Updated 11:30 p.m.

Mayor

Neal McIntyre 1,623 (44.43%)

Tom Bickerton 881 (24.12%)

Alexis Colosi 661 (18.09%)

John Barchie 319 (8.73%)

Lawrence Ruiz 169 (4.63%)

City Council Ward 1

Debbie Skinner 349 (42.46%)

Ryan Hanan 348 (42.34%)

Gregory Barrett 125 (15.21%)

City Council Ward 3

Alisa Rhyno 257 (46.64%)

Ryan Cross 138 (25.05%)

Roy Edgington 123 (22.32%)

Danaya Izarraraz 33 (5.99)

School Board Trustee District 2

Michael Moore 5,229 (49.05%)

Pete Chapin 2,821 (26.46%)

Darin Farr 2,610 (24.48%)

Lyon County Commission District 5

Micah Triplett 3,880 (50.31%)

Cole Mortensen 2,248 (29.15%)

Mark Jones 986 (12.79%)

Mark Phillips 598 (7.75%)

County Commission District 2

Scott Keller 4,970 (63.60%)

Davy Stix 2,845 (36.40%)

Candidates for federal, county and city offices appeared before Fernley voters last week at a candidate forum at the Fernley Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon, answering questions on public safety, growth, infrastructure, government transparency, taxes and the role of local government as the Tuesday primary election approaches.

The forum included candidates for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District, Lyon County district attorney, sheriff, two county commission seats, Fernley City Council and mayor. Candidates were asked both prepared questions and rapid-fire questions, with a short audience question period at the end.

The 2nd Congressional District race drew attention because the seat is open for the first time in years following the retirement of Congressman Mark Amodei. In the portion of the transcript available, congressional candidates focused heavily on energy, federal lands, agriculture, national security and the role of the federal government.

Mike Smith said northern Nevada should be paying close attention to energy independence and emerging technologies, including enhanced geothermal energy and the power needs of AI data centers. James Settelmeyer said communities should look for ways to diversify local economies while congress reduces overregulation on small businesses, ranchers and farmers.

During a rapid-fire question asking what decisions candidates would delegate and what they would never delegate, Settelmeyer said public lands decisions should be pushed down to local authorities, while national security must remain a federal responsibility, the federal government should focus on its constitutional responsibilities, with other powers left to the states under the 10th Amendment. Sherman Tylawsky said public trust, constitutional duties and accountability cannot be delegated by someone elected to serve the public.

The Lyon County district attorney race featured Mario Walther and Mark Krueger, who were asked about their top priorities if elected. Walther said staffing would be his first priority, saying the DA’s office has been short attorneys for years. He said he has experience building a prosecutor’s office and wants to recruit and develop effective trial attorneys. He also said child safety must be “a given” in Lyon County, and that he would work to improve communication among agencies.

Krueger said he would focus on improving support and communication for crime victims, including establishing a victim-witness advocate to help victims navigate the court system. He also said he would strengthen partnerships with law enforcement and expand public awareness around scams, fraud and AI-related schemes. Krueger said his experience as a prosecutor, chief deputy district attorney and chief deputy attorney general would allow him to begin work immediately.

During a later question about outdated processes, Krueger said the DA’s office needs to embrace technology and electronic discovery. Walther responded during the audience tax question that Lyon County has already had electronic discovery for seven or eight years and said voters deserve accurate information.

Sheriff Brad Pope, who is running for reelection, said his top priorities are to continue lowering crime, maintain fast and responsible response times, and increase traffic stops. Pope said those efforts work together as part of an aggressive law enforcement mission. He said Fernley had previously been one of the highest turnover squads in the department, but that staffing has stabilized, with 19 deputies now assigned in Fernley.

Asked what process should be modernized, Pope pointed to concealed carry weapon permit processing, saying the sheriff’s office could turn permits around quickly if not for the wait on federal background checks. 

County commission candidates – Commission District 2, Scott Keller (incumbent) and Davy Stix; and District 5, Mark Jones, Cole Mortensen, Mark Phillips and Micah Triplett – were asked what priority they would fund if they had to increase spending, and what they would cut to do it. Public safety dominated the answers.

Phillips said he would first look across county departments for efficiencies rather than simply shifting money from one area to another. He said his background in manufacturing taught him to regularly review departments to find ways to be more productive with existing staff and resources.

Triplett said public safety would always be his top priority because it is critical infrastructure and a cornerstone of a successful economy. He said Lyon County should look for interlocal agreements and other ways to improve resource efficiency without cutting services residents rely on.

Jones also said safety is the top concern for residents and that first responders need support. He called for a line-by-line budget review to determine which programs and services are still necessary and said the county must find ways to fund the sheriff’s department without simply asking residents for more money.

Mortensen said every county and agency in Nevada faces funding challenges, and that difficult budget decisions must be made transparently with community input. He said officials need to understand how cuts or funding decisions affect each community, including public safety, jobs and livelihoods.

Keller said public safety has been his top priority during his time on the commission, followed by infrastructure. Keller said he has experience working at the state and national level and pointed to federal funding he said he has helped bring back to the community.

Stix said he would not increase spending unless it was truly needed to help the public and would not decrease spending unless it was necessary for the budget.

When asked to describe an unpopular short-term decision that could benefit the county long-term, several commission candidates turned to data centers, solar projects and growth.

Stix said data centers are one of the biggest issues facing the county and argued Lyon County should prepare for them rather than allow Storey County to capture all of the opportunity. He said the county should require mitigation for impacts, including power demands, while recognizing that data centers are likely here to stay.

Keller said the issue is broader than data centers or solar fields. He said people often want quick decisions, but the commission sometimes needs more studies and information before acting. He said the long-term impact on families and quality of life matters more than quick successes.

Mortensen said the county needs strong planning and permitting systems to deal with emerging technologies, energy projects and growth. He said data centers are controversial, but residents already use services that rely on them, and the question is whether Lyon County can structure them to benefit the community.

Jones spoke about agriculture and private property rights, saying farmers need the flexibility to adapt, including vertical greenhouses that can grow more food with less water. He said outside groups should not dictate what farmers can do with their land.

Triplett said the county needs stricter standards to ensure infrastructure is ready before growth arrives. He said new projects should not become a burden on residents and said Lyon County needs better coordination among communities, special districts and municipalities. He also said the county should push back at the state level on tax abatements when necessary to make sure new projects cover the cost of services.

Phillips said the county sometimes needs to “pump the brakes” and make sure a project provides a net benefit before moving forward, because some decisions cannot easily be reversed.

City Council candidates for Ward 1, Ryan Hanan, the incumbent, Debbie Skinner, and Gregory Barrett, as well as candidates for Ward 3, Ryan Cross and Alisa Rhyno were asked about city priorities, funding and long-term improvements.

Hanan said the city is focused on a balanced budget, infrastructure needs and services residents want, including animal services. He said Fernley’s long-term goal should be to become a place where people can “live, work and play,” with more good-paying jobs so fewer residents have to commute. He said the city should recruit businesses that pay wages allowing people to live in Fernley.

Barrett said his first priority would be roads, beginning with the worst roads based on the city’s pavement condition index. He said the biggest issue facing the city is growth and that new development must pay its fair share through impact fees so existing residents are not left carrying the burden.

Rhyno said communication is one of the city’s biggest issues. She said when residents are not given clear information, they create their own scenarios, which leads to frustration and mistrust. She said the city needs to push out transparent and concise information so residents understand what is being discussed.

Skinner said she would prioritize parks and recreation, quality of life and infrastructure. If funding had to come from somewhere else, she said she would review overhead, salaries and wages to determine whether staff are being used to their full potential.

Cross said he would increase funding for public safety, including police and fire services. He said those agencies appear stressed and need support. To pay for it, he said the city should look for efficiencies inside City Hall, including reducing paper-heavy bureaucratic processes and using automation where appropriate.

Asked about an unpopular short-term decision that would benefit Fernley in the long term, Cross said City Hall needs a cultural shift from a “bureaucratic gatekeeper” mindset to a customer-service approach. He said residents and business owners should not feel City Hall is an obstacle, and he called for accountability standards, retraining and possible department restructuring.

Rhyno said charging developers and industrial businesses additional fees may be unpopular with developers, realtors and industry, but could create needed funds for infrastructure. She also said code enforcement is unpopular but should be discussed through the lens of public safety.

Mayoral candidates Neal McIntyre, Tim Bickerton, John Barchie and Alexis Colosi were asked to describe their leadership styles and the difficult decisions they believe previous city leaders have avoided.

McIntyre described his leadership style as practical and community-centered. He said leadership means listening, building relationships and staying focused on results. He said he has lived in Fernley his entire life and believes the mayor is responsible to everyone who lives in the city.

