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Early next month, hundreds of elected officials, state workers, lobbyists and members of the public will congregate in Carson City for a special legislative session to patch massive holes in the state’s budget.

Citing a troubling uptick in the state’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Gov. Steve Sisolak has announced a new state mandate requiring individuals to wear a facial covering or mask while in public.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Education on Wednesday released guidance to provide flexibility and ensure transparency as Nevada’s school districts and charter schools are developing plans to reopen for the 2020-21 school year.

Since launching a statewide testing initiative in May, the Nevada Department of Corrections has tested 10,329 offenders for COVID-19, or 83 percent of its total population of 12,368. Of those tested, only nine — or .08 percent of all offenders — have tested positive for the virus, one of the lowest rates in the nation.

Unprecedented. Many of Western Nevada College’s graduates are the first in their families to graduate from college. Their novel feats will be matched with an unparalleled commencement ceremony for WNC.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles offices will be open normal hours on Tuesday, June 23, after a fiber optic cable cut by a private contractor caused outages for the DMV and many other state agencies on June 22.

A special session of the Nevada Legislature will happen in Carson City sometime in early July, the governor's office announced Monday.

A Public Utilities Commission of Nevada telephonic consumer session will be held Thursday to discuss NV Energy rate reductions for customers. For Northern Nevada electric customers, the utility proposes to decrease rates an estimated $24.1 million or 3.47 percent across all rate classes, which would result in an estimated decrease in the average monthly residential bill of $2.09, or 2.92 percent.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board updated its health and safety policies Wednesday, June 17, with new restrictions and rules for table game players.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles today temporarily suspended all non-commercial driving skills tests statewide after one drive examiner in Las Vegas contracted coronavirus.

“We’re taking this brief pause to re-evaluate our protocols. Even though our examiners have been wearing personal protective equipment, the driver and the examiner sit in close proximity during a test. We must continue to put the safety of the public and our employees first,” said DMV Director Julie Butler.

It’s been months of challenging circumstances for our community, businesses, families and schools, but I saw us beginning to emerge from the darkness. Then, without warning, the horrific death of George Floyd reignited the unresolved wounds of racism, police use of force, and unequal treatment of minorities in this country. The frustrated public demanded answers, change, and resolution, not later but now.

Heading into the weekend, there’s a bevy of activities around the Carson City region. Several events have instituted safety measures set by the state and Center for Disease Control to keep participants safe during these times.

Under Phase 2 people are once again able to enjoy working out somewhere other than their living rooms with the re-opening of gyms and fitness centers, and gym owners are stepping up social distancing measures to make sure everyone stays healthy.

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles reopened its branch offices in the Silver State including Carson City and Reno, which saw brisk business Monday.

Governor Steve Sisolak received notification from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program Commission that the State of Nevada has achieved reaccreditation. This achievement was approved through a rigorous and voluntary assessment process coordinated through the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management, Homeland Security. The State was notified of the approval last week.

With assistance for small businesses related to the pandemic constantly changing, many of Nevada’s small businesses are finding it hard to keep up with what assistance is available, as well as the requirements and how to apply. University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering a free webinar June 19 to help small-business owners learn about one form of assistance, the Paycheck Protection Plan.

Youth Theatre Carson City is thrilled to announce our upcoming Virtual Summer Workshop Series, held exclusively online over six weeks, June 16 to July 23, 2020 as part of their YTCC@Home initiative.

Youth Theatre Carson City is bringing local experts, home-grown successes, and industry professionals from New York, Los Angeles, Boston and beyond right into your living room covering topics from acting and singing to theatrical design and songwriting to building relationships and becoming a successful professional in the arts.

— A 33-year-old transient man was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after allegedly “walking around with throwing knives” while appearing to be under the influence.

The Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) has expanded its comprehensive COVID-19 testing initiative to facilities in northern Nevada, while confirming its first northern Nevada case of an offender testing positive.

The next Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled to take place June 18 at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room at the Carson City Community Center, located at 851 E. William St.

U.S. Forest Service campgrounds in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and on the California side of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will open to the public on Friday. Nevada group campsites and day use areas that hold less than 50 people will also reopen.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak notified state employees Thursday of proposed plans to address the projected Fiscal Year 2021 budget shortfall.

Preliminary estimates indicate approximately a $900 million General Fund shortfall, when combined with the Distributive School Account, the revenue shortfall increases up to $1.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2021. The estimated revenue shortfall represents a significant percentage of the state’s overall $4.5 billion operating appropriations for the fiscal year.

Due to COVID-19, blood drives have been cancelled, and there is a need for individual donations from all blood types now more than ever, according to Vitalant, the blood donation collection service that has a location on Winnie Lane in Carson City.

Detectives from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division, along with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Northern Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (comprised of members of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and Sparks Police Department), began an investigation earlier this week into the vice principal of Yerington Intermediate School, 54-year-old Scott Darrington of Yerington.

As part of the ongoing Nevada Humanities Exhibition Series, a new exhibition, Colors of the West: Youth Art from the 2020 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, opened online on June 4, 2020 at nevadahumanities.org and will be on display as a virtual gallery indefinitely.

Summer is in full swing, and recreational activities around Carson City are starting to return in the near future.

From the Carson City Library’s 2020 Learning Challenge, to archery classes at the Clear Creek Bowman Archery Camp, there are several ways for youth to get outside and enjoy the Silver State.

Gov. Steve Sisolak has given schools the green light to reopen while meeting social-distancing protocols, but it’s not mandatory: Summer learning opportunities could be provided through distance education, in-person learning or a combination of both.

The 2020 primary election in Nevada is today, Tuesday, June 9. The election is being conducted primarily by mail ballot. Limited in-person voting locations will be available on June 9.

In Carson City, the Primary Election will be held by mail, with limited polling locations at the Carson City Courthouse. Voters are encouraged to vote their mailed ballot and return the ballot to the Clerk's office in the postage paid envelope provided.

CARSON CITY — Beginning Monday, June 15, 2020, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles will reopen all branch offices in the Silver State.

Beginning on March 16, 2020, Lyon County School District students and the students of all Nevada schools were asked to stay home — a measure taken by our government leadership in response to the world health crisis surrounding the COVID-19.

With the uncertainty surrounding how long the stay-at-home distance learning would be in place, LCSD Nutrition Services and LCSD Transportation quickly devised a plan to keep the children of the Lyon County community fed —this included any child under the age of 18, even if they were not a student of LCSD.