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By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Secretary of State Ross Miller today appointed Scott F. Gilles as deputy elections officer. He steps into the role after his predecessor, Matt Griffin, resigned this past December to return to private practice.

The city attorneys for the city of Sparks have a unique audience for an upcoming case: the U.S. Supreme Court.
The court agreed last Friday to decide if states can forbid elected officials from voting when they may have a conflict of interest. The case involves a Sparks city councilman, Michael A. Carrigan, who is represented by the city.

Carson City deputies went to the 300 block of South Carson Meadows Thursday night to arrest one person wanted for a parole/probation violation, and ended up taking his friend, too.

CARSON CITY – Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford has sent an email to supporters and constituents suggesting the next two-year state budget is facing an attack from “extreme right-wing” interests who will use the current economic crisis to “dismantle our state.”

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval wasted no time getting to work after being sworn into office today, signing an executive order freezing many proposed administrative regulations as evidence that Nevada is a business friendly state.

CARSON CITY – Brian Sandoval has announced his final cabinet appointments prior to being sworn in as Nevada’s 29th governor today, including naming Bruce Breslow to head up the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Breslow has been serving in outgoing Gov. Jim Gibbons’ administration as executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.

A Dayton man who led Carson City authorities on a chase through city residential streets faces multiple charges including attempted murder on a police officer.

John Michael Foster, 46, is being held in Carson City jail on four felony and four misdemeanor charges. Bail is in the amount of $158,028.

A Carson City man wanted on burglary and grand larceny warrants was arrested early Tuesday morning.

Robert Kenneth Weaver, 44, was taken into custody at about 1:45 Tuesday morning after warrants had been issued by Carson City Justice Court.

Officers responded to the 3200 block of Bowers Lane after it was learned that Weaver was at the location. Officers were allowed inside the home and Weaver was arrested. He is being held on $28,000 bail.

A new group has formed to propose innovative strategies to create a healthy State with well-supported public systems and services and an improved fiscal system.

Members of the Nevada Values Coalition have met twice for “big tent”, nonpartisan meetings to discuss the complex issues, and members then further examined ideas through subcommittees.

By Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Chancellor Dan Klaich has announced the formation of a new lobbying team that will represent the Nevada System of Higher Education free of charge at the 2011 legislative session.
The team will be chaired by former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan and will include Alfredo Alonso, Michael Hillerby, Rose McKinney-James, Keith Lee, John Pappageorge and The Capitol Company.

By Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – Nevada Republican Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval announced today his selection of 29 Nevadans to serve on his transition advisory team, including Bill Bible, former president of the Nevada Resort Association, and state Sen. Dean Rhoads, who backed Sen. Harry Reid’s re-election bid.
The diverse group of community leaders from across Nevada will provide input and feedback to Sandoval on a wide range of issues.

Squaw Valley USA will have a new owner after a Denver-based equity firm bought virtually all of its shares.

KSL Capital Partners LLC of Denver, which owns stakes in resort-related businesses, announced Tuesday that it hopes to complete the sale by the end of the year and that it will put $50 million into the exclusive Lake Tahoe area resort, home of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games.

Squaw was opened in 1949 by the late Alexander Cushing. It has about 4,000 acres and 2,850 vertical feet that spans over six peaks.

The driver of a truck that crossed a center turn lane, striking a car that killed a 19-year-old Fallon woman on Monday faces a felony charge in the woman's death, the Nevada Highway Patrol reports this morning.

Justin Speed, 21, of Fallon was arrested Wednesday and booked on charges of felony driving under the influence that caused death; felony failure to maintain a travel lane and speeding. He is being held on $251,344 bond and remains in the Churchill County jail, said NHP Trooper Chuck Allen.

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.

Bella Voce, which is Italian for "beautiful voices" has been known for quality performances of both classical and contemporary music for women’s voices for more than 20 years. The women's choral will perform at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 28 at the Brewery Arts Center's Maizie Harris Jesse Theatre.
The ensemble was founded and nurtured to maturity by Dr. Michael Cleveland, UNR Music Department Chair. Don’t miss this wonderful family event to start your holiday season.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Veteran Republican state Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, won’t be minority leader in the upcoming 2011 session, withdrawing his name from consideration for the leadership post today after getting GOP criticism for backing Sen. Harry Reid in the Tuesday general election.

Dennis Oliver, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's public information officer, has died after a brain illness. He was 47.

