natural

Did you know that wood-burning stove heaters are a significant source of harmful air pollution? Not only are these heating units among the most popular in Northern Nevada, they’re also one of the least cost-efficient heating options for homeowners.

The Nevada State Public Health Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine has characterized the first known Nevada case of the new B.1.1.7 coronavirus strain. The new strain was detected in a sample that was initially tested in the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — It’s a banner year for Bald Eagles in Lake Tahoe. The Tahoe Institute of Natural Science reports that a record number of 42 Bald Eagles were spotted during its annual survey. The previous high was 27 set in 2017.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. — Spooner Lake is one of Nevada’s most popular places to hike, mountain bike, ride horses or simply enjoy nature, and welcomes more than 150,000 visitors every year. On Thursday, the Nevada Division of State Parks is pleased to launch the bidding process for the park’s much-anticipated Spooner Lake Improvement Project, which involves a complete redesign and update of the facilities, including construction of a visitor center and amphitheater.

Don’t miss the upcoming spring semester at Western Nevada College. The college has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a class “just for fun” or looking to spark an interest to pursue something new.

CARSON CITY — After a month of fundraising, Carson Tahoe has raised over $42,000 toward supplying reusable ENVO N95 masks for their frontline workers. Now, an anonymous donor has offered a match, allowing donors to double their impact. That’s right, every new ‘Sponsor A Caregiver’ gift received until Feb. 21 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000.

In looking to sell a home quickly and as painlessly as possible, the home seller must go through a process of removing the owner’s (or tenants’) presence from the house. This process is known in the real estate industry as “neutralization.” A more appropriate moniker for neutralization is “depersonalizing.”

RENO — With much of the State of Nevada listed as in extreme drought, Nevadans are facing forecasts for a mild winter, with little precipitation since the rainy season started. With these designations, southern Nevadans are facing a mild and dry winter and northern Nevadans are looking at an uncertain forecast. All could face water restrictions, crop or pasture loss and, with exceptional drought, water shortage emergencies.

Nevada Humanities has announced the book selections for its statewide 2021 Nevada Reads program. Nevada Reads will feature two memoirs — Miracle Country: A Memoir by Kendra Atleework, and World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

The Carson City School District is pleased to announce new leadership roles for the School Board of Trustees. At their first meeting of the year Tuesday, Jan. 11, Joe Cacioppo, District 7, was named the newest president of the Carson City School District Board of Trustees.

It has been a plan in the works for months and Monday the National Hockey League made it official — they are bringing NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe to Edgewood Tahoe Feb. 20-21, 2021.

With the new year, a new set of laws is once again taking effect.

Of the hundreds of bills the Legislature passed in 2019, nine finally became effective either in whole or in part on Friday with the start of the new year and as the next legislative session is set to begin in February.

It was an eventful year around the Carson City region notwithstanding the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's some notable stories that were not pandemic related that happened in 2020.

The Nevada State Museum, Carson City offers a slate of in-person and online programs in January, ranging from online family projects to historical lectures. The offerings fall under four different programs: Family Fun Saturday and the Francis Humphrey Lecture Series, both occurring online, as well as Coin Press No. 1 demonstrations and Curator’s Corner programming, both available in-person at the museum. Events are as follows:

Every winter, Carson Valley becomes a nesting ground for bald eagles, golden eagles, falcons, hawks, owls and other wildlife as they congregate to the region. Carson Valley’s expansive open space and cattle ranches provide habitat for the wintering birds of prey.

Snakes are on the table at the next Rotary Club of Carson City meeting. Not literally, but they will be the topic of discussion. As always, guests are invited to attend the online meeting.

The Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest's Bridgeport Ranger District remains closed to over-snow vehicles, like snowmobiles, due to lack of snow. Snow levels must meet the minimum requirement in order to open the area.

Clint Koble, Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture's Nevada Rural Development Council in the Obama administration, will be the featured speaker at next Monday's Democratic tele-luncheon. The topic of his presentation will be “Rebuilding Rural America” — a set of policy proposals he developed based on a lifetime in public life and on his own experience as a product of rural America, having been born and raised on a farm in North Dakota.

The first of its kind Lake Tahoe Commemorative Coin was minted this month on historic Carson City Mint Press No. 1 and less than 300 of the limited-edition coins are still available for the public, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, said Tuesday.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed and issued an emergency directive Monday that implements a moratorium on most residential evictions in Nevada through March 31, 2021.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort kicked off a successful start to the 2020-21 ski and ride season Frday. With a winter operating plan focused on comprehensive safety protocols, Kirkwood opened with more than 180 acres of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain.

Western Nevada College and greenUP! announced Monday the formation of the Nevada Green Business Network, part of a statewide effort to generate a green business certification program.

The Nevada State Museum, Carson City, will reopen Wednesday; visitors will be able to learn about pine trees during the Curator’s Corner presentations from 1 to 3 p.m. Additionally, the museum this Saturday will resume its weekly demonstrations of historic Coin Press No. 1, minting a special medallion honoring Nevada’s health care heroes.

Pastor Tim Plummer, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Missionary Area Director, has once again brought Christmas trees to Carson City to support FCA. Christmas is fast approaching, and most agree it is the best time of the year. The holidays can be a difficult time for many, but it does not have to be this way.

A sunny Saturday spent around Washoe Valley made for these moments.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in partnership with NV Energy and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, is seeking public comment on the NV Energy Resilience Corridors project. This project proposes vegetation treatments along roughly 43 miles of power line corridors on approximately 5,300 acres of National Forest System lands.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is initiating a public comment period on the proposed Forest-Wide Prescribed Fire Restoration Project. The purpose of this project is to increase the pace and scale of prescribed burning on lands within 6.2 million acres of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada and a small portion of eastern California.

Hobbes was wrong. Life is not nasty, brutish and short. Life is nasty, and brutish, but long enough to embrace civic grace, public good and a life of purpose. By coming together in 2021 we can turn a horse chestnut into a chestnut horse, and join Dinah Washington in singing, "This bitter earth may not be so bitter after all."

The Nevada State Museum, Carson City, raised $4,625 for the COVID-19 Relief Fund during its Oct. 30 minting of special medallions on historic Coin Press No. 1, and will continue fundraising efforts through Dec. 31, 2020.

Next time I write about loving all my wonderful cottonwood trees, would someone please remind me why they call it fall?! For weeks, my husband and I have been raking, blowing, mowing, sweeping and moving leaves every day for hours and we are still not done.