12-5 News - County Commission to rehash Duck Pond Issue AGAIN

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  Partly Sunny skies today with a high of 48 degrees warming to near 60 by Wednesday.  

Here we go again!

White Pine County commissioners will take up the long-planned 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, suggesting that the ducks be disposed of, one way or another.  

The project is part of ongoing improvements to the Courthouse Park area.

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 an update on the Grand Jury project. 

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the White Pine County Library conference room.

Nevada’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.3 percent in September, according to the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. The labor force grew by about 1,300, and employers added 5,100 jobs from August. Total nonfarm employment is up slightly — about one-tenth of a percent — from a year ago.

Las Vegas added 4,400 jobs in September, Reno gained 1,100, and Carson City lost about 200.

DETR says the report was delayed by the federal shutdown but shows industries that slipped in August, including accommodation and food services, rebounded in September.

A false earthquake alert Thursday morning confused northern Nevada residents after the U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 5.9 quake near Dayton that never occurred. The alert went out at 8:06 a.m., but no one reported feeling shaking, and local stations and social media showed no activity. The USGS deleted the alert minutes later.

Nevada Seismological Lab director Christie Rowe says the warning came from the automated ShakeAlert system, which uses California seismic sensors. She says USGS is investigating and will release details once the review is complete.

Lyon County also confirmed the quake did not happen and urged residents not to call 911.

Bobcat and Ladycats Basketball teams are in West Wendover today for games against West Wendover and Lund before traveling to Wells tomorrow to take on Wells and Jackpot in the WREC Tournament.  

Meanwhile the Wrestling teams are heading to Utah for a tournament at Panguitch High School today and tomorrow. 

That’s your morning news from the state of Nevada

12-4 News - US-6 Crash information still pending

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  No precipitation in the outlook, it should stay up in Elko county today and tonight.  Today’s high of 43 but it should warm up into the 50’s by the weekend and near 60 by Wednesday. 

White Pine County deputies handled a range of calls on Tuesday.

In the city, deputies responded to a report of a car carrying too many passengers, but the vehicle left before they arrived. They also issued a warning to a resident playing loud music at an apartment complex, cleared debris from a city street, and determined that two people reported dressing out a deer were not doing anything illegal. Deputies also opened an active theft investigation after merchandise was stolen from a convenience store.

Elsewhere, deputies took reports on two reckless driving incidents—one on a state highway and another on a county road—and responded to a school where a juvenile acting out had already been picked up by a parent. A welfare check on a pedestrian along a state highway also ended with the person leaving the area before contact was made. Finally, a multi-vehicle crash on an icy US-6 on Murray Summit was referred to Nevada State Police and the Department of Transportation.  Deputies assisted when their vehicles became damaged in the aftermath of the original crash. 

An equine herpes virus outbreak is forcing major changes at this year’s National Finals Rodeo and costing Las Vegas ranches significant revenue. The virus has spread through Texas and Arizona, prompting NFR officials to impose strict protocols. All 118 competing horses are confined to the Thomas and Mack Center with twice-daily temperature checks, and the grand entry has been cancelled, eliminating 90 additional horses.

Local ranch owners say they’re taking major losses. Alan Shugarman, who usually fills 120 stalls during NFR, says half are empty this year, costing him about $100,000.

Several NFR-related events have also been cancelled, including breakaway roping and the All-In barrel race. Horses leaving Las Vegas will require medical checks and isolation.

The Environmental Protection Agency is warning consumers after unregistered and potentially dangerous disinfectants were found on shelves at El Super and Smart & Final stores in Arizona, California, and Nevada. The EPA says parent company Chedraui USA sold three products at El Super—S&C Sanitizer, S&C Disinfectant, and Prinex Sanysol—and one product at Smart & Final—Perfect Professional Advanced Multi-Surface Sanitizer—all without proper registration or verified safety claims.

