The Old Blog in the Desert

Candidates for the Lyon County School Board are pushing for increased parental involvement and expanded Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, as discussed during the Dayton Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum on Tuesday, October 8.

The event, held at the Dayton Valley Community Center, featured seven candidates who offered their views on issues such as student achievement, security, absenteeism, and mental health. Moderated by Dayton High School juniors Jacklyn Kikuchi, Blake Palmer, and Avaline Reardon, the panel addressed a range of challenges facing the district, focusing on expanding CTE opportunities in fields like manufacturing, healthcare, and engineering, as well as traditional trades.

Incumbent Phil Cowee, the current board president running in District 3, emphasized that while jobs in technical fields are increasing, the district faces limitations in providing enough CTE options. He also pointed to disparities in how student proficiency is measured statewide.

“One of the things we hear about is the failure of students in high school proficiency,” Cowee said, explaining how Nevada’s ACT scores test 100 percent of graduates while other states, like California, test far fewer.

“It’s not a fair measure for our students.”

Neal McIntyre II, a District 7 candidate whose family has lived in Fernley for generations, echoed Cowee’s concerns, calling for more auto shop, construction, and vocational programs.

“We need to make these kids successful in our communities, whether that’s in the trades or professions,” he said.

Other candidates, like Elmer Bull of Yerington (District 5), supported CTE as an alternative to college. He emphasized teacher morale and retention as critical factors in improving school performance.

Shanna Shroeder, a candidate in District 1, acknowledged the importance of providing students with diplomas and ensuring postsecondary success, as District 3 challenger Dawn Carson, a teacher at Carson High School, focused on the need for mental health resources, smaller class sizes, and improved support for teachers.

Incumbent Sherry Parsons, running for re-election in District 1, reflected on her eight years of service, highlighting her work on increasing computer access for students, staff wages, and bus drivers.

As the November election approaches, these candidates are eager to address the district’s challenges and provide students with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed.

Washoe County’s violent and property crime rates are trending higher than the national average, according to the FBI’s 2023 Crime in the Nation statistics.

The report, released in late October, shows that while the United States recorded approximately 364 violent crimes per 100,000 citizens, Washoe County agencies reported around 499 violent crimes per capita in 2023. Violent crimes in this category include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

Since 2015, Washoe County’s violent crime rate has consistently exceeded the national per capita rate, peaking in 2017 with more than 530 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. The report also highlights that property crimes in the county have outpaced national trends since 2020.

In 2023, Washoe County recorded 2,194 property crimes per capita, compared to just over 1,900 per capita nationwide. Property crimes included theft, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

According to the FBI, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is voluntary and subject to fluctuations. Some agencies report through the newer National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), while others continue using the older Summary Reporting System (SRS), which impacts the overall data.

Several proposals during Nevada’s 2025 legislative session included allowing rural counties to create election departments and imposing a filing fee on presidential candidates. The legislative session starts on Monday, February 3.

One proposal would allow rural counties to establish dedicated election offices, currently only available to counties with populations exceeding 100,000, like Clark and Washoe. In rural counties, county clerks handle election duties.

Lawmakers are considering this move to alleviate the workload on rural election officials, many of whom cite growing responsibilities and increased pressure since the 2020 presidential election. Rural officials argue that balancing election oversight with other duties, like public administration and record-keeping, has become unsustainable.

The committee is also backing a bill allowing a voter’s cured signature to replace their signature on file, which could reduce the need for repeated ballot corrections. The measure also requires the secretary of state to notify individuals registered through automatic voter registration if they are missing information, such as a political party affiliation.

A controversial proposal would permit former felons, except those convicted of theft or fraud, to serve as field registrars. Proponents argue the measure aligns with efforts to reintegrate people into society after serving their sentences. However, critics raised concerns about potential risks, particularly for individuals convicted of violent or election-related crimes.

Another proposal would introduce a $1,000 filing fee for candidates wishing to participate in Nevada’s presidential preference primary. There is no filing fee for the non-binding primary, which officials fear could lead to an unmanageable number of candidates appearing on the ballot. The proposed fee aims to ensure only serious candidates file, reducing the cost and complexity of elections.

Two bills previously vetoed by Governor Joe Lombardo will see a reintroduction.

One will require voting materials in additional languages. Lombardo vetoed the bill in 2023, citing that Nevada’s current laws met federal language accessibility requirements. The second vetoed bill sought to make changes to interim legislative committees, which Lombardo opposed due to disagreement over the bill’s management of legislative processes.

We’ve finally done something right by Ma Nature for a change.

After a century of letting salmon stare at a dam wall like a tourist trapped in front of a “road closed” sign, the Klamath River is again rolling free, and the fish are doing the same. Just a few days ago, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history got the final whistle, and the salmon didn’t waste a second—already wriggling their way into stretches of the river they hadn’t seen since Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House.

Now, if you’re a Chinook salmon, that’s like finding out the freeway you’ve been stuck on for 100 years finally opened up a rest stop. And that happened on Thursday, October 3, when those fish started migrating past where the Iron Gate Dam used to sit, likely thinking, “Well, it’s about time!”

This dam removal wasn’t just a weekend project, either. It took decades of protests, lawsuits, and tribal voices hollering to get these dams out.

When PacifiCorp built the four dams last century, it became lights out for the salmon. The dams blocked hundreds of miles of prime fish habitat, and in 2002, the poor fish had it so bad that 34,000 died in one go. That woke folks up, and by 2022, the feds finally gave the green light to take the dams down.

Sure, the salmon are back now, and the river’s healing has a long road ahead. They’re tracking the fish with fancy SONAR technology to make sure all is on the up and up. They’re even using fancy SONAR to track the fish, which sounds like setting up speed traps for salmon.

