Government

Today is election day in Carson City and throughout the state of Nevada, and due to COVID-19, things are happening a little differently this year.

For example, ballots were mailed in March to every registered voter throughout the Silver State to lessen the need for voters to turn up in person to cast their ballots.

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.

Democrats competing in the Congressional District 2 primary have poured tens of thousands of dollars into the race in the hopes of pulling off a historic first: winning a Northern Nevada seat no Democrat has ever won.

UPDATE Wednesday: Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve has lifted a curfew that began Tuesday. The city is working on putting into place a modified plan that would limit large gatherings to 50-plus people, a city spokesman said in a Tweet.
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Out of an abundance of caution for public safety, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve has issued citywide curfews beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 2. The curfew will be in effect nightly from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning and will continue until terminated by Mayor Schieve.

Carson City is currently experiencing its largest use to date of mail-in voting thanks to COVID-19, and some people are concerned over the potentiality for voter fraud.

However, according to Miguel Camacho, Chief Deputy Clerk of the Carson City Clerk’s Office, there have always been checks and balances in place to maintain a fair election for all Nevada residents.

This year's Hot August Nights, an annual classic car run in the Reno, Sparks and Virginia City areas, has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, organizers announced Tuesday. The 34th annual event will resume in 2021.

Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will be conducting a Special meetings on May 26 and 27, 2020 to discuss the possible adoption of the FY 2020-21 Final Budgets for Douglas County; Douglas County Redevelopment Agency; the Towns of Gardnerville, Genoa, and Minden; and the Tahoe-Douglas Transportation District.

According to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation’s (DETR) April 2020 economic report, employment in Nevada is down 244,800 jobs over the month and the unemployment rate rose to 28.2 percent.

This report is the first report which covers the period affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency and shows the impact of temporary business closures in the state.

Although most retail businesses in the state were allowed to open May 9 to in-person service with extra precautions as part of the state’s “Phase 1” reopening, casino resorts were noticeably excluded.

Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe is reopening over the Memorial Day weekend and having a four-day locals-emphasis celebration after being closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event has been scaled back from previous years as city and state officials grapple with phase 2 reopening, which allows second-home property owners living outside the area to return to the California side of South Lake Tahoe, but not allowing for non-essential travel and visitors.

Christmas bells would normally be ringing when Carson City resident Chef Don Pepe holds his annual holiday fundraiser for Pets of the Homeless, a Carson City-based 501(c)3 national non-profit that raises money to provide food, veterinary care and other essentials for the pets of homeless persons.

But 2020 is different.

The polarizing attitudes and ideology that has taken over the American political environment -- as witnessed in recently-held political debates and rallies, nationwide -- is a danger to traditional American democratic values of diversity and respect of the “marketplace of ideas”, where people are not listening to each other, where respect for diversity is lacking, where the prevailing political attitude seems to be “my way or the highway”.

Editor’s Note: Patt Quinn-Davis is adviser for the Carneta yearbook. She wrote this letter to CHS staff members to share the challenges she and her student staff faced in finishing this year’s carneta. Quinn-Davis also teaches Honors American Literature and English IV.

Gov. Steve Sisolak said it’s not yet clear what the week-old effort to reopen some Nevada businesses has done to infection metrics or when the state will move to Phase 2, but he said health indicators are pointing in the right direction.

Rick Shepherd, primary candidate for the House of Representatives, District 2, will be the featured speaker at Monday's virtual Democratic luncheon. A native Nevadan, Rick is UNR educated and has operaed a technology company in Sparks since 2002.

State officials say they will start accepting applications on Saturday for a highly anticipated program that will offer unemployment benefits to independent contractors, self-employed people and gig workers.

The Nevada Supreme Court is the highest court in the Nevada Judicial system, and represents the third branch of government. There are two seats up for election: Seat B and Seat D.

CARSON CITY — Gov. Steve Sisolak declared a state of fiscal emergency on Monday arising from the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has put on public services in the State of Nevada.

The global economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting commerce and negatively impacting revenues across the country, in other states, and in Nevada.

NV Energy’s longstanding plan to woo back large businesses and other major electric customers from leaving utility service now has a name, structural outline and a promise by the utility that the program won’t cost residential and other ratepayers.

CARSON CITY — Nearly two dozen Carson High School Future Business Leaders of America students claimed more than 40 top-10 awards including five state championships at the Nevada State Business Leadership Conference.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has announced a phased approach to boating that discourages out-of-area visitation as part of state and local coordination on recreation guidelines for Lake Tahoe this season.

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, along with many other government agencies, will remain closed under the Phase I reopening announced by Governor Sisolak on May 7.

Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of elders and all community members, today the Nevada Indian Commission announced the postponement of the grand opening of the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum.

Ballots have been sent (or will be sent soon) to Carson City residents for the local upcoming elections. These are your candidates, who they are, and what they stand for.

On Tuesday, the Nevada Division of Division of Industrial Relations, as part of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, issued the following news release regarding the governor's directive for businesses as they prepare to open as part of the state's Roadmap to Recovery plan.

The Capital City Brewfest is moving to late August this year due to Covid-19 concerns. Originally scheduled for June 20, the annual event will now take place on August 29 in Downtown Carson City.

Minden, NV -Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will be conducting a Special meeting on April 29, 2020 regarding recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic impacts to local business in Douglas County.

The county is actively seeking public comment from residents in regards to economic impacts on local business in Douglas County.

Gov. Steve Sisolak will extend the state’s shutdown order to an as-yet undetermined date and close schools for the rest of the academic year, but he will allow some businesses to reopen if the state sees a consistent downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

CARSON CITY — Employment stats in early March, before the COVID-19 shutdown, shows Carson City having gained 400 jobs over March 2019 figures but had decreased significantly since February of this year, according to data released Tuesday by Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Carson City's unemployment also swelled to 6.7 percent, up from 4.1 percent in February, and up from 4.5 percent a year ago.

COVID-19 has caused increased social distancing and self-isolation, and many Nevadans struggle to cope with the stress and anxiety of the pandemic. These feelings of fear are taking a toll on people’s mental and physical health and well-being.