Sparks

Carol Paz, host of "Women to Women" broadcast Thursday's on Charter Cable interviews Dr. Farnaz Khankhanian, Optometrist at Eagle Vision in Carson City.

UPDATE 9:50AM: The Carson City Communications Dispatch Center reports the widespread phone outage that began Monday night hasn't affected 911 calls coming in. So far no one has complained to dispatchers that they had a difficult time reaching 911 through to dispatch, said Marlon Moncada, communications supervisor for Carson City.

AT&T has been sending updates to the dispatch center, the Sheriff's Office and the Carson City Fire Department about the problems and have worked to resolve immediate issues that involve 911 emergency service first, Moncada said.

"What we have been told is there is a group that is working with 911 centers so the community is able to call 911 and not experience problems," he said.

Meanwhile, messages to Carson Now have come from several readers stating their cell phone, internet and DSL services remain out of service with AT&T, Virgin, Sprint, Boost Mobile.

Carol Paz, host of "Women to Women" broadcast Thursday's on Charter Cable interviews Northern Nevada resident and Iranian political activist Shala Fedai in a fascinating two part interview. Go here for Part II.

Law enforcement agencies in Carson City and across Northern Nevada will team up Super Bowl Sunday and increase the number of patrol officers roads and highways looking for impaired motorists.

With a federally funded “joining forces” grant secured by the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, additional law enforcement personnel from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Highway Patrol, and the Reno and Sparks police departments will be on overtime shifts saturating the region Sunday afternoon and evening looking for motorists who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Have you seen Charter Media's new show "Women to Women" featuring Carol Paz as hostess? The program is televised every Thursday at 7 pm on channel 3 (Reno, Sparks, Fernley, Fallon, Lake Tahoe) and 15 (in Carson City, Gardnerville, Dayton).  The locally produced and privately owned program features Northern Nevada women who are making a difference in their communities and in the region.

Carson Now has become a 2013 partner in the program and will provide regular video of recent interviews, guest updates and biographies.

A 24-year-old Carson City man faces a felony charge of attempting to cash a counterfeit $100 bill at a casino in the 500 block of North Carson Street.

Kevin Frederick Repass was arrested Jan. 24, at 5:32 p.m. According to a Carson City Sheriff's Office report, security at the casino detained Repass for trying to break the phony $100 bill, asking for $20 bills. He told casino security that he had received the $100 bill from another casino, the report states.

Nevada's unemployment figures continue to show relative signs of improvement with a decline in figures for December at 10.2 percent compared to November's 10.8 percent. In Carson City, the drop was significant, with 10.1 percent unemployment for the month compared to 12.8 percent a year ago, a 2.7 percent difference.

From the federal government to the Nevada Legislature, many small business owners are wondering how new laws and government regulations may affect them in 2013. They can find out for themselves on Thursday, Jan. 31, at 9 a.m. PST, when NevadaSmallBusiness.com, in association with Nevada State Bank, presents “Insights: Impact of New Regulations on Small Business,” a free interactive Web event featuring a panel of Nevada experts.

Troopers from the Nevada Highway Patrol issued nearly 12,000 traffic citations to motorists observed talking, texting or reading non-voice communication while operating a motor vehicle on Nevada’s highways in 2012.

Thirty of the offenders last year received their second citation for the same offense with 25 of those witnessed on their phone for a third time and cited once more. In all, as of Dec. 26, 2012, there were 11,992 citations issued.

More snow is on the way for Carson City, Dayton and much of Western Nevada, prompting the National Weather Service in Reno to issue a Winter Weather Advisory through 10 a.m. Sunday.

Snow will begin tonight (Saturday) and last through Sunday morning with between 1 to 4 inches expected. Well below freezing cold air will be mixed in with the snow to make make for icy conditions along Highways 50, 395 and 95, according to the weather service.

A drop in temperatures and a cold front pushing through the region means snow accumulations for Carson City into Tuesday morning, prompting the National Weather Service in Reno to issue a Winter Weather Advisory.

Snow will develop overnight with the heaviest expected to arrive between 4 and 8 a.m. Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible in Carson City with the locally higher amounts above 5,000 feet that will likely impact the drive up Spooner Summit to Lake Tahoe.

With the December holiday season upon us and the upcoming New Year just around the corner, numerous holiday parties and other work and family-related get-togethers will be celebrated and they often involve the consumption of alcohol. In an effort to identify those impaired drivers who may get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol, additional NHP Troopers, as well as a multi-agency DUI checkpoint, are being scheduled this month.

Several Carson City school teams received high honor while competing in the third Northern Nevada First LEGO League tournament in Sparks this weekend, including a Judge's Award for the "Salon" team of Carson Middle School and the Project Presentation Awarded to the "Junior Geek Squad' of Eagle Valley Middle School.

The state of Nevada will introduce a new “brand” in the spring that will include a marketing campaign to help boost tourism and economic development, Gov. Brian Sandoval told an audience at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism on Tuesday at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks.

Other tourism officials said the brand will include a new statewide slogan and logo. Tourism officials said the campaign to roll out Nevada’s new brand has been in the works for more than a year.

