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3/100 of an inch of precipitation yesterday, with a very slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Look for the high this afternoon around 90.
The White Pine County Commission tackled taxes, infrastructure, wildfire preparedness, and staffing during its meeting Wednesday morning.
As you heard on KELY, Commissioners voted to keep the county's 2026-27 property tax rate unchanged despite public requests for a reduction, citing economic uncertainty and concerns about impacts to local services. Commissioner Vogler voted against maintaining of the current tax rate.
The board also approved expanded insurance coverage, increasing protection from 300 million to 500 million dollars while lowering premiums by more than five percent through a higher deductible.
Road officials outlined maintenance projects completed this year and plans for additional gravel, chip seal, and roadway improvements in the coming fiscal year. Commissioners also approved an updated hazard mitigation plan aimed at improving eligibility for FEMA funding, with wildfire prevention identified as a top priority.
Other actions included creating a new building inspector position, approving a two percent cost-of-living adjustment for elected officials on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Vogler voting no, accepting grants for library accessibility and senior meal programs, appointing Lloyd Eugene Phillips Junior to the Airport Advisory Board, and approving the annual Arts in the Park street closure for July 31st through August 2nd.
Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Monday afternoon at 1 to conduct a public hearing and consider approval of a budget augmentation for Fiscal Year 2026. The proposed resolution would appropriate funds from the county's Emergency Medical Services Fund for payment to the White Pine County Fire District.
The Ely City Council meets this evening with several major items on the agenda.
Council members will consider proclaiming Ely an International Mountain Bicycling Association Trail Town, honoring White Pine School Superintendent Adam Young for 24 years of service, and approving a new liquor license for Hometown Pizza.
The council will also review a trackage rights agreement involving the Nevada Northern Railway, consider renewing the city's insurance coverage, and discuss accepting a Community Development Block Grant of more than $603,000 to help fund upgrades to Ely's wastewater treatment plant.
The meeting begins at 5 p.m. tonight at the Ely Volunteer Fire Hall.
Firefighters continue battling two large wildfires south of Caliente in Lincoln County.
The Grapevine Fire has grown to more than 23,000 acres and remains zero percent contained as crews contend with rugged terrain, dry fuels, and active fire behavior, including wind-driven runs and spotting. Aircraft and ground crews continue working to strengthen containment lines.
Meanwhile, the Kane Springs Fire has burned just over 17,000 acres and is now 45 percent contained. Firefighters report steady progress as crews secure fire lines and mop up remaining hotspots.
Staff from U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen’s office will be in Ely this morning to meet with residents and provide assistance with federal agencies.
The senator’s staff will hold office hours from 9 to 10 a.m. this morning at the White Pine County Library on Campton Street. While Senator Rosen will not attend, staff members will be available for one-on-one consultations regarding issues involving federal agencies and government services.
Residents will also have an opportunity to share concerns and opinions on federal matters for follow-up by the senator’s office.
A fire destroyed a fire truck traveling on Interstate 80 in Elko County on Wednesday morning.
According to the Elko County Fire Protection District, the truck caught fire near mile marker 328 around 8:45 a.m. Because of the risk of the blaze spreading into nearby wildland, additional firefighting resources were dispatched.
Crews from Elko County Fire, Deeth Volunteer Fire Department, Ryndon-Osino Volunteer Fire Department, and state and federal agencies responded to the scene. No injuries were reported. The firefighters involved were transported back to Elko to make arrangements for their trip home.
NV Energy has issued a Public Safety Outage Management Watch for parts of East Elko and Spring Creek due to forecasted fire weather conditions. The potential power shutoff could occur Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., affecting more than 8,000 customers if conditions warrant. Officials stress this is only a watch and not a confirmed outage. The precautionary measure is designed to reduce wildfire risk during periods of extreme fire danger. Residents are encouraged to charge electronic devices, stock up on water, food and medications, fuel vehicles, and know how to manually open garage doors in case power is interrupted.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Northern California Wednesday morning, shaking communities across a wide area of the state.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was centered near Redwood Valley in Mendocino County and occurred at a depth of about five miles. Many residents received ShakeAlert warnings on their phones seconds before the earthquake hit.
The shaking was felt from the North Coast to the Sacramento Valley and the Bay Area. Several small aftershocks followed, but no major damage or injuries had been reported as of Wednesday afternoon.
A Las Vegas man is facing federal charges in what prosecutors describe as a $1.2 billion health care fraud scheme. The U.S. Department of Justice says 47-year-old Brian Rowan was indicted in Arizona on multiple counts, including health care fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, kickback violations, and money laundering.
According to the indictment, Rowan served as vice president of sales for a company that marketed amniotic wound allografts and allegedly helped orchestrate hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks to sales representatives and medical providers to boost product sales.
Federal prosecutors say the scheme resulted in more than $1.2 billion in false claims submitted to Medicare, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and private insurers between 2021 and 2024. About $614 million was reportedly paid out. Authorities allege Rowan personally received more than $24 million from the scheme. The indictment was filed June 17.
That’s your morning news from the state of Nevada