Inspectors say the S&C products contained quaternary ammonia, a high-toxicity ingredient that requires a danger label, while the Prinex and Perfect Professional sanitizers made unverified germ-killing claims. Chedraui will pay more than $472,000 in penalties and has removed the products from stores. The EPA says the case is a reminder for consumers to check that disinfectants are properly labeled and federally registered before using them.

Nevada is now the second-best state in the nation for high-speed internet access. A new analysis of FCC data shows 86 percent of Nevada homes had gigabit-speed cable or fiber service by June of this year. That’s a dramatic jump from just eight percent in late 2022 — the largest improvement of any state.

Las Vegas also posted the biggest gain of any major metro area in the country. Gigabit access there surged from under two percent to more than 87 percent, ranking the valley tenth nationwide for connectivity.

Nationally, about 61 percent of U.S. homes now have access to gigabit service. North Dakota leads all states at 91 percent.

12-3 News - Silver Belle now shining on Capital Hill in Washington

 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.

First responders are on the scene of an incident on US-6 on Murray Summit.  US-6 is closed until further notice.  Stay tuned to KELY for updates. 

  Just a trace of precipitation from last night's snowfall at Yellend Field.  Not looking for any more snowfall in the next seven days.  Today’s high of 37 will be the lowest daytime high of the week, as it should warm up into the 50s by the weekend. 

For the first time, a Capitol Christmas Tree from Nevada took center stage in Washington. “Silver Belle,” a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest near Mt. Rose Highway, was lit on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol last night. Virginia City fourth grader Grady Armstrong helped flip the switch after winning a statewide essay contest.  In the essay he talked about life in Nevada.  

The ceremony followed a weeks-long journey that carried Silver Belle across Nevada and the country, with communities signing banners and sending ornaments to be displayed in the Capitol. The display also includes a custom tree skirt with handcrafted patches representing all 17 Nevada counties. Silver Belle will shine nightly through the holiday season, marking Nevada’s first appearance in this national tradition.

White Pine County deputies responded to several calls on Monday. Three wild mustangs causing a traffic hazard on a state highway were reported to the Bureau of Land Management. In the city, deputies tagged an illegally parked vehicle for removal and took a report after a resident found their tires slashed. Deputies are also investigating a possible theft involving an online auction business. In two separate cases, they looked into threatening messages—issuing a warning to one sender and documenting a workplace threat in another.

Nevada’s active voter rolls shrank by more than 24,000 in November, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The state now reports just over 2.1 million active registered voters, a month-to-month drop of about 1.1 percent. Officials say the decline is largely the result of list-maintenance work in Washoe County, where 35,000 notices were sent to voters and about 32,000 registrations were inactivated when no response was received.

Every major affiliation saw a decrease. Nonpartisan voters fell the most, dropping nearly 12,000. Republicans declined by about 4,400, Democrats by more than 5,400, and minor parties saw smaller but steady losses. Nevada’s electorate now breaks down to roughly 37 percent nonpartisan, 28 percent Republican, 28 percent Democratic, and the remainder split among the Independent American, Libertarian, and other minor parties.

Nevadans will see the final supermoon of 2025 on Thursday night as the “Cold Moon” rises in the east. The moon reaches its closest point to Earth at the same time it turns full, making it appear up to 14 percent larger and as much as 30 percent brighter, especially on the horizon.

Planetarium Director Paul McFarlane says this is the third and last supermoon of the year; the previous one was November’s Harvest Moon. The Cold Moon also climbs higher than any other full moon because of its timing near the winter solstice. Sky watchers can catch it from dusk through dawn.

The Environmental Protection Agency is warning consumers after unregistered and potentially dangerous disinfectants were found on shelves at El Super and Smart & Final stores in Arizona, California, and Nevada. The EPA says parent company Chedraui USA sold three products at El Super—S&C Sanitizer, S&C Disinfectant, and Prinex Sanysol—and one product at Smart & Final—Perfect Professional Advanced Multi-Surface Sanitizer—all without proper registration or verified safety claims.

