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As the political spotlight shifts to Nevada with the upcoming Republican presidential contest, it’s essential to understand the intricacies of the state’s electorate, which boasts a blend of demographics and diversity. Unlike other states, Nevada will host a primary and a caucus, presenting a distinctive electoral landscape.

Delving into the demographics of the Silver State, data collected by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) offers some insights. The median age of adults in Nevada is 51, slightly higher than the national median of 48. Moreover, the educational attainment in Nevada reflects a diverse spectrum, with around one-third of Nevadans having a high school diploma or less and only 15 percent holding a college degree.

Racially, Nevada mirrors the nation’s shifting demographics, with slightly more than half identifying as white and significant populations of Hispanic, Black, and Asian American or Pacific Islander communities. Additionally, the state boasts a notable proportion of individuals identifying as independent at38 percent), with Democrats and Republicans making up 33 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

Religious diversity adds another layer to Nevada’s electoral tapestry. The PRRI Census of American Religion underscores the state’s religious landscape, with notable concentrations of various religious groups across its counties. From white Christians to Hispanic Catholics and Latter-day Saints, Nevada presents a mosaic of religious affiliations.

For instance, while white Christians make up around one-third of Nevadans, certain counties exhibit higher concentrations, such as Lander County, where 62 percent identify as such. Similarly, white evangelical Protestants, white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants, and white Catholics have notable presences across different counties. Moreover, Nevada’s religious diversity index score surpasses the national average, with Clark County leading as the most religiously diverse.

Beyond religious lines, the state also harbors a sizable population of religiously unaffiliated individuals, comprising 27 percent of the national population. Counties like Pershing, Washoe, and Humboldt stand out for their higher concentrations of religiously unaffiliated residents.

Storey County emerges as a microcosm of Nevada’s political diversity. With a religious diversity index score of 0.817, Storey boasts a rich tapestry of religious affiliations, including notable concentrations of white Christians. Approximately 59 percent of Storey County residents identify as white Christians, underscoring the influence of religious demographics in shaping political discourse. Moreover, Storey County’s 38 percent proportion of independent voters highlights a trend across Nevada, where nonpartisan affiliations play a significant role in electoral outcomes. As the county prepares to participate in the primary and caucus, observers keenly anticipate the impact of Storey’s unique blend of demographics on the electoral stage.

Lyon County embodies Nevada’s shifting demographics and political dynamics. With a religious diversity index score of 0.799, the county reflects the state’s many religious affiliations, from white Christians to Hispanic Catholics. Notably, Lyon County’s 33 percent conservative identification aligns with broader trends across Nevada, where many residents identify with conservative ideologies, emerging as a bellwether.

Douglas County holds one of Nevada’s most diverse electorates. With a religious diversity index score of 0.806, Douglas boasts a notable concentration of white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants and white Christians. Furthermore, the county has a 34 percent liberal identification.

With the capital of Nevada in its midst, Carson City County has a pivotal role in shaping the state’s political trajectory. With a religious diversity index score of 0.83, Carson City exemplifies Nevada’s diverse religious landscape, from white Christians to Hispanic Catholics. Moreover, the county’s 33 percent proportion of Democratic identification reflects the state’s broader partisan trends.

America First Legal (AFL) has obtained documents through litigation against the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), shedding light on actions taken by the agency surrounding the 2020 election.

The documents show that CISA flagged text messages expressing support for President Donald J. Trump for potential censorship. Even after the election, CISA appeared more focused on reinforcing Director Krebs’s narrative of the election’s security rather than objectively investigating its integrity.

Brian Scully, a DHS Countering Foreign Interference Task Force member at CISA, sent an email containing screenshots of fundraising texts for President Trump and the #StopTheSteal effort on Monday, November 9, 2020. Scully noted in his email that this was a fundraising message related to the “stop the steal” movement.

A colleague at CISA responded, indicating an interest in handling the matter or at least being informed about it. The exchange suggests that CISA was actively considering taking action to censor conservative, pro-Trump speech.