Bickerton said his leadership style is straightforward, direct, honest and open-minded. He said he listens to residents and wants people to know their concerns are being taken seriously.

Barchie pointed to his leadership training and said he understands how to manage staff. He said he was disappointed in how the current council has handled staff issues and said the solution is often placing people in the right positions. He said he wants a smoother city staff operation and stronger leadership as Fernley negotiates with incoming businesses.

Colosi described her leadership style as collaborative, transparent and results-oriented. She said her experience as a nurse and veteran taught her to make critical decisions under pressure while working as part of a team. She said Fernley’s challenges around growth, public safety and infrastructure require listening to residents and working with staff and community organizations.

Asked what difficult decision previous leaders have avoided, Colosi said the city must balance growth with the long-term cost of infrastructure and services. She said development should pay its fair share so taxpayers and small businesses are not left carrying the burden.

Barchie said transparency is the city’s biggest problem. He said residents often do not know what the city is doing or thinking, and said Fernley should pursue slow, appropriate growth that fits the community rather than copying other cities.

Bickerton said city government has treated businesses and residents with indifference and overreach. He said staff need to understand they work for the people of Fernley and are not there to control the city.

McIntyre said the avoided conversation is the true cost of growth. He said residents want better roads, parks, water, sewer and public services, but those require planning, funding, staffing and tough choices. He said leadership means being honest about what is needed, what it costs, what the city can afford and what grants or partnerships are being pursued.

County candidates were also asked what outdated process they would modernize. The most common answer was permitting. Phillips, Triplett, Jones, Mortensen, Keller and Stix all pointed in some way to planning, permitting, conditional use permits, interlocal agreements or the use of technology and AI to make county government more efficient and business friendly.

City candidates were asked what Fernley asset is not talked about enough. Hanan and Cross pointed to Fernley’s location and logistics advantages, including rail and highway access. Barrett pointed to potential revenue tied to Victory Logistics District. Skinner said city employees are an underrecognized asset. Rhyno said Fernley’s sense of community is one of its strengths. McIntyre said the city’s people are its greatest asset. Bickerton said Fernley should do more with tourism, including sports tournaments, racing events and rodeo. Barchie said land is Fernley’s most valuable asset. Colosi said Fernley’s freedom and outdoor way of life should be protected.

Audience questions focused on work-from-home policies for city employees and taxes.

On remote work, most city candidates said customer-facing city employees should generally be in City Hall and available to residents. Hanan said some flexibility may be needed for retention and family circumstances, but he wants residents to be able to get answers when they come to City Hall. Skinner, Cross, McIntyre and Bickerton said employees should generally be present in the office. Rhyno noted ADA accommodations may be required in some cases. Barchie and Colosi said the answer depends on the position, but public-facing roles should be available to the public.

Councilman Albert Torres asked candidates how they could promise to raise or lower taxes when Nevada municipalities and counties operate under Dillon’s Rule and do not have broad home-rule authority over taxation.

Several city candidates said they understood the city cannot simply raise or lower taxes, but said Fernley can pursue impact fees, efficiencies and additional revenue tied to growth. Hanan said the city has used tools available to it, including removing a water and sewer fee from property tax bills after balancing the water budget. Barrett and Skinner pointed to impact fees for development. Cross said the city needs efficiencies and creative revenue sources.

Commission candidates generally said the issue is less about changing tax rates and more about growing the tax base, improving efficiency and working through the Legislature when needed. Stix said the county needs more businesses and assessed value on the tax rolls. Keller said he works through county associations at the state and national level because Dillon’s Rule requires many revenue issues to be addressed at the Legislature. Jones said he is not campaigning on cutting taxes, but on attracting the right mix of businesses. Triplett said the county should work at the Legislature to make sure abatements for large companies do not leave local governments unable to fund infrastructure. Mortensen said making the county more business-friendly would grow the base without increasing taxes.

Primary election voting will take place on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Fernley High School’s Landon Bates has been named one of Nevada’s “Most Positive” athletes for the 2025-26 school year by the national organization Positive Athlete.

Bates was one of seven high school student-athletes, two coaches and one athletic trainer on the organization’s second annual list of Nevada winners.

As a junior last fall, Bates played 15 games on the JV team and seven on varsity. He was a captain on the JV team and tallied a total of 15 points, with five goals and five assists.

The Positive Athlete organization selected athletes across Nevada who demonstrate leadership, positivity, character, teamwork, and service both on and off the field. Since 2013, Positive Athlete has recognized thousands of student-athletes nationwide and awarded more than $825,000 in scholarships and special opportunities.

Sue wasn’t from Fernley originally, she was born January 23, 1959 in San Pedro, CA. Her father, a Korean war veteran, settled there after being discharged from the Navy. Her childhood was spent between San Pedro, Sacramento where her grandparents lived, and Gardnerville. She briefly attended Douglas High School where, for better or for worse, she met Stevan Palmer of Topaz, CA. They wed in 1982. Stevan was a miner by trade, and Sue followed him to such exciting places as Round Mountain, Carson Hill, Sonora, and Lovelock before reaching Fernley in 1994. 

Along the way they had three children and took in two more after Sue’s brother tragically passed away. They suddenly had five kids under six, without being Catholic. Much of Sue’s life was dedicated to being a mother. She was an involved and encouraging parent, sincerely amazed at every small achievement, cherishing every scribble, and bragging about her children to anyone who’d listen. Her family thanks everyone who humored her.

Mining isn’t steady work. Whenever Stevan was unemployed Sue would work to support her family. In October 1996 she began working at Mary and Moe’s Wigwam. She kept the job even after Stevan found work, after their divorce in 2007, and after all her children left home. She kept at it for 29 years!

She never professed any special love for her job. She sometimes professed the opposite. So why did she spend so much of her life there, on the floor and in the bar? Well, her job was just her excuse to meet someone new every day, smile with them, and brag about her kids as soon as they were trapped in a booth. To be a helpful ray of sunshine to anyone who needed it. Not as  waitress, but as a human being.

Susanne was predeceased by her brother Dennis Foster and mother Joan Louise Ritenour. She is survived by her father Donald “Frosty” Foster, her children Garth, Joanne, Callie, George, and Aaron, and her grandchildren Gabriel, Adriana, Jameson, Emily, Ayano, and Grant. She will be missed. 

Mayor Neal McIntyre is facing challenges from John Barchie, Tim Bickerton, Alexis Colosi and Lawrence Ruiz.

In the Fernley City Council Ward 1 race, incumbent Ryan Hanan is being challenged by Gregory Barrett and Debbie Skinner.

In Ward 3, where Councilman Stan Lau was expelled by the council and was unable to seek reelection because of term limits, the race is between Ryan Cross, Roy Edgington and Alyssa Rhyno.

In each of those races, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary election will advance to the general election in November, unless one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary.

The last time a candidate in a Fernley municipal race received more than 50 percent of the vote in a primary election was in 2018, when Edgington was elected mayor with 53.18 percent of the vote.

In 2016, two city council races were decided in the primary election. Fran McKay received 55.45 percent of the vote to win the Ward 5 seat, while Sue Seidl won the Ward 4 seat with 52.94 percent.

With early voting coming to a close Friday and Primary Election Day set for June 9, a total of 1,327 ballots had been cast in person in Lyon County during early voting as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 2.

At that time, 3,806 mailed ballots had been returned for processing, and 3,719 of those had passed signature verification and were ready to be counted. Four ballots had been rejected, and 83 still required signature curing.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 9.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before June 9, but the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office recommends voting in person or depositing ballots in a drop box if they were not mailed by June 2.

Junior All Stars are Andrew Walker, Braedyn Geddes, Briar Kuntz, Carter Ward, Deegan Holt, Eastin Stapleton, George Standfill, J.J. LaCroix, J.J. Velazquez, Logan Jurich, Teegan Karol and Trenton Fuller. The manager is Steve Stapleton and coaches are Tye Ward and Gabe Velazquez.

The Seniors All Stars are Alfie Martinez, Bodie Henderson, Carson Foster, Clayton DeGoyler, Drake Lyon, Hayden Smith, Hector Bernal, Jackson Macy, Jayse Jones, Kyle Edwards, Landen Kestle, Luis Padron and Owen Parale. The manager is Steve Henderson and coaches are Brad Macy and Jason DeGoyler.

The Majors All Stars are Callan Holt, Dillon Stockton, Harley Montoya, Jesus Reyes, Johnathan Gililland, Kayden Hill, Liam Wiggins, Louie LaBee, Malcolm Clarke, Nikko Ventura, Rogan Mastin and Weston Truran. The manager is Kyle LaBee and coaches are Cody Nunez and Chris Chamberlin.

