12/12 News - Special County Commission Meeting set for Tuesday

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Another record high temperature broken yesterday, this one from 2004 as the mercury hit 64 at Yellend Field, and we may have another record today with fair skies and a high forecast of 61 degrees.  

On the heels of the County Commission's lack of action on the Duck Pond at Wednesday’s meeting, the Commission will have a special meeting this coming Wednesday at 9am in the Library Conference Room.  Options on the agenda are to either award the contract to Reck Brothers and have the county pay up to $400,000 to compensate for the already expended SNPLMA funds or to terminate the project and pay all expended dollars back to SNPLMA which could be up to a million dollars.  

The Commission will also vote to approve the re-advertisement of the Golf Course Director position following the acrimonious split between the county and Golf Course pro Randy Long.  Sources tell us that there that all who have inquired about the position have backed out.  And the Commission will consider an offer for the house at 27 Connors Court for $225,000.  Wednesday’s Special Meeting will take place at 9am in the Library Conference Room.  

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation reports the state’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.3 percent in September.  Across Nevada’s counties, Pershing had the lowest jobless rate at 3.6 percent, while Mineral County recorded the highest at 10.2 percent.  White Pine County’s unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.8 percent showing 150 of the 3913 person labor force unemployed.  

 

White Pine County deputies responded to several calls Wednesday, starting with a request for extra patrols in a county school zone where drivers were reportedly speeding. In the city, a traffic stop led to the arrest of 42-year-old Samantha Loehr Hensely of Ely on charges including DUI, open container, and an improper turn.

The School Resource Officer handled a case involving a student with a vape device, forwarding the report to Juvenile Probation. Deputies also took two fraud reports—one involving a suspicious cash card received in the mail, and another involving a caller impersonating a public official.

A reckless-driving complaint near an area where children gather resulted in no contact with the vehicle. Deputies also trespassed a person accused of trying to steal merchandise from a local business.

One new booking was listed: Samantha Loehr Hensely, held on DUI-related charges.

 

12-11 News - County Commission fails to act on Duck Pond project -- again!

 KELY News is sponsored by Sahara Motors.  Take a test drive now through December 22nd and win a new Kawasaki Elektrode Electric bike.  Stop by Sahara Motors for full details on how to win.

  We broke the old record high yesterday from 1990 with a high of 62 degrees, and we may do it again today with fair skies and a high forecast of 64 degrees.  

White Pine County Commissioners once again took no action on how to handle the failed duck pond project at yesterday's meeting.  

The Commission failed to vote on awarding the bid and instead voted to have staff bring back the contract in January, but to include information on how much money would have to be paid back to SNPLMA if the County just abandoned the project.  The motion passed 4-1 with Commission Chair Janet Van Camp voting against delaying the awarding, saying, 

“I just think time is of the essence. We know Reck Brothers' reputation and their quality of work. There's a chance that if we delay, that they won't do this at all. Nobody will put in for another bid. They'll move on with their work they have over the spring and summer. And we'll be rehashing this again next year. And the public is going to throw a fit because this is important to our community and it's been sitting here just boiling away for four or five years.”  

Commissioner Hank Vogler moved to push everything back to January following a conversation with the funding agency SNPLMA, but it failed for lack of a second.  Chairperson Janet Van Camp moved to award the contract to Reck Brothers, but that motion also died for lack of a second.  

Following the failed motions, Commissioner Vogler justified kicking the consideration back another 30 days despite the Commission knowing this would have to be dealt with for more than a year, saying 

 "The Fake News will come out and say we’re against the Duck Pond.  Well, we’re not.  We just want to make sure that the county is going to have something, a product at the end of the day - nobody is naive enough to think that it’s going to last 99 years, but at least get us twenty or thirty years out of it.  That’s all we’re asking, and I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”

The commission did vote to create a Cherry Creek Citizens Advisory Board, agreed to refocus the scope of the Fairgrounds Event Center project away from the event center, and proposed to SNPLMA that it request funding for repairs to the grandstands, concession stand upgrades, lighting upgrades, and lower park improvements. The commission also approved shifting the county’s main checking account from Wells Fargo to Nevada State Bank, a Zions Bank subsidiary.

When asked why no local banks were considered, Treasurer Catherine Bakaric explained that the State must certify any financial institution the county uses, and none of the local banks have received that approval.

