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A state audit has exposed significant deficiencies in the financial transparency and adherence to contract requirements by the company managing the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home.

The findings, presented during a meeting of the state’s Executive Branch Audit Committee, have raised concerns, particularly in light of the veterans home facing numerous health violations. The audit revealed that Avalon, the management company overseeing the veterans home, had not been forthcoming about its finances, violating specific contract stipulations.

Financial reports submitted to state officials lacked detailed information, preventing independent verification of the home’s financial status by the Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS). Furthermore, the management company failed to provide excess cash to NDVS until August, four years into the contract, violating contractual obligations.

Avalon, which has managed the veterans home’s finances since 2019, expressed surprise at the state’s lack of access to financial details and pledged cooperation with state requests.

The Northern Nevada State Veterans Home has faced heightened scrutiny since its opening in 2019, with numerous health violations. In April 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued 37 health citations to the home, significantly exceeding national and state averages.

The home received a subpar two out of five-star rating from CMS due to deficiencies in quality of life, infection control, and pharmacy service, a far cry from the five-star rating envisioned in the contract with Avalon.

The audit recommends changes to the agreement between the state and Avalon, including procedures for independent verification of financial situations, linking contract fees to specific services, and revising the calculation of reserved funds. Also recommended are increased oversight and presentation of financial statements on a fiscal year basis.

Avalon officials expressed willingness to provide more financial details and a desire to extend the contract when it expires next year. Despite the audit’s revelations, Department of Veterans Affairs officials cannot provide details on how to terminate the contract with contract Avalon.

Piper’s Opera House will echo with laughter as comedian and actor Erica Rhodes steps into the spotlight at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 18.

Ticket options range from Advance Tickets at $20 to VIP Day of Show Stage Tickets at $42. The latter provides the luxury of booth seats at the front, accompanied by bottle service of wine or champagne (alcohol not included in the price). A $4 ticket fee applies to all tickets.

Rhodes, known for appearing on ABC’s Modern Family, HBO’s Veep, and Fox’s New Girl, will bring her distinct brand of humor to the stage. Her stand-up TV credits include NBC’s Bring the Funny and Last Call with Carson Daly, among others. Her wit and comedic prowess have garnered recognition at esteemed festivals like the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal.

Rhodes’ versatile voice talent extends to the hit Netflix animation series A Tale Dark and Grimm, where she embodies the scene-stealing character “Dotty.”

Beyond her screen presence, Rhodes has achieved critical acclaim with her comedy album “Sad Lemon,” which went to number one on the iTunes comedy charts. Additionally, her one-hour comedy special “La Vie en Rhodes” is now available on Amazon Prime, showcasing her sharp comedic style.

Joining Rhodes on stage will be a cadre of local comedians, collectively ensuring an unforgettable night of laughter and entertainment. Due to the nature of the content, shows may contain material unsuitable for anyone under 18.

In late November 2003, I posted a letter from Osama Bin Laden, written to the American people. In the four-page piece of propaganda, he tried to explain his reasoning for murdering over 3,000 people on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

First, he blames most everything on the Jewish people, claiming that they are in control of all the financial institutions. Then he says that the U.S. is culpable for the attack and ensuing deaths because the American people refuse to control Israel and that the Jewish state is oppressing Palestinians.

Back then, I said the letter would become weaponized against us. Enter our youth, the useful idiots of the Daemonic Party.

Today, the news is full of stories about how the 20-year-old letter is on the Chinese Communist digital sharing platform, Tic Tok, and being shared by people who were not yet born when the attacks happened and are agreeing with Bin Laden and his antisemitic ravings.

Because there is no such thing as coincidence, two days ago, President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco on the same day as a record number of people marched in unity for the Jewish people in Washington D.C. Furthermore, Biden has said nothing about the march.

As stated before, the platform is not only Chinese but is used by their military to spy, collecting information on anyone who uses the app. So, it is interesting that the letter should suddenly find its way to an Internet favorite of the American youth after two decades.

Finally, back in 2003, I criticized the U.K.’s The Guardian newspaper for publishing the propaganda letter in the first place. I was wrong. It was necessary to show the world what sort of sub-human Bid Laden was and still would be had the United States not hunted him down and killed him on Monday, May 2, 2011.

It was the only time I cheered a man’s death, and I celebrated his execution by waving an American flag as I marched up and down in front of my home.

In fragments fine, a masterpiece of glass,
A vase, once whole, now missing its sweet rose.
Splintered beauty, memories of the past,
Yearning for the bloom that loves once choose.

Beneath the moon, where rose petals have flown,
A cold wind has blown, their path unknown.
In dirt I stay in yearning, I pray,
That you might chance to cuddle where I lay.

Skin on skin, an intimate ballet,
Connection sought in a world astray.
Not the heated piety of fleeting sex,
But solace of closeness, the tender context.

A quiet town in Sierra County, Calif., is grappling with a mysterious and tragic incident as authorities investigate the discovery of a 71-year-old woman found deceased in her home, with signs pointing to a subsequent encounter with a bear.