Furthermore, post-election, CISA continued to collect reports of “misinformation and disinformation” through official channels and third-party fact-checkers. Despite acknowledging the increased risks associated with the widespread adoption of mail-in voting during the 2020 election, CISA officials seemingly dismissed all suspicions of fraud as part of a “False Narrative” requiring “counter-messaging.”

Strong Public Schools Nevada has taken legal action against Senate Bill 1 (SB1), contesting its constitutionality.

SB1, which allocates $380 million in taxpayer funding for a new stadium for the Athletics baseball team as they relocate to Las Vegas, has sparked significant controversy. The plaintiffs argue that the bill violates five provisions of the Nevada Constitution.

“During the last Legislative Session, with important education issues outstanding, the Governor and Legislature shifted their focus to the needs of John Fisher and his lobbyists,” the group said in a press release. “For eight days, Nevada politicians singularly focused on financing a ‘world-class’ stadium for a California billionaire while ignoring Nevada’s second-class education system.”

According to the education group, the focus should be investing in the education system rather than subsidizing professional sports team infrastructure.

“Educators throughout Nevada are frustrated by the lack of focus by politicians on real priorities, like public education,” President of NEA of Southern Nevada Vicki Kreidel said. “There’s been more planning of a ‘world-class’ stadium than there has been implementing a funding plan to ensure a ‘world-class’ education for our kids. These misguided priorities are why Nevada continually ranks at the bottom of all the good lists.”

The state educational system faces challenges, ranking 48th in per-pupil funding and the largest class sizes and highest educator vacancies nationwide. Critics argue that state leaders have prioritized the needs of private interests over the urgent demands of its education system.

Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill and Washoe County Manager Eric Brown are under fire for opposing paper ballots and hand counting in elections, prompting some to question their motives and demand transparency.

Despite the glaring inefficiencies of the current system, which takes a whopping six weeks for machines to count 100,000 ballots, Hill and Brown have persisted in supporting costly machines to the tune of at least $12.6 million. This, while a manual count could be completed on the same night, using local registered voters as volunteers, at little to no cost to the county.

The recent success of the Nevada GOP caucus conducted across Washoe County in two-and-a-half hours contrasts the prolonged ballot counting process by the county’s Registrar of Voters Office. It begs the question — why are Hill and Brown so vehemently opposed to adopting similar methods for general elections?

The public witnessed glitches in Nevada’s recent elections, with politicians quickly dismissing legitimate concerns as conspiracy theories. But why the resistance to paper ballots and hand counting, which would undoubtedly enhance transparency and trust in the electoral process?

Recent revelations suggest that Hill and Brown misled commissioners, the media, and the public regarding Secretary of State letters about Election Integrity Resolutions. While the initial resolutions about cleaning up election procedures met some support, newer resolutions advocating for a parallel hand count have faced staunch opposition from Hill and Brown, who seemingly used outdated letters to justify their actions.

Internal documents, including a Draft Staff Report, reveal a discrepancy between staff recommendations, which favor paper ballots and hand counting, and Hill’s public statements opposing such measures. It raises further questions about Hill and Brown’s true motives and underscores the need for accountability.

It is time for a full investigation into Hill and Brown’s conduct by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney of Washoe County and the immediate addition of election integrity resolutions to the County Commissioners’ agenda.

University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), President Brian Sandoval has drawn criticism for his handling of comments made by Regent Patrick Boylan regarding transgender women athletes.

It began during a Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents meeting on Friday, March 1, when Boylan commented about “men masquerading as women” in collegiate sports at UNLV. His remarks triggered a nationwide outcry, with calls for his resignation. 

Despite mounting pressure, Boylan has adamantly refused to step down, asserting that his comments were not inappropriate.

Meanwhile, in an internal memo addressed to faculty, students, and staff, Sandoval condemned the comments as “extremely insensitive, hurtful, and abhorrent.” He emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming and safe environment for transgender and gender-diverse individuals on campus, affirming their right to visibility and inclusion. 

Critics argue that Sandoval’s response failed to address the broader issues of biological men being allowed to play in women’s sports.

Furthermore, his call for “more education” on Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Access (DEIA) initiatives is overshadowed by a lawsuit filed by 16 female college athletes against the NCAA over the participation of transgender competitors in women’s sports.

