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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.
The White Pine County Commission will hold a special joint meeting Monday, March 16th at 9 a.m. at the White Pine County Historic Courthouse in Ely.
The main focus of the meeting will be a fiscal year 2027 budget workshop. Commissioners will review funding requests for a wide range of county departments and services, including public safety, the sheriff’s office, fire protection, emergency medical services, public health, the courts, and several elected offices.
County leaders are expected to discuss priorities and provide direction to the interim finance director as the next county budget is developed.
The meeting is open to the public, and residents will have opportunities to provide public comment.
The White Pine County Sheriff’s Office responded to several calls Monday, including traffic complaints, welfare checks, and a reported death.
A report of a possibly intoxicated driver on a state highway was referred to Nevada State Police, and an abandoned vehicle on a county roadway was tagged for removal.
In Ely, deputies handled calls involving a suspicious person, a parking violation, and loud music in a residential neighborhood. The driver involved was given a warning.
Deputies also investigated a hit-and-run involving a parked vehicle outside a local business.
Authorities later responded to a death at an Ely residence. The individual was identified as Geraldine Reilley, and officials say the death was due to natural causes.
No new bookings were reported.
The Ely City Council meets Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Ely Volunteer Fire Hall, with several items on the agenda.
Council members will consider approving up to five thousand dollars in redevelopment funds to purchase fencing and signage for a proposed dog park at Broadbent Park. The council will also vote on accepting a State of Nevada water grant for the Morley Water Upgrades Project.
In new business, the council may approve a contract with Porter Group for federal government affairs consulting services through March of 2027 and consider a letter of support for the White Pine Chamber’s Travel Nevada Rural Marketing Grant application.
Council members will also vote on adding a sick leave donation policy to the City of Ely personnel manual.
No change in gas prices overnight for the first time since the Iran conflict began ten days ago. While prices for Regular 85 and Diesel are significantly higher than ten days ago, they’re still some of the lowest in the state. AAA says the national average is $3.57 and the Nevada average is $4.36, though Diesel this morning in Nevada averages $4.85 and the national average is $4.83.
The Bureau of Land Management will begin a wild horse gather near Wells starting March 15th.
The gather will take place about 30 miles south of Wells in the Antelope and Triple B complexes, where officials say horse populations are far above sustainable levels.
BLM estimates about 5,000 horses currently roam the Antelope Complex, far exceeding the appropriate range of 427 to 789 animals. The Triple B Complex is also over its limit, with about 1,800 horses compared to a recommended range of 472 to 889.
The agency plans to remove more than 700 horses from the Antelope Complex and about 300 from the Triple B Complex, saying the goal is to protect public lands and restore ecological balance.
A longtime luxury retailer on the Las Vegas Strip is preparing to close its doors.
Saks Global announced it will shut down the Saks Fifth Avenue store at the Fashion Show Mall after 45 years in operation. A company spokesperson says the location is expected to remain open until the end of May.
The store has been an anchor tenant at the Strip shopping center since the mall first opened in 1981.
The closure is part of a nationwide restructuring that includes 12 Saks Fifth Avenue stores and three Neiman Marcus locations. After the changes, Saks Global says 13 Saks stores and 32 Neiman Marcus stores will remain open across the country.