A search of the city council’s discretionary spending by This is Reno has revealed a series of potential violations of Reno’s city travel policies by council members and city leaders. Documents obtained through a public records request indicate discrepancies in travel requests and expense reports, prompting concerns about adherence to regulations and accountability.

Expense reports under scrutiny are ones primarily approved by City Manager Doug Thornley. His role in approving expenses is interesting as he is hired and evaluated by council members whose travel expenses he approves, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Some violations include council members and staff purchasing first-class or upgraded airline tickets, charging for extra hotel nights without evidence of conducting official city business, collecting per-diem reimbursements when meals came as part of conference registrations, and submitting travel requests long after trips ended.

Clarification from city officials has been slow in coming, with city council member Devon Reese and Mayor Hillary Schieve implying blame on city staff for errors on travel requests and expense reports. However, council members and the mayor are required to sign off on these documents before submission to Thornley for approval.

One policy violation concerns reimbursements for meals and lodging at U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) rates. While GSA rates are guidelines for travel expenses, Thornley often signs off on requests after travel, allowing excessive expenses beyond the GSA rate.

Furthermore, council members and some city staff have been reimbursed for daily meals, or “per diem,” despite meals provided as part of conference registrations. This practice, considered double-dipping, violates the city’s travel reimbursement policy.

Despite apparent violations, Thornley’s signature appears on most expense reports, while Schieve has also signed off on documents that seem to breach policy. Requests for explanations from city officials have met with refusals to respond to questions or provide additional information.

The Nevada Secretary of State’s Office has acknowledged discrepancies in online voter histories following the Presidential Preference Primary on Tuesday, February 6.

The issues, attributed to technical errors, have prompted investigations and responses from state officials and political parties. Secretary Francisco V. Aguilar attributed the discrepancies to a “miscommunication in code,” clarifying that the glitch did not affect election results or compromise voter Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Reports of erroneous voter history prompted swift action from the Secretary of State’s Office, with staff working to resolve the issue in collaboration with county clerks and registrars. Despite the technical glitch, election results posted on official platforms remain accurate and unaffected.

The Nevada Republican Party raised concerns about the discrepancies, particularly regarding reports of online votes that mail-in ballots for individuals who did not participate in the primary. The party said it would investigate with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Aguilar reiterated the state’s commitment to secure, fair, and accessible elections, as his office provided a memo outlining the steps taken to address the issue and gave plans to implement a top-down Voter Registration and Elections Management System (VREMS) before the June 2024 primary election.

The VREMS system, according to Aguilar, will enhance data accuracy and streamline election administration processes, ensuring transparency and reliability in Nevada’s electoral system. The testing of the VREMS system will happen during a recall and mock election in March, allowing for public scrutiny and feedback before full implementation.

Early spring and winter runoff filled the tributaries and emptied into an already swollen and fast-moving Mad River. Uncle had tasked a 13-year-old me with fetching the water for the dried-out leather bellows for the old hand pump from which we drew our water.

Somehow, over the winter, the Bell jar of water we left buried in the dirt, with heavy rock atop it and at the base of the metal pump, had gone missing. It had always been right where it was left the last three summers.

With hurt feelings, because I wanted to help unload the horses and mules, I grabbed the large metal bucket off the back porch, walked to the river’s edge, and dipped it into the swift flow. Already slightly off balance, the water slammed into the bottom of the container and yanked me forward off my feet and into the water.

The next thing I realized, I was speeding down the river, banging and bumping into submerged rocks that jutted up from the river bed. Some people might say that the intelligent thing would be to have let go of the bucket, but I was afraid to do that because I didn’t want an ass whipping for losing it.

Eventually, I traveled about two miles before I struck a sand bar and was able to pull myself and the bucket from the water and onto the dry bank. I was shaking from hypothermia, but by the time I got back to Uncle’s cabin, my clothes were bone dry, and I was sweating.

“Why the hell didn’t you let go of the bucket?” Uncle asked. “You could have drown.”

“I know,” I answered. “I am more afraid of getting a whippin’ than I was of drowning.”

He walked up to me, grabbed me by the shoulders, looked me in the eyes, and just as tears formed in his eyes, he hugged me.

“Christ, kiddo, I thought I’d lost you,” he said. “Next time, if that ever happens again, let go of the bucket, ’cause I’d rather lose a bucket than try to explain to your mom how I lost you.”

We both laughed.

My Cousin Elmo says, “My cell phone never stopped working, but I heard many of you got lucky.”

A recent analysis of U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey data by Help Advisor revealed that Nevadans spend the second highest price for groceries in the U.S.

The national weekly average for food spending is $270.21, while Nevada residents spend $294.76 per week on groceries, ranking as the second-highest in the continental U.S., excluding Alaska and Hawai’i. Only California leads the way in higher pricing.

