The Old Blog in the Desert

Washoe County Commissioners Jeanne Herman, Mike Clark, and Clara Andriola voted against certifying the primary election recount results on Tuesday, July 9.

Initially expected to last 30 to 45 minutes, the meeting 4.5 hours due to overwhelming public support. Numerous citizens voiced their concerns, presenting evidence and sharing personal experiences with the commissioners.

At least two reports show manipulation based on the certification provided by the county data. The refusal to certify the recount buys crucial time for the courts to rule on the necessity of a hand count. It also provides an opportunity to investigate the alleged manipulation further.

Concerns remain about how the media will portray the decision, with expectations that the focus may shift to the feasibility of a hand count. However, the possibility of a judge ruling in favor of the candidates or an election contest could force a hand count.

The Secretary of State’s office has not responded to the decision as of yet.

It was a sunny and warm day, as warm as possible for being right along the coastline of Northern California. My brother and I were seated at the family picnic table in our backyard, grounded for the week after once again getting in trouble. At 13 and 10, we longed for adventure, so we wrote a play about ourselves going on that adventure.

I have taken the time to update it a little…

Characters:

• Tom: The older brother, adventurous and confident.
• Adam: The younger brother, curious and cautious.
• Finn: A mischievous leprechaun

Act 1: The Discovery

Setting: A living room with a table, chairs, and a bookshelf.

Scene 1:

(Tom and Adam sit at the table, looking through an old book.)

Tom: (Excitedly) Look, Adam! This book talks about a hidden treasure here in Klamath!

Adam: (Curiously) Really? What kind of treasure?

Tom: It says there’s a Golden Key that can open any door and grant any wish.

Adam: (Nervously) That sounds amazing, but it also sounds dangerous.

Tom: (Confidently) Come on, Adam! It’ll be an adventure. We’ll be careful.

Adam: (Sighs) Okay, but only if we promise to stay safe.

Tom: (Smiling) Deal! Let’s get our backpacks and some snacks. We might be out for a while.

Adam: (Nods) Alright, let’s do it!

(They grab their backpacks and head out the door.)

Act 2: The Journey

Setting: A field with a fairy ring (a circle of mushrooms) in the center.

Scene 2:

(Tom and Adam are walking through the field, looking at a map.)

Tom: According to the map, the Golden Key should be hidden in the center of this fairy ring.

Adam: (Looking around) I hope we find it soon. It’s starting to get dark.

Tom: (Pointing) Look! Over there! That circle of mushrooms!

Adam: (Excitedly) Let’s check it out!

(They approach the fairy ring and start searching around it.)

Tom: (Feeling around) There’s got to be a hidden compartment or something.

Adam: (Finding a small door) Tom, look! I found a door!

Tom: (Opening the door) There it is! The Golden Key!

Adam: (Happily) We did it!

(Suddenly, Finn, a leprechaun, appears.)

Finn: (With a twinkle in his eye) Ah, I see ye’ve found me Golden Key!

Tom: (Surprised) Who are you?

Finn: (Smiling) I’m Finn, the guardian of the Golden Key. And who might ye be?

Adam: (Nervously) I’m Adam, and this is my brother Tom. We didn’t mean to take your key.

Finn: (Laughing) No harm done, lads. The key is yours if ye can answer me riddle.

Tom: (Confidently) We’ll try!

Finn: (Grinning) What has keys but can’t open locks?

Adam: (Thinking) Hmm… A piano!

Finn: (Clapping) Well done! The key is yours. Use it wisely, boys.

Tom: (Taking the key) Thank you, Finn. We promise to use it for good.

Finn: (Disappearing) Farewell, lads. Remember, the key’s magic is only as good as your heart.

(Tom and Adam start walking back, holding the Golden Key.)

Act 3: The Wish

Setting: The living room, as in Act 1.

Scene 3:

(Tom and Adam are back in the living room, looking at the Golden Key.)

Adam: (Thoughtfully) So, what should we wish for?

Tom: (Smiling) How about we wish for something to help everyone?

Adam: (Nods) That sounds like a great idea.

Tom: (Holding the key) I wish for happiness and good health for our family and friends.

Adam: (Closing his eyes) Me too.

(The key glows, and a warm light fills the room.)

Tom: (Looking around) Do you feel that, Adam?

Adam: (Smiling) Yeah, I think it worked.