The Minors All Stars are Braxton Ripley, Brody Harlow, Bruce Flemming, Carter Tinajero, Cash Shively, Cash Wardleigh, Ezekiel Dini, Jaxon Erdman, Milen Escartin, Mules Cardone, Preston Gossett, Walker McCoy and Zachary McGuigan. The manager is Dylen Getz and coaches are Rich Brown and Chris Towle.

League champions for the 2026 season were the Cubs in the minors division, Giants in the majors division and Orange in the juniors division.

Brackets for each of the district tournaments were expected to be announced this week.

Adam Miller, 20, faces charges of open murder with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, and battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm to a victim 60 years of age or older. The charges stem from a December 2024 double stabbing at his parents' home on Farm District Road.

Miller, who was 19 at the time of his arrest, was taken into custody following a 30-hour manhunt after authorities found him hiding in the rafters of an abandoned barn.

Miller pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment hearing in Third Judicial District Court on May 18. The trial scheduling order issued by District Court Judge John Schlegelmilch was filed May 26.

The judge also ordered status hearings for July 22 and Sept. 17 to allow attorneys to discuss any pretrial issues with the court.

Under the scheduling order, all pretrial motions must be filed by Sept. 22. Oppositions and other responsive pleadings are due by Oct. 2, and replies to motions must be filed by Oct. 9.

A pretrial hearing and evidentiary hearing on any outstanding motions is scheduled for Oct. 16.

Miller was ruled competent to stand trial last July after the court ordered a competency evaluation on Jan. 13, 2025.

According to Schlegelmilch's order, Miller understands the nature of the criminal charges against him, has an understanding of the nature and purpose of court proceedings, and has the ability to aid and assist counsel in his defense within a reasonable degree of rational understanding.

City Clerk Kim Swanson told the council that the closure of The Office Shipping and Mailboxes has resulted in residents coming to City Hall for faxing needs. She said adding the fee allows staff to provide the service consistently while charging an established rate.

Under the new fee schedule, the city will charge $1 for the first page and $1.50 for each additional page.

Councilwoman Felicity Zoberski asked whether the city already offered faxing services and whether the change would create a workload issue.

Swanson said the city had received fax requests in the past but did not have an adopted fee for the service. She said the change simply adds faxing to the existing fee resolution.

The council approved the fee addition on a 4-0 vote.

The city is pursuing federal and state funding for the project, including support through the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the city is required to identify and consult with interested parties, including historical organizations, preservation nonprofits, neighborhood associations and citizen groups, to determine whether construction could affect historic properties in or near the project area.

The East Wastewater Treatment Plant is located about four miles east of downtown Fernley between Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 50A. The facility treats wastewater collected throughout the city and discharges treated effluent into the Fernley Wildlife Management Area.

All proposed construction would take place within the plant’s existing site on an industrial parcel.

Planned improvements include construction of a mechanical treatment system, conversion to an on-site sodium hypochlorite generation system that uses salt instead of chlorine solution for water treatment, and development of infrastructure to allow the reuse of treated wastewater. The project would also deactivate the open wastewater ponds that have been in operation since 1988.

During an August 2025 City Council meeting, Christine Brandon, executive director of the Western Nevada Development District, said the proposed upgrades would allow the facility to serve a population of approximately 65,000 residents.

Brandon also said improving the quality of the treated effluent would allow the city to sell reclaimed water to industrial users rather than discharging it into the Fernley Wildlife Management Area.

At that meeting, the council voted unanimously to proceed with the design, planning and prioritization of the recommended Phase 1 improvements, which are projected to cost approximately $10.3 million. Phase 2 improvements, anticipated to be needed by 2031, are expected to cost about $17.1 million.

The review's Area of Potential Effect (APE) includes the 55-acre treatment plant site and several adjacent public parcels, including the Fernley Wildlife Management Area, which receives treated water from the facility.

Local groundwater resources, the TCID Canal and the Truckee River are also included within the review area.

The city is inviting historical societies, preservation nonprofits, neighborhood associations and interested individuals to participate in the review process.

Separately, the city initiated government-to-government consultations May 13 with seven regional Native American tribes, including the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the Walker River Paiute Tribe.

Written comments and requests for consulting-party status must be submitted by June 27 to Grant Administrator Trisha L. Livingston at 595 Silver Lace Blvd., Fernley, NV 89408, or by email at tlivingston@cityoffernley.org.

Full project documents and engineering reports are available upon request.

Jonathan Triplett
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Court commitment

Jonathan Dionne
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $2,730
Charges: Possess Schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; tail lamp violation; license plates improperly displayed

Brian Hall
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $2,280
Charges: DUI, first offense; use or possess drug paraphernalia

Clayton Reynolds
Area: Silver Springs
Bail Amount: $6,035
Charges: Use or possess drug paraphernalia; operate unregistered vehicle/trailer/semi; possess Schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense

Chelsea Wilson-Doyle
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $1,610
Charges: DUI, first offense; open alcohol container in vehicle; drive on sidewalk

Thomas Neeley
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $1,000
Charges: Misdemeanor bench warrant

Sheldon Phelps
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $20,115
Charges: DUI, third offense, enhanced work zone; rear license plate lamp violation; court commitment

Matthew Brown
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $1,810
Charges: Failure to appear after bail, misdemeanor crime

Joshua Hughes
Area: Silver Springs
Bail Amount: $3,640
Charges: Possess Schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; use or possess drug paraphernalia

Jesse Perks
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $6,280
Charges: Domestic battery, second offense (2 counts); criminal contempt, failure to obey court order

Ciarra Mahe
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $68,640
Charges: Felony arrest for violation of probation or conditions of suspended sentence; use or possess drug paraphernalia; possess Schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; buy, possess or receive stolen property valued at $25,000 but less than $100,000 or a firearm; own or possess firearm by prohibited person; sell, offer, possess or transfer tear gas device by convicted person

Robert Hurd
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $2,030
Charges: DUI, first offense; reckless driving disregarding persons or property safety, first offense

Charles Maness
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $2,235
Charges: Criminal contempt, failure to obey court order; assist other agency, hold

Catrina Jensen
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $6,190
Charges: Failure to appear after bail, misdemeanor crime (2 counts); assist other agency, hold

Luis Moran
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $545
Charges: Assist other agency, hold

Christopher Melvin
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $21,245
Charges: DUI, third offense; reckless driving disregarding persons or property safety, first offense; open alcohol container in vehicle

Aiden Burgess
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $1,895
Charges: DUI, first offense; minor in possession of alcoholic beverage in public; operate unregistered vehicle/trailer/semi

Annette Hutchinson
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $77,500
Charges: Child abuse or neglect, first offense (2 counts)

Solana Hughes-Dickson
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $2,500
Charges: Possess Schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; felony arrest for violation of probation or conditions of suspended sentence

Lisa Smith
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $56,560
Charges: Residential burglary, first offense; home invasion, first offense; domestic battery, first offense; assault

Elias Manalo
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $3,520
Charges: Possess Schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; drive with suspended driver's license; assist other agency, hold

Christian Cedillo
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $21,335
Charges: Own or possess firearm by prohibited person; resist public officer; operate unregistered vehicle/trailer/semi; felony arrest for violation of probation or conditions of suspended sentence

Allyson Comer
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $1,140
Charges: DUI, first offense

Robert David Thompson
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $31,780
Charges: Coercion with force or threat of force; prevent or dissuade reporting a crime or causing prosecution or arrest; allow child abuse or neglect (endangerment), first offense; battery; domestic battery, first offense

Sara Holden
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $1,450
Charges: DUI, first offense; basic speeding violation, 11-20 mph over the limit; operate vehicle with expired registration or plates

Emilio Martinez
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $1,210
Charges: Failure to appear on traffic citation; drive with suspended driver's license

Lemuel Rosier
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $29,325
Charges: Own or possess firearm by prohibited person; nonresident driving when privilege suspended, revoked or canceled; owner proof of insurance required; operate unregistered vehicle/trailer/semi; possess or consume marijuana in a public place, marijuana store or vehicle; use or possess drug paraphernalia; assist other agency, hold (3 counts)

Marcel Barlow
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $10,635
Charges: DUI, second offense; open alcohol container in vehicle; nonresident driving when privilege suspended, revoked or canceled; false statement to or obstruction of a public officer

Because I receive so many notifications, I keep the call volume muted. Instead of ringing, it vibrates.

Most of the alerts come from apps I’ve set up, but when it comes to phone calls and text messages, many of the ones I’ve received over the past few weeks have been little more than digital garbage.