The top five states where households spend the most on groceries each week, on average, include California ($297.72), Nevada ($294.76), Mississippi ($290.64), Washington ($287.67), and Florida ($287.27.) On the lower end of the spectrum are Indiana ($239.11), Michigan ($236.38), Nebraska ($235.12), Iowa ($227.32), and Wisconsin ($221.46.)

As the median home price in Nevada approaches half a million dollars, residents are grappling with the pressing issue of housing affordability, prompting calls for action from state leaders.

U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen convened a roundtable discussion to address the escalating housing costs, bringing together Reno Councilwoman Kathleen Taylor, Ann Silver from the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Hilary Lopez of the Reno Housing Authority, Maurice Page of the Nevada Housing Coalition, and Andrew Rivas, a resident impacted by housing expenses.

The roundtable participants highlighted the multifaceted impact of unaffordable housing, emphasizing its repercussions on community cohesion, education systems, workforce development, and business operations. Rivas underscored the critical link between housing affordability and the overall health of a community, stressing the importance of ensuring that residents can afford to live in the areas where they work and raise families.

Rosen’s proposed legislation, the Housing Oversight and Mitigating Exploitation (HOME) Act, aims to address housing affordability by targeting price gouging by corporate investors. The bill seeks to empower the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to investigate price manipulation and gouging by investors, making it illegal to rent or sell units at unreasonable prices during housing emergencies.

Fines collected from institutional investors found violating the legislation would be directed toward the National Housing Trust Fund, which supports the development and preservation of affordable housing for low-income families.

My Cousin Elmo says, “We shouldn’t be afraid of artificial intelligence because it’s no match for natural stupidity.”

As a man in my early sixties, I can tell when I am being looked through, ignored politely, and seen as less than valued in a conversation.

For example, while speaking with a woman who did not know me and whom I just struck up a conversation because we were seated next to each other, but felt bold enough to tell me, “Leave me alone, you old letch,” caused me to wonder what in her experience made her so nasty. I do not have an answer, but I turned away, ignoring her, and began talking to the couple on the other side from where I sat.

There are some things not worth trying to defend against as the “he doth protest too much,” rule will eventually come into play.

In a world increasingly interconnected through technology, there’s a paradoxical rise in fearing making connections through simple, face-to-face conversations that hinder individuals from experiencing the richness of humanity. Many people grapple with the fear of rejection, a deep-seated worry that their attempts at conversation will meet with indifference or dismissal.

Social anxiety, another common factor, amplifies nerves about engaging with others, particularly strangers, due to the fear of judgment or saying something embarrassing. Low self-esteem or a lack of confidence contributes to the hesitation to connect.

Individuals may doubt their conversational skills or feel they have nothing interesting to share because past negative experiences, such as rejection or conflict, can leave emotional scars that make people wary of opening up to others. Cultural and societal expectations also play a role.

Norms around personal space, privacy, and reserved behavior can create apprehension about initiating conversations, fearing the violation of established social boundaries. The digital age, marked by technology and social media dependency, introduces a new layer of trouble with communicating.

Online communication can make in-person conversations daunting, especially with the absence of non-verbal cues that often accompany face-to-face interactions. Meanwhile, introverted people who pray for deep connections find social interactions draining. Striking a balance between the desire for solitude and the fear of exhausting social energy can be — well — exhausting.

Despite these challenges, breaking the barriers to connection is essential for a sense of community. Overcoming the fear of simple conversation involves gradual exposure, building self-confidence, and recognizing the potential for positive outcomes in social interactions.

It is necessary to encourage conversation as opportunities for connection, learning, and mutual understanding. Embracing the unexpected, trusting one’s instincts, and seeking out like-minded individuals can lead to shared stories, experiences, and perspectives.

In a society where genuine connections are increasingly valued, it’s time to acknowledge these fears, confront them, and pave the way for a more connected and empathetic world. And finally, I ain’t no letch.

My Cousin Elmos says, “Took my son over to storage and after opening the door, ‘I told him one day this will be all yours.’ He looked at me and asked, ‘Are you threatening me?’”

A recent study published by Wisevoter has shed light on domestic violence in Nevada, ranking the state as the 2nd worst in the nation for overall domestic violence and 3rd worst for femicide.

The comprehensive study emphasized that domestic violence is a pervasive issue affecting individuals across all genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The ramifications of such violence are far-reaching, impacting survivors with conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Data provided by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence revealed statistics showing approximately 20 people per minute experiencing physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner in the U.S., equating to over 10 million Americans annually. Additionally, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

The consequences of domestic violence extend beyond the immediate victims, affecting families and communities at large. Individuals impacted may face challenges in maintaining employment and housing, and children exposed to such violence are more likely to suffer from behavioral problems.

Communities with high rates of domestic abuse often grapple with elevated levels of overall crime. Despite its widespread impact, domestic violence remains largely unrecognized and untreated across the nation due to its secretive nature and prevalence across all socioeconomic classes.

Nevada’s ranking as the 2nd worst state for domestic violence and 3rd worst for femicide underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to address and combat this pervasive issue.