The Ely City Council meets tonight at 5 at the Ely Volunteer Fire Hall, with a 5:30 public hearing on C&B Auto Parts’ request to abandon about 1,800 square feet of right-of-way on High Street. The council will take up a water-use and deed agreement with White Pine County, a request to waive around ninety dollars in utility penalties for a Cherry Creek property, and a start date and short-term COBRA coverage for new building official Chris Flannery.

Members will also consider board appointments, joining the Butte Valley Exploration Project’s environmental review, a property swap with the county, and extending the Nevada Northern Railway Foundation’s development agreement to 2027. The agenda includes the annual financial audit and updates from the Chamber of Commerce and the Porter Group. The meeting is open both in person and online.

Lehman Caves at Great Basin National Park will close for the winter as the National Park Service replaces its outdated lighting system. The current setup dates back to 1977, with some components installed as far back as 1941. Crews will remove five miles of old wiring and install modern lighting and new emergency phones. Demolition began in November, and construction will continue through the winter.

The Lehman Caves Visitor Center will also close during the project, though the Great Basin Visitor Center in Baker will stay open. Cave tours are expected to resume in spring 2026. The rest of the park remains open for hiking and winter activities.

A new Democratic strategy memo outlines a push to flip seats in the Nevada Assembly in 2026. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee added the Assembly to its updated target map this week, noting that Democrats outperformed expectations in key 2025 districts by an average of 4.5 points. The Nevada Assembly Democratic Caucus says repeating that margin next year could produce the party’s biggest gains at the statehouse level in twenty years. The DLCC’s map now targets 42 legislative chambers nationwide, including Nevada’s.

Nevada is launching a major new push to help essential workers buy homes. The Nevada Housing Division has opened the Worker Advantage Program, created under Governor Joe Lombardo’s Housing Access and Attainability Act. Backed by $18 million, it’s expected to help about 900 households purchase a primary residence on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eligible buyers in healthcare, education, public safety, or construction can receive $20,000 in down-payment assistance, which can also be used to buy down interest rates. The aid comes as a 30-year, no-interest second mortgage, with income limits and a six-month Nevada residency requirement. Homes priced up to just over $806,000 qualify.

White Pine County deputies handled a range of calls Monday, including an accidental 911 hang-up, several school-related bullying and harassment complaints, and a vehicle leaking oil on a county road. A suspicious vehicle on a state highway was tagged for removal, and a lost firearm in a wilderness area was reported. Welfare checks in two separate cases found everyone involved to be safe, and a city home burglary remains under investigation.

Booked into the White Pine county Jail:

• Joseph E. Creaghe/ Arrested by the Ely Shoshone Tribal Police/ Ely Municipal Court warrant/ Bail $805.00
• Zacur D. Jenkins/ Driving under the influence of alcohol/ Open container/ Bail $1,239.00

White Pine County deputies handled a series of calls Tuesday, beginning with a report of a runaway juvenile, which was turned over to Ely Shoshone Tribal Police. A disabled vehicle and a reckless semi on state highways were referred to Nevada State Police, and an injured dog on a state route was sent to Animal Control.

In the city, deputies responded to a civil dispute involving a tenant who refused to vacate a rental, and to a report of someone yelling for help on a doorbell camera, though the person was gone when deputies arrived. A welfare check on children living in a trailer with possible water issues found the family safe.

The School Resource Officer is investigating another bullying complaint. Deputies also handled a deer-collision crash report and a harassment case in the county. A reported sex crime remains under investigation.

The Las Vegas Ballpark is warming up for the 2026 season and looking for singers to belt out the National Anthem. The Aviators are inviting soloists and groups of all ages to send in A Cappella auditions, either as a YouTube link or an audio file, to anthem@aviatorslv.com.

Applicants should include their name, phone number, email, and note whether they’ve performed at the ballpark before—though even returning performers must submit a new recording. Submissions are due by noon on Friday, December 26, with finalists invited to in-person auditions January 20 and 21 at the ballpark.

The Ladycats Basketball team hosts Lund on Thursday, while the Bobcats head to the West Wendover weekend tournament for games on Friday and Saturday against Battle Mountain, Wendover, and West Wendover. 

12-10 News - County Commission meets on Duck Pond fiasco

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  Fair skies all week long with near record high temperatures.  Look for today’s high of 61. 

White Pine County Commissioners meet at 9 this morning in the County Library conference room, with public comment leading off the agenda. The headline item comes at 11:30, when engineers and designers unveil the long-delayed Phase Two redesign of the Courthouse Park duck pond, funded with SNPLMA dollars. Commissioners will review cost-cutting changes and decide whether to award the $1.4 million construction contract to Reck Brothers LLC, with the county’s share capped at $200,000. The project has been stalled since former contractor JCR went bankrupt, leaving bonding issues unresolved; Reck Brothers previously stepped in to finish other abandoned JCR projects.

