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A windy weekend in store with a Red Flag Warning posted today and a Fire Weather Watch posted tomorrow. Wind gusts in excess of 40 to 50 miles per hour today and tomorrow. Cooler weather is ahead. Look for today’s high around 85, cooling to 66 by Sunday.
The Ely City Council voted to approve a trackage rights agreement involving the Nevada Northern Railway and the Great Basin & Northern Railway in an attempt to secure federal funding for the rehabilitation of the line from Ely to Cobre. The agreement saw some pushback from citizens as ongoing criticism of the Nevada Northern Railway management board not complying with Nevada Open Meeting Law despite the affiliation with the City of Ely. The City also accepted a Community Development Block Grant of more than $603,000 to help fund upgrades to Ely's wastewater treatment plant.
The Council issued a proclamation recognizing Ely an International Mountain Bicycling Association Trail Town, honored retiring White Pine School Superintendent Adam Young for 24 years of service, and approved a new liquor license for Hometown Pizza.
White Pine County 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.
Fire crews 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 firefighters work in steep terrain within the Clover Mountain Wilderness Area. Active fire behavior continues on the fire's eastern flank.
Meanwhile, the Kane Springs Fire is now 50 percent contained at just over 17,000 acres, with crews making steady progress securing fire lines and extinguishing hotspots.
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through Saturday, bringing strong winds, low humidity, and critical fire conditions. Beaver Dam State Park remains closed until further notice due to the Grapevine Fire.
Nevada drivers are getting a break at the pump. AAA Nevada reports gas prices have fallen for the fifth straight week, with the statewide average dropping 13 cents over the past week to $4.71 per gallon.
AAA says lower crude oil prices are helping drive the decline as the U.S. and Iran work toward a long-term agreement. The average price is now $4.98 per gallon in Reno and $4.70 in Las Vegas. The average price in White Pine County is $4.13 per gallon, second lowest only to Lander County at $3.97 per gallon.
Despite the lower prices, AAA expects heavy holiday travel, with a record number of Americans expected to hit the road for the Independence Day weekend.
An inmate at Ely State Prison has died. The Nevada Department of Corrections says 24-year-old Otis Bishop died Wednesday at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Bishop was serving a sentence of four to 15 years for attempted lewdness with a child under 14 and had been in state custody since September.
Corrections officials also reported the deaths of two other inmates this week at facilities in Southern Nevada. Causes of death have not been released, and autopsies have been requested in all three cases.
Another major natural gas power plant is being proposed to support Northern Nevada's growing data center industry. Nexus Fulcrum LLC has asked state regulators for approval to build a 510-megawatt gas-fired power plant at the former Sierra Biofuels site near the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center.
The project would provide behind-the-meter power directly to data centers, bypassing NV Energy's transmission system. If approved, the facility would include nine gas turbines and could begin construction in 2027.
The proposal comes just weeks after another developer sought approval for a separate 350-megawatt gas and diesel-powered project, highlighting the rapidly growing energy demands of data centers in Northern Nevada.
Nevada's unemployment rate edged lower in May. According to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, the state's seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.2 percent. Among Nevada's metro areas, unemployment was 5.3 percent in Las Vegas, 4.1 percent in Reno, and 4 percent in Carson City. Humboldt County posted the state's lowest unemployment rate at 3.5 percent, while Mineral County recorded the highest at 9.1 percent.
The White Pine County Unemployment rate rose 2/10 of a percent to 4.6 percent. 174 of the 3,776-person labor force remains out of work.
Nevada ranks as the third most earthquake-active state in the nation, and seismologists say residents should be prepared for the possibility of a major quake.
Experts with the Nevada Seismological Laboratory say the state has experienced powerful earthquakes in the past, including magnitude 6.8 and 7.1 events in central Nevada in 1954. While no earthquakes of that size have occurred since, fault lines throughout the state remain active.
Officials are encouraging Nevadans to keep emergency supplies on hand, including food, water, first aid kits, and other essentials in case communications and supply chains are disrupted. Seismologists are also working on plans for a Nevada earthquake early warning system similar to one currently used in California.
Fire officials in southwest Utah are implementing Stage 2 Fire Restrictions across the Dixie and Fishlake National Forests beginning Friday at 12:01 a.m. due to extreme fire danger and a rise in human-caused wildfires.
The restrictions ban campfires, charcoal grills, smoking outside enclosed vehicles or buildings, and limit activities such as welding, chainsaw use, generators, and off-road vehicle travel during the hottest part of the day. Fireworks, exploding targets, and tracer ammunition remain prohibited at all times.
Officials say abandoned campfires and extremely dry conditions have increased the risk of large wildfires. The restrictions will remain in effect until significant moisture reduces fire danger across the region.
NV Energy has expanded its Public Safety Outage Management Watch for portions of Douglas and Elko counties as strong winds and elevated fire danger continue across the region.
The utility says the outages are only potential and have not been confirmed. In Douglas County, affected areas could see a proactive power shutoff from Friday night through Saturday afternoon. In Elko County, including East Elko and Spring Creek, a possible outage could begin Saturday morning and continue through Sunday morning.
NV Energy says a PSOM Watch means power may be temporarily shut off to reduce the risk of electrical equipment sparking a wildfire during dangerous fire weather conditions.
A major boost is on the way for the Primm community. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has approved a non-restricted gaming license for Terrible’s to operate Whiskey Pete’s, Buffalo Bill’s, and Primm Valley Resort, helping preserve more than 300 jobs.
Terrible’s says it plans to keep employees working, provide housing for active team members, and begin operating the properties on July 1. The company hopes to reopen Whiskey Pete’s quickly and use Buffalo Bill’s for special events.
Company officials say long-term plans include property upgrades and new attractions aimed at revitalizing the iconic gateway community on the Nevada-California border.