Scammers want to help me clear nonexistent back taxes, and predatory lenders want to offer debt-consolidation loans I never applied for.

But amid that sea of spam, something strange has happened. I’ve started appreciating campaign ads.

I used to ignore every call from an unknown number, but given the sheer volume of spam calls, a political robocall or campaign text now feels almost refreshing.

I haven’t listened to many campaign calls all the way through, except for a few from people I’ve actually met. In those cases, I wanted to make sure they weren’t calling to discuss a story I’d covered or some other issue directly.

A couple of days ago, I answered one of those calls from someone I’ve not only interviewed but have also spoken with socially a few times. When the voice started talking, it took me a moment to realize it was a recording.

Oddly enough, and not just because I still haven’t decided who I’m voting for in a couple of races, I’ve started listening to every campaign message or at least reading the beginning of every text before deleting it.

Pretty much everyone I know dislikes political ads, except the ones supporting candidates they favor or attacking candidates they oppose. But whether you like them or not, political ads represent actual civic life.

They may be irritating, obnoxious and sometimes even blatantly false, but a candidate asking for your vote is democracy in action. A bot trying to steal your identity is something else entirely.

As I typed that last sentence, I realized that may be the next evolution of the problem: a bot pretending to be a candidate while trying to steal your identity.

Until then, though, I’ll take a politician over a scammer any day.

Community Development Program Manager Jessica Murdock told the council the project stems from the $100,000 the council allocated last year for the anniversary celebration. Murdock, who chairs the anniversary committee, said the city issued a call to artists in February but received two proposals that did not meet the project scope. Staff then contacted additional sculptors and metal artists directly.

Executive Administrative Assistant April Homme said the city is working under tight timelines and could not conduct another full call to artists. She said staff contacted hundreds of artists before identifying two workable options: a 9-foot bronze rearing horse from Art of Bronze in Camarillo, California, for $21,000, and a steel installation from local artist Twisted Steel that includes a fabricated rock base, a bighorn sheep, an eagle, a cowboy hat representing the Vaqueros, and three or four “F” pieces visible from each approach to the roundabout.

Homme said the bronze horse will weigh between 675 and 800 pounds and will be reinforced with internal steel piping. The Twisted Steel installation would sit on a 60-by-96-inch platform.

The city would provide a 30-foot flagpole and flag with solar lighting. If the sculpture is later moved to the roundabout, a concrete pad would be installed beneath it. Homme said Twisted Steel is working to find a contractor willing to donate the concrete pad.

The Twisted Steel project is estimated at $15,000 and would not exceed $17,000 with the addition of the eagle. Both pieces would be fabricated so they could be relocated with minimal difficulty.

Homme said the city did not release a rendering of the sculpture because officials want to unveil it July 1 during the 25th anniversary celebration.

Staff recommended temporarily placing the sculpture at the Main Street Art Park for the July 1 unveiling. Homme said the existing concrete pad at the park, where the bottle-cap gazebo once stood, cannot support the weight of the installation. As a result, the sculpture would be placed adjacent to the pad and constructed so it could be moved if relocation to the roundabout is approved.

Council members asked whether the project remained within the $100,000 anniversary budget. Murdock confirmed it does.

The council approved the commemorative sculpture, its temporary installation at the Art Park, and its future relocation to the roundabout upon approval of the improvement plan. The motion also authorized payment of the $21,000 invoice for the bronze horse and approved up to $17,000 for the Twisted Steel project. The vote was 4-0.

Homme also announced that commemorative 25th anniversary coins would be available for preorder beginning June 1. Fifty .999 fine silver coins will be sold for $250 each, and 250 silver-plated coins will be sold for $35 each. Orders must be paid for by June 22.

During the 25th Anniversary Committee meeting on May 27, Murdock said the coin prices were based on the city’s cost because the city is not permitted to make a profit from their sale.

The pool closed in mid-February to replace the roof, which sustained significant damage from strong winds during a storm in February 2024. Initial expectations were that the project would involve a straightforward roof replacement, along with electrical and fire system upgrades.

However, once demolition of the old roof and engineering review began, portions of the original roof system did not match the existing plans. Fernley Swimming Pool Manager Patrick Daniel said contractors discovered that a layer of material that was supposed to be between the aluminum panels and the insulation was missing when they began removing the roof panels.

At the time, project officials did not believe the issue would cause delays. Daniel said the new roof panels were originally expected to arrive in early May. When that did not happen, staff discussed pausing the project for the summer and restarting it later in the year.

“Then the more we learned about these roof panels, the more impossible that became,” Daniel said. “There’s a long list of do’s and do nots with these panels for how they can be handled and how they can be stored. So we’re just stuck.”

Daniel said he was notified last week that the new roof panels, which include the roof, insulation and ceiling in a single product, were expected to be delivered June 3.

He said installation of the panels is expected to take about six weeks. Once installation is complete, the project must pass required inspections and approvals related to structural, electrical, fire and life-safety codes.

Daniel said that means the earliest possible reopening would be in mid-July.

“That’s what it looks like, but I’m not going to promise anything at this point,” he said.

Suzanne Prouty, president of the Fernley Swimming Pool GID Board of Trustees, said the board is frustrated by the delay and understands the frustration many residents feel.

“When I found out, I was horrified,” Prouty said. “I know people want their pool back, and we are absolutely doing our utmost to try and make that happen.”

Prouty said public works projects are subject to extensive regulations, inspections and approval processes that can significantly affect timelines.

“It’s a public works project, and that means you have to go through a lot more hoops and a lot more details than if you were a homeowner doing a project at your house,” she said. “We have to bend over backwards to get this right.”

She added that officials had hoped to reopen the facility by Memorial Day and later targeted June 13, but those timelines are no longer possible because of the manufacturing and delivery delays.

The program is open to all students and is intended to ensure children continue to have access to meals while school is out. Each kit includes a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch items.

Meal kits will be available through drive-thru pickup from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesdays at Fernley Intermediate School, East Valley Elementary School, Silver Stage Elementary School, Dayton Intermediate School and Yerington Elementary School.

Parents or guardians may pick up kits by providing the student’s name and student ID number.

Students who are receiving free meals through summer school programs are not eligible for meal kits until summer school ends.

The district said the summer meal program is part of its effort to maintain access to nutritious food for students during the break.

The LCSD Economic Summit was started in 2009 by Damon Etter, a former economics teacher at Dayton High School. It has since grown to include each of the high schools in the county.

Students study international trade, with each team representing a country and learning its history, culture and economy.

They compete to raise the standard of living of their assigned country by applying their knowledge and skills in problem solving, international trade, finance, banking, debate, and video production. They also design creative costumes and country displays.

The Fernley team of Brandon Castro-Ibarra, Jesus Bernal-Infante, Jaden Doan, Aiden Mercado and Nataani Bitsilly, who are all in the economics class taught by Thomas Chapin, represented the Philippines. In addition to winning the overall summit, they also were the top-placing team representing a low-income country.

The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners met on Thursday, May 21, to hear presentations, conduct public hearings, and take action on several development and policy items.

Highlights from the meeting include:

Presentations

The Board received a presentation from Northern Nye County Extension Educator Misha Allen regarding agrivoltaics and its application in western states. Agrivoltaics is an emerging land-use approach that integrates solar energy development with ongoing agricultural activities, such as crop production and livestock grazing, allowing both uses to coexist on the same property.

Lyon County Community Development provided an update on code enforcement efforts at 490 Cemetery Road in Dayton, outlining the successful completion of a 10-month, multi-agency effort to address public health, safety, and environmental concerns associated with the property.

Through coordination with the property owner, Lyon County departments, and partner agencies, the site was cleared of hazardous debris, abandoned vehicles, temporary structures, and accumulated waste, resulting in the removal of approximately 97 tons of debris and the restoration of the property.

Final 2026-2027 Budget

The Board of County Commissioners approved the final budget for fiscal year 2026-2027. There were no changes made from the tentative budget to the final budget. The Nevada Department of Taxation provided a letter affirming the tentative budget was in compliance with the law and appropriate regulations.

Other Board Actions

Emergency Management – The board approved acceptance of a donation of an enclosed mass casualty incident response trailer from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health.

Comptroller – The board approved changes to the federal de minimis indirect rate in the Lyon County grants management policy. In addition, commissioners approved the Lyon County Debt Management Policy and Capital Improvement Plan for 2026-2027. The board also approved a four-year contract between Axon Enterprise and Lyon County Juvenile Probation in the amount of $82,272.95 for body cameras and tasers.

Government Affairs – The board received a presentation from the Emergency Management & Government Affairs Department regarding the development of legislative priorities and potential Bill Draft Requests (BDRs) for the 2027 Nevada Legislative Session.

