Red Tees

1st: Linda Garrett, +15

2nd: Jolene Coverston, +12

3rd: Jana Garner, +5

Purple Tees

1st: Verl Ely, +18

2nd: Val Montgomery, +3

Birdies: Juneil Key, #7; Jolene Coverston, #7; Jana Garner, #16

Closest to Hole #7: Jolene Coverston, 5'3"

Low Putts: Linda Garrett, 30

We are now about a month into the new venture of making the sports sectional, a regional look and I am very happy how his has gone and looked. In a couple months, I will have been in the same job for 32 years, and have built relationships across Nevada. I have taken those relationships and ran with it.

I feel and hope you do, that Northern Nevada is one big family. We are not in the Wells, Elko, Carlin market yet and I say yet. You never know. Ha.

But from the reaches of eastern Nevada, traveling on Interstate 80 to Battle Mountain, Winnemucca and Lovelock, with a detour to McDermitt on 95 and another detour on 95 to Fallon and Fernley — everyone knows everyone. I hope people want to see Silver Stage, Oasis Academy and Pyramid Lake stories. There will be Eureka stories as well and we ran Round Mountain/Tonopah football and volleyball stories.

I probably take sports more serious than other publications. There are publications that think they are an urban paper but are in reality a rural paper and put sports and the back burner and local sports suffer. You are not a college town. 

It’s my goal and hope, that you want to read about what is going on with other rural schools in the 1A, 2A and 3A. These are the schools at the core of Nevada. They built Nevada. Rivalries’ are taken to the next level. I always joke and say the 3A is the best A. Am I biased, probably. You can say that in Southern Nevada with Virgin Valley, Moapa Valley and Boulder City. Those rivals hate each other, love each other and need each other.

Any feedback is welcome. Myself, Robert and Peggy want to make this the best we can. I also have great contributors that have helped as well.

I usually find something or someone to yell at or call a moron but everyone is acting halfway like human beings.

We are a month into the school year — a month — where does the time go? Before you know it, it will be basketball and wrestling season.

There haven’t been many surprises in high school fall sports this fall. The teams that are good, are still good. The ones that are bad — well appear to getting worse.

What or whom am I suppose yell at? The Colin McNaught Cup (oh sorry Superintendent’s Cup) has started in Clark County. This award is for the 30 football teams playing as independents to avoid playing Bishop Gorman. I hope Colin, the speech and debate champion of all time, is on hand to give the championship trophy out.

OK!!! So, I yelled at someone. Colin makes it too easy.

Contact Tony Erquiagaat tony@rangemediaco.com

And that is precisely when life connects a left hook right on the chin.

It usually comes without warning. There’s rarely a polite email ahead of time to let you know that some sudden crisis is going to completely derail your meticulously planned day. One minute you’re cruising along at highway speeds; the next you’re standing on the shoulder of the road in the pouring rain, wondering what just happened.

Some of those tribulations are of our own making, born from overcommitment or poor choices, while others just land out of nowhere — bad luck entirely out of our control.

Ultimately, handling either scenario comes down to resilience.

In boxing terminology, resilience is often described as having a “good chin.” That isn’t a fighter who possesses some magical power to avoid getting hit; it describes someone who can take a clean, devastating shot right on the button and somehow stay on their feet. They don’t panic when their vision blurs or their legs turn to jelly.

A boxer who is able to withstand that blow and make it through the round gets a break between rounds to regroup. Life doesn’t always give us that same kind of break, and we have to make one for ourselves.

That’s resilience, and that’s how we survive the shots we never saw coming.

Football coaches talk constantly about winning in all three phases of football — offense, defense and special teams. When the offense stalls out, the defense has to take over to keep the team in the game.

Personal resilience works the same way. When our daily productivity and grand plans — our offense — get completely shut down by that unexpected left hook, our defense has to take the field. Sometimes that means letting our ability to regroup, reassess and rest pick up the slack until we can steady our legs.

A teacher I had used to end class every day by telling us to “keep your hands held high and chins tucked low,” and we all thought that was the hokiest thing we’d ever heard.

Some four decades later, I realize that was his way of telling us to be on guard for those unexpected blows that disintegrate our best plans and to have the chin to withstand them when they do land.

He knew what we hadn’t learned yet: that life is going to find an opening, and it’s going to hit you hard. Surviving doesn’t mean learning to avoid those blows; it means learning how to absorb them and keep going.

That’s resilience, and the longer I live, the more I realize that teacher was right. No matter how good your plans might be, you’d better have a good chin.

To qualify for the Dean’s List during the summer term, students are required to attain a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and complete six units of classes or more.

“Academic achievement requires commitment, discipline and perseverance, and our 2026 Summer Dean’s List students have demonstrated all three,” said WNC President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe. “Earning a 3.50 GPA or higher while completing at least six credits during the summer is a significant accomplishment, and these 76 students should be proud of the excellence they have achieved. Their success reflects not only their dedication, but also the support of our faculty, staff, families and communities. We congratulate each of our Dean’s List honorees and look forward to seeing where their hard work takes them.”

Students achieving the academic honor are:

Dayton: Larisa Aguilar, Corey Andona, Kimberley Andona, Maria Barajas, Paula Hoffman-Claypool, Kaitlyn Kitchens, Richard Tidrick        

Fallon: Dakota Ballard, Kendalle Dummar, Bowie Jarschke, Savahanna Kelley, Brooklyn Layton, Marilyn Mauwee, Alondra Ramirez, Autum Sanchez, Ashli Sehorn, Kodus Wehe

Fernley: Kaline Dos Anjos, Evelyn Julicher, Phoenix Knight, Emalee Moccio, Tina Rodriguez, Jenna Sunell

Mound House: Zach Edmiston

Silver Spring: Joleen Talbott

Stagecoach: Zachary Affeldt, Brandi Ferguson 

Frey discussed the transition during a recent Rotary presentation, explaining that his move into regenerative agriculture began not with environmental concerns, but with economics.

Coming out of drought, Frey said more than half of the family farm needed to be put back into production, a project he estimated would have cost about $1.5 million using conventional methods.

“I didn’t have the million and a half bucks, didn’t have the equipment, didn’t have the time,” he said.

He began looking at minimum-tillage and no-till farming and attended a presentation by soil health educator Ray Archuleta. What began as an effort to cut production costs quickly developed into a broader shift in how Frey thought about farming.

Today, he said, the operation has been primarily no-till or minimum-till for about seven years. The farm has also become certified organic and incorporates principles promoted by organizations including the Savory Institute and Regenified.

Rather than growing single crops year after year, Frey now emphasizes plant diversity, reduced soil disturbance and the integration of livestock.

“You don’t ever find a monocrop in nature,” he said.

Frey said diverse plantings help build healthier soils and can make crops less susceptible to insects. His fields may contain alfalfa, grasses, brassicas, chicory, clover, sorghum, peas, buckwheat and other species.

The goal is to keep living roots in the soil, protect the biological community beneath the surface and allow plants, animals and microorganisms to work together.

Livestock are a key part of that system.

Frey began adding laying hens this year, starting with 500 birds in February. Those hens are now producing roughly 350 eggs per day. Another 500 birds are nearing laying age, and an additional 650 are expected to begin producing around the first of the year.

The chickens live in mobile shelters and are rotated through fields behind electric net fencing.

The eggs provide income, while the birds provide another benefit: manure and biological activity returned directly to the soil.

“The cash crop, I guess, in that instance would be the eggs, and then the manure in the field is the benefit of the chickens,” Frey said.

The birds forage throughout the fields during the day, eating insects and whatever else they find — including, Frey said, small fish and crawdads from irrigation ditches — before returning to their shelters in the evening.

Frey farms about 1,500 acres, roughly 1,000 of them irrigated and primarily in alfalfa, with another 500 acres of dryland.

Changing the system has not been without challenges.