The plan has stirred debate over the cost of caring for the park’s ducks during construction. As reported by the Bristlecone Tribune, Commissioners Hank Vogler and Paula Carson have questioned those expenses and suggested the ducks be removed.

Other agenda items include forming a Cherry Creek Citizens Advisory Board, revisiting the scope of the Fairgrounds Event Center project, and a request from the Treasurer to move the county’s primary checking account from Wells Fargo to Zions Bank.  When asked why no local banks were considered, county treasurer Catherine Bakaric tells us The State has to qualify any bank that the county uses, and none of the local banks have been qualified.

Commissioners will also hear from Chief District Court Judge Steven Dobrescu, who reports the extended Grand Jury has issued indictments in every case forwarded by the Attorney General and is now entering its investigative phase. Because of juror turnover and the work ahead, the grand jury’s term has been extended through May 1.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m., with the duck pond presentation and contract vote slated for 11:30.

The weekend flap on Facebook over the headline story about the White Pine County Commission meeting on November 26th had people suggesting a forensic audit of the commission and the county.  One commissioner thought that was a good idea as Commissioner Tim Pauley said, quoting, “I’m only one of the five commissioners, but from my standpoint, a forensic audit would be welcomed.”  We’ll see if Mr Pauley makes good on that suggestion.  

The Ely City Council meets Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Ely Volunteer Fire Hall on Mill Street. 

A public hearing is set for 5:30 p.m. on a request from C&B Auto Parts to abandon about 1,875 square feet of city right-of-way along the north edge of High Street next to the business at 20 High Street.

Among the action items up for consideration: a water-use and deed agreement with White Pine County; waiving nearly 90 dollars in past-due utility penalties for a Cherry Creek property; allowing newly hired building official Chris Flannery to begin January 12 and covering his COBRA health insurance for February and March; reappointing Terrill Trask to the Tourism and Recreation Board and naming Anthony Ithurralde to the Historic Preservation Commission; joining the Butte Valley Exploration Project environmental review as a cooperating agency; approving a property swap with the county; and extending the Nevada Northern Railway Foundation’s development agreement to January 2027.

The council will also receive the city’s annual financial audit and hear updates from the White Pine Chamber of Commerce and the Porter Group on efforts to secure state and federal funding. The meeting is open to the public in person or online, with a final comment period at the end for any topic.

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office handled a range of calls on Saturday and Sunday. Deputies responded to multiple harassment reports, including threats over social media, at a sporting event, and through text messages; warnings and information on protection orders were given as needed. Two trespassing calls in the city resulted in one person being trespassed from a convenience store, while a second allegation of someone entering a home to install surveillance devices was found to be unfounded.

Deputies also took reports of property damage, including a fence struck by a vehicle and a vandalized basketball backboard at a county park, both still under investigation. Fraud involving remote access to a computer was reported, as well as a custody-exchange issue. Barking dog complaints came from both the city and county, with one owner receiving a warning. A wild mustang creating a traffic hazard, several highway accidents, a suspicious vehicle, and a reckless driver were referred to Nevada State Police or the BLM.

The most serious case was a domestic disturbance in the county, where 29-year-old Theresa C. Haskell of McGill was arrested for domestic battery, aiming a firearm at a person, and resisting a public officer. No new bookings were reported on December 7.

White Pine County is remembering longtime businessman and community leader Thomas Albert Bath, who passed away December 4 at the age of 81. A native of Ely and valedictorian of the White Pine High School Class of 1963, Bath earned a scholarship to the University of Southern California, returned home with a degree in accounting, and went on to lead the family’s Bath Lumber Company while helping launch and support other local businesses.

Bath and his wife Margaret, who died in 2016, were known as pillars of the community. He served on the Mt. Wheeler Power board, local water and debt management boards, and numerous civic and church organizations. Friends and family say his gift was listening—making everyone feel seen and heard.

One of his proudest achievements was championing the creation and later expansion of Great Basin College. He is survived by three sons, eight grandchildren, and his siblings Virginia, James, and Caroline.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, January 17 at 10 a.m. at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, with a luncheon to follow at the Elk’s Hall. The family asks that donations be made to the Committee Against Child Hunger in lieu of flowers.

A new study warns that the Harry Reid International Airport website is among the least secure of any major U.S. airport hub, putting traveler data at risk. Digital privacy firm VeePN gave the Las Vegas airport an F grade for security headers, dragging its overall score down to 57.5 out of 100 and placing it in a tie for 24th out of 31 large airports.

