VA

Western Nevada College will graduate 543 students this spring. Commencement was held Monday in Carson City with a ceremony to be held Tuesday in Fallon. The class of 2014 will receive a record 581 degrees and certificates.

Also on Monday, the WNC nursing program graduates celebrated with a traditional pinning ceremony at the Carson Nugget. Dr. Tom Kubistant, a WNC psychology and communications instructor, delivered the Carson City ceremony commencement address.

The Nevada Board of Regents announced Friday the appointment of Chester “Chet” Burton as the interim president of Western Nevada College through through June 30, 2016. Burton has served as the acting president since December 2013. He replaced Carol Lucey who resigned last year.

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Veterans living in rural Nevada will likely have the opportunity to meet with a Veterans Services officer without having to leave town. ROVER, which stands for "Rural Outreach for Veterans Enrichment and Resources," is the way the State Department of Veterans Services (DVS) provides Veterans Administration (VA) services in small towns. The ROVER program has upcoming visits scheduled in Battle Mountain, Hawthorne, Silver Springs and Winnemucca.

July 31, 1922 – April 6, 2014 Robert Paul “Bob” Boese, 91, son of Frank and Francis Kraft Boese died at the VA ...

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health announces its May schedule for the “Lunch and Learn” weekly education series broadcasted live from Las Vegas.

The program is designed for family and professional caregivers, featuring topics of interest to those who care for individuals with ALS, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, dementia and other neurocognitive disorders.

November 23-1929 – February 1, 2014 Donald Eugene Mills, 84, passed away Saturday, February 1, 2014 at the Boise VA Medica...

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office has been informed that this year’s National Night Out, held in Mills Park in August, has been awarded 5th place among communities nationwide of populations between 50,000 and 99,999.

Carson City placed just behind Maple Grove, MN, Terre Haute, IN, Brooklyn Park MN, and Suffolk, Va. This award is Carson City’s eleventh consecutive year of receiving national recognition, each year climbing higher on the placement list of top rated community events.

Carson City placed third in the nation among local government websites and digital technology serving a population of 75,000 and under, according to the national research firm Center for Digital Government.

The ranking is behind Palo Alto, Calif., and Fayetteville, Ark., and marks the fourth consecutive year the city's website, Carson.org has ranked in the Center's top 10 list. The Center serves as an advisory institute that focuses on information technology policies and best practices.

The following is from Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-2):

On Veterans Day and every day, may we be mindful of the enduring truth that freedom is not free. We owe many brave men, women, and their families an enormous debt. As a country, we should come together in agreement that our military veterans deserve to receive the benefits they were promised and earned.

Kristen Remington of Channel 2 will air a segment "Someone 2 know" Tuesday at 5 p.m. featuring PJ Degross of Carson City. The story on Channel 2 will kick off the "Be A Santa to a Veteran" Christmas project sponsored by webofsupport.com.

Northern Nevada Veterans Resource Center, 99.1FM Talk Radio and Cowboy Country 102.5 FM are sponsors in the campaign that runs from Tuesday, Nov. 5 to Dec. 9 in order to get gifts to our veterans in time for Christmas.

The student veterans group of Western Nevada College celebrated the opening of the Western Nevada College Student Veterans Resource Center on Thursday, Oct. 31, 1-3 p.m., at the Carson City campus.

The four-room center located in the Cedar Building is the only one of its kind in Northern Nevada. It offers counseling services, student staff, access to VA benefit/medical information, and a study/tutor area with Internet access. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.

In August, Western Nevada College received recognition for its work with veterans, applauded at a national conference attended by President Barack Obama. Just two months later, WNC has continued its multi-faceted support of veterans as they make the transition from serving their country to a life focused on academics and career preparation.

The student veterans group of WNC will celebrate the opening of the Western Nevada College Student Veterans Resource Center on Thursday, Oct. 31, 1-3 p.m., at the Carson City campus.

The Lodge Assisted Living Community in Carson City will host a free seminar on long term care benefits available to veterans and surviving spouses on Thursday, Aug. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. Veterans, surviving spouses, and family members who care for them are invited to attend the event.

Richard P. Schulze and Melissa Hartman, both experts in veteran’s benefits will explain the VA’s Non Service Connected Disability Pension. Attendees will learn what it is, who qualifies and how to apply.

Grants amounting to $4.5 million from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will go to four Nevada service organizations that assist veterans in the Silver State, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid announced Friday.

U.S. Vets, Vietnam Veterans of California, The Salvation Army, and HELP Social Service organization, each have received grants totaling $4.5 million through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program. This program supports VA’s efforts to prevent at-risk veterans from becoming homeless and rapidly re-house those who have recently fallen into homelessness.