Tom: (Happily) We did it, little brother. We did it.

Adam: (Hugging Tom) Thanks for the adventure, Tom.

Tom: (Hugging back) Anytime, Adam. Anytime.

(They sit back down at the table, smiling and looking at the Golden Key.)

End of Play

While the last rays of sunlight filtered through the pine tree in our backyard, a heavy silence dripped from the branches. It drifted like snow, stirred by a passing breeze, and pooled around my feet.

The silence climbed my ankles, clinging to me. I shuffled my feet, trying to shoo it away.

Coming home from school, my mother noticed the slump in my shoulders and the distant look in my eyes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

When I stuttered “n-n-n-nothing,” she frowned.

“Are you sure?” she pressed, her voice laced with worry.

I looked away, my eyes filling with unshed tears.

She put her hands on my shoulders, her grip firm yet gentle, and looked into my face, prying the truth from me. When I finally told her, the words spilling out like a dam breaking, I twisted out of her grip and fled to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I was only twelve and experiencing my first real heartbreak. It happens to all boys and girls, discovering that the heart can break. When it happens, it feels like the end of the world.

Dinner was ready, and she called down the hall. I wasn’t hungry, and she didn’t insist. When the house was finally quiet, I crept out of my room, tiptoeing through the living room into the backyard.

I sat on the swing in the middle of the yard, feeling the world on my young shoulders. Darkness enveloped the yard as I heard Dad pull into the driveway.

Through the sliding glass door, I watched my parents talk, my father eating while my mother stared out, lost in thought. Could she see me outside in the dark?

I felt small and alone.
The light went out in the kitchen.

After a while, Dad walked toward me. He sat in the other swing beside me, put his hands down on his knees, leaning forward, silent.

We sat like that for an hour. Then another.

The neighborhood went silent, my end-of-the-world feeling eased, and I felt the end of a day. Eventually, my father stood up, looked at me, tapped my shoulder, nodded, and walked into the house.

I followed.

Years later, as I watched my son with the same pain, the memory resurfaced, unbidden. I shared it with my wife one evening, the words heavy with the weight of time.

She listened, her hand warm in mine.

“I’ve always wondered,” I said softly, “how my father knew that silence could speak louder than words.”

She squeezed my hand, understanding without saying a word.

For the first time since 2008, the Green Party has qualified for the general election ballot in Nevada, potentially influencing the presidential race by drawing votes from disillusioned left-leaning supporters of President Joe Biden.

However, its ballot access remains in question as a lawsuit filed by Nevada Democrats to block the Green Party’s inclusion is still pending in Carson City District Court. Last week, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar announced that the Green Party had submitted approximately 15,000 valid signatures, surpassing the roughly 10,000 required for minor political parties to qualify for the general election ballot. This development introduces a new dynamic to the presidential race, as the Green Party’s candidate, Jill Stein, who also ran in 2012 and 2016, could attract voters dissatisfied with the Democratic Party.

The Nevada Democratic Party has challenged the validity of the signatures, arguing that many were invalid. After a limited review via a public records request, the Democrats’ lawsuit contends that some of the submitted signatures were not legitimate.

They have asked the Carson City court to invalidate the signatures and prevent the Secretary of State’s office from approving the Green Party’s petition. A hearing on the lawsuit is set for later this month.

The Democrats allege signature collections began before the petition was officially approved, and some affidavits were modified to change the petition circulator’s county. Their claims are set for review in the upcoming court hearing to determine their validity.

The Green Party’s successful signature campaign saw nearly 30,000 submissions, of which around half were deemed invalid. In 2016, a federal judge denied the Green Party ballot access after failing to gather enough valid signatures in the allotted time.

The Green Party’s return to the ballot could be impactful, particularly in tight races. In the 2022 U.S. Senate race, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won by fewer than 8,000 votes. In the 2020 presidential race, Biden won Nevada by around 34,000 votes. A third-party candidate like Stein could shift the balance in closely contested elections.

Meanwhile, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also working to secure a spot on the Nevada ballot. He must gather at least 10,095 signatures by Friday, July 5, for election officials to begin the verification process. It marks Kennedy’s third attempt to gain ballot access, following previous challenges related to procedural errors.

Nothing pisses people off more in politics than to be cheated out of a chance to chose the candidate of their liking.