While the site earned an A for SSL encryption, the study found that weak security headers leave personal information—including credit card details and travel records—more vulnerable to hackers. Miami International ranked as the most secure airport website, scoring 97.5.

The Pahranagat Valley Panthers came to Ely yesterday and took home a win against the Bobcats 47-39, while the Ladycats held the line against the Lady Panthers 43-19.  

The Ladycats host Lund on Thursday, while the Bobcats head to the West Wendover weekend tournament for games on Friday and Saturday against Battle Mountain, Wendover, and West Wendover. 

12-9 - Duck Pond tops County Commission agenda tomorrow

 KELY News is sponsored by Sahara Motors.  Take a test drive now through December 22nd and win a new Kawasaki Elektrode Electric bike.  Stop by Sahara Motors for full details on how to win.

  Fair skies all week long with near record high temperatures.  Look for today’s high of 59. 

White Pine County Commissioners meet tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. in the County Library conference room, with public comment at the start of the session. The spotlight item comes at 11:30 when engineers and designers present the long-delayed Phase Two redesign of the Courthouse Park duck pond, funded through SNPLMA dollars. Commissioners will review cost-cutting changes, then vote on awarding the $1.4 million construction contract to Reck Brothers LLC. The county’s share is capped at $200,000.The project has been stalled since the original contractor, JCR, went bankrupt without finishing the work. Bonding issues from that failure are still unresolved. Notably, Reck Brothers successfully stepped in and completed other unfinished JCR projects in the county. Controversy has flared over the cost of caring for the park’s resident ducks during construction. As reported in this week’s Bristlecone Tribune, Commissioners Hank Vogler and Paula Carson have openly questioned those expenses and suggested the ducks be “disposed of, one way or another.”

Also on Wednesday’s agenda:

• Possible creation of a Cherry Creek Citizens Advisory Board  
• Potential changes to the scope of the Fairgrounds Event Center project  
• A request from the County Treasurer to switch the county’s primary checking account from Wells Fargo to Zion’s Bank

Commissioners will also receive an update on the extended Grand Jury from Chief District Court Judge Steven Dobrescu. In a written report posted on our Facebook page and at kely1230.com, Judge Dobrescu says the grand jury has returned indictments in every criminal case submitted by the Attorney General’s office and has now shifted to its investigative phase. Because of juror turnover and the time needed for those investigations, the court has extended the grand jury’s term through May first.Again, the White Pine County Commission meeting starts at nine tomorrow morning at the White Pine County Library conference room. The duck pond presentation and contract vote are scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

The weekend flap on Facebook over the headline story about the White Pine County Commission meeting on November 26th had people suggesting a forensic audit of the commission and the county.  One commissioner thought that was a good idea as Commissioner Tim Pauley said, quoting, “I’m only one of the five commissioners, but from my standpoint, a forensic audit would be welcomed.”  We’ll see if Mr Pauley makes good on that suggestion.  

The Ely City Council meets Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Ely Volunteer Fire Hall on Mill Street. 

A public hearing is set for 5:30 p.m. on a request from C&B Auto Parts to abandon about 1,875 square feet of city right-of-way along the north edge of High Street next to the business at 20 High Street.

Among the action items up for consideration: a water-use and deed agreement with White Pine County; waiving nearly 90 dollars in past-due utility penalties for a Cherry Creek property; allowing newly hired building official Chris Flannery to begin January 12 and covering his COBRA health insurance for February and March; reappointing Terrill Trask to the Tourism and Recreation Board and naming Anthony Ithurralde to the Historic Preservation Commission; joining the Butte Valley Exploration Project environmental review as a cooperating agency; approving a property swap with the county; and extending the Nevada Northern Railway Foundation’s development agreement to January 2027.

The council will also receive the city’s annual financial audit and hear updates from the White Pine Chamber of Commerce and the Porter Group on efforts to secure state and federal funding. The meeting is open to the public in person or online, with a final comment period at the end for any topic.

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office handled a steady mix of calls on Thursday and Friday, ranging from minor accidents to fraud reports and welfare checks. Deputies responded to juvenile issues at local schools, a hit-and-run in Ely, online banking fraud, and several reports involving child welfare that were forwarded to other jurisdictions. Officers also investigated multiple trespassing complaints, a barking-dog disturbance, and several computer-related scams.