Sierra County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputies were performing a welfare check on Wednesday, November 8, on Patrice Miller, a resident of Downieville, after concerned individuals reported not having seen or heard from her in several days. Once at her home, deputies made the grim discovery of her lifeless body.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Miller had passed away before a bear, potentially attracted by the scent or other factors, gained access to the residence and fed on her corpse. The SCSO, working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, is actively investigating the incident.

Authorities are urging residents in the Downieville vicinity to exercise caution and take necessary precautions to avoid potential wildlife encounters. Recommendations include closing ground-level doors and windows at night, securing vehicles, and removing all outside food sources, including garbage, to minimize the risk of attracting bears and other wildlife.

The bear was no longer in the home when deputies arrived, and they do not know where it is in this ultimate act of dine-and-ditch.

Poor Ginny, in the desert wide,
Pour me Gin, be my guide.
Without you, it’s a barren land,
Dry as gulch, no helping hand.

Virginny City, let it be said,
Shall be painted a fiery red.
With each drop, our spirits rise,
Under desert skies, your presence lies.

Blessed be the smoky air,
We raise our glass in solemn prayer.
Gin-soaked moments, Ginny dear,
In every sip, you’re always near.

Virginny City, let it be said,
Shall be painted a fiery red.
With each drop, our spirits rise,
Under desert skies, your presence lies.

So poor you, Ginny, strong and true,
Gin in every glass, we find our due.
Pour another, let the night begin,
In your embrace, we’ll always win.

Virginny City, let it be said,
Shall be painted a fiery red.
With each drop, our spirits rise,
Under desert skies, your presence lies.

So poor Ginny, Pour me a gin.

Comstock Mining sent a satellite into low earth orbit at 10:49 a.m. on Saturday, November 11.

Initial reports that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket used to achieve this historic event was unmanned were incorrect, but then again, perhaps unmanned is the correct term for the pilot was a woman. None other than Virginia City resident and Comstock employee Alexia Sober throttled up the motor and guided the ship to over 300 miles above Earth.

“It was a wonderful flight,” she said. “I looked down on Earth and it reminded me of an over-inflated giant beach ball. It was a side-effect of the Dramamine I took to prevent motion sickness.”

The flight lasted for about 90 minutes, one rotation around the planet, and long enough to disinter its massive one million tons of cargo, including the GenMat-1 satellite, which will look down on the Comstock in search of gold, silver, and other minerals. Sober reported only one hitch during her time in the capsule.

“The only problem I had was that one of my brassière straps broke during the initial lift-off,” Sober said. “The girls were floating all over the place. It was a rather enlightening experience.”

Once back on the ground in Area 51, her long-time boyfriend Kyle Blanchard met the freshly christened astronaut. Their reunion, however, was short, as Sober found herself whisked away for debriefing.

When asked what he thought of his girlfriend’s flight, Blanchard replied, “It was fine, but she failed to bring an extra-terrestrial to me like she promised. I had planned to taxidermy the thing.”

The couple later drove to the Little A’le’Inn on Highway 93 in Rachel for breakfast and an overnight stay. Oddly, Sober owns the Canvas Cafe, a favorite breakfast spot in Virginia City.

green apple slices
a cup of hot coffee black
clouds fill the morning

Oh, the great deposit disappearing act of 2023!

It was like a magic show, but without the fun costumes and dramatic music on Friday, November 3. Businesses in Virginia City were left scratching their heads as their financial transactions pulled a vanishing act right before their eyes.

But never fear, the financial superheroes swooped in to save the day! The Federal Reserve, with capes flapping, assured everyone that all services were back to normal.

Bank of America even sent out a message to calm the masses, assuring them that their deposits were just taking a little vacation, but they’d be back soon. Of course, Downdetector was on the case, tracking the chaos and probably wondering why banks can’t just stick to counting coins and passing out lollipops like they used to.

The Clearing House, owned by financial bigwigs like JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, took responsibility for the “little hiccup” and even gave it a fancy name, calling it a “manual processing glitch.

So, fear not, dear citizens of Virginia City!

Your money is safe, and the financial world will continue to spin. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll look back and chuckle about that time deposits decided to play hide and seek.

It is guessed that even high-tech systems need a coffee break now and then.

In downtown Reno, several dozen protesters gathered in front of the Bruce R. Thompson Courthouse on South Virginia Street to express their support for Hamas on Sunday, November 12.

The rally featured speeches denouncing Israel’s actions and criticizing America’s response to the conflict in the region. Speakers voiced their support for Hamas while condemning what they described as a genocide in Gaza.

Many demonstrators held signs conveying their solidarity with Hamas and expressing concerns over the ongoing situation. Following the speeches, protesters march from the courthouse through midtown to the South Virginia and Center Streets roundabout before returning to the courthouse.

Meanwhile, Hamas has “suspended” hostage negotiations because of the way Israel was treating Shifa Hospital. For the last 30 days, the IDF has been telling Palestinians, through leaflet drops, to go south, that the IDF has set up field hospitals in Southern Gaza.

However, to Hamas, Gazans are human shields. Thankfully, some Gazans are waking up and turning south.

These ignorant assholes make me sick.