Public Service

This column dovetails my last one concerning mental health care in Nevada.

The recent zeal to bring attention to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has rightfully brought the topic to the fore. But I feel that the media blitz has been at the expense of other equally severe mental disabilities, the awareness of which have waned and suffered. However good the intentions toward autism coverage may be, this attention has consequently overshadowed other developmental disabilities that are just as critical to treat, and equally heart-breaking.

The first-ever symposium on the uses of autonomous systems, also known as drones, and vehicles for emergency first responders is being hosted by the University of Nevada, Reno Sept. 14-16.

When Sen. Dean Heller, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and California Gov. Jerry Brown all met up on the shores of Lake Tahoe for their annual Tahoe Summit, attention started with protecting the deep, blue waters of the pristine lake. But this year, attention turned quickly to wildfire.

“Lake Tahoe isn’t going to be blue if the forests are gone,” Graham Kent, director of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Seismological Laboratory, said. “You actually want to keep the Lake Tahoe Basin green — and protected from wildfires.”

Four remote mountain peaks in central and northeastern Nevada are home to a new real-time camera fire-detection system that is helping to protect Nevada’s forests and rangelands.

A Bureau of Land Management Nevada grant awarded to the University of Nevada, Reno to develop, install, and maintain a remote camera system, is in the initial phase of a five-year planned comprehensive network to cover vast areas of the state for early fire detection and response.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong is the winner of the 2015 DEA, DARE Law Enforcement Executive of the Year, officials announced Monday.

Francisco X. Pegueros, President and CEO of DARE America and Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division Anthony D. Williams made the announcement. The coveted award is given to a senior law enforcement officer who epitomizes an extraordinary commitment to drug prevention and enforcement.

A fire-spotting camera network operated by the University of Nevada, Reno is tracking the Washington Fire south of Lake Tahoe with two of its mountaintop cameras. The first wisps of smoke from the fire were seen on the cameras at 3:50 p.m. on Friday, June 19, one hour before the smoke was reported to fire officials.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said today that he's not going to run for Nevada's open U.S. Senate seat in 2016 that is being vacated by Nevada Sen. Harry Reid. His statement is below:

"In 1984, Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to serve as a legislative intern in his office in Washington, D.C. Coming from humble beginnings, the experience changed my life and charted me on a path of public service. It never occurred to me then that I would someday have an opportunity to be a candidate for the United States Senate.

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory reports a magnitude 5.4 earthquake located 24 miles southwest of Caliente, Nev., 100 miles north of Las Vegas and 46 miles northwest of Mesquite, Nev. at 11:47 a.m. on May 22, 2015. There have been reports of minor damage. An aftershock of magnitude 3.8 occurred at 12:05 p.m. and a magnitude 3.0 at 12:19 p.m.

The Nevada State Law Enforcement Officers’ Association is withdrawing its endorsement of Assemblyman Randy Kirner, provided to him in March of 2014.

In a letter to Assemblyman Kirner dated March 31, 2015, NSLEOA President Sean Giurlani stated:

Beginning next month, some Carson High School freshmen will be able to see their work broadcast on the big screens at the Galaxy Fandango movie theater in Carson City.
As part of the freshmen transitions program at Carson High School, in its second year, students were tasked with creating 60­second public service announcements.

As the incoming Chair of the 15-member Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, this promises to be a hopeful and exciting year. 2015 will be full of opportunities, but also challenges, for the continued protection of Lake Tahoe.

The number one priority among our challenges is funding shortfalls. Federal and state funding that has paid for environmental restoration and protection efforts at Lake Tahoe for years is drying up and new approaches need to be pursued.

Here is the full text of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval's speech delivered to the Nevada Legislature Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015.

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Distinguished Members of the Legislature, Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court, Constitutional Officers:

Lake Tahoe Community College has submitted a proposal to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office to be considered for a four-year degree pilot program, allowing up to 15 community colleges the opportunity to offer one 4-year degree each for starters. After considering multiple options, LTCC's Baccalaureate Degree Steering Committee ultimately chose to propose offering a Public Safety Administration degree.

Peter Hennessey seems to have trouble with the word Democratic. Sadly he's not alone in that. It's an affliction that's been going around on the extreme right since the days of Joseph McCarthy. Please note that I'm talking about the extreme right, not the Republican party of the past, which once had a perfectly sane and civic-minded mainstream. I was a registered Republican myself for 34 years, but never had any trouble understanding that Democrat is a noun and Democratic is an adjective. I only have a bachelor's degree, but have no trouble distinguishing between nouns and adjectives.

Campaign follies? campaign ethics? WHAT campaign ethics?