Staff provided an overview of key issues impacting county government following the 2025 legislative session and discussed potential legislation to better align child welfare assessments with service demand and authorize counties to negotiate community benefit agreements for qualifying development projects.

The board directed staff to continue researching the proposals and return with additional information and recommendations.

Closing Business

The board recessed to reconvene as the Willowcreek GID, Mason Valley Mosquito Abatement District, Walker River Weed Control District, Central Lyon County Vector Control District, and Silver Springs GID boards to approve each district's final 2026-2027 budget.

The meeting concluded with commissioner comments and additional public comment.

The complete agenda and backup materials are posted online at www.lyon-county.org/Agendacenter.

Residents can view recordings of Board of County Commissioners meetings on the Lyon County YouTube channel.

The LCSD Economic Summit was started in 2009 by Damon Etter, a former economics teacher at Dayton High School. It has since grown to include each of the high schools in the county.

Students study international trade, with each team representing a country and learning its history, culture and economy.

They compete to raise the standard of living of their assigned country by applying their knowledge and skills in problem solving, international trade, finance, banking, debate, and video production. They also design creative costumes and country displays.

The Fernley team of Brandon Castro-Ibarra, Jesus Bernal-Infante, Jaden Doan, Aiden Mercado and Nataani Bitsilly, who are all in the economics class taught by Thomas Chapin, represented the Philippines. In addition to winning the overall summit, they also were the top-placing team representing a low-income country.

8:50 p.m. update

The Lyon County Sheriff's Office said Jeremy Barrett has also been taken into custody. 

In the statement announcing Barrett's arrest, LCSO said it would like to thank the public for its assistance and the numerous law enforcement partners who assisted throughout the investigation. They also said the investigation remains active and additional information will be released as it becomes available and appropriate to do so.

8:30 p.m. update

The Lyon County Sheriff's Office said it has captured one of the suspects in Monday's shooting, but is still searching for the second suspect.

The Sheriff's Office announced at 7:50 p.m. Monday that 44-year old Fernley resident James Karol has been arrested and the tan Jeep associated with the case was found. Investigators are still looking for 40-yer old Fernley resident Jeremy Barrett and a red quad they said one of the suspects drove away from the scene of the shooting.

Investigators said Barrett is the person responsible for the shooting and that he should still be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone with information regarding Barrett’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at (775) 463-6620.

Original story

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office is looking for two suspects following a fatal shooting in Fernley Monday afternoon.

According to the LCSO, deputies responded at about 4:30 p.m. to the 1600 block of Burger Road for a report of a shooting involving one victim. When they arrived, they found a man suffering from a single gunshot wound. Personnel from the North Lyon County Fire Protection District responded to the scene and immediately began lifesaving measures. Despite those efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. 

LCSO said witnesses reported the victim had been involved in an altercation with two men moments before the shooting. After the incident, both men fled the area. LCSO said one was operating a red quad, while the second fled in a tan Jeep. 

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as 44-year old Fernley resident James Edward Karol and 40-year-old Fernley resident Jeremy Barrett. Investigators have identified Barrett as the person responsible for the shooting and said they are actively searching for both men and the associated vehicles. 

Investigators say they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the general public; however, both suspects remain outstanding, are considered armed and dangerous, and should not be approached. 

Anyone with information regarding the identity or whereabouts of the Karol or Barrett or the vehicles involved is urged to contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at (775) 463-6620. 

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division is actively investigating this homicide. 

Additional information will be released as it becomes available and appropriate to do so. 

Hundreds of veterans, families and community members gathered Monday at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery to honor fallen service members with a ceremony centered on remembrance, unity and the cost of freedom.

U.S. Senator Jackie Rosen, whose father was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served during the Korean War, told attendees the day is a time to reflect and to honor those who bravely serve and those who bravely gave their lives.

“Their service, a profound debt that we can never repay, and it's that service, it's that selflessness that has allowed us to remain free for 250 years, and we must stand to honor their memories,” she said.

She also emphasized the role of the families of those who serve.

“Behind every servicemember stands a family providing service in their own way, making their own sacrifices in service four our freedom,” Rosen said. “And when a servicemember loses their life serving our country, their family, they carry an unimaginable pain and a hole in their heart forever.”

Nevada Department of Veterans Services Deputy Director Rommel Ferrer, a 20-year U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran, said Memorial Day is a time of unity to reflect on the cost of freedom.

“The sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service to our nation is the foundation of the freedoms we are privileged to enjoy every day,” Ferrer said. 

Nevada Veterans Coalition President Rich Crombie, a Gold Star father himself, recognized the Gold Star families in attendance.

“Your sacrifice is one that we know that you will pay for dearly the rest of your lives, and we all here acknowledge and respect that,” he said. “We are beyond humbled to be in your presence today.”

Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony, the keynote speaker, said this year’s ceremony carried special significance as the nation approaches its 250^th anniversary.

“For nearly two and a half centuries, generations of Americans have answered the call to serve through war, conflict, hardship and moments of national challenge,” he said. “Let us remember the legacy of our fallen heroes and express our gratitude for their service and sacrifice.”

Anthony said he is proud that Nevada is a military family. 

“We have Nellis Air Force Base and Creech Air Force Base in southern Nevada, Navy Top Gun, not too far from here in Fallon, the Army Depot in Hawthorne and the Nevada Army National Guard,” he said. 

He also recognized the Nevada Department of Veterans Services and the Southern Nevada and Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial cemeteries.

“As we leave today, may we carry forward both gratitude and purpose,” he said. “May we live in a way worthy of the sacrifices made on behalf of this nation. May we honor the fallen, not only in remembrance, but through service to one another, through unity and through our continued commitments to the ideals that we defended.”

As part of the ceremony, Nevada Veterans Coalition members Fred Hernandez and Mary Sedgwick placed a memorial wreath at the POW Monument.

“I didn’t have to call a moment of silence. We all knew what that means,” Crombie said. “That POW monument, the men and women who are still missing in action, prisoners of war are never forgotten.”

After the Nevada Veterans Coalition Honor Guard rifle team performed the traditional Volley of Three, a cannon was fired in honor of the nation’s 250^th birthday to symbolize the ‘shot heard around the world,’ a phrase that was coined after the first shot was fired during the American Revolution during the Battles of Lexington and Concord. 

1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m.

City Hall, 595 Silver Lace Blvd.

Next meeting June 3

Fernley Planning Commission

2nd Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m.

City Hall, 595 Silver Lace Blvd.

Next meeting June 10

Fernley Senior Citizen Advisory Committee

2nd Friday of even-numbered months at 9 a.m.

City Hall, 595 Silver Lace Blvd.

Next meeting June 12

Lyon County Commission

1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 9 a.m.

Lyon County Administrative Complex

27 S. Main St., Yerington

Next meeting June 4

Lyon County Planning Commission

2nd Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m.

Lyon County Administrative Complex

27 S. Main St., Yerington

Next meeting June 9

Lyon County Library Board of Trustees

4th Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m.

Locations rotate between the five county libraries

Next meeting June 23

Lyon County School District Board of Trustees

4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

Locations rotate between each attendance area

Next meeting June 23

North Lyon County Fire Protection District Board of Trustees

2nd Thursday of the month

195 E. Main St.

Next meeting June 11

Fernley Swimming Pool General Improvement District

3rd Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.

300 Cottonwood Lane

Next meeting June 16

Pellett Construction LLC, General contractor

Gerhardt & Berry Construction Inc., General engineering contractor

Terralink Communications, Inc., Electrical contractor

Caldwell Staffing Group LLC dba/First Choice Staffing, Staffing company

Desert Blooms Soft Play Company, LLC, Soft play party rental equipment

High Sierra Home Services dba/Outlaw Cycles, Motorcycle, UTV, ATV and boat repairs

Sierra Neurosurgery Group, Specializing in neurosurgery and pain management

What In CardNation LLC, Retail toys and hobby

Briann Janeene Vierra dba/In The Cutz Barbershop, Barbershop

LVN Restoration LLC dba/Paul Davis Restoration of Las Vegas, Property restoration

Linda S. Macejunas dba/Linda Macejunas/Pretties, Handmade beaded jewelry

MacGyver Metals LLC, Retail precious metals

Juan Manuel Vasquez dba/Manuel's Yard Clean Up's, Junk removal and landscaping

Donna VanFleet dba/Frayed Edges Wreath Shoppe, Design and sale of handmade decorative home accents

Black Star Construction, Concrete contractor

Del Barrio Sabores Mexicanos LLC, Food truck

Electric Snow, Shaved ice, dirty sodas and infused Red Bulls

Kamani's Bell LLC dba/Down & Out Books, Book publisher

CO2 Monitoring, LLC dba/Aerosphere, Contractor, low voltage CO2 monitoring systems

Sierra Bravo Air and Land, LLC

Veterans Alliance USA, Assists veterans with benefit enrollment and medical services

Speaking With Smiles, LLC, Speech therapy services 

The top two candidates in each race will advance to the general election, unless a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.

