5/1 News - Special county Commission Meeting to outsource Accounts Payable

 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 mostly fair skies and warmer weather today with a high around 63.

The White Pine County Commission will hold a special meeting Wednesday, May 6th at 9 a.m. in the White Pine County Library Conference Room in Ely. 

Commissioners are expected to consider hiring outside accounting firm Eide Bailly LLP to provide temporary financial support while the county’s Accounts Payable Clerk position remains vacant.  Eide Bailly LLP is an American mid-tier public accounting and ancillary professional services firm headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, with fifty locations worldwide including in Elko, Las Vegas, and Reno.  The proposed contract would cover accounts payable processing and related services, at a rate of $170.00 to $396.00 per hour, billed in quarter-hour increments, with costs not to exceed 18-thousand dollars unless approved by the board.  The current Interim Finance Director, Gina Rackley, is also a contract employee through her Rackley Financial Services LLC and is also running for mayor of Winnemucca, NV.  

In addition, county officials are scheduled to provide an update on several vacant positions, including Human Resources Director, Finance Director, Accounts Payable Clerk, and Golf Course Director. 

KELY will broadcast the meeting live. 

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office stayed busy on Tuesday and Wednesday with fraud reports, accidents, disturbances, and multiple assists to Nevada State Police.

Deputies handled welfare checks, investigated property damage, responded to landlord-tenant disputes, and warned several people for fireworks and juvenile motorcycle activity in a park. Reports of gunshots in a county township were determined to be fireworks. Officers also checked an abandoned vehicle near Ely’s water tower, finding it had simply run out of gas.

Nevada State Police made one booking. Michael Watts was arrested on charges including DUI, child endangerment, possession of a firearm while under the influence, expired registration, and child restraint violations. Bail was set at 17-thousand-690 dollars.

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a statewide fire prevention order for Nevada that takes effect Friday.

Under the new restrictions, several fire-related activities will be prohibited on BLM-managed lands to reduce wildfire danger. Those bans include possessing or using fireworks, pyrotechnic devices, or incendiary materials. Explosives, including binary explosive targets, are also prohibited.

The order further bans firing tracer, incendiary, or steel-core ammunition, along with operating combustion engines that do not have a properly installed and working spark arrestor.

BLM officials say the temporary restrictions are aimed at preventing human-caused wildfires during Nevada’s fire season.

New Program Schedule effective April 18

 

4-30 News - City tries to ease construction traffic pain

 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 mostly fair skies and warmer weather today with a chance of isolated afternoon showers.  Today’s high around 61.

The City of Ely says traffic changes began yesterday to help ease congestion during ongoing construction projects.

As of yesterday, Clark Street will become a two-way street from 1st Street through 10th Street. The temporary change is intended to improve traffic flow during continued work on Aultman Street and the Duck Pond project.

Drivers are asked to use caution and be respectful as crews and motorists adjust to the new traffic pattern.

Questions can be directed to the City Public Works Department.

An 18-year-old California woman was killed in a rollover crash last week in White Pine County.

The Nevada Highway Patrol says troopers responded on Friday to State Route 487 near mile marker 7, just north of Baker. Investigators say a Ford Expedition left the roadway, crossed the center line, then overturned after the driver overcorrected.

Authorities say passenger Katherine Truong of San Jose, California, was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation by the Highway Patrol’s Major Incident Reconstruction Team.

4-28 News - Club Rio Licenses suspended until May 14

 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. 

Just about a third of an inch of precipitation over the past 48 hours.  Look for mostly fair skies and warmer weather today with a chance of showers tomorrow and Thursday.  Today’s high around 57 

In a tense special meeting of the Ely City Council last night, the council voted to suspend the liquor and business licenses of the Club Rio on Aultman Street until the Council’s May 14 meeting.  The Council pointed out past violations that the bar had regarding minors loitering and drinking in the establishment and told the owners they would need to come up with a concrete plan to address these issues and submit them to the City Clerk by May 7th.  

 The move comes after a chaotic scene on April 16th when White Pine County deputies reportedly found the bar doors locked and windows covered while minors were allegedly drinking inside. Authorities claim staff refused to let officers enter as juveniles scrambled to hide.

This isn’t the first time the establishment has been under the microscope; city officials note the owner had received prior warnings regarding underage violations.

(UPDATE: After spending almost an hour again, having to file oddly specific parameters in the state's AURORA Campaign Finance Disclosure system, which was touted as permitting significant transparency in the reporting process, I managed to dig up all but one of the missing campaign finance reports. The system is deeply flawed. Hopefully one of the Secretary of State candidates can address this issue that is one more bit of opaque "transparency" in Nevada government.)

Several White Pine County candidates had not filed required campaign finance reports as of last night.

In the crowded Seat One race for the County Commission, incumbent Hank Vogler and candidate Gina Cavenaugh both filed reports showing no money raised or spent. But former commissioner Mike Coster, Robert Mike Simon, and David Pratt had not yet filed the required documents.

In the county assessor race, Burton Hilton reported no contributions but listed spending for yard signs. Opponent Jane Murdock had not filed a report.

The only contributions reported were in the sheriff’s race, where candidate Todd Fincher listed more than 10 thousand dollars in donations from three contributors. Opponents Roy Allen and Robert Whiteside had not filed reports as of last night.

4-27 News - Club Rio's life on the line tonight

 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. 

Rain and Snow Showers this morning becoming all rain this afternoon and possibly a thunderstorm.  Look for a high of just 48.  

The future of a downtown Ely bar hangs in the balance tonight following a tense standoff with local law enforcement.

The Ely City Council has called a special session for 5 p.m. to decide whether to suspend or revoke the licenses for Club Rio on Aultman Street. The move comes after a chaotic scene on April 16th  when White Pine County deputies reportedly found the bar doors locked and windows covered while minors were allegedly drinking inside. Authorities claim staff refused to let officers enter as juveniles scrambled to hide.

This isn’t the first time the establishment has been under the microscope; city officials note the owner had received prior warnings regarding underage violations.

KELY will provide live coverage of tonight's meeting starting at 5 p.m.

A civil lawsuit filed by former Sheriff Jesse Watts against Eureka County is now awaiting a judge’s decision.

Steve L. Dobrescu heard arguments on a motion to dismiss during a hearing April 17th at the Eureka County Courthouse. County attorneys argue the case should be thrown out for failure to state a claim and lack of standing.

Watts alleges county officials conducted improper investigations while he was sheriff, violating Nevada’s Peace Officer Bill of Rights and damaging his reputation.

The judge says he will review arguments before ruling whether the case moves forward.

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office responded to numerous calls over the past several days, including arrests, fraud reports, and traffic incidents.

Deputies arrested 20-year-old Izabelle Olson of Ely for violating a protection order and minor in consumption of alcohol. Thirty-three-year-old Seth Van Horn of Yerington was booked on an Ely Justice Court warrant, and 40-year-old Jonathan Oxborrow of Ely was arrested on charges of domestic battery and failure to register.

Deputies also investigated scam and loan fraud reports, school disturbances, and welfare checks.

In traffic news, a Ruth driver was cited after striking a pedestrian flagger in a construction zone at Fifth and Aultman Streets.