Traditional hay buyers often want pure alfalfa, making mixed grass-and-alfalfa hay harder to market even when feed tests show strong nutritional value. Frey said organic dairies may provide a better market because their certification requires some grass and pasture in their feeding programs.

The egg business, however, has shown promise.

Most of the farm’s current egg production is being sold through Great Basin Community Food Co-op in Reno, with smaller quantities going to Fallon restaurants, including Wild Horse Cafe.

Frey said his immediate goal is to continue expanding the egg operation while strengthening the farm financially after several difficult years in the hay market.

“I think we’ve got the knowledge and the capability to do it,” he said, “and we can provide some really healthy protein to the area.”

For Frey, regenerative agriculture ultimately comes down to rebuilding a closer connection between people, food and the land producing it.

“I think it’s time to get smaller, scale it down, get closer, get more intimate with our food,” he said.

While this article is not legal advice, it can offer some basic information about what happens next.

At the time of arrest, you may ask officers why you are being arrested. Keep in mind that the charges ultimately filed may change as law enforcement investigates and prosecutors review the case.

Law enforcement officers also offer some simple advice: Stay calm and be respectful. Resisting arrest can be dangerous to both you and the arresting officer, and becoming combative can turn a relatively routine arrest into a much more serious matter with additional charges.

Being arrested is only the beginning of the process and does not mean you are guilty or have been convicted. It means you have been taken into custody based on legal authority and probable cause, which requires more than a hunch or suspicion but far less than the proof needed to convict.

Following an arrest, officers will transport you to jail for booking, where detention staff will also assess whether you have medical or other special needs.

And, just like in the movies, you are allowed phone calls. Nevada law gives you the right to make a reasonable number of completed calls, including calls to family, an attorney, or a bail agent.

There is a catch: The law does not guarantee access to your cellphone, which will ordinarily be secured with your other property. Whether staff allows you to retrieve a number from it depends on the facility. So, while it may seem drastically outdated, memorizing at least one important phone number can suddenly become very useful.

If you remain in custody, detention facilities generally provide ways to communicate with family and friends, although the systems and costs vary. These may include paid phone calls, messaging, or video visitation. Family and friends may also be able to deposit money into an inmate account for commissary and other available services.

An initial bail amount can sometimes be set before you appear before a judge. In many cases, once bail is posted, you can be released, although exceptions apply, including in some domestic battery and DUI cases.

If you cannot post bail, Nevada law generally requires a pretrial release hearing within 48 hours. Weekends count; legal holidays do not.

At that hearing, the judge is not deciding whether you are guilty. The judge is deciding whether you will remain in custody or be released and, if released, under what conditions. Under the Nevada Supreme Court’s Valdez-Jimenez decision, courts must make an individualized determination, considering factors such as your ability to pay and whether less restrictive conditions can reasonably ensure your return to court and community safety.

Depending on the timing and circumstances, an arraignment may also occur – which you must attend even if you posted bail. This is when you are formally advised of the charges and called upon to enter a plea, but you do not have to enter one at that time. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may also qualify for appointed counsel.

What happens from there depends on the case and may include additional hearings, negotiations, a preliminary hearing, trial, or sentencing. Those are topics for another Civics 101.

For now, remember: An arrest begins the criminal justice process; it does not end it. You remain presumed innocent unless and until guilt is established.

In the early 20th century, Italian immigrants Edoardo and Penelope Venturacci arrived in the American West with a pocketful of dreams and the farming skills they brought with them from the old country. With the advent of desert irrigation made possible by the Reclamation Act of 1902, the Venturaccis saw an opportunity and seized it.

The U.S. government made arid land available to aspiring farmers, and the couple bought as much acreage as they could afford. Over the years, the Venturaccis became one of the best-known farming and ranching families in northern Nevada.

While much of the Venturacci land has since been sold, cattle ranching remains in the family’s blood. Two grandsons continued ranching. Jeff Venturacci recently retired, but Mark Venturacci is still going strong, albeit with some modern and innovative twists.

Since Mark’s grandparents’ time, ranching has become an even more challenging venture. It was never an easy life, but today’s ranchers must have nerves of steel backed by an unrelenting passion for their profession. They face crushing overhead costs and the substantial upfront expenses necessary to begin a new production cycle each year.

Combined with challenges brought by adverse weather and volatility in the economy, ranching is not for the faint-hearted. To succeed today, a rancher must be creative and innovative. As fate would have it, those are two qualities very much apparent in Mark Venturacci.

In recent years, larger beef producers have faced the erratic nature of the industry in a variety of ways. Venturacci beef has long been known for its quality. Committed to maintaining those standards, Mark and his wife, Cheryl, joined forces with ranchers Mike and Beth Schuler to form Venturacci Schuler Partners — VSP Beef.

The new business stepped away from the wholesale market, choosing instead to sell beef directly to consumers.

Rather than managing massive herds, VSP Beef focuses on roughly 100 select cattle each season, ensuring that customers receive high-quality, grass-finished beef. The cattle are pasture raised locally and provided with clean water, trace minerals, baled hay and high-grade silage during the winter.

Customers can purchase a whole, half or a quarter beef. Boxes of select cuts and ground beef are also available. Each order comes from a single animal rather than an assortment of cuts from multiple cattle.

And the formula appears to work. Venturacci Schuler Partners — VSP Beef — is in high demand, and the company’s product sells out each year. (vspbeef.com).

Mark’s ambition has also taken him down another related business path.

While helping a friend recover from a major illness, Mark became well acquainted with online and video livestock auctions. His friend was a sales representative for Western Video Market, one of the nation’s large cattle-marketing companies.

Mark was intrigued by the technology and the process and could immediately see its potential. When his friend retired, Mark was asked to step into the role, and he was happy to do so.

Through online communication and video, Mark now helps connect remote ranchers with buyers across the West.

Mark Venturacci is a timely example of today’s rancher. His determination reflects the generations that helped shape the western United States.

By adapting his business model to meet contemporary challenges, Mark honors the legacy of Edoardo and Penelope Venturacci not with a monument, but by carrying their work forward in a changing business environment.

That's why we're launching Ask Victory: a direct line between our project and the people of Fernley.

Starting this week, residents can submit any question about the Victory Logistics District: about traffic, water, power, jobs, timelines, tax revenue or project costs - or anything else you want to know -  through an online portal or by email at AskVictoryProject@gmail.com. We'll respond directly to everyone who writes in, and we’ll publish the most common questions and our answers, right here in the Fernley Reporter and on our Facebook page. 

We're doing this because a project this size and community importance deserves real answers, not rumors. Victory is not a single building or a single decision. It's a multi-year, multi-phase development - from the buildings already open and operating today to the employers, infrastructure, and housing still to come. It will keep evolving as new needs and new opportunities emerge. That complexity is real, and so is our responsibility to be straightforward about it, even when the honest answer is "we're still working that out."

What isn't complicated is our goal. Victory is being built to bring lasting economic opportunity to Fernley: new employers, new career paths, new local business opportunities with our workforce partnership with Western Nevada College to help make sure local residents are first in line for the jobs this project creates. Alongside that growth, we're committed to investing in the kind of infrastructure and community benefits - roads, services, retail and green space - that make Fernley a better place to live. 

None of that happens without trust, and trust starts with listening. So if you've ever wondered what's actually happening at Victory, or what it means for your street, your water bill, or your kids' future job prospects, now's the time to ask.

Submit your question by scanning the QR code below or email AskVictoryProject@gmail.com. We're listening, and we'll answer.

The team, Fernley FIRST Robotics, received its initial funding from the Microsoft Northern Nevada Community Fund, administered by ChangeX.org. Organizers are now seeking an additional $5,000 from local businesses, families and community sponsors to cover startup costs and prepare for the upcoming competition season.

A community information meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, for students, parents, prospective mentors and business sponsors to learn about the program, student opportunities and budget needs.