Out on the range where the tumbleweeds blow,
A cowboy named Jim had an electric truck, you know.
It was sleek, shiny, and modern in every way,
But one fateful morning, it decided to stray.

Jim woke up early, with the sun just a-peepin’,
Went out to the barn, where his truck was a-sleepin’.
But to his surprise, and his great dismay,
His electric truck had up and rolled away!

He searched high and low, from the corral to the creek,
As he scratched his head, his resolve grew weak.
“Where’s my trusty steed, my metallic delight?
That dang truck left me in the dead of the night!”

But before the truck, his troubles began,
When he bought that EV, he lost more than planned.
His wife took one look and gave him a sigh,
Said, “Jim, I can’t live with a techie guy.”

She packed up her bags, with a flip of her hair,
Left Jim standing there, in utter despair.
“I need a man with a good ol’ gasoline engine,
Not some eco-cowboy with green ambitions!”

And if that wasn’t bad, his dog Rover too,
Gave a sorrowful howl, then bid him adieu.
He trotted off proudly, with a bark and a leap,
To find a new owner, one with a trusty ol’ Jeep.

So there Jim was, in his eco-friendly plight,
No wife, no dog, just a truck that took flight.
He sat on his porch, with a puzzled look,
Wondering if it was all worth the truck that he took.

He saw a note taped to the old barn door,
From his runaway truck, complaining of chores.
“I’m tired of hauling hay and the smell of manure,
I need to recharge and find a cleaner pasture, for sure.”

Jim couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought,
Of his high-tech truck, a wanderin’ plot.
“I reckon it’s gone to a city so grand,
Where the air is clean and the roads are all planned.”

Meanwhile, in town, by the saloon’s front row,
His truck was parked, with a smug little glow.
It was plugged into a charger, soaking up power,
While Jim was back home, missing it by the hour.

The townsfolk laughed at the sight so rare,
Of Jim’s truck in the city, without a care.
It had found its way to a comfy retreat,
While Jim was left with two tired feet.

So if you see a cowboy, a-walkin’ with a frown,
Knowin’ his electric truck is probably in town.
And as for Jim, well, he learned a great lesson:
Next time, buy a horse that won’t be a-messin’!

And when it comes to family and canine devotion,
Stick to the classics, avoid electric commotion.

An artificial intelligence platform analyzing the Washoe County 2024 primary election certified data and cast vote records detected evidence of manipulation using the mail-in ballot system.

The data indicates that Democrat and Non-Partisan mail-in ballots had been processed at a faster rate than their Republican counterparts, which seems highly unlikely. The irregularity, referred to as a “13.4 sigma event,” raises concerns about potential fraud.

The findings are alarming, according to Robert Beadles of Operation Sunshine.

“This again shows 100 percent proof our elections are rigged,” stated Beadles. “They say our candidates lost; they didn’t. They were cheated. If the people allow this to stand, they get what they deserve.”

Despite demands for a hand recount by the candidates and the Franklin Project, the county conducted a recount using the same machines, leading to the same outcomes.

“You can’t trust what the county tells us or does anyway,” Beadles continued. “The hand recount demand shows this.”

Further analysis revealed that multiple precincts reported identical total ballot counts and vote proportions for candidates, patterns statistically improbable. In Beth Smith, Clara Andriola, and Perry Rosenstein’s races, identical anomalies suggested manipulation in their favor.

“For the Democrats and Nonpartisan votes to be mirrored, to come out at the same “time,” it would be like having 3,000 marbles in a bag: 1,000 red, 1,000 blue, and 1,000 green,” Beadles explained. “Now, if you shake the bag really, really well, for a year, and then pull out 1,200 marbles one at a time, math tells us within an error range of 50 marbles, based on the counties certified data you would get 350 red, 425 blue, and 425 green. Instead of 400 red, 400 blue, 400 green as expected in real life. It’s as if the blue marbles and green marbles are always glued together.”

The probability of manipulation in these instances was approximately 99.99 percent to 99.999 percent.

“Given the high probability of manipulation, it is imperative to involve law enforcement for a thorough investigation,” Beadles urged. “The county commissioner should not certify this election as legitimate.”

The study shows the need for immediate action to ensure election integrity. The probability of the irregularities occurring by chance is small, likened to finding a single specific atom among all the atoms in a hundred quadrillion glasses of water.