Let’s hope they don’t start issuing tickets for “unauthorized spawning.”

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in Nevada rose to 6.12 percent, marking the first increase in seven weeks, according to data released by mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

The rate rose from 6.08 percent the previous week but remains significantly lower than the 7.49 percent average from a year ago. The increase follows a period in which rates had reached their lowest level in two years, providing a temporary boost to home buyers’ purchasing power as they navigated a housing market where prices are still near record highs.

In addition to the rise in 30-year mortgage rates, borrowing costs for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance, also saw an uptick. The average rate increased to 5.25 percent from 5.16 percent two weeks ago. A year ago, the 15-year rate averaged 6.78 percent, offering some relief to homeowners hoping to lower their payments, though the recent rise may curb that advantage.

Mortgage rates are influenced by movements in the bond market, particularly the Federal Reserve decision on interest rates, which can impact the 10-year Treasury yield. Lenders use the yield as a guide to setting home loan prices, and this week, the ten-year Treasury yield rose to 3.82 percent, up from 3.78 percent last week.

A section of US95 near mile marker 13, between Mercury and State Route 160 in Nye County, was closed following an early morning crash involving two semi-trucks at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, September 17, and one of the trucks, hauling lithium batteries, caught fire.

The Nevada State Police stated that their initial investigation indicates that two trucks, one heading north and the other south, were involved in a side swipe. Both drivers sustained minor injuries.

It is the second major incident in recent months involving a fire caused by lithium batteries transported by semi-trucks. The U.S. Department of Transportation regulates the transport of lithium batteries as hazardous material, requiring strict packaging standards to minimize fire risks during transit.

The regulations require batteries to be individually wrapped in non-metallic materials and secured in a durable container before transportation.

St. Mary’s in the Mountains Catholic Church, Nevada’s oldest church, invites you to its annual Harvest Festival and Fundraiser on Saturday, October 12.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Old Red Freight Depot on E Street. Attendees can enjoy a day with fun activities, including a raffle, silent auction, local food, arts and crafts, and more.

Proceeds will support the historic church, making this a perfect opportunity to celebrate the fall season while contributing to a great cause.

According to an update from the LCSO, Stephenson was found safe on Monday, October 7.

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is seeking assistance locating Monica Stephenson, a Dayton resident reported missing after leaving her home on Thursday, October 3.

Deputies responded to a residence on Gordon Lane on Saturday, October 5, following a report that Stephenson had left her home at about 2:30 p.m. after an argument and did not return. Stephenson has autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder and may not have her medications.

She was driving a 2003 white Chevrolet Blazer.

Authorities ask anyone with information about Stephenson’s whereabouts to contact the LCSO at 775-463-6620.

Apex Resources Inc. received encouraging analytical results from fluid samples collected at its Lithium Creek Project in Churchill County.

The project spans approximately 4,720 acres across ten noncontiguous blocks of placer claims, situated within the expansive Fernley and Carson Sinks and part of a hydrographic basin covering roughly 1.4 million acres.

The fluid samples came from several sources within the project area, including Lithium Creek, a historic well, and hand-dug auger holes reaching depths one to two meters below the surface. The samples revealed lithium concentrations ranging from 393 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to 4.65 mg/L, with over half of the samples exceeding 50 mg/L, suggesting the presence of lithium-enriched brines across the project area.

The sampling process came from playa environments, where shallow groundwater was accessible using hand tools. Samples came from 20 hand-augered test holes, a remnant well from an old salt works operation, and surface water from Lithium Creek.

Apex also implemented quality control measures by collecting two duplicate samples and one field blank sample, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the analytical results.

The detection of lithium in all samples, with several exceeding the critical threshold of 50 mg/L, points to potentially significant lithium-brine deposits. This threshold is consistent with cut-off grades used in other North American lithium brine projects, including Albemarle’s Silver Peak Project in Clayton Valley and Lithium Bank Resources Corp.’s Park Place Lithium-brine property in Alberta, Canada.

However, a specific cut-off grade for the Lithium Creek Project has not been confirmed.

Further analysis of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the fluid samples indicates that much of the shallow groundwater in the project area qualifies as lithium brines, reinforcing the potential for the discovery of large-scale, lithium-enriched aquifers or reservoirs within the region.

Apex Resources holds an option to acquire the Lithium Creek Property and is actively conducting lithium brine exploration. The company aims to identify high-potential drill targets that could further define lithium-brine-bearing aquifers and advance the project toward commercial viability.

T2 Metals Corp. has completed its initial field sampling and mapping program at Copper Eagle in Douglas County, near major copper-producing regions like Yerington.

Geologists from T2 Metals collected rock chip samples from 14 pre-existing trenches believed to have been dug by Smith Copper in the 1970s. The trenches and nearby outcrops spanned an area of approximately 1,000 by 600 meters with porphyritic volcanic and metasedimentary rocks with notable breccia textures, quartz veins, and visible copper staining, pointing to the project’s mineral potential.

Earlier assay results revealed a high sulfidation epithermal signature with elevated copper, gold, and rare elements such as tellurium, selenium, and antimony. Additionally, skarn minerals indicate the possible presence of a contact metamorphic aureole around an igneous intrusion.

President and CEO of T2 Metals Mark Saxon expressed optimism about the project’s potential.

“The presence of skarn minerals strengthens our belief in Copper Eagle as a porphyry copper project, and we look forward to continuing exploration to determine its potential for copper, gold, and silver,” Saxon said.

Copper Eagle lies within the Walker Lane Mineral Belt, known for its world-class copper and skarn-type projects. Historically, significant zones of oxidized copper mineralization beneath a shallow alluvial cover and geological mapping from 1971 suggested the presence of sulfide and oxide copper mineralization across at least 500 meters by 200 meters.