FIRST, an acronym for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, was founded in 1989 by Segway inventor Dean Kamen. The international youth organization hosts team-based robotics competitions designed to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

The high school program gives students hands-on experience in engineering, coding, mechanical design, electronics and project management. The team is open to students interested in building, programming, media, fundraising and business management.

Fernley FIRST Robotics is also recruiting adult volunteers for both technical and nontechnical roles. Technical mentors are needed for mechanical systems, electrical wiring, programming, computer-aided design and fabrication. Nontechnical mentors are needed to assist with fundraising, communications, photography, social media and travel planning.

Organizers said the program was inspired by successful teams in other communities, including Penguin Empire Robotics in Novato, California. The goal is to establish a sustainable, long-term STEM program for Fernley students.

Community members can support the launch by sponsoring the team, donating tools or supplies, or volunteering as mentors.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, contact Dowain Swain, computer science instructor at Fernley High School, at 775-575-3400 or dswain@lyoncsd.org.

North Lyon County Fire Protection District will join the Nevada Veterans Coalition and Lyon County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 11 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The community is invited to attend the remembrance ceremony from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at North Lyon Fire Station 61, 195 E. Main St. in Fernley.

The ceremony will honor those who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001, along with the first responders who died in the line of duty and the many acts of courage and selflessness that followed the attacks.

This week, as our community marks 25 years since that morning, The Fernley Reporter also dedicates this issue to the families whose lives were forever changed by the attacks, to the first responders who ran toward danger, and to those from across the country who answered the call to help in the days, weeks and months that followed. Pictured above: North Lyon Fire Battalion Chief Bill Snyder 

For many Americans, Sept. 11 remains more than a date in history. It is a reminder of lives lost, families altered forever, extraordinary acts of courage and the responsibility to remember what happened and those who served.

Twenty-five years later, we remember. We honor. And we will not forget.

Not necessarily good ideas — let’s not get carried away. But I have a lot of them.

I can walk from one end of the office to the other and, somewhere between the front door and the coffee pot, come up with a new publication, a podcast, a special section, a community event, a new revenue stream, and possibly an acquisition. Or four.

For about 20 minutes, every single one of them seems brilliant.

That’s my problem — ideas are a dime a dozen. Execution is not.

Every idea comes with a hidden invoice attached to it. Somebody has to build it. Somebody has to sell it. Somebody has to write it, edit it, print it, post it, invoice it, promote it, answer questions about it, and then, God help us, maintain it.

This is the part people like me tend to skip over. Everything looks good when you’re wearing these rose-colored glasses, and you can see the thing in its finished state.

What I neglect to consider very often is the living from Tuesday to Tuesday, slogging through all the implementations. Tuesdays are where ideas live or die.

It is one thing to say, “We should do a weekly video.”

But I can feel my team rolling their eyes at me — “Oh, great, there she goes again. Great.”

Who is filming it? Who is editing it? Who writes the script? Who posts it? Who watches the numbers? Who sells the sponsorship? Who makes sure we are still doing it six months from now when everybody is tired of it?

Suddenly the cute little idea has employees, and they’re still noodling that LAST great idea I had. 

I like to think that I am learning — slowly, painfully, and probably several years later than I should have — that having ideas is not really the valuable part.

The valuable part is deciding which ones deserve to live. Grow legs, so to speak. And that, for me, is a much harder job.

Bad ideas are easy; we can skip over those fairly quickly, but the good ideas are my “El Guapo.” (Movie line if you can name it!)

What I’ve learned is a good idea can still be the wrong idea right now. A good idea can take money away from a better idea, pull a good employee away from something that actually matters, and become one more half-built thing sitting around demanding attention.

And maybe worst of all, a good idea can make you feel productive while distracting you from the boring thing that actually needs to get finished.

Which stings a little.

So I have been trying to get better at asking harder questions before I chase the next shiny object. Does this make what we already do stronger? Does it solve a real problem? Will anybody pay for it? Does it help us serve people better? Does it build trust?

And the big one:

Who, exactly, is going to do it?

And that gets a pause because I am also learning that leadership is not the same thing as personally dragging every interesting idea across the finish line; sometimes it’s just saying no.

To your very own self. 

After all, a girl’s gotta know her limitations. (Another movie line if you can name it!)

So, while I practice adulting and learning (admitting) that there are limitations, we’ll always be right here…

…Keeping you Posted. 

Rach

As of the first week, there were just seven full teams in the Northern 3A.

Once again, Truckee is the team to beat, winning the first two tournaments by a comfortable margin.

At Dayton Valley on Tuesday, Sept. 9, an Arnold Palmer designed course, Truckee won with a team score of 380. Elko placed second at 415 and the Buckaroos, under the direction of second-year head coach Ty Lucas was third at 422, 40 strokes better than a year ago. 

South Tahoe (442) Spring Creek (451), Fernley (451), Debbie Smith CTE (529) and Sparks (560) completed the team scores.

Truckee’s Allison Mortimeyer was the low medalist with an impressive round of even-over par 72, followed by Elko’s Caityln Nelson (88) and Churchill County’s Riley Guererro (95) were second and third, respectfully.

Pictured right: Lowry’s Anna Haylett chips on to the seventh green during last Wednesday’s Northern 3A tournament at Winnemucca Municipal Golf Course.

Makinley Hislop, who missed out on advancing to the state tournament by one shot last year, led the Buckaroos with a 102. Freshman Hadlee Corbitt, was a shot behind her teammate at 103. Maite Bengochea (107) and Bailey Miller (110) had the final kept scores for Lowry. Savannah Ortiz carded a 114 and Anna Haylett (122). Haylett is a freshman as well. Miller is the lone senior on the squad.

Buckaroos place third on home course

The Northern 3A came back to Winnemucca on Wednesday, Sept. 3, where the scores were higher for the most part.

Truckee won with a team score of 390. Elko placed second at 406 and the Buckaroos, under the direction of second-year head coach Ty Lucas was third at 409, 53 strokes better than a year ago. 

South Tahoe (432) Spring Creek (473), Fernley (477) and Sparks (562) completed the team scores.

Truckee’s Allison Mortimeyer was the low medalist with an impressive round of 3-over par 75, followed by Elko’s Caityln Nelson and Vanna Broadbent (97) were second and third, respectfully.

Hislop and Bengochea paced the Buckaroos with rounds of 99 and Corbitt and Ortiz followed with scores of 104 and 107. Haylett and Miller each shot 118.

The Northern 3A will traveled to eastern Nevada at Spring Creek on Sept. 14, and Elko on Sept. 15, and results were not available at press time. 

The Northern 3A is still using a point system this year but in a change, there will be a regional tournament on Oct. 6, at Tahoe Donner Golf Course in Truckee.

The regional champion is guaranteed a spot in the state tournament at Ruby View Golf Course in Elko on Oct. 13-14. It is possible to take three teams but the other two have to meet the qualification rules.

Team Qualifying

The league/region champion is guaranteed a spot in the state tournament. Additional teams (up to the maximum of three) may advance to state only if they shoot a qualifying score.

3A team qualifying standard: team score average of 140-over-par per round.

Teams within the maximum allotment per league/region and that meet the qualifying standard may bring four golfers, regardless of whether or not each golfer meets the individual qualifying standard. 

A fifth and/or sixth golfer must meet the individual qualifying standard of 35-over-par per round in order to join the team at state.

Exception: If a team’s fifth golfer does not meet the individual qualifying standard, the team may bring a fifth golfer to serve ONLY as an alternate in the event one of the four team members cannot play due to injury or illness.

Individual Qualifying

This section also applies to a qualifying team’s fifth or sixth golfer.

The individual with the best (lowest) score not already on a qualifying team is guaranteed a spot in the state tournament. Additional golfers up to a maximum of six may advance to state only if they shoot a qualifying score.

3A individual qualifying standard: score average of 35-over-par per round. The cut score for qualification is 108.

Lowry’s Bailey Miller lines up a putt during her round.