Inspectors say the S&C products contained quaternary ammonia, a high-toxicity ingredient that requires a danger label, while the Prinex and Perfect Professional sanitizers made unverified germ-killing claims. Chedraui will pay more than $472,000 in penalties and has removed the products from stores. The EPA says the case is a reminder for consumers to check that disinfectants are properly labeled and federally registered before using them.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been hit again—just five drawings after a $983 million prize was claimed in Georgia. A single ticket sold in New Jersey matched all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing to win an estimated $90 million, or $41.9 million cash. It’s the sixth jackpot won so far this year and the shortest jackpot run since 2023.

More than a million winning tickets were sold nationwide during the brief run, including a $4 million second-tier winner in Georgia and 29 third-tier prizes worth up to $100,000 in 15 states. Altogether, players collected nearly $26 million in non-jackpot prizes.

A drugmaker is testing a new weight-loss treatment—but this time, it’s for cats. The New York Times reports Okava Pharmaceuticals is trying out a tiny implant that releases a GLP-1 drug, the same class used in humans, to help overweight felines eat less and slim down.

The idea shows early promise, but vets say it’ll still take major trials, likely high costs, and plenty of old-fashioned diet and exercise before pudgy pets see real results.

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That’s your morning news from the state of Nevada

12-2 News - Governor signs Special Session Legislation

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.

  Periods of sunshine today, but plenty of clouds with some snow possible overnight.  Today’s high just 48.  

We open with news from Carson City and the special legislative session, as Governor Lombardo has signed his major criminal justice package into law, more than a week after the special session ended. The measure revives a Resort Corridor Court to handle crimes on the Las Vegas Strip, creates tougher penalties for certain burglaries, and launches a transitional custody program for nonviolent inmates.

A late amendment limits immigration enforcement on school campuses without a lawful order and requires lawmakers to sign off on any expansion of detention facilities. The 70-page bill marks Nevada’s most sweeping criminal justice changes since 2019 and comes as Lombardo prepares for a 2026 re-election bid.

Supporters say the reforms will reduce pressure on prisons and improve safety in the Strip tourist corridor. Civil liberties groups warn the new court could restrict personal freedoms, and county officials note potential staffing costs. The Nevada Department of Corrections projects long-term savings and a reduction of nearly 300 inmates per year.

Nevada first responders will now have stronger protections for job-related lung disease. Governor Joe Lombardo has signed Senate Bill 7, reaffirming that firefighters and police officers exposed to smoke, chemicals, and other hazards are presumed to have work-related lung conditions after two years on the job.

The bill follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that raised concerns about future claims. Firefighter groups praised the move, saying it restores fairness and protects both active and retired first responders. Some law-enforcement and county officials warned of potential costs, but the law takes effect immediately and applies retroactively.

And Governor Lombardo has signed a bill for school zones after the 36th Special Session.

The bill allows local control of school zones: allowing cities and the county to lengthen a zone, modify flasher signs and times of operation.

At the lighting of the Capital Christmas Tree from Nevada tonight, White Pine County beef will be served!  Jess Perigo of Perigo Beef posted an emotional video on Facebook yesterday…

White Pine County represented at the Capital Christmas Tree lighting with great farm-to-table beef.  

The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office handled a mix of calls on Sunday. Deputies recovered a found wallet in Ely, investigated tire-slashing in the county, and referred several highway issues — including debris, a stalled electric vehicle, and a guardrail crash — to the Nevada State Police.

Deputies also looked into a child-abuse report, cleared an alarm at a government building, and removed a disruptive patron from a local bar. In Ely, 59-year-old Anthony Castiglia of McGill was arrested after a traffic stop for DUI, possessing a firearm while intoxicated, possessing a stolen firearm, and failing to stop at a stop sign. 

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $775 million after no one matched all six numbers in Monday night’s drawing. The numbers were 5, 18, 26, 47, 59 and the Red Powerball 1.

