3-13 News - Four Candidates seek to unseat Vogler

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Look for Sunny skies with a high of 68.

Now Five Candidates for the White Pine County Commission seat one!    Incumbent Commissioner Hank Vogler and challengers Gina Cavanaugh, David Pratt, and former commissioner Mike Coster have been joined by Robert M. “Mike” Simon, who filed yesterday.  

In the race for Ely City Council, Janet Walker has filed for Seat 1 on the Council.  So far no Ely City council races are contested.  

Candidate filing for the upcoming election continues through 5 p.m. today. 

Drivers in White Pine County can expect increased patrols over the next two weeks.

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office is joining law enforcement agencies across Nevada for a Joining Forces Speed Awareness Campaign running from March 13th through March 29th.

Officials say speeding remains one of the leading causes of fatal crashes in the state, and the campaign will focus on highly visible patrols aimed at educating drivers and preventing dangerous behavior on the road.

Authorities say speeding isn’t just exceeding the posted limit—it also includes driving too fast for weather or road conditions.

The campaign is funded through the Nevada Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety as part of the state’s Zero Fatalities traffic safety effort.

3-12 News - Commissioner Vogler now has three opponents

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Look for Sunny skies with a high of 66.

Another candidate files for the White Pine County Commission Seat one.  Incumbent Commissioner Hank Vogler will now be challenged by Gina Cavanaugh and David Pratt, and now former commissioner Mike Coster.  

In the race for Ely City Council, Janet Walker has filed for Seat 1 on the Council.  So far no Ely City council races are contested.  

Candidate filing for the upcoming election continues through Friday at 5 p.m.

As you heard on KELY yesterday’s County Commission meeting was packed with drama as the Commission voted to advise the state that they wouldn’t be able to meet their financial obligations because of a lack of staffing in the Finance Department. Commission chair Paula Carson.

 As we reported previously, the Commission fired Finance Director Kathy Workman, and Deputy Finance Director Courtney Thornal says she resigned after what she claimed was bullying and intimidation by commissioners.  A third individual in the finance department has now resigned, leaving one employee and a contractor to run the County’s finances. 

The Commission also approved a contract with Basin Engineering to complete the bid process and conduct oversight on a well for the Golf Course.  But when Golf Course advisory board member James Linney pointed out that Commissioner Hank Vogler had an undisclosed conflict in the matter since his daughter leased adjacent land on the Georgetown Ranch, Commissioner Vogler took exception. 

 Open meetings law requires disclosure of business relationships that could be interpreted as influencing a commissioner’s vote. 

3-11 News - Incumbent County Commissioner now has two challengers

 KELY News sponsored by Sahara Motors.   Ready for all seasons? The Kawasaki RIDGE XR CREW Limited HVAC side-by-side keeps you cool in the summer, dry in the rain, and warm in the winter. Conquer any trail, creek, or blizzard—while staying comfortable the whole way.  Check one out today at Sahara Motors.

Look for Sunny skies with a high of 58.

Only one filing yesterday but it’s a significant one as Gina Cavanaugh filed to run for the White Pine County Commission Seat one.  The Republican primary for that seat now becomes a three way race as incumbent Hank Vogler now will be challenged by Cavanaugh and David Pratt.  

Candidate filing for the upcoming election continues through Friday at 5 p.m.

The White Pine County Commission is expected to tackle a potentially serious financial issue during its meeting Wednesday in Ely.

Along with routine agenda items such as fire district updates, natural resource discussions, grants, and advisory board appointments, commissioners will consider notifying the Nevada Department of Taxation that the county anticipates it may not be able to meet certain financial obligations. County officials say the concern is tied to ongoing staffing shortages and limited administrative capacity.  The Commission fired Finance Director Kathy Workman, and Deputy Finance Director Courtney Thornal says she resigned after what she claimed was bullying and intimidation by commissioners.  A third individual in the finance department also resigned, leaving one employee and a contractor to run the County’s finances. 

The agenda item is already drawing attention beyond the county. Nevada gubernatorial candidate Matthew Rian Winterhawk is in town to attend the meeting and is encouraging residents to follow the discussion closely.  Several Reno and Elko radio and television stations have written about the story and will likely have a presence at Wednesday’s meeting.  

The Commission meeting has been moved from the Library to the courtroom in the old courthouse at 9am.   KELY will broadcast the meeting live.  

3-10 News - No new filings in local races

KELY News sponsored by Sahara Motors.   Ready for all seasons? The Kawasaki RIDGE XR CREW Limited HVAC side-by-side keeps you cool in the summer, dry in the rain, and warm in the winter. Conquer any trail, creek, or blizzard—while staying comfortable the whole way.  Check one out today at Sahara Motors.

Look for Sunny skies with wind gusts today up to 30 mph, a high of 60.