City Council Ward 1 candidates Ryan Hanan and Debbie Skinner, Ward 3 candidate Roy Edgington and mayor candidates Alexis Colosi, Tim Bickerton and John Barchie participated in the event, and the moderator read a statement from Mayor Neal McIntyre, who was unable to attend because of a flat tire.

Each candidate was allowed 30 seconds to introduce themselves to begin, then each candidate was asked the same three questions. After the questions, each candidate was given two and a half minutes for a closing statement.

CODE ENFORCEMENT

The candidates were asked what safeguards they would support to prevent overreach while still maintaining neighborhood standards.

Colosi said she believes code enforcement is necessary, but said the city needs to involve residents. “Keeping it with the residents having the power is the crucial aspect to make sure that we do not have that overreach from government,” she said.

Bickerton said he believes the city’s code enforcement needed work, but it should have begun with what the city already had and not copying code language from other cities. “We’re going to have to rely on our people, our supervisors, on our city council to see that code and vote on it properly and not exactly the 50-some odd pages that’s been distributed to everyone else, and then we’re going to have a code, I believe, that people can live with, that’s fair for every property owner and that’s fair for every person that has personal opinions, that is not just nitpicking,” he said.

Barchie called proposed amendments to the Tile 16 Nuisance Ordinance in the Fernley Municipal Code “a self-inflicted error by the council” and said the city needs to slow down and make it right. “The Judge Dredds that think they’re going to enforce it are going to be digging trenches in the back 40 and that’s flat out what’s going to happen if I’m mayor and draconian codes get passed,” he said. “If they’re not draconian, of course we need codes, and we’ll do the right thing by Fernley.”

Skinner said code enforcement needs to be handled on a case-by-case basis. “It needs to be remembered that Fernley is an agricultural community, we grew up with farming, and we should be able to park on gravel driveways,” she said. “I’m not opposed to it, but I think it needs some work.”

Edgington, who served two terms on the council and one as mayor, said he’s been through the issue three times with the council, and it was contentious every time. “I’ve always contended the city council should have the final say, but you have the right to go through due process as individuals,” he said. “You have the right to appeal if the code enforcement is not handled correctly, but you also have the right to live in a neighborhood that’s safe. So it’s a balancing act.”

Hanan said the city will be hosting two public workshops in the first week of June and encouraged residents to attend. “I think we’re all in agreement that we need healthy code enforcement, but overreach is something that I’m interested in and I don’t think any of the other candidates here are.”

NORTH LYON FIRE STAFFING

With North Lyon Fire facing staffing challenges, the candidates were asked what specific steps they would take to recruit, fund and retain enough personnel to meet current and future service demands.

Bickerton said this is one of the most important things facing the city. “The idea that we’re putting public safety at risk over some financial difficulties that, in my mind, should not exist, is absurd to me,” he said. “We’re going to have to go to Lyon County and make sure they understand we need that and make sure they will give us what we need to finance that.”

Barchie said everyone in the city is at a personal safety risk because of not enough people in the fire department. “If I'm here, probably one of the first acts I do is I will declare an emergency and the governor will get involved,” he said.

Skinner said the fire district should get some assistance from the city but said it’s not the sole responsibility of the city. “It is a county district, and it is operated through the county budgets,” she said. “Until we can figure out additional revenue sources that can maintain staffing, that is something the county has to work with along with the city.”

Edgington said when the city was formed, the fire district went to the legislature and chose to remain separate from the city. “They have their own elected board, they’re not connected to the county,” he said. “But when they did that, the county told them, ‘You’re not going to get enough revenues.’ The city barely has enough money to run what it has, so I’ve said for years, you have to fix it.”

Hanan said under the current structure, the city can’t finance the fire district. “We’ve discussed should we merge? Should we have REMSA do the emergency service here?” he said. “We have to look somewhere else.”

Colosi said the solution is an interlocal agreement. “They’re wanting to have access to our mechanics to help fix their trucks. They want access to our lifts, and they don’t want to have to double pay for things,” she said. “And as we build a relationship, get an interlocal agreement in place, we can start looking at funding for staff.”

COUNCILMEMBER CONDUCT

The third question asked of each candidate was how they plan to mitigate the bullying and personal attacks made by the city council on citizens and fellow city councilmembers.

“It’s something that requires personality, like me or somebody, to come in and say we can’t do that,” Barchie said. “Transparency, civility, fire, water and sewer are the main things I’m worried about. Bullying is not part of the mission. I will enforce the mission with the council.”

Skinner said bullying should not be tolerated. “I think the calling out and calling people’s integrity and competency to the peers as well as to the general public, is unacceptable,” she said. “If we can set a precedence as a city council, it will reflectively represent to all of the departments and the department heads.”

Edgington said he ran for the council the first time because the council was dysfunctional and he said it is dysfunctional again. “If there’s an issue between council members, the mayor is supposed to stop the meeting then and there, go to the back, and have a discussion with them. You can actually tell the councilman to leave,” he said. “We need to enforce the rules we have as a city council.”

Hanan said the rules of decorum are often not being followed and he said the councilmembers all need to be held to the same standard. “This is not the good old boys where we treat one person different than everybody else,” he said. “We all have constitutional rights, and I’ve stood up for those rights, and I’ve made those rights known when I made my motions. The other folks have done things that we were told not to do and I’m proud to say that I haven’t.”

Colosi said the mayor is supposed to act as the leader. “And as a leader, you need to hold your subordinates accountable, to include they need to be prosecuted for punching construction workers,” she said. “So as mayor, if it is in the middle of a council meeting, it should be paused and it should be removed. If it is a legal issue, it should be prosecuted.”

Bickerton said as mayor, he would have an opinion instead of not having an opinion. “I think the public needs to have belief in the mayor and if the mayor doesn’t say anything, they don’t have anything to believe in,” he said. He also said he would remove the ability to have anonymous agenda items attacking the public and other officials, and that the city needs integrity and ethics on the council.

CONSOLIDATED TAX

The final question asked of the candidates was what steps they would take to change state law or negotiate a larger share of the Consolidated Tax.

Skinner said while the city could use the C-Tax, she doesn’t think it is achievable because of the way ordinances were written when the city was created. “I think we have the ability to use the developments that are coming into town to be able to generate other sources of revenue,” she said.

Edgington said when the city was formed it was agreed upon that the Sheriff’s Office would do law enforcement and the city would not get C-Tax. He said the laws are specific about what services cities are required to provide in order to be eligible for C-Tax: fire, police, parks and roads. “We don’t do police,” he said. “It’s like the chicken and the egg. How can you put on a police department if you don’t have money?”

Hanan agreed that the city would have to have a police department to get C-Tax, but said the city and residents are satisfied with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and no longer feel pressure to form its own police department. Instead, he said the city is working with industrial partners to build a power plant that could generate franchise fees estimated between the mid-$20 million range and $30 million per year. “I'd love to do a contract with the sheriff's department at some point if we could, so that would be my goal. C-Tax is something that's not going to happen until we start that process, and I think the franchise fees from the power plant are a way to get there.”

Colosi said the city needs more funding before it could start a police department. “Interlocal agreements are another option, but before we can get to that point, we do have to generate some more revenue from other sources and other businesses in order to get a way to get C-Tax brought into the city,” she said.

Bickerton said the city has other directions to go that would generate as much, if not more, than the C-Tax. “We need to embrace the future, the money coming in from other directions and quit blaming everything on the C-Tax, because the C-Tax losses are not our problem. And being attainable? Most likely not.”

Barchie said his administration would not even pursue C-Tax. “There are things we can do to generate revenue now,” he said. “We’re going to increase the franchise fees to the maximum allowable by law. We’re not going to worry about the past; we’re going to the future.”

CLOSING STATEMENTS

Skinner highlighted her community service and said she chose to run for the city council because city government needs to change. “The stuff I have experienced the last two and a half years alone in my business was enough to make me sick,” she said. “If they’re picking on an established business, then that is why we are seeing the lack of small businesses coming to town.”

Edgington said he is running for the council because he believes in the community. “I also understand there’s a need and I know we’re growing, and there’s no way to stop that,” he said. “But we can control where we go and how we get there and make sure that everybody pays their fair share.”