A winner in the next draw could take the full amount in 30 annual payments or a lump-sum cash payout of $362.5 million. After mandatory federal withholding and top tax rates, that lump sum would shrink to about $228 million. State taxes could cut winnings further, depending on where the ticket is purchased.  So if you buy your ticket from Idaho, you’d have to cough up about 5.3% of the win, even if you live here. 

The Las Vegas Sphere is proving there is another yellow brick road — one paved with about $200 million in ticket sales. The company says its “Wizard of Oz” production has packed in more than a million fans nearly 90 years after the film was originally in theaters, all eager to watch Dorothy, Toto, and a 360-degree flying house that won’t fit in Kansas anymore.

At this rate, the Tin Man may finally get that heart… after the accountants finish counting.

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That’s your morning news from the state of Nevada

 

11-27 News - County Commission holds a Thanksgiving Eve Meeting that could be called -- Ducky

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.

Fair skies today before much cooler weather over the weekend.  Look for the high today around 60. 

 White Pine County Commissioners worked through a short Thanksgiving Eve agenda for the first time in memory, starting with plans to sell a county-owned parcel near the hospital. Officials confirmed the land is not landlocked, and the buyer has arranged additional access through 16th Street and nearby alleys. The public auction has been pushed from January 28 to February 11, and approved funding from the Economic Development Fund to cover appraisal costs.

Commissioners also updated the Fiscal Year 2027 budget timeline. Because federal audit numbers won’t be finalized until January, department budget meetings were moved to mid-January, with all budget requests due February 3 and formal presentations set for February 11.

The board also reviewed project costs for the Duck Pond renovation. Current bids came in $200,000 over budget, prompting discussion about relocating birds instead of building a temporary pond to cut expenses. Commissioner Paula Carson suggesting the ducks be taken out to Comins Lake during construction, with Commissioner Hank Vogler suggesting the ducks be harvested and served at the Senior Center.  A public hearing may be held before any decision is made.

And commissioners acknowledged a letter from the N4 Grazing Board warning that changing land and road access is harming local agriculture and wildlife. The board may issue its own statement as discussions continue.

Archive picture of the old duck pond before the recent botched renovations

Blackfoot police say a missing woman from Meridian was found dead in her car Tuesday evening. Forty-four-year-old Sarah Nylander was discovered around 6 p.m. in a vehicle parked behind a convenience store on Parkway Drive. She had been reported missing Sunday while driving from Montana back to her family’s home in Meridian. The Bingham County Coroner says she had likely been dead for at least a day, and while her death does not appear suspicious, officials are waiting for autopsy results before releasing more details.

A general with the Nevada National Guard has issued a statement after the critical wounding of two Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Nevada Adjutant General, Brig. Gen D, Rodger Waters made the statement in a post on Facebook.

"We are deeply saddened to hear the news from Washington, D.C. today. Our Guardsmen have served alongside members of the West Virginia National Guard during numerous trainings, exercises and overseas deployments. Our two states entered the Union during the Civil War. 'Battle Born,' and we stand beside them and their loved ones today as one National Guard family."

The family of a man shot and killed inside the Aliante Casino in Las Vegas is suing the property for negligence. Police say 20-year-old Aerion Warmsley shot 23-year-old Na’onche Osborne on the casino floor last March, then fired several more rounds before robbing him and fleeing in a stolen car. A new lawsuit filed by Osborne’s mother claims casino staff failed to provide adequate security and ignored multiple interactions with Warmsley before the shooting. Warmsley faces charges in both state and federal court, while the casino’s operator, Boyd Gaming, says it does not comment on pending litigation.

A visitor in town to see family left Resorts World Las Vegas with more than just memories — they walked away $11 million richer. Just before 6 a.m. yesterday, the guest hit the Megabucks Mega Vault progressive jackpot, the first ever won at Resorts World, after placing a $5 bet and playing for only about 15 minutes. Casino officials say the winner was with their spouse and relatives when the reels lined up for the $11.1 million payout, turning an ordinary family visit into a life-changing trip.

And last night's Powerball jackpot had no winner.  The jackpot jumps for Saturday’s drawing to $719 million.