On December 5, deputies handled several traffic accidents and made three arrests: 55-year-old Dodi Harris on a North Las Vegas warrant, 65-year-old Carman Dingey on an Ely Justice Court warrant, and Richard Mike, who was booked to serve time from a previous case. No major injuries were reported.

Zanskar, a Utah-based geothermal exploration company, says it has discovered a large “hidden” geothermal resource in the Nevada desert using its artificial-intelligence model. The company says the find—nicknamed “Big Blind” and located outside Tonopah—is the first blind geothermal system confirmed as commercially viable in the U.S. in more than 30 years.

There are no surface signs of geothermal activity, but two wells drilled earlier this year to about 2,700 feet revealed a 250-degree reservoir. Zanskar says the system is big enough to support a utility-scale power plant, though the potential output could range anywhere from 50 to 150 megawatts or more.

Company officials describe the discovery as proof that AI can locate geothermal resources that would otherwise remain hidden. NV Energy currently gets about 5% of its power from geothermal, and Zanskar hopes to begin operating a plant at Big Blind within three to five years.

Both Bobcats Boys and Ladycats Girls Basketball teams will be hosting Pahranagat Valley from Alamo tonight  with JV games starting at 3pm and Varsity at 6. 

12-8 News - Commission meeting should be spicy - and Ducky!

 

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  Fair skies all week long with near record high temperatures.  Look for today’s high of 54. 

White Pine County commissioners will take up the long-delayed Courthouse Park duck pond renovation during their meeting on Wednesday.

At 11:30 a.m., engineers and project designers will present updated plans for the SNPLMA-funded Phase II redesign of the pond. The county will also consider cost-reduction changes and vote on awarding a construction contract to Reck Brothers LLC. The bid totals just over $1.4 million, with the county contributing up to $200,000.  The Commissioners, particularly Commissioners Hank Vogler and Paula Carson, have objected to the costs of maintaining the ducks living in the existing pond during the renovation as published in this week’s Bristlecone Tribune, with suggestions that the ducks be disposed of, one way or another.  

The project is part of ongoing improvements to the Courthouse Park area.  The project was delayed when original contractor JCR failed to complete the project and went into bankruptcy before completing the project. Questions about the bonding of the project remain in limbo.  Other projects that JCR failed to complete were also taken over and completed successfully by Reck Brothers. 

Other items on the agenda include the possible establishment of a Cherry Creek Citizens Advisory Board, possible changes to the scope of the Fairgrounds Event Center Project, and a request from the Treasurer’s office to change the county’s primary checking account from Wells Fargo to Zion’s Bank.  

The Commission will also receive an update on the Grand Jury project from Chief District Court Judge Steven Dobrescu.   In the written report, available on our Facebook page and at kely1230.com, the judge said the grand jury has returned indictments in all the criminal cases given from the Attorney General’s office and has moved to the investigative portion of their mandate.  After a meeting on October 30, the court authorized extension of the jury until May first, citing turnover in the composition of the jury to the time needed for the investigations.   

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the White Pine County Library conference room with public comment to be held at the beginning of the meeting.

The weekend flap on Facebook over the Bristlecone Tribune headline story about the White Pine County Commission meeting on November 26th had people suggesting a forensic audit of the commission and the county.  One commissioner thought that was a good idea as Commissioner Tim Pauley said, quoting, “I’m only one of the five commissioners, but from my standpoint, a forensic audit would be welcomed.”  We’ll see if Mr Pauley makes good on that suggestion.  

Federal residential solar tax credits expire December 31, and Nevada officials say the deadline is driving a surge in installations. With the 30% federal incentive ending, the Nevada Clean Energy Fund has launched a new program, Nevada Bright, to keep solar affordable by letting homeowners capture savings through a nonprofit-managed lease model that uses commercial tax credits. Industry installers report high demand as families look for relief from rising energy bills, and more than 144,000 Nevada homes already have solar. Homeowners must file a non-binding letter of intent by next Friday to lock in Nevada Bright’s current incentive rates.

It was a good weekend for the Bobcats Basketball team in the WREC tournament as on Thursday they beat Excel Christian from Saprks 41-25, then Friday beat Lund 52-49,  and on Saturday they beat Wells 34-20 and Jackpot 90-12.  

Meanwhile the Ladycats also took four wins over the weekend, beating McDermitt 36-30 on Thursday, West Wendover 24-18 and Lund 35-10 on Friday, and on Saturday beat Wells 20-9.  

Both Boys and Girls teams will be hosting Pahranagat Valley from Alamo on Tuesday night with games starting at 3pm.