A backlog in disability claims for veterans has been reduced in Northern Nevada over the past two years, with more plans in the works to address the complex issue, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced recently.

In Northern Nevada, 785 veterans were provided decisions on their claims during the 2-year iniative. As of June 19, 2013, 49 of these two-year claims remain pending.

Nevada Sen. Harry Reid released the following statement on the newly announced reduction in disability claims:

The local Veterans Affairs Sierra Nevada Health Care System has hired 12 new mental health professionals to better serve local veterans. The VA says the new clinical positions will allow veterans to schedule appointments before or after work and on weekends.

Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei offered a successful amendment on Tuesday to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill for next year, which would shift $44 million for mandatory overtime to the VA Regional Offices with the worst disability claims backlogs — greater than 365 days.

Of the 15 VAROs on the list, Reno’s backlog, with an average claims process of 504 days, is the second worst in the nation behind Los Angeles (576 days). The amendment passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 248 to 172.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and in honor of mother’s, daughters, sisters, aunts, and all women, it is interesting to note how far women have come in just a few short decades when it comes to home ownership.

In 1968, the federal Fair Housing Act was passed making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin when renting or selling a home. In 1974, the Fair Housing Act was amended to prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of sex. Prior to that time, women (as well as minorities) found it nearly impossible to obtain credit or to buy a home.

U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller joined representatives of Nevada's delegation of U.S. House of Representatives — Joe Heck (NV-03), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Steven Horsford (NV-04) — in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey and Reno VA Regional Office Director Edward Russell, offering help in addressing Nevada’s backlog of VA claims.

A Carson City woman faces a felony charge of battery with a deadly weapon after colliding with a vehicle Saturday afternoon at Ponderosa Drive and and Koontz Lane.

Lisa Spangenthal, age not provided, was booked into Carson City Jail after being arrested at 1:47 p.m. She also faces a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of drugs.

According to the arrest report, officers were dispatched to the incident that involved an Oldsmobile Cutlass and a 2011 Hyundai. The Hyundai had major front end damage on the passenger side.

Stephen B. Cowen, 91 of Carson City, passed away Feb. 10, 2013 at the VA hospital in Reno. Funeral Services will be held Thursday Feb. 14, 2013 at 9:30AM at Fitzhenry's Funeral Home. Burial to foll...

A popular, new program offered by the Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA) is making home ownership even more affordable. Through the Home at Last™ Access program, qualified home buyers receive a generous 4 percent down payment grant, which does not have to be paid back.

Now, the program is offering even lower mortgage interest rates on a conventional, 30-year fixed rate loan. Through participating lenders, the interest rates on FHA, VA or USDA-RD home mortgages have dropped from 3.75 percent to the current rate of 3.5 percent, which is an historic low.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Wednesday announced the designation of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad McKeen Motor Car #70 based in Carson City as one of 27 national historic landmarks.
Calling the McKeen Motor Car #70, Virginia & Truckee Railway Motor Car #22, "the best surviving example of the first commercially viable application of internal combustion power in a self-propelled railroad car" the designation possess exceptional value and quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States, Salazar said.

The Veterans Administration will host an outreach event and barbecue for local veterans and their families from 2-6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Western Nevada College Carson City campus, 2201 West College Parkway.

Shirley Clarice Ruddock, born October 15, 1939, passed peacefully on August 7, 2012 in her daughter's home in Yorktown, VA, surrounded by her three daughters, at the age of 72. Shirley was born...

Jake Bayliss, a senior at Reno’s Bishop Manogue High School and Carson City resident, decided to support American Veterans in need by organizing a “Toiletries Drive” to benefit the VA Hospital in Reno, Nevada. Jake gathered over 200 kits containing toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, razors, shaving cream and deodorant which he delivered to the VA Hospital on August 22, 2012.

William Paul Willis, passed away on Tuesday, July 17th at the VA Hospital in Reno, NV at the age of 70. Paul was born on October 17, 1941 in Visalia, CA to William Henry Willis and Ruth Greeley Wil...

CARSON CITY, NEV (June 29, 2012) – The Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA) has launched a new home mortgage and down payment assistance program that is designed to help a group that has received very little help until now: working Nevadans who have been hurt by the downturn in the economy and the housing crisis.

Carson City’s wide open high desert roads and proximity to the High Sierra is the main attraction for hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world this summer when it hosts the 2012 American Motorcycle Association's International Women & Motorcycling Conference, July 26-29.

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.