We just shrug our shoulders, "that's politics; politicians lie." We chortle at the more outrageous excesses. The bigger the whopper, the more we are entertained. But alas, they keep doing it because it works.

In his October 19th Nevada Appeal column, Guy Farmer endorsed "PK" O'Neill for State Assembly, but described O'Neill's opponent, Dave Cook, as "a perennial candidate who should have remained on the State Board of Education." Farmer offers no rationale for his support of O'Neill or for his dismissive attitude toward Mr. Cook, whose term as Northern Nevada's representative on the Board of Education ends in 2016, not 2014.

A good friend of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce passed away Monday of a heart attack. Pete Livermore was a community icon and did much for the community we know today. He was the “father of youth sports” and worked diligently to make certain the children of Carson City played on the best fields money could buy.

Pete Livermore, a longtime Carson City elected leader and business owner, died Monday at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center. He was 73.

Livermore was a Nevada Assemblyman who decided this year that he would not seek re-election. He began in the Assembly District 40 on Feb. 7 2011. Before that, Livermore was a member of the Carson City Board of Supervisors, 1998-2010; was Mayor pro Tem, Carson City, 2004-2006.

The Carson City Chamber is holding one more opportunity for citizens to hear the four candidates for Carson City Supervisor on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at the Chamber’s Soup’s On! luncheon to be held at the Gold Dust West beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Nevada's new Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation director, Don Soderberg, begins his duties today, Oct. 13. He was appointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval last month and will serve serve as a member of the Sandoval's cabinet overseeing the daily operations of the employment division which includes more than 1,000 staff members in multiple offices statewide.

On Oct. 22 the Nevada Highway Patrol will host an open house. Come out and join our celebration. You will have the opportunity to meet the Chief of the NHP, the command staff and other members of the NHP.

You will be able to tour our facilities to observe what is done on a daily basis for the highway patrol. You can see our fleet of vehicles and see who maintains our vehicles both inside and out. You will also see our mobile command center and our mobile breath analyzer truck. Refreshments will be served.

Hi…I’m Dave Cook….
Candidate for Nevada Assembly, district 40 (Carson
City, and south Washoe County), democrat, age 64.

I am a fourth generation Nevadan. I have lived in Carson City for thirty-five years, where I raised my two daughters. Both are now college graduates.

I'm a retired emeritus awarded college professor of business and
economics from Western Nevada College, where I taught for almost
thirty years here in Carson City.

I graduated from UNLV with bachelor degrees in Accounting and Political Science, and an MBA in Business and Economics.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has declared July BEAR Logic Month. BEAR stands for Bear Education, Aversion and Research, and BEAR Logic Month is an opportunity to help educate the public about living in bear country.

Join Karl Neathammer and Shelly Aldean on Capital Crossfire with guests Jeff Fontaine and Demar Dahl as they discuss the effort to persuade the federal government to relinquish its control over millions of acres of land in the western United States.

Fontaine has been the executive director of the Nevada Association of Counties since 2007. Before that he was director of the Nevada Department of Transportation.

The FBI launched a national campaign Tuesday aimed at stopping people from pointing lasers at aircraft, a federal crime because it presents danger to pilots, passengers and those on the ground. The agency is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of any individual who aims a laser at aircraft.

Ron Knecht filed Thursday to run for Nevada State Controller as “one plain-speaking nerd” who will bring to the job new energy and wide experience in public service to voters and taxpayers.

CARSON CITY — Former Nevada law enforcement official "PK" O'Neill, filed Tuesday at the Secretary of State's office, as a Republican candidate for Assembly District 40. The seat is currently held by former Carson Supervisor and retiring two term Assemblyman Pete Livermore, who is endorsing "PK's" candidacy.

He described O'Neill as "a once in a lifetime candidate." Pete said, "I wholeheartedly endorse him and am giving my total support to "PK" O'Neill on becoming the next representative for Assembly District 40."

RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada, Reno’s Seismological Laboratory reports an ongoing swarm of earthquakes near Virginia City, Nev. since Tuesday, Jan. 21. To date, over 100 events have been located. Four have been larger than magnitude 3.0, in the past two days.

There have been no reports of damage. The larger events have been felt in Virginia City about 8 miles to the southwest and in Reno about 10 miles west of the swarm.

The Nevada Rural Counties Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Inc. (RSVP) has appointed Mike Reynolds as the Carson City and Regional Mobility Manager. Lack of transportation has been identified as the greatest deterrent to accessing lifesaving goods and services for homebound, low income, frail seniors and disabled persons.

Carson City Library has extended its technological reach by implementing extensive technology training in Lyon County through librarian-led training and workshop offerings that will improve digital literacy skills to all potential users in the region.