The Carson City Historical Society’s Christmas party will be Sunday, December 16, 2012 at the Bliss Mansion from 2 – 4 pm. We are sure to have a festive holiday afternoon at the lovely Bliss Mansion with hors d’oeurves, wine, and two kinds of entertainment. Dr. Michael Fischer, well-known Chautauqua speaker, will treat us to his impersonation of Governor John Sparks. Afterwards, Consort Trio (a trio from the popular Consort Canzona including harpsichord, cello, and recorder) will perform. The trio will play music from AD 1400 – 1620. You won’t want to miss this delightful performance!

The annual three day Capital Classic High School Basketball Invitational, sponsored by Carson City Host Lions, will be on Thursday December 6th and Friday 7th with doors opening at 4:00 PM. Thursday's lineup is 4;30 PM Reed vs Sparks 6:00 PM Wooster vs Incline Village, and 7;30 PM Carson vs Damonte Ranch. Friday's lineup is 4:30 PM Sparks vs Damonte Ranch 6:00 PM Incline Village vs Hug 7:30 PM Carson vs Reed. Saturday the 8th, doors open at 11:30 AM, play starts at 11:45 AM with Carson vs Incline Village 1:15 PM Damonte Ranch vs Reed 2:30 PM Carson vs Sparks.

Teams of school children from Carson City with a knack for building and design will join students throughout Northern Nevada in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) challenge, Saturday, Dec. 8 at Sparks High School.

FIRST is founded by inventor Dean Kamen as a way to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. The competition brings its biggest-ever annual FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) season to Northern Nevada with the 2012 “Senior Solutions℠” Challenge.
 

With all of the crazy “Black Friday” shopping madness now safely behind us, we can begin, once again, to think rationally about ideas for Christmas gifts for that special person(s) in our lives.
So, if you were not part of that frenzied mob scene on the day after Thanksgiving, or if you are still scratching your head about what to get for that person, here are some “Don Q” suggestions for Christmas gifts:

The Business Branch of the Carson City Library at the Business Resource Innovation Center will be a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site again for the upcoming tax season. The VITA program offers free preparation of federal and state income tax returns to low-to-moderate income families in Northern Nevada who cannot prepare their own return.

New unemployment numbers released Monday show the largest drop in three and a half years. Nevada's unemployment rate in October dropped to a seasonally adjusted 11.5 percent, down from 11.8 percent in September, the lowest it’s been in three and a half years.
Carson City recorded a decline from 10.9 percent to 10.7 percent.

The Carson City Pop Warner Midget Cheer Squad achieved first place in its division at the Sagebrush Empire District Cheer Competition held at Sparks Highs School on November 3, 2012. In so doing, the team has put themselves in the position to qualify for the national championships for the first time in the program’s history.

CARSON CITY – Assembly Republican caucus leader Pat Hickey said he expects to pick up seats for the GOP in the upcoming election, but declined to predict today exactly how big a dent his candidates will make in the 26-member Democratic majority on Nov. 6.

Henrietta (Lee) Leoni Ziegler, 83 years 3 months, 12 days passed away on Oct. 24, 2012 at her home in Sparks. She was born to Henry Leoni and Lottie (Hengeveld) in Palo Alto, Calif. on July 12, 19...

Carson City officers arrested five people on Saturday with two facing felony assault charges after a fight at the former Toads Bar in Carson City.

Officers responded to the bar in the 300 block of William Street at 10:22 p.m. where they observed two men dragging, kicking and punching a man near the front entrance. Arresting officers ordered the men involved in the melee to the ground, which they complied, according to the arrest report.

The Nevada Department of Public Safety, Division of Parole and Probation and Carson City authorities have again launched Operation Scarecrow, a program eight years running that targets sex offenders and predators during Halloween.

Operation Scarecrow's purpose is to ensure there is no contact between division supervised sex offenders and children. Law enforcement will provide enhanced community supervision and give specific direction to high risk and high profile sex offenders, said DPS Spokeswman Gail Powell.

The Traveling Vietnam Wall and the AVTT crew is officially being escorted into Carson City this afternoon by the Nevada Highway Patrol and local law enforcement officials, as well as veterans and local military personnel via convoy consisting of motorcycle riders and emergency vehicles.

Carson City Sheriff's Office and the Nevada Highway Patrol have teamed up, along with other Northern Nevada law enforcement agencies, in an effort to beef up DUI enforcement now through Nov. 9.

During this two-week time frame, agencies will be step up patrol in the Carson City and Reno/Sparks areas, focusing efforts on identifying impaired drivers. The program is funded by the Office of Traffic Safety and is one of many campaigns that are conducted throughout the year to help reduce accidents and fatalities in northern Nevada.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s unemployment rate fell to 11.8 percent in September, a decline of three-tenths of a percentage point from the 12.1 percent rate reported for August and a significant improvement from September 2011’s reading of 13.6 percent, a state agency reported today.

The seasonally-adjusted rate remains above the 11.6 percent figure reported in May, which was a three-year low.

CARSON CITY – The state Department of Transportation will review the costs associated with a free program that helps stranded freeway motorists in the Reno and Las Vegas areas after a report to the board overseeing the agency shows that more than $2.3 million was spent on the service in 2011.

It was the final points race of the season, a night that would see champions crowned in six racing divisions at Fernley 95A Speedway. Over 70 cars were on hand, and there were lots of spectators in the stands rooting for their favorite driver.