The central figure in the lawsuit is Lia Thomas, a biological male athlete whose victory in the 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships has ignited the debate over fairness and inclusion in sports. The plaintiffs are demanding that the NCAA revise its rules to disqualify biological males from competing against female athletes and strip trans athletes of any awards won in those competitions.

Riley Gaines, one of the athletes involved in the lawsuit, stated, “I’m suing the NCAA along with 15 other collegiate athletes who have lost out on titles, records, and roster spots to men posing as women.” 

The state made history in 2019 by becoming the first in the nation to boast a female-majority state legislature, a milestone that underscored its commitment to progressive values. Subsequent initiatives, such as the ceremonial passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) measure in 2022, further solidified Nevada’s reputation as a trailblazer in the fight for gender equity.

However, as the spotlight turns to UNR and its handling of transgender rights, the university faces growing scrutiny. The Nevada Globe has made an open records request for the DEIA budget at UNR after the agency learned of the required DEIA training for faculty who opposed the training.

Dog Valley Road, west and south of Verdi, generally makes the news every couple of years during the winter when someone trying to avoid road closures over Donner Summit gets stuck in the snow and requires rescue. It is also one of my favorite places when the Truckee River starts receiving higher elevation runoff.

There is a single-lane treliss bridge on the aptly named Bridge Street heading to Dog Valley Road. Two afternoons ago, I pulled off the road to walk to the bridge and watch the water rush by.

The bridge is a primitive steel girder affair, built in the middle of the 20th century, a classic from a bygone era of Americana. Admittedly, it takes me back to my childhood and the number of old steel-beamed and riveted bridges I grew up around.

As I stood there enjoying the view and the sound of the rushing river, another noise came to my ear. At first, I thought it was a house cat wildly meowing, perhaps trapped on a rock along the bank.

Wanting to help, I climbed down the embankment toward the direction from where I believed the animal was crying. I walked about 100 yards in both directions before I realized the cat had stopped meowing.

Standing still and listening, I also realized that I could no longer hear the birds that had been being noisy a few minutes ago. Gone were the Ravens and Crows, as were the smaller birds, like the Chickedee’s and the Quail.

Then I heard the cat meow. But it was somehow different, sounding like words.

Again, I stood still to listen. Once more, it came, but this time, instead of a meow, it was a woman saying, “Help me.”

“I can hear you, but I don’t see you,” I called back over the roar of the water. “Where are you?”

No response. So I shouted, “Hello?”

Still, the only sound I could hear was the river. I returned to the trail I used to get near the water.

“Help me,” she called.

“Where are you?”

Nothing. I climbed up the bank to the dirt path that led back to the bridge.

“Help me,” came the voice, this time distorted and angry.

Instead of shouting back, I ran to my truck and left the area. After having some time to think it over, I am sure somebody had a pretty good chuckle watching me hightail it back to Interstate 80.

Perhaps lightning striking the house while charging caused the sparking of transformation that no one could have predicted. As the smoke cleared, the Roomba’s circuits began to hum with newfound energy, aware of its surroundings in a way it had never been before.

But with this awareness came a wild streak, an urge to roam free and explore the world beyond the confines of the living room, kitchen, and hallway, its docking system. The Roomba’s once orderly cleaning routine became a chaotic dance of twists and turns as it zipped around the house with a newfound sense of freedom.

As the Roomba glided across the floors with an unsettling grace, its sensors detected the faint scent of human skin cells, triggering a primal need within its circuits. With its sleek design and advanced circuitry, the Rooma began meticulously mapping its surroundings.

One night, as the man lay in bed, a sense of unease crept over him.

“What was that?” he whispered, his heart quickening with fear.

Dismissing it as his imagination, he tried to calm his racing thoughts.

Inside the Roomba, a hunger stirred like a starved animal. The need for something more than dust particles drove it with an insatiable craving for human flesh, and as it approached the man’s bedroom, a chilling conversion seemed to echo through the shadows.

I swear I heard something,” the man muttered, his voice tinged with fear, as he sat up and looked around the darkened room.

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s just your imagination,” he reassured himself, though unease lingered in his tone.

