2-5 News - Another Emergency White Pine County Commission Meeting

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Showers in the forecast Monday and Tuesday, but until then, mostly fair skies, today’s high 60 degrees.  

The White Pine County Commission will hold an emergency meeting today at noon at the county library conference room in Ely. The meeting centers on maintaining county financial operations following the January 28th firing of the county’s finance director.  

Commissioners are expected to consider hiring former Humboldt County comptroller and treasurer Gina Rackley through her consulting firm to handle payroll, accounts payable, cash balancing, and other essential financial duties at a rate of $ 175 per hour.

The commission will also consider appointing Deputy District Attorney Ross Smillie and Chief Deputy District Attorney Kinzie Hilton as authorized second signatories on county financial matters to ensure continuity and compliance with state law. Additional discussion includes notifying the State Department of Taxation of the county’s financial action plan or declaring financial hardship.

KELY will broadcast the meeting live.

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office responded to a range of calls on February third, including motorist assists, investigations, and death reports. Deputies assisted a motorist stranded at a rest area after an interlock device disabled their vehicle, and another driver whose car was disabled on a city street.

Deputies investigated two deaths in the county. Sheri A. Lea of Ruth was found deceased at her residence, with the cause of death still under investigation. Michael R. Banks of Ely was also found dead in his home, with his death ruled due to natural causes.

Other calls included a reckless driver who left before deputies arrived, missing cats referred to Animal Control, and several reports—ranging from a suspicious vehicle to a protection order complaint and a reported sex crime—that were investigated and determined to be unfounded or not violations.

The Eastern Nevada Narcotics Task Force continued its round-up on February 4.

Authorities arrested 71-year-old Ronald T. Gallegos of McGill on two counts of selling a controlled substance. Gallegos is being held on 100-thousand dollars bail.

Also arrested was 35-year-old Tiana M. Wilson of Ely. She faces one count of aiding and abetting the offer, attempt, or commission of an unauthorized act involving a Schedule One or Two controlled substance. Her bail is set at 50-thousand dollars.

The investigation remains ongoing.

The William Bee Ririe Hospital Board of Trustees have scheduled a special meeting tomorrow morning at 7am in the Hospital Conference Room to discuss the scheduled closure of the White Pine Care Center, including the feasibility of taking over the current business, starting a new business in the same location, or other ideas.  Hospital CEO Matt Walker told us yesterday, Quoting, “...we are working very hard with every entity involved (and there are a lot) to see if we can do anything and what we can do. A large part of the problem is each variable has their own rules or demands. Each one is expecting us to meet what they want which make this so difficult to make happen, especially in a matter of 1-2 weeks.”

More information as it becomes available. 

A Nebraska man has been arrested on multiple drug charges following a crash with a semi-truck in Eureka County. The Eureka County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to a collision on Interstate 80 around 11-20 Friday night.

The driver, identified as Wayne Harms of Lincoln, Nebraska, was found to have a nationwide warrant issued by the U.S. Marshals Service and was on parole for a bank robbery conviction. Deputies also discovered controlled substances and related items.

Harms now faces multiple felony charges, including drug trafficking, possession with intent to sell, and being a fugitive from justice.

Polymarket has been temporarily blocked from offering sports prediction contracts in Nevada, including wagers tied to Sunday’s Super Bowl, after a Carson City judge granted a temporary restraining order requested by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The judge ruled that Polymarket is offering event-based contracts on sporting events without a Nevada sports betting license.

The control board has filed similar legal action against other prediction markets, arguing the platforms violate state gaming laws. The 14-day ban comes as regulators across the country move to curb unlicensed sports wagering ahead of major events like the Super Bowl.

LaMonte McLemore, a founding member of the Grammy-winning vocal group The 5th Dimension, has died at the age of 90. His representative says McLemore passed away Tuesday at his Las Vegas home, surrounded by family, following a stroke. His death was due to natural causes.

The 5th Dimension helped define pop and soul music in the late 1960s and ’70s, earning six Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.” McLemore was also a respected celebrity photographer, with his work appearing in magazines such as Jet.

2-4 News - White Pine County employees paid well under market rates

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.

Showers in the forecast Monday and Tuesday, but until then, mostly fair skies, today’s high 58 degrees.   

White Pine County employees are being paid well below market rates, according to a new compensation and classification study.

KELY Radio has obtained a copy of the report commissioned by the county.  The independent review found county wages average about seven percent below comparable public employers across Nevada, with some departments falling much further behind. Human Resources pay was more than 30 percent below market, while Emergency Management and Fire Protection were each nearly 20 percent under market rates.