Hanan said he has listened to everything that every constituent has told him. “This is not a part-time job. This is not a job for the weak. This is a job for the strong that are going to stand up day after day, no matter if they succeed or they fail, and continue down that pathway for the citizens of Fernley,” he said.

Colosi said she is a veteran and a nurse and is running for mayor because she wanted to see change. “I want to help our community grow and I want my kid to grow up in a community that is thriving, that has public service, that has the education and resources that he will need as he gets older,” she said.

Bickerton said the most important change the city needs in the mayor’s position is leadership. “And that is not to say that there is anything wrong with our mayor right now, there is just a lack of leadership,” he said. “I want to pull back the curtain on the city government that has existed in Fernley for so long, and all the things that have been kept behind closed doors and I want to open all that up to the public and I want to make sure you all have confidence in our council and you’re not reading about something that is embarrassing.”

Barchie said he fled Silicon Valley in California and doesn’t want Fernley to become like Silicon Valley. “You’re halfway there,” he said. “You are San Jose, 1989. It’s ridiculous. Don’t go down the road the current council has paved.” He said he will slow down growth until the basics are covered. “We’re going to charge full franchise fees. We’re going to make sure that our roads are paved, that our fire department is fully staffed, that we have enough police officers, and we’re going to cover the sewer. These are simple things that we should be doing.”

Fernley Republican Women Campaign Committee Chair Vida Keller said McIntyre had a flat tire leaving Reno on his way to the event, and she read a statement from him which read in part:

“I'm running again because Fernley is growing, and I believe we need steady leadership to keep moving in the right direction. Over the last four years, city council, staff, businesses, and community organizations have worked together to lay important groundwork for the future of the community. We focused on improving services, supporting responsible growth, and keeping the character values that make Fernley special. Growth brings challenges, but it also brings opportunity. I want to continue the progress we've made and follow through on the strategic plans already underway to help ensure Fernley remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

At the May 20 meeting, the Fernley City Council approved the submittal of an application to the Urban Design and Preservation Division Design-Preservation Rapid Assistance Teams (D-PRAT) for the site plan of the Out of Town Park.

According to the staff report for the May 20 meeting, the application asks the D-PRAT volunteer group to assist the city in developing a site plan for the Out of Town Park, including a sports complex and rodeo grounds improvement that is financially sustainable, ADA-compliant, provides trail connectivity and meets the needs of the community.

D-PRAT provides free planning assistance to local governments and community-based organizations that need support to address specific problems or challenges. The city’s Grant Coordinator Trisha Livingston said she submitted the application to meet the May 15 deadline, but told the council it could be pulled if they did not want to move forward.

She said if the application is approved, a team of 8-12 D-PRAT volunteers will meet with city staff, review plans and documents, conduct a workshop and develop a plan that would later be presented to the council. The city would be responsible for promoting the workshop, coordinating the workshop facility, coordinating and engaging stakeholder participation, providing a light breakfast and lunch for workshop attendees, providing transportation for the D-PRAT volunteer group through city vehicles and contributing $5,000 toward travel expenses.

In the application, the city requested planning assistance because it has not been able to execute recommendations included in the Parks Management Plan approved by the City Council in 2017. That plan identified the creation of a sports complex at Out of Town Park and the relocation and improvement of the rodeo grounds as major goals.

The city’s application states that “the city could not fully develop the sports complex without first relocating the rodeo, and it could not relocate the rodeo without massive capital investment, so neither project moved forward.”

The application also states the city has directed its limited capital resources toward other urgent priorities, leaving the sports complex and rodeo grounds unfunded. The city currently has $250,000 budgeted for Out of Town Park improvement project design in the 2028-29 fiscal year budget, meaning sports complex design work is still years away, let alone construction.

The council did allocate approximately $1.2 million in the upcoming 2026-27 budget for repairs to the existing fields and new lighting at the park.

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

Tyler Wutch
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $40,000
Charges: Driver disobey peace officer, endangering other persons or property (2 counts)

Brian Hall
Area: Silver Springs
Bail Amount: $10,000
Charges: Domestic battery by strangulation

Charles Rosencrantz
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $39,680
Charges: Possess/receive forged instruments or bills; Felony arrest for violation of probation/conditions of suspended sentence; Possess/receive/transfer stolen vehicle; Possess schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; Take possession of vehicle or part with false/defaced/altered ID; Drive with suspended driver license; Fail to possess or surrender driver license; Drive without driver license; Display fictitious vehicle registration/plate/title; Owner proof of insurance required; Use/possess drug paraphernalia; Operate unregistered vehicle/trailer/semi

Thomas Ross
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $2,500
Charges: Criminal contempt – failure to obey court order

Jessica Lopez
Area: LYSO
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Failure to appear after bail, felony crime

Joseph Aleman
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $22,130
Charges: Manufacture/import/possess/use dangerous weapon, first offense; DUI, second offense; Drive with suspended driver license; Basic speed 21–30 mph over posted limit; Use/possess drug paraphernalia

Michael Dempsey
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $4,500
Charges: Failure to appear after bail, misdemeanor crime (3 counts); Criminal contempt – failure to obey court order

Tony Chambers
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Court commitment

Travis Ackerman
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $3,600
Charges: Battery on protected person; Intoxicated pedestrian/animal rider on roadway; Resist public officer

Destenee Alvarez
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Felony arrest for violation of conditions of parole

Jeffrey Abbott
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $5,500
Charges: Criminal contempt – failure to obey court order (2 counts); Possess schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; Criminal contempt – failure to obey court order

Shauntall Stromberg
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $9,780
Charges: Criminal contempt; Possess dangerous drug without prescription, first or second offense; Use/possess drug paraphernalia

Zachariah Hamilton
Area: Silver Springs
Bail Amount: $3,140
Charges: Domestic battery, first offense; Felony arrest for violation of probation/conditions of suspended sentence

Edwin Gillis
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Court commitment

Jeremy Dalpiaz
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $1,495
Charges: Failure to appear on traffic citation

Sylvia Bennett
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $3,140
Charges: Domestic battery, first offense

Dina Banks
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $1,255
Charges: Operate vehicle with expired registration or plates; Drive with revoked driver license for DUI

Cory Swanson
Area: Silver Springs
Bail Amount: $1,390
Charges: DUI, first offense; Fail to maintain lane or improper lane change/use of signal; Tail lamp violation

Skyler Anthonijsz
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Court commitment

Darnell Gregg
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $11,140
Charges: Battery by strangulation; Resist public officer

Devin White
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $6,280
Charges: Domestic battery, first offense; Court commitment

Christina Cleveland
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $11,140
Charges: Insurance fraud; Attempted theft, value less than $1,200

Michael Judd
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $3,140
Charges: Domestic battery, first offense

Ethan Farmer
Area: Silver Springs
Bail Amount: $1,140
Charges: Drive with revoked driver license for DUI

Manuel Garcia Aldaco
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Court commitment

Barret Scott
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $12,500
Charges: Destroy or injure real or personal property of another (2 counts)

Kristopher Handschuh
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $1,140
Charges: Embezzlement less than $1,200

Tasha Banning
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $59,895
Charges: Sell/transport/attempt schedule I or II controlled substance, first offense; Possess schedule I or II controlled substance 14 grams but less than 28 grams; Convicted person registration and fingerprint required; Operate unregistered vehicle/trailer/semi; Use/possess drug paraphernalia

Alexys Acuna
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $0
Charges: Court commitment

Joseph Casaletti
Area: Mason Valley
Bail Amount: $1,140
Charges: DUI, first offense

Amber Wharton
Area: Dayton
Bail Amount: $6,140
Charges: Possess schedule I or II controlled substance less than 14 grams, first or second offense; Use/possess drug paraphernalia

Ralph Almirol
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $1,255
Charges: DUI, first offense; Rear license plate lamp violation

Jesse Ortega
Area: Fernley
Bail Amount: $0

Nikko Pryor and Alex Juliot were named to the All-League second team, while Jayse Jones, Brody Jones, Vance Swindlehurst and Spencer Pryor received honorable mention.

McCullar was named to the All-League team as an outfielder. He played center field for the Vaqueros and finished the season tied with teammate Nikko Pryor for the league lead with five home runs; led the league with 54 runs scored; was second in the league with a .798 slugging percentage and in stolen bases with 29; third in the league with 34 runs batted in; fifth in the league with a .468 batting average; and sixth with an on-base percentage of .541.

McCullar also pitched 26 1/3 innings in 12 appearances, with an earned run average of 2.13.

Nikko Pryor was the second-team All-League catcher despite posting better numbers than most of the players ranked ahead of him. He tied with McCullar for the league lead with five home runs and led the league in slugging percentage at .882. He also finished fourth in the league with a .471 batting average; was second in the league with 43 RBI; and was also second in on-base percentage at .569. As a pitcher, Pryor appeared in 10 games, posting a 4-3 record, a 3.90 earned run average and 48 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.