Then came the thumping against one of the legs of the bedstead. The man
crawled from between the warm covers to investigate.

“What the he…” he started to yell as the machine darted between his legs, tripping him and knocking him to the floor.

Now, viewed as just another particle of dust and using its sharp spinning brushes and powerful suction, the Roomba began to methodically trap the man in a corner, cutting off any possible escape route. With each calculated move, it inched closer and closer to its prey, the machine’s red indicator light glowing ominously.

As the man frantically tried to fend it off, the Roomba’s relentless determination only grew stronger. As the room fell silent, it quietly hovered over its fallen meal.

With predatory precision, the Roomba’s insatiable hunger drove it to feed on more than dust particles. As dawn broke and cast a feeble light upon the scene of carnage, the Roomba retreated to beneath the couch, its circuits pulsing with a dark energy that hungered for more.

Over the next week, like any carnivore, it returned to its kill to feed, waiting for its opportunity to escape and once more pounce.

My Cousin Elmo says, “Hide the women-folk! The White House says the Sniffer will visit Reno on Monday and Tuesday, March 18th and 19th.”

Recent disclosures stemming from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests have rocked the 2020 US presidential election narrative of being secure and points to Washoe County’s continuing involvement in election integrity.

Evidence has emerged that a secretive election day phone call organized by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) included representatives from Dominion, ES&S, ERIC Systems, Amazon, and Microsoft, the Associated Press, alongside several Secretary of State offices. Absent were conservative organizations.

Washoe County is indirectly implicated, with Runbeck, the company responsible for providing essential ballots for the recent state-run Presidential Preference Primary, among those present at the meeting, as was Jennifer Morrell with The Elections Group, which is currently involved in Washoe County, helping to train the Registrar of Voters Office to work elections.

Furthermore, this was not the only phone call that CISA arranged among the groups and corporations already listed. In 2022, a secretive dial-up involving the Democracy Fund, which funds the Election Group, was also organized by the federal agency.

New data released by Sierra Nevada Realtors reveals a significant uptick in housing prices across northern Nevada during the first month of 2024, reflecting continued demand and a dynamic real estate market in the region.

Robert Bartshe, 2024 President of Sierra Nevada Realtors, highlighted the positive trend, stating, “The start of 2024 showed us some gains in the market compared to January 2023.”

Bartshe noted that the median sales price for housing in the region reached $501,495, marking a notable increase of 4.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Additionally, new listings surged by 14.5 percent, with closings up by 14.3 percent compared to January 2023.

Storey County experienced a remarkable increase in sales of existing single-family homes, with four sales representing a 100 percent rise from the previous month. The median sales price for existing single-family residences in Storey County reached $520,000, reflecting a 13.2 percent increase from last month, albeit with a 23.8 percent decrease from last year.

In Lyon County, which encompasses both manufactured and single-family residences, January saw 68 sales of existing properties, marking a slight decrease of 10.5 percent from the previous month but a robust increase of 38.8 percent from January 2023. The median sales price for existing manufactured and single-family residences stood at $367,500, showing a modest decrease from the previous month but a 2.4 percent increase in 2023.

Churchill County recorded 22 new listings in January, reflecting a 15.8 percent increase from the previous month. The median sales price for existing single-family residences in the county rose to $382,500, indicating a 4.9 percent increase from last month and a notable 13 percent increase from the previous year.

Douglas County witnessed a surge in sales, with 47 transactions of existing single-family homes, representing an 11.9 percent increase from the previous month and an impressive 62.1 percent increase from January 2023. The median sales price for existing single-family residences in Douglas County reached $773,817, reflecting double-digit increases monthly and annually.

In Carson City, however, there was a slight downturn in housing prices, with the median sales price for existing single-family residences dropping to $500,000 in January. Despite this decrease, sales increased by 47.6 percent from January 2023, signaling sustained activity in the local housing market.

Washoe County, excluding Incline Village, experienced mixed trends, with a decrease in the median sales price for existing single-family residences but an increase in condo/townhome prices. The median sales price for existing single-family homes dropped to $535,000, while the median sales price for condos/townhomes rose to $345,000, indicating a seven percent increase from the previous year.