The pack felt heavy as I trudged along the narrow game trail. I had selected this path because the local elk population had used it for generations. Now it was my escape to solitude. A few years back I had accidentally discovered the elk trail while hiking and exploring after school. Howland Hill had always been…

For years the Kern County jail was known for its two large terra-cotta lions that sat on either side of the front entrance. The lions remained in that spot for 47 years until the jail had to be updated in 1952, following a massive earthquake that year. With the razing of the building, the lions…

Shortly after the Modoc started building their homes, however, the Klamath, longtime rivals, began to steal the Modoc lumber. The Modoc complained, but the U.S. Indian agent could not protect them against the Klamath. Captain Jack’s band moved to another part of the reservation. Several attempts were made to find a suitable location, but the…

Nevada is dropping its defense of a state ban on gay marriage. This despite Nevada’s voters approving a state constitutional amendment by wide margins in back-to-back elections in 2000 and 2002 barring same-sex marriage, establishing that “only a marriage between a male and a female person shall be recognized and given effect.” The move, made…

The passing of Shirley Temple at the age of 85 brings to close the University of Nevada, Reno’s history during the golden age of Hollywood. Shirley played the part of ‘Ellen Baker,’ a journalism student enrolled at ‘Clemens University,’ in “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.” The make-believe school in reality is the campus of UNR.…

Sometimes I find myself completely surprised by the responses I get from articles I’ve posted. For instance,  I wrote and shared an angry ‘obituary,’ in November 2011, for my brother, Adam because neither his widow or children had. Because of that ‘obituary,’ I’ve learned more about Adam than I ever thought possible. There is the fact that he had…

A federal judge granted a request to move the trial against a Reno man accused of supporting terrorist groups in India and Pakistan to February 2016. This after both the prosecution and defense asked for more time to prepare their cases. In December, a federal grand jury indicted Balwinder Singh on six charges, including conspiracy…

Here’s an example of what’s wrong with our society today: When asked what she’d do if she had a son misbehaving like Justin Bieber, First Lady Michelle Obama says, “I would pull him close. You know, I don’t know if it would be advice as much as action. I would be very present in his…

With the increase in surplus-military equipment and centralized information hubs, called ‘Spectrum Centers,’ local law enforcement agencies appear to be growing dark-hearted. The news is filled more and more with agencies and their personnel doing things that defy common sense or are outright illegal, if not unconstitutional. FAILURE TO AID A Florida police officer is…

My ability to remain self-reliant has been on my mind for the past three or four weeks, with no answers coming forward. But then I turned on the television and as I flipped through the channels, I saw John Ratsenberger (Cliff Clavin on Cheers, Toy Story’s Hamm the Piggy Bank, and Yeti from Monsters University) on…