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We got up to 84 yesterday, and 1/100 of an inch of precipitation at Yellend Field yesterday afternoon. Look for mostly fair skies today, with a high around 91.
The White Pine County Commission voted to accept a proposed temporary moratorium on new data center development applications at their meeting yesterday while the county develops zoning regulations specifically tailored for future projects.
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| Map of proposed renewable energy projects on BLM land. Commissioners and the general public have minimal input on these projects. |
Perhaps the most controversial part of the meeting was during consideration of a raise for county IT employees, which Commissioners claimed they had never seen the pay study the Commission ordered back in 2025, despite KELY publishing the study in February of this year. The study revealed that on average, county employees were paid seven percent below market rate, with some positions being paid as much as thirty percent below market rate. During the meeting, Commission Chair Paula Carson claimed that the board had never seen the study. Former Roads Supervisor Martin Troutt shared on Facebook that he felt they were not telling the truth, saying the study showed his position was paid 10% less than it should have been, and that this was part of his reason to retire.
Read our previous reporting on the pay study and see the pay study here.
Commissioner Jose Noriega was appointed to replace Commissioner Pat Robison as liaison to the Golf Advisory Board following the recent conflict between Robison and the Advisory Board. The Commission also mandated that the Golf Advisory Board move their meetings away from the Golf Course to another location, likely the Library Conference Room. Commissioner Noriega voted against the motion, citing the potential effects on other Advisory Boards.
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The Ely City Council meets tonight at 5 at the Ely Volunteer Fire Hall with several action items on the agenda. Council members are expected to consider donating 18-hundred dollars from contingency funds to support the 2026 White Pine County Horse Races, decide whether to seek listing of Ely City Hall on the Nevada State Register of Historic Places, and award the construction contract for Phase Three of the Steptoe Valley Trap and Skeet Range Hunter Education Building. A public hearing on Community Development Block Grant priorities is scheduled for 5:30.
The White Pine County Sheriff's Office made two arrests Tuesday while investigating a storage shed burglary in Ely. Deputies arrested 52-year-old Irene G. Duran and 70-year-old Vickie L. Peterson, both of Ely, on suspicion of burglary of a structure, possession of a controlled substance, and petit larceny. Bail for each was set at $20,000. They are innocent until convicted in a court of law.
Deputies are also investigating the reported theft of property from a vehicle at a local casino after the incident was captured on surveillance video. Other calls included suspicious activity at a storage shed, several disturbances at local casinos, a brush fire referred to the Bureau of Land Management, and a reckless driver turned over to the Nevada State Police.
Nevada's unemployment rate edged down to 5.1 percent in June, improving by one-tenth of a percentage point from May, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. Here in White Pine County, the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, down from 4.6 percent in May. The county's labor force totaled nearly 3,800 people, with 3,633 residents employed and 166 unemployed. Statewide, Elko County had Nevada's lowest unemployment rate at 3.5 percent, while Mineral County recorded the highest at 8.7 percent.
In news from Southern Nevada:
While White Pine County is likely to impose a moratorium on Data Center projects, a major Southern Nevada city isn’t.
The Henderson City Council has decided not to impose a temporary moratorium on new data center applications. Instead, the city will evaluate each proposal through a separate development agreement requiring developers to address concerns such as noise, heat, water use, power demand, and impacts on nearby neighborhoods. Mayor Michelle Romero says there are currently no data center applications pending, and any future project would face a detailed review before it could move forward.
Primm Valley Resort and Casino has reopened after a 17-day closure under new management by Terrible's. Employees and longtime customers welcomed the reopening, which restores about 300 jobs at the Stateline property. Terrible's says it plans to invest in the resort by bringing back concerts, slot tournaments, and other amenities to attract visitors from Las Vegas and Southern California. Primm Valley Hotel and Casino is now open, but there's still no announcement on the future of Whiskey Pete's or Buffalo Bill's Resort and Casino.
As Lake Mead heads toward record-low water levels, Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus is joining a bipartisan group of Western lawmakers in calling for billions of dollars in new federal drought funding. The lawmakers say the money would support water conservation projects, infrastructure upgrades, and other efforts to protect the Colorado River system. Federal projections show Lake Mead, which supplies about 90 percent of Southern Nevada's drinking water, could reach historic lows within the next two years, prompting lawmakers to call the situation an emergency.
A new Democratic-affiliated poll shows Nevada's 2026 race for governor is tied. The survey, obtained by the Nevada Independent, found Republican Governor Joe Lombardo and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford each with 44 percent support, while 12 percent of voters remain undecided. The poll of 558 likely Nevada voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. The results underscore what analysts say is shaping up to be one of the nation's most competitive gubernatorial races heading into the final months before Election Day.
And Nevada Congressmen Steven Horsford and Mark Amodei are introducing bipartisan legislation today aimed at banning sports betting through prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket. The lawmakers say the bill would require sports wagering to follow the same state regulations, taxes, and consumer protections as traditional sportsbooks. Supporters argue the measure protects Nevada's gaming industry and the jobs and tax revenue it generates, while opponents say prediction markets operate under a different federal regulatory system.
That’s your morning news from White Pine County and the state of Nevada