The first day of the last week of filings for office in White Pine County saw no filings for office.  So far there are a number of races that have no filings or only single-person races.  No one has filed for Ely City Council seat one, with unopposed filings for county clerk, recorder, treasurer, and District Attorney.  

Candidate filing for the upcoming election continues through Friday at 5 p.m.

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar filed for re-election Monday at the State Capitol, launching a campaign focused on improving the state’s business climate and defending Nevada’s election system.

Aguilar says his office fixed more than a thousand problems in the state’s business licensing portal and cut wait times for entrepreneurs from nearly an hour to under five minutes. As chief elections officer, he also rolled out a new statewide election management system and expanded polling access, including voting at Allegiant Stadium.

His campaign begins as Nevada faces federal legal disputes over voter data and the proposed SAVE Act, which Aguilar says could create new barriers for eligible voters.

Nevada’s race for attorney general is shaping up to be the biggest Democratic primary contest on the June ballot.

State Treasurer Zach Conine filed Monday to run for the office, setting up a primary battle with Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro. Conine has served eight years as treasurer and is term-limited.

He says his executive branch experience managing the state’s finances prepares him for the job. Cannizzaro, a former prosecutor, has highlighted her background in criminal and civil law and her leadership of Senate Democrats since 2019.

The seat is open because current Attorney General Aaron Ford is term limited and running for governor.

The White Pine County Commission is expected to tackle a potentially serious financial issue during its meeting Wednesday in Ely.

Along with routine agenda items such as fire district updates, natural resource discussions, grants, and advisory board appointments, commissioners will consider notifying the Nevada Department of Taxation that the county anticipates it may not be able to meet certain financial obligations. County officials say the concern is tied to ongoing staffing shortages and limited administrative capacity.  The Commission fired Finance Director Kathy Workman, and Deputy Finance Director Courtney Thornal says she resigned after what she claimed was bullying and intimidation by commissioners.  A third individual in the finance department also resigned, leaving one employee and a contractor to run the County’s finances. 

The agenda item is already drawing attention beyond the county. Nevada gubernatorial candidate Matthew Rian Winterhawk says he plans to attend the meeting in person, encouraging residents to follow the discussion closely.  Several Reno and Elko radio and television stations have written about the story and will likely have a presence at Wednesday’s meeting.  

The Commission meeting has been moved from the Library to the courtroom in the old courthouse at 9am.   KELY will broadcast the meeting live.  

3-9 News - Vogler files for re-election to County Commission

KELY News sponsored by Sahara Motors.   Ready for all seasons? The Kawasaki RIDGE XR CREW Limited HVAC side-by-side keeps you cool in the summer, dry in the rain, and warm in the winter. Conquer any trail, creek, or blizzard—while staying comfortable the whole way.  Check one out today at Sahara Motors.

Look for Sunny skies ahead for the next several days, today’s high 64.

White Pine County Commissioner Hank Vogler has officially filed to run for reelection to Commission Seat One.

So far, Vogler is the only candidate to file for that seat. Meanwhile, three candidates have filed for Commission Seat Five. Jose Noriega filed Thursday as a Republican, joining Republican David Pratt and Democrat George Chachas in that race.

In other local filings, Lindsay Costello and Blase Griffin have filed for the White Pine County School Board, while Laurie Carson has filed for the White Pine County Hospital Board.

Candidate filing for the upcoming election continues through Friday at 5 p.m.

Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Director James Settelmeyer has announced he’s running for Nevada’s Second Congressional District seat, currently held by Congressman Mark Amodei.

Amodei announced in February he will retire after 15 years representing the largely Republican northern Nevada district.

Settelmeyer, a Carson City rancher and fourth-generation Nevadan, previously served in the Nevada Legislature, including time as Senate Republican leader before term limits ended his tenure in 2022. Governor Joe Lombardo appointed him to lead the state’s conservation department in 2023.

Settelmeyer says his campaign will focus on limited government, fiscal responsibility, and representing northern Nevada’s families, workers, and businesses in Washington.

Several Democrats have also entered the race, including former Reno Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez Thompson and investor Greg Kidd.

The White Pine County Commission is expected to tackle a potentially serious financial issue during its meeting Wednesday in Ely.

Along with routine agenda items such as fire district updates, natural resource discussions, grants, and advisory board appointments, commissioners will consider notifying the Nevada Department of Taxation that the county anticipates it may not be able to meet certain financial obligations. County officials say the concern is tied to ongoing staffing shortages and limited administrative capacity.

The agenda item is already drawing attention beyond the county. Nevada gubernatorial candidate Matthew Rian Winterhawk says he plans to attend the meeting in person and encourages residents to follow the discussion closely.  Several Reno and Elko radio and television stations have written about the story and will likely have a presence at Wednesday’s meeting.  

The Commission meeting has been moved from the Library to the courtroom in the old courthouse at 9am.   KELY will broadcast the meeting live.