All photos by Tony Erquiaga

The Lakers took possession of second place with those wins at 2-1 in league play entering this week, behind Smith Valley, which is 4-0. Sage Ridge and Mineral County are both 2-2.

After Sage Ridge won the first set, the Lakers bounced back to win the next two, then finished the match with a strong fifth set to win 22-25, 25-19, 25-9, 20-25, 15-11.

The Lakers carried that momentum to Hawthorne, where they beat the Serpents 25-16, 25-17, 25-15. The Lakers were scheduled to host Virginia City Tuesday, before hosting Carlin at 5 p.m. Thursday. Next week, they are scheduled to play at Excel Christian at 5 p.m. Sept. 22 and host Coleville at 5 p.m. Sept. 24.

Football

The Lakers’ football team suffered a tough loss, 60-6, at Hawthorne. After a close first quarter ended with Hawthorne up 14-6, the Serpents scored 32 points in the second quarter to take control.

Pyramid Lake is scheduled to host Carlin this Thursday at 7 p.m. 

Cross country

Pyramid Lake sent two runners to the 3^rd Annual Cross Country@ The Ranch Twilight Invitational at Damonte Ranch, and got a strong performance out of freshman Jayar Chavez in the boys varsity race. Chavez finished 17^th with a time of 18:51.79. Junior John Kelly also ran well, finishing 35^th with his time of 21:02.24.

This week the Lakers are scheduled to run in the Battle of the Rattle 5K race on Saturday at Rattlesnake Mountain in Reno.

The Vaqueros won two crossover matches last week, beating South Tahoe 16-25, 27-25, 14-25, 25-17, 15-3 on Sept. 8, then winning in three sets over Incline on Sept. 9, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23.

Coach Diane Chain said the Vaqueros played well in both matches and that the work the team has emphasized in practice is beginning to show more consistently.

“The things we are focusing on in practice are starting to show more consistently in each set,” Chapin said. “I felt we greatly improved in our service game and our offense gets better each match.” 

Chapin said outside hitters Emma Masters and Trista Menesini were strong in both matches with Menesini leading the way with 5 kills in each match. Defensively Jocelyn Escartin had 17 digs against South Tahoe, and Grace Chapin and Leah Holmes “are playing tough at the net,” she said.

The Vaqueros were scheduled to host Sparks in their final crossover match Wednesday, and open league play against Lowry at 6 p.m. Friday. Next week they host Smith Valley in a nonleague match at 6 p.m. Tuesday, then travel to Elko at 6 p.m. Friday and Spring Creek at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Fernley girls team hosts Lowry at 11:45 a.m. Saturday to start league play. 

After losing 3-0 to Truckee on Sept. 9, the Vaqueros entered this week with a 4-5 overall record, and they were scheduled to host North Tahoe Wednesday in their final scheduled Northern 3A crossover game against West Division teams. It’s uncertain whether an August 24 game against Wooster that was cancelled because Washoe County schools were closed that day due the Hawk Fire will be reschedules. 

Against Truckee last Wednesday, the Vaqueros put up a strong defensive front, led by goalie Lilliana Perez, who made 21 saves. Paige McCallum made two saves and Sophie Mossner had one in their time in the net. 

Boys soccer

The Fernley boys soccer lost 12-0 to Truckee on Sept, 9, and 3-0 to North Tahoe on Sept. 12.

The Vaqueros have had a rough beginning to the season, with an 0-9 record and have been outscored 53-0. They open league play Friday at Elko at 4:45 p.m. and play Saturday at West Wendover at 11:45 a.m.

The Vaqueros tied Spring Creek for fifth place at Dayton in the first meet of the season on Sept. 8 with a team score of 451 but were nine strokes out of fourth place and 29 away from third in their opening meet.

Hailey Hall and Isabella Martinez each shot 109, Brylee Harry posted a 113 and Scarlet Garvin added a 120 as the team’s scoring four. Kaia Ressler finished at 124 and Remmi Dunn carded a 129.

The next day at Lowry, Fernley’s team score of 477 placed them sixth. Hall led with a 114, followed by Harry 117, Ressler at 122 and Garvin at 124. Martinez shot 126 and Ainsley Blackorby finished with a 134.

Coach Brian O’Neill said the opening stretch showed how small mistakes can change a round.

“The girls realized that minimizing the big mistake can have such an impact on your score and approach to the next hole,” O’Neill said. “With an end of the season state qualifier, it’s about getting better each time out and peaking at the end of the year.”

This week the Vaqueros were scheduled to play in Northern 3A meets Monday in Spring Creek and Tuesday in Elko. Next week they will play in Fallon on Monday and host the league meet at the Golf Club at Fernley on Tuesday.

Five costly turnovers doomed the Fernley High School football team last Friday, overshadowing a resilient defensive effort in a narrow 19-16 loss to South Tahoe.

With the help of those five Fernley turnovers, South Tahoe’s defense held the Vaqueros to 165 total yards, limiting Fernley to just 30 total offensive plays, compared to South Tahoe’s 60, allowing the Vikings to control the clock and keep the Fernley offense sidelined.

The missteps started on the first offensive play of the game, when South Tahoe’s Max McLean intercepted a pass at his own 3-yard line.

That seemed harmless enough two plays later, when Isaid Solis tackled Eli Letton in the end zone for a safety to put the Vaqueros up 2-0.

Two possessions later, quarterback Elijah Devold ran 32 yards for a touchdown with 5:55 left in the first quarter, giving the Vaqueros a 9-0 lead.

South Tahoe turned Fernley’s second turnover, a fumble at its own 37-yard line, into a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jonah Benavidez to Spencer Chen with 1:25 left in the second quarter.

Another fumble gave the Vikings the ball right back on the Fernley 11-yard line, but a delay of game penalty put the Vikings behind the chains and the Vaqueros were able to get a stop on fourth down to preserve their lead.

Letton’s 5-yard touchdown run with 4:00 left in the third quarter gave the Vikings their first lead at 12-9. Pictured above: Fernley linebacker Isaid Solis deflects a South Tahoe pass during the Vaqueros game against South Tahoe last Friday. 

Fernley fumbled and went three-and-out on its next two possessions, but the defense came up big both times with third-down sacks. When Jayden Esparza followed up a 47-yard pass from Eli Devold to Jayse Jones by breaking free for a 24-yard touchdown to put Fernley back on top 16-12 with 8:28 left in the game, it seemed the Vaqueros might weather the storm. 

Then, after yet another defensive stop, the Vaqueros got the ball back at their own 19-yard line with about 6:30 left in the game, following a South Tahoe punt.

But the runover bug bit again. A fumble gave the Vikings the ball at the Fernley 20-yard line, and on 4^th-and-15, Benavidez connected with Karter Mapes for thew winning touchdown with 4:30 left in the game.

The loss drops the Vaqueros to 2-3 overall, but more importantly 1-2 and in a tie with Dayton for sixth place in the Northern 3A. Vaqueros face a tough challenge as they try to bounce back this week, traveling to Spring Creek,     where they have lost in their last four trips. They beat the Spartans 38-14 at home last year.                       

Spring Creek is 3-1 overall, 1-1 in the Northern 3A, with a 58-0 win over Sparks and a 35-18 loss to Truckee last week.

Pictured below: Fernley quarterback Elijah Devold throws a pass during the Vaqueros game against South Tahoe last Friday.

All photos by John Baker

Fernley’s top finishes came from Cael Wilson’s 11th‑place finish in the varsity boys race and Ayden Johnson’s 13th‑place finish in the freshman boys division.

Wilson led the Vaqueros in the 3.3‑mile varsity boys race, placing 11th in 22:28, the top overall finish for Fernley on the day. Daniel Hiles finished 54th in 26:33.

In the 2.8‑mile freshman boys race, Johnson placed 13th in 22:33, giving Fernley its second top‑15 result. Parker Johnson finished 34th in 28:34.

