree that the best holiday gift of all is love. And what better way to share the love than by having Santa deliver a new bundle of love right to your doorstep on Christmas?

CARSON CITY — Nevada Supreme Court Justice Mark Gibbons will be retiring from the Nevada Supreme Court in January 2021, capping a nearly 24-year career as a member of Nevada’s judiciary. Justice Gibbons was first elected to the Nevada Supreme Court in 2002, making him the longest serving of the high court’s current seven members.

On a picturesque lakefront property with mountain views sits Reno’s new independent living retirement community, Mountain Lakes Estates Retirement Living, 765 South Meadows Drive. The active lifestyle community completed construction and recently welcomed its first residents.

A Douglas County Sheriff's Office sergeant is recovering after being shot three times late Sunday in Gardnerville. Two suspects are in custody and are being held in Carson City. The following news release was issued from DCSO:

CARSON CITY — We are now approaching a full year of coordinated efforts to address and minimize the spread of COVID-19. This has presented challenges to many, including health systems near and far. Early this year, Carson Tahoe Health began to pivot service lines and conserve personal protective equipment (PPE).

In a rush to avoid an end-of-the-year reversion back to the federal government, Nevada lawmakers have signed off on a plan that will allocate roughly $207 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic relief dollars largely to equipment costs and salaries of state employees.

Thin Veil Investigators, an investigative team which is based in Carson City, hosted two fundraisers for the “Do Drop In” this month. DeeDee Foremaster is the owner of this non-profit organization, first established November 17, 1998.

While most students across the country have been learning online this fall because of COVID, a group of students at Western Nevada College took advantage of an exciting hands-on scientific learning opportunity earlier this month.

This week's Senator Square features guest writers Ananda Campbell and Bridget Gordon-Johnson who explain Monday homeroom academic strategies. Campbell is a CHS Library Media Specialist and Carson City School District Library Coordinator. Gordon is a CHS counselor. This is their report:

On Friday, December 18, 2020, the Carson City Democrats delivered $686 to Joyce Buckingham, coordinator at Ron Wood Family Center for the Carson City Toys for Tots program.

In recognition of the fact that many families in our community, especially those with children, are struggling in this holiday period, the Carson City Democrats conducted a blazingly fast appeal to its members to support a cash drive for the Toys For Tots program.

To honor and raise funds for Nevada’s health care workers, historic Coin Press No. 1 will mint a special medallion from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 19 and 26 at the Nevada State Museum, 600 N. Carson St. in Carson City.

The Carson City Sheriff's Office created the following video to wish you and yours a happy holiday season.

"With this past year challenging our families, businesses and educational systems with historically unforeseen trials, we want to wish everyone the best of holidays. While we give our condolences to the families and friends that have lost loved ones this year and have an empty chair at the table, we likewise give our hopes, dreams, and prayers for a better and prosperous new year.

Meals on Wheels Carson City received a generous $7,000 grant from the Caesars Foundation to help feed homebound seniors in our local community.

Additionally, 336 cookie tin gifts were donated from Harrah’s and Harveys Lake Tahoe to deliver just in time for Christmas!

Carson City is facing the same problems other growing communities throughout the nation are: a lack of affordable housing which in turn is causing a gap in the workforce for important careers that require technical training.

Nonprofits greenUP! and Friends In Service Helping (FISH) are coming together around the topic of food waste and food insecurity this holiday season. It is estimated that a staggering 30-40 percent of all food produced in our country winds up in the landfill.

One solution for reducing waste is to donate extra food to feed the hungry: despite the high volumes of wasted food, over 13 million Americans lack regular access to a meal.

In our state, it is estimated by the Department of Health and Human Services that one in eight Nevadans does not know where their next meal is coming from.

While this year’s safe and sober celebrations may look different, Partnership Carson City, in collaboration with Carson City Sheriff's Office School Resource Officers, is encouraging students to celebrate safety and responsibly this New Year’s Eve by offering gift cards as a token of appreciation.

The Brewery Arts Center has published a video giving an update on how Carson City's local art non-profit adapted to life during COVID-19 and the creative ways they brought their mission to the community during challenging times.

Carson City is pleased to offer Christmas Tree Recycling in cooperation with Capital Sanitation/Waste Management, Inc.

As in previous years, Christmas trees can be placed curbside on your regular trash collection day or taken to one of the drop off locations. Trees will be chipped in the springtime and used as mulch. This program continues to be a huge success.

Please remove all decorations, lights, tinsel and bases prior to recycling; if the tree is longer than six feet, cut the tree into pieces.

In these different times, The Greenhouse Project will host the annual Celebrity Chef Dinner as a 'MaskurAid Ball' on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 at Cucina Lupo in Carson city due to a last minute glitch at the Governor's Mansion. Thank you Mark Estee and team for providing this venue on such short notice. There are only six tickets left!

Youth Theatre Carson City is thrilled to announce its upcoming production of Macy’s "Yes Virginia: The Movie Musical," which will be available to view On-Demand from Dec. 18-31.

Nevada continues to reel from the effects of the most recent surge of Coronavirus. And although COVID-19 positivity test results and hospitalizations have fluctuated this past month, they continue to be high across the state.

Carson City Fire Department put into service Ladder 50 at 0900 this morning with the traditional push-in ceremony at Station 52. Ladder 50 is a tiller driven truck with an aerial ladder that extends to 107 feet. For over 10 years the department struggled with multistory structure fires without the use of a ladder truck, a very critical element of response, a need that until today would only be fulfilled with mutual aid assistance from neighboring counties.

As the risk for COVID-19 transmission continues to increase, Carson City Health and Human Services is encouraging residents to avoid attending or hosting holiday celebrations with those outside of your household and utilizing lower risk activities to celebrate the holiday with those outside of your household.

The Carson City Symphony Association presentation of “Joyful Noise — A Holiday Treat” concert is available for viewing on the Carson City Symphony channel on YouTube here and from Facebook.com/CarsonCitySymphony here. The concert features John and Cherie Shipley with their Joyful Noise Chorus and Band. They have been performing "Joyful Noise" concerts each December since 2002.

The first of its kind Lake Tahoe Commemorative Coin was minted this month on historic Carson City Mint Press No. 1 and less than 300 of the limited-edition coins are still available for the public, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, said Tuesday.