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Warmer weather over the next couple of days before rain pops back into the forecast. Look for highs today around 44.
Nevada Highway Patrol troopers are investigating a deadly rollover crash on U.S. 93 in Lincoln County that happened the day after Christmas.
State police say the single-vehicle crash occurred around 10:30 Friday morning near Pony Springs, about 32 miles north of Pioche. The vehicle rolled off the highway into a desert area west of the road.
A female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was airlifted to a local hospital in critical condition. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Are animal rights activists watching the Duck Pond project? Doug Saunders writes in this week’s edition of the Bristlecone Tribune that the insensitive comments made by County Commissioners Paula Carson and Hank Vogler regarding the handling of the ducks during the rebuilding of the botched project, including the possible harvesting of the ducks, attracted attention far beyond White Pine County. Those comments attracted the attention of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who acknowledged the tasteless jokes made by the commissioners, and in a statement, the organization confirmed the attempt at humor and in a statement from Catie Cryar of Peta, “with a little ingenuity and kindness, a solution can always be found that shows compassion and respect for wildlife.”
One of the original reasons the project came about was massive water loss from the old pond. The first attempt at repairing the project led to as much or more water loss from the pond. The welfare of the ducks and the minimization of water loss will be the focus of the project.
From the White Pine County Sheriff’s Office blotter, December twenty-third through twenty-seventh. Deputies made several notable arrests over the holiday period. On the twenty-sixth, 43-year-old Randy Mullins of Ely was booked on charges of sexual assault and domestic battery, with bail set at two hundred fifty thousand dollars .Other serious arrests included 54-year-old Tommy Polk of McGill for passing insufficient fund checks over twelve hundred dollars; Christopher Rosales Perez of Ely for battery, including on a public officer, resisting, and obstructing; and 18-year-old Elijah Rubio of Ely for minor in consumption, possession of marijuana, and loitering in a drinking establishment. The period also saw reports of fraud, reckless driving, runaway juveniles, and animal complaints, but no other major crimes were reported.
Initial unemployment claims in Nevada increased last week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
New jobless claims rose to 3,259 for the week ending December 19, up from 2,872 the previous week, a sign of increased layoffs in the state.
Nationally, unemployment claims declined. The Labor Department reports U.S. claims fell to 214,000 last week, down 10,000 from the week before on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Among the states, Nebraska recorded the largest percentage increase in claims, while West Virginia saw the biggest decline.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck near Susanville, California, at 4:41 Sunday afternoon. The quake was centered about 10 miles north-northwest of the city and was felt in nearby communities including Herlong and Quincy. No serious injuries have been reported, though merchandise was knocked from shelves at a Susanville Walmart, leaving some grocery aisles in disarray.
Meanwhile in Nevada, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory reports a magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck Saturday morning north-northeast of Yerington. That quake was shallow, at just over five miles deep, and caused no reported damage.
Nevada’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is handling record demand, with tens of thousands of calls each year and even more expected ahead.
State health officials told lawmakers that use of the hotline has nearly doubled since the switch to the three-digit 988 number. Nearly 42,000 people were served in Nevada last year, and that total was already surpassed by the end of November this year.
The state has also improved response times and answer rates, now answering about 87 percent of calls in-state. However, officials say operating costs exceed revenue from the monthly phone surcharge, and future funding and system upgrades — including closer integration with 911 — are still under review.