“The kids ran well given the heavy legs,” coach Kristian Slater said. “We were able to get a couple of medals on the boys side with Ayden Johnson in the freshman race and Cael Wilson in the varsity race.”

Fernley’s sophomore boys also ran well in the 2.8‑mile race. Mason Varner placed 23rd in 24:38, Addison Davis finished 27th in 24:58, and Cameron Farr placed 39th in 29:21.

In the varsity girls 3.3‑mile race, Regan Scott led Fernley with a 36th‑place finish in 32:20. JoJo Cardinal placed 47th in 33:52, Wynter Angus finished 58th in 35:19, and Kaylee Nicolas placed 72nd in 39:22.

“We will look to continue our training through the next couple of the weeks and will be racing on heavy legs,” Slater said. “Training is going well and we will look to be getting ready for our first set of 5ks coming soon.”

Next up for the Vaqueros is the Silver State 3K in Boulder City this Saturday.

The Executive Director Search Subcommittee on Sept. 3 chose Todd Cutler, Dennis Holmes and Cate Sgroi as the three finalists from a field of six candidates.

The Board of Control is scheduled to hold its Fall 2026 meeting Sept. 22-23 at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. The agenda states that item 23 to select a new executive director on the second day of the meeting, Sept. 23.

The NIAA began searching for a new executive director following the resignation of Timothy Jackson effective Aug. 1. Jackson held the position for just two years after replacing Donnie Nelson. He previously served as the director of athletics for the Clark County School District and athletic director at Durango High School. 

The Executive Director Search Subcommittee is comprised of Alex Woodley of Reno, a member of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees; Gregg Malkovich of Fallon, a member of the Churchill County School District Board of Trustees; and Colin McNaught of Las Vegas, the principal at Cimarron-Memorial High School.

Six candidates for the position were considered by the subcommittee, which met Sept. 3 and narrowed the field to three finalists.

Todd Cutler is the Superintendent of Lake Tahoe Unified School District. He began his career in education in 1993 in Douglas County and served as an assistant football and wrestling coach. From 1995-98 he taught and coached at Clark High School in Las Vegas. He served as principal and assistant principal in Virginia City and Fernley, as a school improvement analyst/administrative coach at the Western Nevada Regional Training Program and has served as superintendent in four school districts in California. He has been superintendent of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District since 2020. He was elected mayor of Fernley in 2006 and served until 2009, when he became superintendent of the Lassen Union High School District in Susanville.

Holmes is the Superintendent of the Pershing County School District. He began his career as a teacher in Billings, MT in 1990, became an assistant principal in 2002 and was principal of Billings Senior High School from 2006-2016. He also served as principal in Gillette, WY from 2016-2018, and was an associate superintendent in Wyoming from 2018-2023, assistant principal at Centennial High School in Las Vegas in 2024. Has served as superintendent in Pershing County since 2024 and is currently the superintendent liaison to the NIAA.

Sgroi has been an NIAA assistant director since July 2024. She worked in the Clark County School District from 2013-2024 as a biology teacher, coach, athletic director, student success instructional facilitator, and assistant principal at Sierra Vista High School, then in 2022 became Secondary Student Athletics Office Director for CCSD.

Robert 

If you want a masterclass in humility, try predicting the actions of 18-22-year-olds on a football field. Last week’s slate was a reminder that the football gods have a wicked sense of humor. 

It’s nearly impossible in college football to blow a 10-point second-half lead in a game where you run the ball 50 times for 289 yards, especially when you add in 192 yards passing. But that’s exactly what Texas St. did, mainly by turning the ball over three times, plus a failed 4^th-and-2, which is essentially a turnover, and allowing three long touchdown drives, including the 82-yard game-winning drive in the last four minutes of the game. 

Three weeks in a row I’ve lost a game like that, where the mathematical odds of losing either one of them based on the game flow or the box score were no higher than the low teens. 

But the beauty of a new week is a clean ledger. We are throwing out the panic buttons, ignoring the talk-show overreactions, and diving right back into the fire. Here is this week’s plan to get back in the black.

Virginia Tech (-3) at Maryland: As I mentioned last week in picking Maryland over UConn, the Terrapins under Mike Locksley have been a great bully when favored against outmanned teams but haven’t responded well at all against the better teams. Now here come the Hokies with their new coach James Franklin, who was an assistant along with Locksley at Maryland in the early 2000s. There have been reports through the years that they have a contentious relationship, including a confrontation on the field after a game in 2024 when Locksley took exception to Penn St. running up the score against his Terrapins. Best believe that if Franklin gets the chance, he’ll do it again.

East Carolina (+3) at Old Dominion: East Carolina has a Power 4-type fan base that is upset and embarrassed by last week’s loss at home to Appalachian St. ECU has been resilient the last two-and-a-half years under coach Blake Harrell, and at 0-2 they will play with purpose to keep the season from getting away from them.

Clemson (-3) over North Carolina: I fully acknowledge that Clemson is not what it was just a few years ago and probably isn’t going to get back to that under Dabo Swinney. I also don’t believe North Carolina’s win against a mistake-prone TCU or outmanned East Tennessee St. means they have gotten past all the dysfunction. Especially now that Tait Reynolds is starting at QB, think Clemson is still the better team, and will find a way to gut this one out.

Panthers (-2 ½) at Falcons: Yep, I really am laying points on the road with a team that gave up 59 points last week and has lost outright the last nine times they’ve been favored. The Panthers had 486 yards of offense and scored 37 points last week and still lost by 22. But the Falcons don’t know who is going to play quarterback, and even if they do and just aren’t saying, none of their options are good. That’s just what the doctor ordered for a defense that’s looking to atone for being embarrassed the way they were last week.

Patriots (-5) over Steelers:  Speaking of bouncing back, that’s exactly what I expect Drake Maye to do after his three interceptions in the Wednesday night opener last week against the Seahawks, including the horrible decision on the last one when his team was in position to kick a field goal and go to overtime.  

Broncos (-2 ½) over Jaguars: Another team looking to bounce back after being embarrassed is the Broncos. That game Monday night against the Chiefs was over when Bo Nix got sacked on 2nd-and-goal from the 9 with about 8:00 left in the third quarter. Even though they made a field goal to cut the lead to 24-10, not getting a touchdown there was the end. The Jaguars dominated the Browns, but now they’re going to face a different kind of challenge here, and the Broncos will get revenge for last year’s home loss to the Jags.

Last week

College: 1-2

NFL: 1-2

Season

College: 4-5 

NFL: 1-2

Tony

My humble partner in crime pretty much explained everything. Perhaps swimming with sharks (FYI: I never learned how to swim) or blindfolded darts would be easier than picking college football games.

Dear Oklahoma, WTF??? Thanks for nothing.

After three weeks, of college betting, I have learned nothing or know nothing. My great niece tells me that all the time. Yup, she’s right.

My NFL picks actually went to 2-1.

Here is to a new weekend of games and hopefully I stay Freezing Cold Takes.

North Texas (+2.5) at Texas State: I am not sure about this point spread; it is a strange one. Apparently, North Texas gets no respect for taking UNLV behind the woodshed and beating their butt. Texas State is 0-2 and has joined the new Pac 12. North Texas played somewhat close with Indiana. Meanwhile, Texas State lost to Texas and a last-second loss to UTSA. Perhaps I am not giving Texas State enough credit and over hyping the Mean Green. North Texas 37, Texas State 35

Florida at Auburn (+2.5): This is another line that looks strange to me but like I said, what do I know. Florida is on the road for the first time and has played nobody in Florida Atlantic and Campbell. The Gators past has not been the best. Auburn held on for a 17-16 win over Baylor to begin the season. This is certainly a step up in class for both squads, and the Gators having to play in a venue like Auburn’s is very unsettling, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Until Florida can prove it, I’ll take Auburn. Auburn 31, Florida 20.

