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Students, schools agree NV tuition waiver program for Native Americans is off to a promising start
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 27, 2022
Brian Melendez can trace his family history back to an encampment on the land where the Reynolds School of Journalism now stands, before they were forcibly removed to make room for the old Mackey Stadium. “Not too long ago, my great-great-grandmother gave birth where the University of Nevada, Reno football statue is currently located. That […]
Water managers across drought-stricken West agree on one thing: ‘This is going to be painful’
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 19, 2022
Water authorities in the Western U.S. don’t have a crystal ball, but rapidly receding reservoirs uncovering sunken boats and other debris lost in their depths decades ago give a clear view of the hard choices ahead. If western states do not agree on a plan to safeguard the Colorado River — the source of the […]
Upper basin states float temporary conservation plan at Colorado River conference
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 15, 2022
Half a year ago, seven western states missed a federal deadline to deliver a basin-wide plan that could reduce their use of water from the over-allocated Colorado River in the next year. A comprehensive solution between the states to bolster the drought-stricken river system has not materialized. Those failures and potential solutions were the focus […]
Feds list rare NV wildflower, Tiehm’s buckwheat, as endangered
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 14, 2022
A rare desert wildflower known to only grow in Nevada has been listed as endangered and will be protected under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday. Tiehm’s buckwheat’s entire global population grows on about 10 acres of land in the Silver Peak Range of Esmeralda County. The listing also […]
Geothermal developer shrinks plans after toad’s endangered listing
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 12, 2022
A Nevada-based renewable energy company plans to significantly shrink the size of a planned geothermal power plant in order to ease federal criticisms of its potential impacts on an endangered toad. Earlier this month, federal wildlife managers announced the Dixie Valley toad, a species unique to Nevada, would be listed as endangered and provided permanent […]
Nevada delegation teams up to expand Fallon bombing range
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 8, 2022
Nevada lawmakers have secured legislation that would nearly triple the size of a Naval air station bombing range near Fallon. The bill is set to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual appropriations bill that must pass in order to fund the military, and will grant the Navy’s request for nearly […]
Feds seek to hasten clean energy development on public lands in the West
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 7, 2022
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on Monday announced new steps to accelerate solar energy development on federal land in the West, a move that could further incentivize renewable energy development on Nevada’s vast public lands. During a visit to the Sonoran Solar Energy Project in Arizona – a project on public lands expected to […]
Feds list Dixie Valley toad, found only in Nevada, as endangered
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 1, 2022
A rare Nevada toad at the center of a lawsuit over a geothermal energy project will be listed under the Endangered Species Act, federal wildlife managers said Thursday. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the Dixie Valley toad will be listed as endangered and provided permanent federal protections. The toad was protected under a […]
Three Nevada tribes awarded more than $11M for high-speed internet
By: Jeniffer Solis - December 1, 2022
Three Nevada tribes will receive $11.6 million for high-speed internet in the latest round of “internet for all” grants, federal officials announced Wednesday. The funding will directly connect more than 800 homes on tribal lands in Nevada to high-speed internet, improving access to education, jobs, and healthcare on tribal lands. During the White House Tribal […]
Biden moves Avi Kwa Ame a step closer to monument status
By: Jeniffer Solis - November 30, 2022
President Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged to designate Avi Kwa Ame in southern Nevada as the state’s fourth national monument. The move was part of a series of commitments made by the Biden administration to strengthen relationships and consultation between the federal government and First Nations. “There’s so much more that we’re going to do […]
Nye County chaos cut into Yomba Shoshone voting access
By: Jeniffer Solis - November 23, 2022
Disorganization and miscommunication in Nye County following the appointment of election denier Mark Kampf as the county’s top election clerk resulted in a botched and chaotic election week for the Yomba Shoshone Tribe. It wasn’t until the Friday before Election Day that Kampf agreed to establish a polling location on the tribe’s reservation, despite an […]
Shift to even-year LV City Council election results in female majority, and way more voters
By: Jeniffer Solis - November 17, 2022
It’s been four years since Nevada became the first state with a female majority Legislature. Although not as pronounced this election year as in 2020, women have persistently held the advantage in judicial elections in Southern Nevada. And last week, women won both open seats on the Las Vegas City Council. Former Republican Assemblywoman Francis […]