July

Millions of dollars in solar energy projects slated for the Carson City School District hang in the balance after a lawsuit was filed on Monday by a Nevada construction union.

The Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council filed a petition in District Court to stop Carson City School District’s plan to build solar energy arrays at five separate school locations in Carson City. A hearing is set for Thursday, 9 a.m. in Carson City District Court.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada policy makers remain divided over the need to make a fundamental change to the public employees’ retirement system following the release last week of a report showing significant costs to move to a defined contribution plan.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The panel that oversees Nevada’s public employee retirement system was told today it would cost about $1.2 billion over the next two years to change from the current defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan for new state and local government workers.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – When it comes to the budget problems looming for many states over the next two years, a report released this week by the National Conference of State Legislatures makes one point very clear: Nevada is No. 1, and not in a good way.

The gamblers are gambling in the Nevada again, as statewide gaming win climbed 11.02 percent statewide in October over prior year.

The surge was led by the Las Vegas Strip, the state's biggest gaming center, which took in $2,021,082,843 in October, a 16.07 percent increase over October 2009.

Gaming revenues for the fiscal year that started in July are up 5.35 percent over prior year.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A panel of private sector fiscal experts today projected the Nevada state general fund will have about $5.3 billion in tax revenues to spend on government services for the next two years.
The Nevada Economic Forum spent the day making projections for gaming, sales, business and other major tax revenues for use by Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval and the Legislature in crafting a balanced budget for the two years beginning July 1, 2011.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A campaign report filed by the Senate Democratic Caucus shows the group’s political action committee received about $20,000 before ending a short-lived proposal to give lobbyists access to lawmakers in exchange for campaign contributions.

Nineteen South Lake Tahoe area non-profit organizations got an early holiday surprise Thursday when more than $100,000 was delivered by LIVESTRONG and the American Century Championship.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority board of directors announced the distribution of $102,377 in contributions on Thursday, Nov. 11.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval said today he will make it a priority as governor to encourage businesses to relocate to Nevada from neighboring states where taxes have been raised to deal with the economic slowdown.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s public employee retirement system will require increased contributions from the state and local governments next year to maintain the long-term financial health of the defined benefit plan, the board overseeing the program was told today.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Newly elected state Sen. Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, has requested the drafting of legislation to repeal Nevada’s minimum wage law.

Read the full story at aroundcarson.com.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s “actual� unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2010 increased to 22.3 percent from 21.5 percent in the second quarter, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

Under a proposed state budget plan, four of Nevada's museums operated by the Division of Museums and History would close, including the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, said Peter Barton, acting administrator for the Division of Museums and History.

Other museums on the proposed state budget chopping block are the Nevada Historical Society in Reno, the state's oldest museum which opened in 1905; the Lost City Museum in Overton; and the Nevada Northern Railway Passenger and Freight Depot in East Ely.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A national group that supports judicial restraint is opposing a measure on the Nevada ballot to change the way judges are selected from direct elections to appointment and retention.
The Judicial Crisis Network also presented a survey of Nevada voters’ views on the change that shows a majority oppose the idea of appointing instead of electing members of the state Supreme court.

Nevada's statewide gaming win shot up 11.51 percent in August compared to the prior year, according to the Gaming Control Board report out today.

The Las Vegas Strip — the state's most profitable gaming area — did great business in August, with a 21 percent increase over prior year. That offset loses in other areas of the state, such as Washoe and Elko counties.

The Carson Valley area that includes Carson City saw an increase of 7.73 percent. South Lake Tahoe's win increased by 7.2 percent.

CARSON CITY – Republican state treasurer candidate Steve Martin said today the Democratic incumbent is playing politics by delaying a discussion involving an unprecedented $50 million investment loss until after the Nov. 2 general election.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau

A deal was struck that allows registered firearm owners to take their guns into Nevada's state parks, reports the Las Vegas Sun. The lawsuit was brought on in July by a Colorado-based Second Amendment foundation.

Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada state agencies and public education have submitted budgets calling for nearly $8 billion in spending for the upcoming two years, about $3 billion more than what is expected to be available with current tax revenues.

Nevada's gaming win was down 4.93 percent statewide in July, compared with the same period last year, according to numbers released today by the Gaming Control Board.

The Carson Valley area that includes Carson City was down 4.12 percent. The only two areas in the state that posted gains were North Lake Tahoe and Mesquite. The biggest losers were North Las Vegas (-23.56 percent) and Downtown Las Vegas (-19.26 percent). The Las Vegas Strip took in almost exactly the same amount as in July 2009.

By Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s active voter rolls increased by 7,882 registrations in August, with Democrats picking up just over 2,600 new voters compared to just over 2,000 for Republicans.
Democrats now have 461,461 active registered voters just about two months before the Nov. 2 general election compared to 402,960 for the GOP, a 58,501 edge for Democrats and a slight increase from July.

The middle class in jeopardy
By Todd M. Koch

Questions you will never see on Jeopardy: What country holds elections where one side can force all voters to listen to all its campaign speeches and propaganda? What country allows bosses to threaten the jobs of workers who don't vote the company way?

The U.S.A.

June Joplin has become a fixture in Carson City ever since she opened Comma Coffee 10 years ago. She often sends out e-mails about what’s going on at Coma Coffee, and we usually just pick up what’s coming up there. But this week she offered some personal thoughts that I thought we should share with all of you. So here’s her e-mail. Read and enjoy.

By June Joplin

CARSON CITY – A Nevada group that offers training to non-union construction workers has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford alleging an improper pro-union bias by some members of the State Apprenticeship Council.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s worst in the nation 14.3 percent unemployment rate for July does not even begin to tell the real story of the state’s dismal job situation, a state agency reported today.

While Nevada's unemployment rose to 14.3 percent in July, Carson City's unemployment figures improved slightly, dropping to 13.2 percent from 13.3 percent in June. Click here to read about the state's new unemployment figures.

A Carson City woman who was concerned about car burglaries in her neighborhood used a baby monitor device to track down the thief, only to learn that it was her own son who was allegedly stealing from a vehicle.

According to Capt. Clay Wall of the Carson City Sheriff's Office, there had been a spike in vehicle burglaries during the month of July and investigators learned there were similar patterns being used in the thefts.

Watch the sky light up on Thursday, Aug. 12, at Squaw Valley USA during the annual Perseid Meteor Shower Family Camp-out.
Families can camp under the stars and watch the night sky light-up at the best viewing location in Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA's High Camp, el. 8200 feet. Reservations are necessary. Call (800) 545-4350.