 Montana (+17.5) at Oregon State: My upset special right here. My 5-star bet the mortgage. Please don’t. Please. There is not much difference between the new Pac 12, Mountain West and the Big Sky Conference. Even though Montana is an FCS school and a member of the Big Sky; the Grizzlies are a hell of a team. Montana State showed that last week at Nevada. Montana goes in and wins outright. Montana 30, Oregon State 24.

Vikings at Bears (-4.5): It is overreaction time in week 2 and I am sticking with the Bears. Are they going to score 59 points again, probably not. That is safe to say. Sorry Vikings fans, I don’t trust Carson Wentz. The Bears defense is better than what they showed in week 1. The Bears play with a decent amount of pace, and they’re explosive. Caleb Williams averaged 12.4 yards per completion last week, which could even improve against a Vikings secondary that just gave up 16.8 to Jordan Love – the second-highest mark in the NFL behind Lamar Jackson’s performance against the Colts. Bears 31, Vikings 13

Eagles (-6.5) at Titans: Tennessee lost 23-10 to the hapless J E T S in week 1 and looked horrible. Robert Saleh was facing a team that fired him and could not get his Titans up to play. Philadelphia had a tough matchup with Wahington and squeaked by. The Titans’ Cam Ward is in for a long day. Eagles 28, Titans 6

Jaguars (+2.5) at Broncos: Is Davis Webb still calling plays for Denver? Asking for a friend. It could not have gone worse for the Broncos in week 1 in Kansas City. I don’t think it gets any better on Sunday. Trevor Lawerence and the Jags come back into Denver and send Bronco fans into a panic. Jaguars 27, Denver 23

Last week

College: 1-2

NFL: 2-1

Season

College: 3-6

NFL: 2-1

Nevada was built on booms—and scarred by busts. Gold and silver created fortunes, fueled growth, and built communities across our state. But when the ore ran out, prosperity often vanished, leaving ghost towns as reminders of how quickly a boom can fade.

Now lithium and a new generation of critical-mineral projects give us a chance to do something different: ensure this boom continues helping Nevadans long after the mines stop producing.

Thacker Pass, now under construction in Humboldt County, is poised to become the centerpiece of America’s domestic lithium industry. Lithium Americas has outlined expansion potential to 160,000 tons of annual lithium carbonate production.

And Thacker Pass may only be the beginning. If other proposed lithium and critical-mineral projects move forward, Nevada could be at the start of a mining boom unlike anything the state has seen in decades.

That’s on top of the hundreds of millions Nevada has collected from taxpayers in recent years beyond what the state needs to fund government.

So what should Nevada do with the money?

If I’m elected Nevada State Treasurer, I’ll propose creating a Permanent Fund using a share of the new revenue generated by Nevada’s mineral boom, along with half of the surplus revenues collected in good years. My plan would eliminate the state’s 23-cent-per-gallon gas tax while keeping our roads fully funded.

Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming, and New Mexico have all used natural-resource revenue to build permanent investment funds. Nevada should do the same.

The gas tax was designed for a different time. Cars are more fuel efficient, more people work from home, and electric vehicles use the roads without paying fuel taxes. Revenues from Nevada’s gas tax are beginning to decline while the cost of building and maintaining roads keeps rising.

We should overhaul how we fund our roads before we’re forced to choose between higher taxes and crumbling infrastructure.

The Nevadans hit hardest by the gas tax are those who have no choice but to drive—the construction worker heading to a job site, the casino employee commuting across town, or the family that can’t afford a newer car.

This policy would eliminate the full 23-cent state gas tax, saving a typical family about $230 a year. The federal gas tax and other county fuel taxes are not part of the proposal.

And the Permanent Fund would be built responsibly.

Half of future state budget surpluses would go into the fund—but only after maintaining mandatory reserves and making required Rainy Day Fund transfers.

My plan also would not raise Nevada’s mining tax. The Nevada Constitution caps taxes on net mineral proceeds at 5 percent, and my proposal leaves that rate unchanged. Existing commitments to local governments and education would be protected.

The fund would receive roughly 45% of new mining-tax revenue generated by future lithium and critical-mineral development, along with half of future state budget surpluses.

We would also honor Nevada’s existing highway debt. Some highway bonds are written to rely on fuel-tax revenue, so we would pay off, refinance, or restructure any affected bonds before the tax disappears.

At current revenue levels, replacing the full state gas tax means replacing roughly $270 million a year for state and local roads.

The goal is to build roughly $6 billion in Permanent Fund and reserve assets—enough, at a 5 percent annual returns, to replace that revenue while maintaining a cushion for lean years.

That won’t happen overnight. If Nevada continues producing substantial budget surpluses, planned mineral projects come online, and long-term investments perform as expected, building the fund will take about 10 to 12 years.

Then the gas tax goes away.

The result would be a permanent tax cut for Nevada drivers and a more reliable way to fund our roads and highways.

As Treasurer, I will safeguard Nevada’s money, manage investments responsibly, return unclaimed property faster, save our nearly bankrupt Millennium Scholarship program, and serve as a watchdog for taxpayers.

But I will also fight to do something government almost never does: turn a temporary windfall into a permanent benefit.

The minerals will eventually run out.

But the benefits they create for Nevada don’t have to.

Drew Johnson is a fiscal policy expert and government watchdog who is the Republican nominee for Nevada State Treasurer. To learn more about Drew’s plan to eliminate the Nevada gas tax, visit DrewforNevada.com.

Silver Stage won the first, third and fifth sets to earn the win, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 15-25, 15-9.

Priscilla Hesselguesser had seven kills for the Nighthawks, Noelani Puaauli added five  and Brooke Lehman and Lauren Broughton each had four. Joselyn Fayaud and Robin Smith each made 11 digs and Smith added 21 assists.

This week the Nighthawks were scheduled to play at Oasis Academy on Wednesday. Saturday they travel to North Tahoe for a match at noon.

considered by law to be public information.                    

All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Jason Locke 

Area: Silver Springs

Bail: $1,370 

Charges: Failure to appear on traffic citation

Sandra Curtis 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $5,640 

Charges: Drive with suspended driver’s license; Failure to appear after bail, felony crime; Failure to appear after bail, misdemeanor crime

Latricia Dean 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $7,500 

Charges: Obtain/possess credit/debit card without cardholder’s consent; Criminal contempt – failure to obey court order

Michelle McIver 

Area: LYSO 

Bail: $0 

Charges: Failure to appear after bail, felony crime

Marcello Castaneda Pacheco 

Area: Dayton 

Bail: $2,440 

Charges: DUI (1st); Driver disobey peace officer; Basic speed – 21–30 mph over posted limit; Open alcohol container in vehicle

Trever Poppett 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $20,645 

Charges: DUI (1st); Possess/sell/transfer/receive firearm without serial number (1st); Open alcohol container in vehicle; Possess/consume marijuana in public place/store/vehicle; Use/possess drug paraphernalia; Duties of driver upon approaching any traffic incident

Matthew Bryant 

Area: LYSO 

Bail: $10,000 

Charges: Criminal contempt – failure to obey court order; Failure to appear after bail, felony crime

Daniel Morse 

Area: LYSO 

Bail: $3,140 

Charges: FTA after bail, misdemeanor crime

Nathan Larsen 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $12,560 

Charges: Domestic battery (1st); Violation of domestic violence TPO

Jordan Johnson Kowallek 

Area: Dayton

Bail: $220,000 

Charges: Promote sexual performance of minor under 14; Lewdness by person over 18 with child under 14; Possess visual presentation of person under 16 (1st)

Angel Rodriguez 

Area: Fernley 

Bail: $7,420 

Charges: Domestic battery (1st); Violation of domestic violence EPO (1st); Resist public officer

Conner Christian 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $6,895 

Charges: Use/possess drug paraphernalia; Drive with suspended driver’s license; Display fictitious vehicle registration/plate/title; Obtain/possess credit/debit card without cardholder’s consent