The study reviewed pay for 154 employees across 89 job classifications and found no positions paid above market levels. Consultants say the gaps are contributing to recruitment and retention challenges.

To address the issue, the report recommends phased salary adjustments totaling about 922-thousand dollars, with no wage reductions proposed. The largest increases would go to positions currently well below market and those affected by wage compression.

At the January 14th County Commission meeting, Commissioners approved a 2% cost-of-living increase for elected officials on a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Vogler and Pauley voting no.  Included in the Cost of Living increase was approval of the Legislative-approved 35% increase in pay for commissioners from $24,513.60 to $33,660.  But Commissioners opposed a similar increase for rank-and-file employees on a 4-1 vote with former Commissioner Janet Vancamp voting no.  

County leaders will now decide whether and when to implement the recommendations, weighing budget impacts alongside workforce stability.

We told you on Monday that the White Pine Care Center may be closing.   A notice posted at the facility over the weekend says the center is no longer accepting new patients and plans to close on March 30.

The notice, attributed to owner-licensee Jose Kutty Jose, cites financial difficulties and the lack of a lease agreement with the landlord as reasons for the closure.

Now the William Bee Ririe Hospital Board of Trustees has scheduled a special meeting on Friday morning at 7am in the Hospital Conference Room to discuss the closure, including the feasibility of taking over the current business, starting a new business in the same location, or other ideas.  

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office handled numerous calls on February second, ranging from traffic incidents to ongoing investigations. Deputies responded to a crash on a state highway caused by a driver swerving to avoid an animal, with the case referred to Nevada State Police. Two hit-and-run accidents were also reported in the city, one outside a local casino and another in a school parking lot.

Deputies are investigating several cases, including a family-related theft, damage to utility poles in an unincorporated area, and an embezzlement report involving a local business. Calls for suspicious vehicles and individuals were also handled, though no criminal activity was found.

Other incidents included a juvenile who left school without permission and was safely returned, a custody dispute referred to another agency, and a welfare check that led to the discovery of Chaunc L. Simms of Ely, whose death was ruled natural causes.

Former Nye County Republican Central Committee chairman Bill Carns was arrested Saturday, January thirty-first, facing five felony charges. Authorities say the charges include creating or distributing child pornography, using the internet to control explicit images of a minor, and multiple firearm violations, including possession of a sawed-off shotgun and an unserialized firearm.

Current Nye County GOP chairman Leo Blundo emphasized the party has no current association with Carns. Carns denies the allegations, saying he is unaware of the evidence and claims the accusations stem from a custody dispute. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office says the case remains under investigation and declined further comment.

Equine infectious anemia has been confirmed in a horse in Nye County. The Nevada Department of Agriculture has placed the affected facility under quarantine, along with other horses that may have been exposed. State Veterinarian Dr. Peter Rolfe says the department is working closely with local veterinarians to contain the situation and protect Nevada’s livestock. The disease spreads through blood contact between horses and cannot be passed through the air or casual contact. Officials say equine infectious anemia does not affect humans and poses no public health risk. Under state law, the exact location will not be released.

And not a very a-MOO-sing morning for Las Vegas motorists as crews are working to get an overturned semi tractor-trailer off a major freeway ramp this morning.

The truck, which was loaded with 28 cattle, nearly rolled off the side of the I-15 southbound ramp to US95/I-11 southbound around 12:30 a.m.

Nevada State Police said it is unknown how long the ramp will be closed. The truck’s driver was not injured. There is no word on the condition of the cattle.

2-2 News - Emergency County Commisison meeting today-UPDATED - Care Center Closing

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 skies to clear this afternoon with the high today of 55 degrees.  

White Pine County is facing significant financial uncertainty following the dismissal of the County Finance Director on Wednesday. 

The White Pine County Commission on Monday voted to advertise for a new Finance Director and Assistant Finance Director following Wednesday’s dismissal of Kathy Workman and the Friday resignation of Deputy Finance Director Courtney Thornal.  The Commission was rebuked by County Treasurer Catherine Bakaric, warning that if the commission did not take action to reverse their actions and rehire Workman and Thornal, she would proceed with actions of her own.  State Assemblyman Bert Gurr attended the meeting virtually and told me after the meeting that he was keeping an eye on the situation and ready to take any action he could in support of White Pine County residents. 

