New Program Schedule effective April 18

 

4-17 News - Lawsuit seeks to boot County Commission chairwoman from office

KELY News sponsored by Sahara Motors.   The Kawasaki KX450 is built out of the box with everything you need to dominate the track. Check it out today at Sahara Motors and let the Good Times Roll. 

Mostly fair skies heading into the weekend, the high today will be around 49.

A legal firestorm is erupting in White Pine County. The Chair of the Board of County Commissioners has been ordered to appear in court following a formal complaint to have her removed from office. 

White Pine County Commissioner Paula Carson is facing a legal battle for her political life. A 'Citation to Appear' was filed yesterday by two other elected officials: County Treasurer Catherine Bakaric and Recorder Christina Shady. 

The allegations are serious. The complaint accuses Carson of malfeasance and a pattern of disregarding state law. At the heart of the case is the January firing of Finance Director Kathy Workman. The complaint alleges Carson used a routine evaluation as a 'pretext' for termination, intentionally bypassing Nevada’s Open Meeting laws. But the accusations don't stop there. The Treasurer and Recorder allege Carson pressured staff to give her unauthorized access to county financial software and called improper 'emergency' meetings to push through a thirty-thousand-dollar-a-month consulting contract without full public transparency. 

They also claim she is intentionally concealing a taxpayer-funded payroll study that shows county employees are underpaid, a story KELY reported back in February. If a judge finds these charges are sustained, Carson could be stripped of her office immediately. The Chair is scheduled to appear before the Seventh Judicial District Court next Thursday morning, April 23rd, at 9:00 a.m. For now, Carson remains in her role as Chair, but the court’s decision could reshape White Pine County government within the next few weeks.  The Commission is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, and if that meeting is held, KELY will broadcast it live. 

Click here to read the court documents. 

White Pine County leaders are heading to the Historic Courthouse this Wednesday morning for a packed joint commission meeting.

The search for a new Finance Director takes center stage, with five candidates—Alicia Berkbigler, Joann Musinski, Adam Thompson, Ettie Schwartz, and Koreen Hyde—scheduled for back-to-back interviews starting at 10:30.

In the Road Department, Superintendent Martin Troutt has officially announced his retirement, effective July 1st, after years of oversight on the county’s infrastructure.

Other key items on the table include a proposed $10,000 funding boost for the August Horse Races and a new three-year police protection agreement with the City of Ely.

The meeting kicks off at 9:00 AM. If you can’t make it to Clark Street, you can hear the meeting live right here on KELY. 

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office reports a mix of calls in its Tuesday and Wednesday blotter.

Deputies investigated a fraud case after a resident shared personal information over the phone, along with several routine complaints, including loud music, parking issues, and juveniles throwing snowballs at a vehicle.  Those juveniles were warned.

A welfare check involving a possible self-harm concern ended safely, with the individual reported to be okay. A reckless driving report on a state highway was also logged, but the suspect vehicle left before deputies arrived.

The following day, deputies handled reports of a trailer blocking an intersection, suspicious individuals, and possible stolen items in a repossessed vehicle—none of those cases resulted in major findings. A report of a child left unattended was investigated, with no problems found.

Deputies also recovered a lost driver’s license.

There are 2 meet-and-greets this weekend for the Nevada Ccongressional District 2 seat, which has been held by Mark Amodei for years. 

Mike Smith will be at Mr. G's tonight from 6 PM to 7:30 PM.

David Flippo will be at the Convention Center in one of the back rooms at noon this Sunday.

4-18 News - Internet coming back following major fiber outage

 KELY News sponsored by Sahara Motors.   The Kawasaki KX450 is built out of the box with everything you need to dominate the track. Check it out today at Sahara Motors and let the Good Times Roll. 

Look for clouds to return today with a high of 63, with a chance of rain and snow showers on Thursday.

Internet service is coming back across White Pine County this morning, with provider 5D Networks reporting a widespread outage impacting multiple companies—not just the local area.

Officials say the disruption was part of a larger network issue affecting multiple service providers.

Customers are thanked for their patience.