Katrina Whitaker 

Area: Silver Springs

Bail: $5,000 

Charges: Residential burglary (1st)

Cristian Castaneda‑Hansen 

Area: Dayton

Bail: $755 

Charges: Drive with revoked driver’s license; Operate vehicle with expired registration/plates

Anthony Trulson 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $1,750 

Charges: Criminal contempt – failure to obey court order

Christopher Young 

Area: Dayton

Bail: $3,140 

Charges: Domestic battery (1st)

Charles Simons 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $5,920 

Charges: Possess Schedule I/II controlled substance under 14 grams (1st or 2nd); DUI (1st); Duty upon damaging unattended vehicle/property; Use/possess drug paraphernalia

Jamie Sperry 

Area: Fernley

Bail: $415 

Charges: Failure to appear on traffic citation

Alexys Acuna 

Area: LYSO 

Bail: $0 

Charges: Court commitment

Lee Peterson 

Area: Dayton

Bail: $1,085 

Charges: Reckless driving – disregard person/property safety (1st); 30–40 mph over posted limit in enhanced penalty/school zone

Steven Segovia 

Area: LYSO 

Bail: $1,450 

Charges: Failure to appear on traffic citation

The permit allows Premier Design Build Group to complete tenant improvements inside an existing warehouse at 1740 N. Nevada Pacific Parkway. About 28,500 square feet will eventually be converted into classrooms, instructional laboratories, offices, conference rooms, student support areas and other educational space. 

City staff said the center is intended to provide workforce development, vocational education, safety training, technical instruction and academic programs supporting employers in Victory Logistics and elsewhere in northern Nevada. Staff found the project consistent with the city’s master plan and surrounding industrial uses and recommended approval. 

Jackson Grout of Mark IV Capital told commissioners that Western Nevada College remains the intended tenant and that the buildout will occur in phases.

The first phase will retain more of the warehouse’s open configuration, with electrical drops, access improvements and training cages for light assembly and electrical instruction. Later phases would build out the rest of the classroom and laboratory space. 

The project is being supported by several grants.

Grout said $1 million in federal grant funding has been released and another $9 million is being targeted for next year, although he said securing that future funding will remain a challenge. 

Western Nevada College Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Dana Ryan said the college also has a $1.8 million grant supporting the project, along with three additional grants totaling about $4.5 million for the buildout.

Ryan said the college hopes to establish the Fernley program within the next two years.

“We are just really committed to being in Fernley to provide the training that's needed for the economic welfare of this community and surrounding communities,” Ryan said. 

Courses could eventually include electrical work, manufacturing, HVAC, welding and other skilled trades. Ryan said WNC is already partnering with the Lyon County School District to offer welding instruction in Fernley.

“It’s really technical skilled-trades kind of programs,” she said. 

Commissioners also questioned who would attend the center and whether the program could create additional demand for temporary housing in Fernley.

Commissioner Julianne White asked whether the college primarily expected local students or whether the center could attract large numbers of out-of-area workers.

“Is there any chance that it's like every union worker east of the Mississippi needs to come take an electrical course and so then we have like these short-term classes that then require short-term housing for people that we don't already have?” White asked. 

Ryan said that is not how the college envisions the center operating.

“This is regular college classes for regular people,” she said, noting that out-of-state students pay higher tuition. “So, this is truly for residents of our region.” 

Vice Chair Jenni McCuller also asked whether the facility would essentially be an electrical college. Ryan explained that electrical training would be only one part of a broader technical education program that could also include manufacturing, HVAC and welding. 

No members of the public spoke against the application.

Commissioner Angela Lewis moved to approve the conditional use permit with the 12 conditions recommended by city staff. McCuller seconded the motion.

The commission approved the permit 7-0, with White casting what was described during the meeting as an “enthusiastic yes.” 

The commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of Bill 377, which would revise Fernley’s adjacency standards governing how new development transitions next to existing neighborhoods and lower-intensity land uses. 

City staff said the existing rules have created confusion for developers, residents and regulators and do not always adequately address conflicts between new development and established neighborhoods. The proposed changes are intended to make the rules clearer while providing more specific standards for setbacks, buffering and impacts from more intensive development. 

The Planning Commission previously recommended an earlier version of the ordinance in March, but the City Council raised additional concerns and did not adopt it. Staff revised the proposal before bringing it back to the commission. 

One of the biggest changes involves development adjacent to Fernley’s larger rural residential properties.

Under the revised proposal, new subdivisions next to property zoned GR20 or RR5 would be required to provide half-acre transitional lots along the shared boundary. Developers would no longer be able to substitute a landscaped buffer for those transitional lots. Properties adjoining RR1 and RR½ zoning would retain the option of using either transitional lots or approved buffering. 

The revised ordinance also strengthens requirements for maintaining buffer areas. Responsibility would remain attached to the land, and homeowners associations, landscape maintenance districts or other entities responsible for buffers could not simply dissolve without another approved entity assuming responsibility. 

Other changes expand the city’s ability to consider noise, odor, vibration, glare, smoke and dust when reviewing development. Industrial projects near homes, schools, parks or other sensitive uses could also face additional requirements addressing hazardous materials, truck traffic, emergency access and other operational impacts. 

The ordinance now moves back to the City Council for consideration.

Later in the meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a conditional use permit allowing Clean Earth Environmental Solutions to expand its existing hazardous-waste processing and recycling facility at 2095 E. Newlands Drive.

The permit allows construction of a new 9,569-square-foot building containing an aerosol processing unit. The facility will include space for receiving and staging aerosol cans, magnetic sorting, a packing line, storage of waste liquids and equipment used to crush and process the containers. 

Clean Earth has operated at the Fernley site since acquiring the facility, while waste-management operations at the location date to 1986. The existing facility processes both hazardous and non-hazardous organic and inorganic waste. 

During questioning, Commissioner Cody Wagner raised concerns about the facility’s regulatory history and referenced a 2011 federal hazardous-waste enforcement action involving a $79,500 fine.

A company representative said the violation occurred under previous ownership, before Clean Earth acquired the facility. 

Lisa Warner, associate planner said the expansion complies with the industrial zoning designation and surrounding land uses and recommended approval subject to 30 conditions. Those include compliance with city development requirements, North Lyon County Fire Protection District standards and applicable state and federal environmental regulations. 

The commission approved the permit 7-0. 

The draft corridor plan presented to the Fernley Planning Commission Sept. 9 identifies a series of major road and intersection projects intended to reduce congestion, improve safety and prepare the city for continued growth.

Consultants from Wood Rodgers told commissioners the planning effort produced Fernley’s first comprehensive traffic model, built from the Regional Transportation Commission’s existing regional model and calibrated with the Nevada Department of Transportation. Unlike a conventional traffic study focused on one project or intersection, the model allows planners to test how growth and new road connections affect the entire city network. 

The model looked at two growth scenarios: Fernley doubling in population over roughly the next two decades and a higher-growth scenario in which the city triples. Planners based their recommendations on the more moderate assumption that Fernley will double. 

Without significant road improvements, consultants said congestion would worsen at several already-troubled locations, including U.S. 95 and Cottonwood Lane, Farm District Road and U.S. 95, the roundabout and intersections leading toward Interstate 80.

Some planned development projects, however, could provide significant relief.

The Nevada Pacific Parkway extension is expected to reduce traffic through the roundabout, while a future Miller Lane/Truckee Lane connection through Red Hawk Ranch could pull traffic away from U.S. 95 and surrounding side streets. 

Consultants also tested several other potential road connections suggested during the planning process.

A future Wadsworth connection could benefit development in Fernley’s southwest area, while extending Cottonwood Lane to Miller Lane was identified as a project that could provide more immediate relief by creating another route toward the Red Hawk connection.