Oliver was admitted to the hospital about three weeks ago, according to TRPA External Affairs Director Julie Regan. He died overnight Wednesday at Carson Tahoe Hospital of an apparent brain virus which attacks the meylin around the nerve cells, said friend Michael Carr.

"TRPA is deeply saddened to share the news with the community of the loss of Dennis Oliver, who was an extremely valued employee of the Agency over the last three and a half years," said TRPA Executive Director Joanne Marchetta. Click here to read the obituary.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – There will be no supermajorities for Democrats in either the state Senate or Assembly in the 2011 session, meaning the parties will have to work together and with Republican Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval on issues from taxes to redistricting.
Republicans in the 42-member state Assembly, who had been outnumbered 28-14, retained their seats and picked up two held by Democrats, enough to take away a veto-proof majority held by Democrats in the 2009 session.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Senate Democrats are running a slate of candidates across the state in the hopes of winning a 14-seat, veto-proof majority for the upcoming 2011 session.
But Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said he does not expect it to happen, and he has not discounted the possibility of the GOP winning the majority.

Carson Lanes Presents: 80's Nite with DJ 80's Joe. Join us in our fabulous new Eleventh Frame Winner's Lounge for a Night of 80's Music and Videos. Take a trip back in time as you rock out to: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Journey, Night Ranger, INXS, Motley Crue, Depech Mode & Many More. Happy Hour from 5-6pm. Buy one, Get one FREE. No Cover and Smoke Free.

Prepare to see red wrist bands on Carson City adults and children over the coming days as part of a national unified message against substance abuse.

Partnership is the theme of this year's National Red Ribbon Week, which kicks off Saturday and is being coordinated locally through the Carson City School District, the Carson City Sheriff's Office and Partnership Carson City.

Democratic state Senator Joyce Woodhouse and Republican challenger Michael Roberson debated the budget, taxes and unjustified political attacks today in a race viewed as critical by both parties for the upcoming 2011 legislative session.
Woodhouse, running for a second term in Clark District 5, said the mailers sent out by the Nevada State Democratic Party attacking Roberson did not come from her campaign or have her review.

Saturday is National Boss's Day and since it is Friday you may have not seen the memo about this.

Yes there is a day for the Michael Scott's and Bill Lumbergh's of the world, though the "The Office" and "Office Space" characters are more than likely the parodied exception to today's corporate culture rule.

Chances are that today's bosses are as overworked as you, waiting for the hammer to drop on them just as much as you. Yes they're human, unless, of course, they're sociopathic.

CARSON CITY – Members of the Republican Assembly Caucus today called on state Labor Commissioner Michael Tanchek to delay implementation of a new prevailing wage rate in Nevada until the Legislature has an opportunity to review the methodology.
The caucus is concerned a flawed process resulted in the new prevailing wage rate that took effect Oct. 1. There is a 30-day period to file an objection.

A Yerington man died on Monday after his motorcycle collided with a large truck on Highway 95A near Penrose Lane.

Michael R. Leonard, 46, died on the scene, nine miles north of Yerington, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The preliminary crash investigation details reflect that a 3-axle 1986 White dump truck was traveling west on Penrose Lane and was approaching the intersection of Highway 95A. The large truck was being driven by 28-year-old Douglas J. Scronce of Fallon. Leonard was traveling northbound on a red 1986 Kawasaki motorcycle, according to NHP.  

In a decision that may affect future development plans at Lake Tahoe, a federal district court judge on Thursday overturned a plan to allow the addition of new piers, boat ramps, buoys and other boat facilities along the lake’s shoreline.

A 34-year-old Carson City man faces a felony third offense DUI charge after he was stopped by a firefighter and paramedics team who observed the driver swerving and putting other motorists in danger.

The paramedics, who had been on an emergency call, discovered driver Gregory Michael Allen swerving in the area of Airport Road and Nye Lane at about 11:50 on Friday and were able to get him to pull to the side of the road and take his keys from him, according to Carson City Fire Chief Stacey Giomi and details included in an arrest report.

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

Posted in the comments on our last Nugget Project story, there appears to be the text of a marketing plan to help sell this project to the public.

The text was posted by Michael Douglass, the author of a Nevada Appeal guest column in favor of the project. He is also the brother of Tammy Westergard, who has been deeply involved in the project, first with the Office of Business Development, and now with the Carson City Library.

Here it is:

There is an interesting discussion going on over at the Nevada Appeal site concerning the Nugget Project.

The story begins two week ago when Guy Farmer wrote a rather harsh column that slammed the Nugget Project. In response, last week there was a guest column by Michael Douglass criticizing Farmer's take on the subject.