White Pine County Sheriff’s deputies handled a variety of calls on Monday.

In Ely, a disturbance at a residence was resolved after an unwanted individual left when asked. Deputies also returned loose dogs to their owner after they were found running at large.

In the county, a littering complaint resulted in a citation for unlawful dumping.

Deputies are continuing to investigate a report of a lost firearm, which was reportedly lost from a vehicle along a state highway.

Other incidents included a scam, where a victim sent money through an online app to someone who never arrived, and a report of suspicious circumstances involving a person who believed they were being followed.

Several welfare checks were also conducted, including one involving a child who could not be located at the time, and another referred to Eureka County authorities.

One arrest was made—55-year-old Dennis M. Walker Jr. of McGill was taken into custody for violating a no-contact order. 

4-14 News - Two dead in Murder-Suicide at Elko Regional Airport

 KELY News sponsored by Sahara Motors.   The Kawasaki KX450 is built out of the box with everything you need to dominate the track. Check it out today at Sahara Motors and let the Good Times Roll. 

Look for fair skies today with a high of 55 before clouds return tomorrow and a chance of rain and snow showers on Thursday. 

Two people are dead following an apparent murder-suicide at Elko Regional Airport on Monday afternoon.

Elko Police say officers responded to reports of an active shooter around 12:30 p.m. They found an adult man near the SkyWest terminal, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Officers then discovered a juvenile in an airport bathroom suffering from a gunshot wound. The child was taken to a hospital but later died. Investigators believe the man shot the boy before taking his own life.

Police say the two knew each other, but their relationship has not been confirmed. They were not from the Elko area and had reportedly been traveling when their rental car broke down.  Elko Police Lt. Shane Daz said the incident had had a traumatic effect to some members of the community, particularly with the shooting and death of the juvenile.  The identities of those involved have not been released pending notification of next of kin.  

Authorities say there is no ongoing threat to the public. The airport is expected to reopen Tuesday afternoon.

White Pine County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a range of calls over the weekend, including arrests, safety concerns, and emergency incidents.

On Saturday, deputies investigated threats between family members, a vehicle fire that was quickly put out, and a report of juveniles damaging property, with warnings issued. A welfare check involving a child found no issues, and a death in Ely was determined to be from natural causes.

The following day, deputies arrested a 55-year-old McGill man on charges including domestic battery, elder abuse, and failure to register.

In a separate case, suspected explosives found at a county residence were turned over to the Elko Bomb Squad for disposal.

Deputies also handled hazardous road conditions due to snow, cattle on the highway, and several minor city complaints, most of which were resolved without further incident.

4-8 News - County Commission meets this morning

 KELY News sponsored by Sahara Motors.   The Kawasaki KX450 is built out of the box with everything you need to dominate the track. Check it out today at Sahara Motors and let the Good Times Roll. 

Look for fair skies and a high of 71 degrees today  with a chance of showers Thursday heading into the weekend. 

Hiring is top of mind for White Pine County this week. This morning at 9 at the Historic Courthouse, commissioners will interview candidates to fill the vacant HR and Finance Director seats. Beyond personnel, the board is looking to spark new life into the White Pine County Golf Course by considering a new lease for its kitchen and bar facilities.  The Golf Course Budget is also up for discussion as well. 

Other agenda highlights include over $54,000 in emergency equipment grants and a 10:00 a.m. public hearing on county property values. The meeting kicks off at 9:00 a.m. and will be broadcast live on KELY.

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office handled a range of calls in its Monday blotter.

A single-vehicle crash on a state route was turned over to Nevada State Police. In Ely, deputies are investigating a vandalism case after paintballs were fired at a home and vehicle overnight.

Several welfare checks were conducted, including one where a person was taken to a healthcare facility for assistance, while others were found safe or not home.

Deputies also issued a warning in a county public nuisance case involving dismantled vehicles, and are reviewing a reported violation of a protection order with the City Attorney.

Other calls included a reported intoxicated driver who left the area, a theft follow-up, a complaint about an attempted drug sale referred to tribal police, and an animal bite involving a cat.