university of nevada reno

Just in time for Independence Day, Reno-based non-profit Black Rock Solar has reached the milestone of building 3 megawatts of solar power capacity across the state of Nevada. That’s 3 megawatts of clean, renewable energy fostering freedom from fossil fuels and building a self-reliant nation independent of environmentally hazardous power-production methods.

Carson City Symphony is coming to Reno to perform for Artown! The concert is on Sunday, July 7, at 5:00 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 Island Avenue. The program, "Movies & More," features organ soloist Michael Langham, bassoon soloist Eric Fassbender, and vocal soloist Jakki Ford. Admission is $10 at the door, or online at CCSymphony.com.

Carson City residents Ila Bottoms, Arnold Flores, Leana Garcia, Allison Blair, and Janae Johnston-Bucker are five of 14 students recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship certificate from Greater Nevada Credit Union.

Seventy students throughout northern Nevada applied for the scholarship program, which GNCU has offered for the past 14 years. Bottoms and Flores are attending Western Nevada College; Garcia is attending Great Basin College in Elko; Blair and Johnston-Bucker will be attending the University of Nevada, Reno.

To help understand, appreciate, and protect Nevada’s rock art and archaeological sites,
Emily Middleton discusses early carved abstract rock art in the Northern Great Basin from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 27 at the Nevada State Museum, in Carson City.

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory has located 122 earthquakes in a continuing sequence of activity located on the southeastern edge of Carson City, Nevada.

CARSON CITY — Several bills that were introduced in the just-ended session of the Nevada Legislature didn’t get a chance to see the light of day in 2013. Here’s a look back on a few pieces of legislation that died this year:

Ward-only voting Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have changed Reno’s and Sparks’ current voting system from citywide voting to ward-only voting, which would require voters to select the city council candidate who would represent the ward they live in.

UPDATE: A funeral service for Janice R. Ayres, a longtime Carson City resident and champion for the elderly and disabled in Nevada, will be held today, Friday, in Carson City at the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of Musser and Division streets.

A gathering for family and friends of Ayres will follow at Cafe at Adele's, 1112 North Carson Street.

Ayres was 92 when she died May 27, 2013.

Minden resident Krista Lukas has published her debut poetry collection "Fans of My Unconscious." She will read from her collection at two venues in June: the Mile High Jazz Band’s Jazz and Poetry event at Comma Coffee in Carson City on June 11, 7:30 p.m., and the Ventana Sierra Advanced Writers Conference at Western Nevada College in Carson City on June 14 at 6:30 p.m.

The book is published by The Black Rock Press, University of Nevada, Reno, 2013.

More than a decade ago, a Western Nevada College physics professor’s dream, a desire by college students to learn about astronomy, and the Carson City community's willingness to help make dreams come true, all converged to create the Jack C. Davis Observatory.

Now, WNC and the observatory staff and volunteers have planned a stellar celebration from May 2-15 to commemorate 10 years of science and discovery in Nevada’s capital city.

Earth and science will be in the spotlight at Western Nevada College next week with two free lectures in Carson City that will feature discussions on global warming and the geologic history of Lake Tahoe. The events highlight a series of activities during Earth Week, April 22-27.

by NATASHA VITALE

Wednesday was a deeply emotional day for both lawmakers and testifiers at legislature; discussion on whether concealed weapons should be permitted on Nevada’s college campuses spurred verbal attacks between individuals on both sides of the debate, and eventually tears shed down the cheeks of one assemblyman.

I took some time over Spring Break to look back on what we’ve done so far. It makes me happy to see the breadth of issues that our reporters have covered — animal cruelty legislation, protests, measures to protect children from human trafficking, and so much more. Their work has been featured in the Reno Gazette-Journal and on our local NPR and PBS affiliate stations — and it’s no wonder why. It’s quality journalism.

by RILEY SNYDER

The average carrot travels over 1,800 miles to get to our dinner plate. Processing and shipment of food accounts for 93 percent of our food cost.

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension will offer eight new “Grow Your Own!” classes in Carson City and 11 other Nevada cities to help residents who want to get on a path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing more of their own food.