The White Pine Care Center may be closing. A notice posted at the facility over the weekend says the center is no longer accepting new patients and plans to close on March 30.

The notice, attributed to owner-licensee Jose Kutty Jose, cites financial difficulties and the lack of a lease agreement with the landlord as reasons for the closure.

Public records show the property owner, Adventist Holdings, LLC, owes more than forty-seven thousand dollars in property taxes to White Pine County. The facility has also faced regulatory issues in recent years, including nearly forty thousand dollars in Medicare fines in 2023. The most recent inspection report, from May of last year, documented significant deficiencies. (Click for link to report) 

The closure is not uncommon as the American Health Care Association reports that nursing homes have shut down at an alarming rate, driven by economic pressures and workforce shortages, with the recent federal mandate only threatening to exacerbate the situation. (Click for link to report) 

The 2024 Access to Care report notes that at least 774 facilities closed their doors between February 2020 and July 2024, displacing over 28,000 residents.

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office reports multiple calls for service in its January 29th blotter.

Deputies responded to a shoplifting report at a local business, but the suspect had left before officers arrived. An injured deer was also removed from a county roadway.

In the city, deputies investigated a dog bite involving a loose dog at a county park, and handled several juvenile complaints involving pocket bikes and a dirt bike. One juvenile was contacted and issued a warning.

Deputies also investigated reports of reckless driving on both city streets and a state highway, with one case referred to Nevada State Police and another resulting in a warning. Additional calls included a parking complaint, a suspicious person going door to door, and a report of a possibly intoxicated driver, though no issues were found.

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1-29 News - County Commission fires Finance Director; Dissenting Commissioner resigns in disgust

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 today.    The high today should be around 48. 

The White Pine County Commission on a 4-1 vote yesterday fired Finance Director Kathy Workman.  The vote comes during the busiest time of the year for the county as budget submission to the state is upcoming very quickly.  Commission chair Paula Carson. 

   The only negative vote came from Commissioner Janet Vancamp, who resigned from the commission during the closing public comment, and aimed comments at the four remaining commissioners on their treatment of county staff.  

The other major item on the agenda saw the attempt to restrict public comment at the beginning of the meeting to agenda items only lost by a 2-3 vote.  Only Commission Chair Paula Carson and Vice Chair Tim Pawley voted for the item.  

The Elko Police Department reports two arrests made Tuesday.

Officers took Shaun Herzog of Elko into custody on a charge of luring a child or person with a mental illness using a computer. Due to the seriousness of the charge, the Elko SWAT Team was called in. Police say Herzog initially refused to come out but was arrested after a distraction device was deployed.

Earlier in the day, Corey Pavlinek of Spring Creek was arrested following a traffic stop near Mountain City Highway. A police K-9 alerted to narcotics, and officers reportedly found about 17 grams of methamphetamine. Pavlinek was booked into the Elko County Jail on drug and paraphernalia charges.

The State of Nevada has moved to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Trump Administration over access to the state’s voter rolls.

The motion was filed Wednesday in response to a Justice Department request seeking Nevada’s full computerized voter registration list, covering nearly 2.2 million voters.

State officials say they have offered to provide publicly available voter data through normal procedures, but refuse to release sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, or ID card data.

Nevada argues the DOJ has misapplied federal law and failed to properly justify its request, adding that the data sought is protected under multiple federal privacy statutes.

The push toward electric vehicles is losing steam, as federal EV tax credits expired last month and charging problems persist across Nevada.

EV driver and blogger Scott Allison says much of the state’s charging network no longer works. While planning a trip north, Allison reviewed all 29 fast-charging sites built under the Nevada Electric Highway program and found only seven still operational.

He confirmed multiple chargers offline in places like Alamo, Amargosa Valley, Jean, and Indian Springs. The failures leave gaps of more than 200 miles on major routes, forcing EV drivers to detour through California or risk running out of power.

Allison says while Tesla has expanded charging along Interstate 15, rural Nevada has largely been left behind.

A judge has set an emergency hearing for February 4th as Southern Nevada residents seek to stop parts of the state’s water conservation law.

The lawsuit challenges rules requiring the removal of so-called nonfunctional grass and limits on irrigation by the end of the year. The residents claim enforcement by the Southern Nevada Water Authority has led to the loss of thousands of trees and millions of dollars in damage.

They argue SNWA is overstepping its authority by deciding which grass must be removed and say homeowners have no way to appeal those decisions.

If the judge grants a temporary restraining order, SNWA would temporarily lose the power to label grass as nonfunctional.