Beadles, who has a background in solving multi-billion-dollar problems, highlighted the gravity of the situation.

“This is not a conspiracy theory. This is not a tactic to keep you from voting or campaigning. It is to wake you up to the fact that unless you get involved, you will lose it all.”

The findings suggest that without addressing these issues, no amount of ballot harvesting or campaigning will save candidates if they are on the wrong side of the algorithm.

“This is how they steal our rights, freedoms, money, county, and country,” Beadles said.

Beadles outlined several steps to improve election integrity, including cleaning voter rolls, removing third-party voter roll companies, using paper ballots, voting in person on election day, and making election day a holiday. He also called for legislative changes, such as ending universal mail-out ballots, requiring voter ID, eliminating drop boxes, and using local, legal voters to work elections.

“If you won’t get involved and do what I mentioned above, you get the government and life you deserve,” Beadles concluded.

The study findings underscore the need for a new primary election in Washoe County and an immediate investigation by local, state, and federal law enforcement to uphold Constitutional principles. The detected manipulation patterns indicate that the election results are not the will of the voters, and immediate action is necessary to ensure a fair and democratic outcome.

A shooting incident in Silver Springs has left two adult males injured, prompting a search for the suspect who remains at large.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday evening, June 26, when Lyon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies responded to a report of a man shot multiple times at Lahontan State Park Ranger Station at Lake Lahontan around 5:30 PM. Upon arrival, deputies determined that the shooting occurred at a residence on Birch Street in Silver Springs.

They proceeded to the scene, where they discovered a second adult male also suffering from gunshot wounds. Care Flight airlifted both victims to the hospital for further medical treatment, and their current conditions remain undisclosed.

Authorities initially believed the suspect, 53-year-old Stephen Thomas Shytle, had barricaded himself inside a structure on the Birch Street property. As a result, the LCSO SWAT Team began a search only to find the suspect was not there.

Shytle is known to drive a white 2001 Dodge Ram extended cab truck with a lumber rack attached to the bed, bearing the Nevada license plate 119Y67. Shytle should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information about the incident or Shytle should contact the LCSO Investigations Division at detective@lyon-county.org or 775-463-6600.

UPDATE: Shytle’s truck was located the following day at Lahontan Reservior, leading to the speculation he may be laying out in the desert, dead by his own hand.

The weathered sign read, “Land for sale by Owner.”
He leaned by the gate, this figure older.
I stopped to inquire, my mind was curious,
About memories being left behind.

In the wild county, the land lay wide and grand,
A stretch of earth beneath the sky’s command.
By owner sold, a Mexican cowboy’s pride,
He offered cheap, I never took the ride.

His face lined with stories, eyes a deep, dark brown,
He tipped his hat with the sun going down.
“Buenas tardes, Vaquero,” I said with a nod,
We spoke of days, cattle drives, life he trod.

The sagebrush whispered its secrets of the past,
Of miners’ dreams and cowboy shadows cast.
I wonder now, had I gone down that dirt road,
What stories would have unfolded, seeds sown?

The seven rivers wind through the valleys deep,
A silent witness to the life they keep.
The vaqueros’ eyes dim as a nighttime sky,
Tales of old, dreams, reality, lies.

“I’m selling my spread,” his voice a quiet breeze,
“Land worked many years, among sage and trees.”
“Why sell, mi amigo, this place called your own?”
I asked him as I toed a random stone.

He spoke of sunsets and painting mountains gold,
Of nights so clear, stars a sight to behold.
His voice was soft like a distant lullaby,
But I never went, now I question why.

For sale, that sage land where history got made,
Where pioneers and legends never fade.
I passed it by, caught in life’s swift-flowing stream,
Now I sit, lost, lost in a distant dream.

“My hands tired, mi amigo, bones feeling old,
The days riding hard done, my stories told.
This land needs younger hands, someone dreams anew,
To tend vacas beneath the skies so blue.”

The nights are clear, and the stars a diamond blaze,
The moonlight casts a spell, a silver haze.
I think of him, that cowboy, and that saged land,
And how I let it slip right through my hand.

Had I just turned down that old dusty dirt road,
Would I have found peace, my hearth, and a home?
The open country where wild horses run free,
I see the life missed, the man I could be.