A proposal to extend U.S. 95A north to Interstate 80 with a new interchange provided some traffic benefit in the model, but consultants said the improvement was relatively small compared with the cost of acquiring right of way and building a new interstate connection. The project was not recommended as a priority. 

Several existing roads would ultimately need major widening if growth continues as projected.

The plan recommends widening U.S. 95A to four lanes from Fernley High School to Shadow Lane; widening Main Street to four lanes from Truckee Lane to Interstate 80 at Exit 46; widening Farm District Road to four lanes between Shadow Lane and the roundabout; and eventually widening the Exit 48 area with additional lanes, turn controls and intersection improvements. 

The railroad undercrossing on Main Street — commonly known as the “mouse hole” — remains one of the most difficult pieces of the system.

Consultants said widening Main Street would eventually require widening the Union Pacific undercrossing, a costly and lengthy project because of railroad coordination, environmental work and construction requirements. They recommended beginning that planning process early because the narrow crossing will increasingly become a barrier as Fernley grows. 

Intersection improvements are also included throughout the plan.

U.S. 95 and Cottonwood Lane emerged as one of the highest priorities, along with Fremont Street and Chisholm Trail. The existing roundabout is expected to provide adequate service in the near term, particularly after the Nevada Pacific Parkway extension is completed, but planners said it will eventually need to be converted to a multilane roundabout as traffic increases. 

The plan also recommends controlled intersections at both ends of Cottonwood Lane, additional turn lanes between the roundabout and Interstate 80, and improved turning movements for trucks at Main Street and U.S. 95A. 

Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is included as well. Consultants said proposed widening projects would incorporate shared-use paths, sidewalks and bike lanes, with an emphasis on filling gaps in Fernley’s existing network. 

Commissioner Cody Wagner specifically raised concerns about speeds near Fernley High School and suggested reducing the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph in front of the school and to 35 mph approaching the Cottonwood intersection.

He also questioned the ranking of the Pilot Road/Main Street intersection, saying poor visibility and truck traffic make the area more dangerous than its placement on the priority list suggests. 

The plan does not come with construction funding.

Consultants said it is intended to serve as a guide for the city and NDOT as projects compete for state transportation funding, grants, development contributions and potentially future impact-fee revenue. Priorities could change depending on funding availability and which developments move forward first. 

The draft recommendations will also be presented to the City Council. Consultants said they will incorporate feedback from the Planning Commission, council and city staff before releasing a final document around late September or early October. The plan will then return to the council for adoption.

The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon, or until collection bins are full, at Out of Town Park, located on the 6-acre lot behind the Rodeo Grounds.

Residents can bring a variety of recyclable and disposable items, including large trash and debris, bicycles, one large appliance per household, computers and electronics, batteries, tires, green waste, cardboard and limited amounts of household hazardous materials such as paint and oil.

Items that will not be accepted include asbestos or asbestos-related materials, radioactive smoke detectors, mercury and CRT televisions or tube TVs.

The event is being supported by H&R Environmental Services, Redwood Materials and Waste Management.

Volunteers and donations are also needed. Organizers are seeking bottled water, work gloves, lunch items and monetary donations to help cover recycling bins and volunteer supplies.

For questions or additional information, contact April Homme at ahomme@cityoffernley.org or 775-784-9858.

The commission tabled Mark IV Capital’s conditional use permit until its October meeting, citing a pending Nevada Commission on Ethics opinion involving Commissioner Cody Wagner and a desire for additional public discussion of the project.

The proposed Victory Power facility would generate up to 324 megawatts of electricity on approximately 109 acres east of Interstate 80. The project would initially occupy about 50 acres and include up to 36 natural gas generation units, with no more than 29 operating at one time. 

City planning staff told commissioners the project complies with the city’s industrial zoning and comprehensive plan and that required findings for approval could be made. Staff recommended approval subject to a series of conditions addressing noise, stack height, environmental review, emergency response and state permitting requirements. 

Mark IV representatives said the privately financed project is intended to provide power for industrial development in the Victory Logistics District, including data centers and advanced manufacturing businesses that require considerably more electricity than is currently available.

During questioning, company representatives said potential users have sought between 415 and 440 megawatts of power, although not all of those companies are committed to Fernley. Mark IV representatives said some prospective businesses have already gone elsewhere because sufficient power could not be provided quickly enough. 

The company said the plant would employ approximately 30 people once operational and more than 100 workers at various stages of construction. Because the proposed turbines are air cooled, Mark IV representatives estimated the project would use about half an acre-foot of water per year, primarily for offices and landscaping.

The company is seeking a three-year approval period rather than the city's standard one-year CUP expiration period. Representatives said the project is expected to take until early 2029 to construct and commission, in part because the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection air-quality permitting process is expected to take roughly a year.

The applicant also presented a fiscal impact analysis projecting approximately $63.6 million in general fund benefit to the city over 20 years. About $43 million of that projection is tied to a proposed franchise fee associated with a Fernley power district or similar arrangement that has not yet been established. 

Before Mark IV's presentation began, Wagner disclosed that the company had formally requested his recusal from matters involving the power plant and Victory Logistics.

Wagner said the company's letter alleged a pattern of prejudgment and advocacy against the project. He said he requested an advisory opinion from the Nevada Commission on Ethics Aug. 5, was asked to provide additional information Aug. 26 and submitted that material Sept. 2.

Wagner said the Ethics Commission notified him shortly before the meeting that it would not issue an opinion in time for the hearing. 

Wagner cited a prior Ethics Commission opinion involving another public official and said he believes the commission will find that a public official is not prohibited from voting solely because of opinions previously expressed.

“If a vote is held tonight, particularly on item 3.1, I will plan to participate,” Wagner said.

However, Wagner also recommended delaying the matter until the Ethics Commission issues its opinion.

“I will not be bullied or intimidated out of participating or voting on an item with this amount of importance to Fernley's future,” Wagner said, adding that he remained committed to the applicant's due-process rights. 

Later in the hearing, Wagner expressed concern that relatively few residents were present.

“I am shocked there's about 10 residents here, if not less,” he said. “I worry that our population just does not know the impact of what we're about to vote on tonight.” 

Vice Chair Jenni McCullar ultimately moved to table the application for two reasons: to await an answer concerning Wagner's ethics inquiry and to allow another public workshop on the power plant.

McCullar said she would like residents to hear from an outside or “nonbiased” party who could discuss the impacts of a similar project in another community. Commissioner Julianne White seconded the motion. 

Wagner, Angela Lewis, McCullar, Chairwoman Tessa Garvin and White voted to table the permit. Commissioners Jake VanderHeiden and Barry Williams Sr. voted against the delay. 

Near the end of the meeting, Wagner again called for a well-publicized public workshop, saying he wanted more information about the community's views before making a decision.

City Chief Development Officer Michelle Rambo responded that Mark IV had already held two “very well publicized” open houses and that the city had completed the public notification required by Nevada law, including notifying property owners beyond the minimum required area.

Rambo said another public hearing or open house is not required by the city.

“I don't know who's going to hold this public hearing or this public open house because it's not a requirement of the city,” she said. 

Wagner then offered to organize the additional meeting himself. Garvin responded that planning commissioners should not be involved in organizing it, and Wagner withdrew the offer.

The conditional use permit is expected to be returned to the Planning Commission in October.

Two people were arrested Wednesday on drug charges following an investigation into a report of illegal drugs, firearms and evidence related to a possible homicide.

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said the SWAT team and Crisis Negotiation Team were called to the scene and a search warrant executed for the home in Villa Mobile Home Park in Fernley.

Two people were inside the home and during the operation, LCSO said detectives found evidence of illegal drug sales, firearms and drug paraphernalia in the home. Despite the initial information detectives were given, they determined the report of a homicide was unfounded.

The occupant ants of the home, Kody Gitthens, 29, and Emma Burns, 19, both of Fernley, were booked into the Lyon County Jail. LCSO said detectives were still reviewing evidence and had not determined the final list of charges as of Wednesday.