State Geologist James E. Faulds presents a thought-provoking question as the topic of the Nevada State Museum’s Frances Humphrey Lecture Series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28. In “Why is Nevada in Hot Water: Tectonic Controls on Geothermal Activity in the Great Basin,” Faulds focuses on how fault systems initiate and evolve through time.

Geothermal studies enhance understanding of what controls hot fluids in the earth’s crust and aid in exploration and discovery of energy resources. Scientists study geologic faults and stress conditions to determine where to drill.

RENO, Nev. – Climate data from 13 geospatial monitoring stations across the Great Basin are being made available to researchers, educators and the public by a group of researchers from the Nevada System of Higher Education. They have developed the long-term climate monitoring network specifically designed to measure variations in climate change and are now working to broaden the network’s reach to include the all types of hazard monitoring in the region.

A discussion on global warming and ways that plants, wildlife and humans living in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin will adapt to climate change will be the focus of a free April 23 forum at Western Nevada College in Carson City.

The members of the newly formed five-member Sagebrush Ecosystem Team, an interagency multidisciplinary entity, were announced recently.

by ALEX POMPLIANO

It’s become somewhat of a cliché, saying in a retrospective astonishment that something began as an idea. In theory, everything begins as an idea. But I’ve never been a part of something from the very beginning that would eventually lead to a fully realized organization like the Nevada Media Alliance, so you’ll have to forgive the cliché.

Donned in costumes, but without the protection of wet suits, Special Olympics athletes and their supporters will jump into icy waters on March 23 for the annual South Lake Tahoe Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Northern Nevada and California.

RENO, Nev. – Popular physicist and professor Michio Kaku is a co-creator of string field theory. He continues Einstein’s search to unite the four fundamental forces of nature into one unified theory and has published doctoral textbooks on quantum field theory. When he’s not working to explain the origin and evolution of the universe, he’s bringing science to the public.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval today said he wants an assessment of how Nevada’s public schools are doing in regards to security following the horrific shooting deaths a week ago at a Connecticut elementary school.

Sandoval made the request as chairman of the state Homeland Security Commission, which met today by teleconference. A presentation will be prepared for the next meeting of the commission.

CARSON CITY – A newly elected Republican state lawmaker plans to push forward with a bill next session to allow students and others with permits to carry concealed weapons on the campuses of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, R- Las Vegas, elected to Assembly District 4 in November, has submitted a bill draft request to prepare a measure for consideration in the 2013 legislative session.

The late Reno resident Betty Heaston has donated more than $1.7 million to the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center to benefit programs, staff and operations. Heaston also made an additional bequest of more than $57,000 to create an endowment for student scholarships.

“Betty particularly loved her life in Reno and championed all the city had to offer,” said Forrest Bolles, Heaston’s nephew. “But she had a particular feeling for the University of Nevada, Reno, and was very proud that the city had a world-class institution of higher learning.”

CARSON CITY – The city of Reno has been selected as one of only 100 recipients of IBM’s prestigious Smarter Cities Challenge grant for 2013.

Partners in the project include the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, University of Nevada, Reno, EDAWN, Desert Research Institute and the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization.

“Powered by the Cloud - the Beginning of a New Era”: A Presentation by Dr. Pavel Solin. 

The Nevada Arts Council has awarded $9,148 in Jackpot Grants to nine Nevada artists and one public institution for arts and arts learning projects. Jackpot grants are awarded on a quarterly schedule and are designed to support arts projects initiated by artists, schools, nonprofit organizations and public institutions. These projects are usually “sudden opportunity events” or applications from groups new to the NAC.

The largest Great Nevada Shakeout in its three-year history, and part of the world’s largest public earthquake drill with 18 million participants globally, is Thursday, Oct. 18 at 10:18 a.m. More than a half a million Nevadans are registered to participate in the annual statewide public earthquake drill, and with just a few days to go the Nevada Seismological Laboratory would like 100,000 more people registered.

Boaters heading to Lake Tahoe in the next six weeks may experience a short delay when entering Emerald Bay due to an Asian clam control project that will be taking place there.