And now I sit, with my heart in bittersweet,
In the shadows of a past, incomplete.
The Vaqueros offer is my haunting song,
While I contemplate where I went so wrong.

Since joining Lyon County School District (LCSD) in 2006 as Dayton High School’s assistant principal and athletic director, Wayne Workman has witnessed the generosity and kindness of its staff and students.

Now stepping down as superintendent, Workman remains committed to supporting the district’s mission in new ways, emphasizing his enduring passion for education and mentorship.

“I think, for one, I do feel like I’ve considered myself an educator,” Workman shared with the Nevada Appeal. “And I really tried to emphasize that all of our staff members, regardless of their position, are all educators because everything we do, every action, every example that we set is always looked at by our kids and families and community members.”

Workman, who announced his resignation in October for personal reasons, does not plan to retire immediately.

“I’m excited with her doing that again and getting involved with the kids,” Workman said. “And hopefully I can find something that’s still connected with the schools because I love them so much. I’m trying to keep my options open and do what’s best for my family.”

With a master’s degree in educational leadership, Workman’s career began in Utah’s Box Elder School District as a health and sports medicine teacher and coach. Moving to Nevada, he became Dayton High School’s assistant principal in 2006, then principal, and eventually ascended through LCSD administration roles, culminating as superintendent in 2015.

New Superintendent Tim Logan, who previously served as LCSD deputy superintendent, was appointed to succeed Workman in November. Logan praised Workman’s legacy, highlighting his ability to inspire students to achieve their potential and maintain a purpose and belief in the value of all children.

“He truly sees the purpose and value of all kids. He will be missed as superintendent, but I know that whatever he does next in his career, he will give 100 percent as that is all he knows how to do,” Logan said.

Reflecting on his years with LCSD, Workman valued his relationships with school board members and state leaders, emphasizing the importance of advocating for students, staff, and programs.

LCSD Board President Phil Cowee commended Workman for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, stating, “He is well respected throughout the state and led this district masterfully during the pandemic and later during the recovery.”

Despite challenges, Workman remains optimistic about the future of education, particularly with initiatives like Lyon’s Career and Technical Education pathway and JumpStart programs. The programs align with Governor Joe Lombardo’s “Acing Accountability” initiative, enhancing K-12 education outcomes with a $2.6 billion budget.

“I’ll always say there’s room to improve, and we have a renewed focus on work-based learning with JumpStart,” Workman said. “Even our elementary students are going to have increased opportunities for work-based learning in their education.”

His wife is a youth tutor and plans to return to teaching second grade at Dayton Elementary School. The couple are also looking forward to becoming first-time grandparents in August.

Sounds like a man preparing to enter the political arena as some point soon.

A lawsuit filed in district court on Tuesday, June 25, alleges widespread inaccuracies in voter registration addresses across Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and a significant portion of the state’s registered voters.

The legal action brought by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) and Nevada voters Frederick H. Kraus and Joey Paulos challenges registrar Lorena Portillo for failing to ensure the accuracy of voter rolls. According to J. Christian Adams, president of the PILF, the lawsuit contends that individuals are registered to vote from highly unconventional addresses such as strip clubs, casinos, gas stations, and industrial parks where it seems implausible for anyone to reside.

Examples cited include Larry Flynt’s Hustler Erotic Ultra Club, various industrial sites, a sushi restaurant, a car care center, a manufacturer of personal lubricants, and historic Binion’s Gambling Hall.

The lawsuit emphasizes concerns about the impact of these irregularities on election integrity, particularly noting the significant increase in mail-in voting since the onset of the pandemic. While polling places remain available statewide, ballots got mailed to voters at their alleged registered addresses.

The PILF claims to have alerted Clark County about address irregularities since the 2020 election and points to instances from the 2022 midterms where issues with addresses may have influenced voting outcomes. In the 2020 election, approximately 95,556 ballots were sent to undeliverable or “bad” mailing addresses statewide, with 69,698 in Clark County alone, representing five percent of the state’s active voter roll.

The lawsuit seeks court intervention to compel Nevada election officials to investigate and rectify any improper commercial addresses on the voter rolls before the 2024 election, raising concerns that such establishments could receive mail-in ballots.

PILF describes itself as the nation’s only law firm focused entirely on election integrity. It recently filed similar lawsuits in other jurisdictions, including against interim voter registrar Carrie-Ann Burgess in Washoe County.