Juliot was the second-team All-League third baseman. He finished the season with a .358 batting average and .451 on-base percentage, scored 42 runs and drove in 17.

Jayse Jones received honorable mention as a pitcher. He led the Vaqueros with 12 appearances on the mound and pitched 46 1/3 innings with a 5-4 record, 4.83 earned run average and 32 strikeouts.

Swindlehurst received honorable mention as a shortstop. He batted .369 with two home runs, 24 RBI, scored 43 runs and had a .508 on-base percentage and .553 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, he posted a 4.68 ERA and a 5-4 record with 38 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings.

First baseman Brody Jones received honorable mention. He posted a .326 batting average, drove in 23 runs and scored 18, and had a .437 on-base percentage and .358 slugging percentage.

Spencer Pryor received honorable mention as a catcher. He batted .305 with two home runs, 24 RBI and 25 runs scored, along with a .406 on-base percentage and .419 slugging percentage.

Trailing 10-8 with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the seventh inning of an elimination game in the 3A State Tournament, Lowry intentionally walked Tollestrup, even though a home run would only have cut the lead to one run.

That final intentional walk served as confirmation that when Tollestrup stepped into the batter’s box, traditional softball math no longer applied. It was that game-changing presence that led league coaches to vote her the Northern 3A-East MVP for the second consecutive season.

Tollestrup was also named 3A North Region Co-MVP alongside Jessie Borzello of Truckee, who earned Northern 3A-West MVP honors, and she was selected to the 3A All-State first team, leading a group of seven Fernley Vaqueros recognized with postseason honors.

She was joined on the All-East first team by Bella Leija, Emma Masters and Janessa Robinson, while Ximena Rodriguez and Grace Chapin earned second-team honors and Maddison Hill received honorable mention.

Tollestrup finished her senior season with a .570 batting average, 11 home runs, 18 doubles and eight triples. She drove in 50 runs and scored 73 while walking 32 times, many intentionally. She posted a .678 on-base percentage and a staggering 1.158 slugging percentage. She also successfully stole all 56 bases she attempted.

Leija earned first-team All-East, All-North Region and All-State honors at catcher. She hit .397 with 11 doubles, five triples and 25 RBI, while recording a .422 on-base percentage and .570 slugging percentage.

Masters was selected first-team All-East and second-team All-North at first base. She batted .459 with six home runs and 49 RBI, while posting a .574 on-base percentage and .826 slugging percentage. In the circle, Masters pitched in 19 games, finishing with a 7-6 record, a 3.41 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 78 innings.

Robinson earned first-team All-East and second-team All-North honors as the designated player. In softball, the designated player functions similarly to baseball’s designated hitter, except the DP can bat for any player in the defensive lineup. Robinson hit .378 with one home run and 28 RBI. She also led Fernley in innings pitched with 128, posting a 15-7 record, a 3.55 ERA and 81 strikeouts against 37 walks.

Rodriguez earned second-team All-East honors at second base after batting .402 with two home runs and 43 RBI. She also scored 43 runs while recording a .464 on-base percentage and .590 slugging percentage.

Chapin was selected second-team All-East as a utility player. She hit .396 with seven home runs, 43 RBI and 45 runs scored, while posting a .481 on-base percentage and .685 slugging percentage.

Hill received honorable mention recognition in the outfield after batting .315 with three home runs, 22 RBI and 33 runs scored. She finished the season with a .431 on-base percentage and .506 slugging percentage.

But man, that laugh felt good, especially after the last few weeks when I have found far too few things to laugh at. It might have sounded like I’d gone insane, but I promise I had earned that one.

The last few weeks have been the perfect storm of automotive chaos, family worries and an impossible to-do list, all complicated by my own inability to stop dwelling on them.

As I usually do when I cover events, I used my phone to record the Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Cemetery on Monday morning. The recording app on my phone automatically provides a transcript to go along with the audio, and since I can read a lot faster than normal speech, my writing process usually begins by pasting that transcript into a Word document and quickly scrolling through it to delete whatever I won’t be using.

In this case, I knew that would include the national anthem, the pledge of allegiance and the invocation.

Those are usually some of my favorite parts of any service, especially if the national anthem singer is good. But for writing purposes, unless I want to name the person who did the singing or led the pledge or invocation, I know I won’t be using the text, so cutting those sections saves quite a bit of time.

Except this time, it left me doubled over in laughter.

What the transcription app doesn’t do is break the text into paragraphs, so when I pasted it into Word, I was staring at a massive seven-page wall of 3,955 words. During my quick scan for the items I knew I was going to cut, the first thing I looked for was the last line of the national anthem.

There in that chaotic jumble of text I found: “And the hum of the brain.”

That alone kicked me into a burst of laughter that left me trying to catch my breath. When I finally did, it started right back up again when I saw the line above it: “Oh, Satans, that's star-spangled. Bender, yad way.”

I know enough to expect AI transcriptions to get as much wrong as they do right, but this was comedy gold, all the more so because it turned something sacred into something completely absurd.

And honestly, I appreciate it, because that beautiful absurdity was exactly what it took to finally quiet the humming of my own overworked brain.

On one trip back in 2008, while heading west by myself and getting closer to a town, I happened to see an advertisement for Starbucks on Interstate 80 east of Fernley. I thought, I could use a latte, and this is a town I have never driven through. So I pulled off the interstate at Exit 48.

“Oh my goodness, there’s a Walmart.”

I pulled into Starbucks and bought my latte. I continued driving through a roundabout.

“Oh my goodness, there’s a roundabout.”

I ended up on Main Street, driving through this cute little town, and came upon a bowling alley.

“Oh my goodness, this little town has a bowling alley.”

I was a bowler for many years in Montana. I had fallen in love with Fernley.

I continued on my westward journey to visit my family. One day I mentioned to my sister about this little town close to Reno that I was interested in moving to so I could be closer to my California family. She happened to know a real estate agent in Reno, so I contacted him. We met in Reno, drove to Fernley and checked out houses for sale in this cute little town named Fernley.

As it turned out, it didn’t work out for me at that time to move from Montana.

In December 2014, I was finally able to move to California to live close to my family. It was a huge move for me from my life in Montana. I bought a house and settled in. I enjoyed living close to and spending special moments with my aging parents and my granddaughters.

After about a year, I decided to do some searching on FarmersOnly.com. Within a month, I met a man from, guess where, Fernley.

Our first meeting was for lunch, a five-hour lunch.

We continued our courtship until getting married in Las Vegas in 2022.

I became a full-time Fernley resident in 2024. I miss my California and Montana families, but I am now “Finally Fernley Family.”

Anetta Baldwin

If you’d like to share your “Finally Fernley” story, send it to robert@fernleyreporter.com.

That firsthand observation resulted in several recommendations in the plan to improve the pedestrian crossing, including lowering the speed limit on U.S. 95A near the high school, establishing a school zone and installing an enhanced overhead pedestrian crossing similar to the one at Shadow Lane.

The system works by suspending bright, flashing warning lights directly over the roadway. When a student pushes the button at the curb, the lights immediately begin flashing to alert drivers to stop, making the crossing more visible than traditional roadside signs.

The proposed safety upgrades were discussed during several agenda items at the May 20 Fernley City Council meeting. To help fund the project, the council voted 4-0 to apply for a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All implementation grant for pedestrian safety improvements along the U.S. 95A corridor near the high school.

City staff have been working with consulting firm Kimley-Horn on Fernley’s 2026 Local Roads Safety Plan. During a presentation to the council, Kimley-Horn Project Manager Anabel Hernandez said the recommended improvements are expected to cost approximately $4 million.

“I feel like this is a really good investment in the future of safety for the city,” Hernandez said. “Establishing the school zone will help students, along with the pedestrian crossing, cross safely on the roadway.”

The grant application was due May 26, and award announcements are expected in November or December. Fernley Grants Administrator Trisha Livingston said that if the city receives the grant, design work could begin in July 2027, with construction starting in spring 2028 and finishing that fall.

Councilman Joe Mendoza asked staff to contact the Lyon County School District about helping fund the required 20 percent local match, saying the project directly benefits the school district.

The urgency of the project was reinforced during public comment by Fernley High School Principal Ryan Cross, who spoke as a resident. Cross said the current 55 mph speed limit in front of the school is unsafe for the approximately 1,300 students who enter the highway from a dead stop twice each day during lunch and dismissal.

He advocated for reducing the speed limit to 45 mph near the high school and 35 mph south of Cottonwood Lane. Referring to a recent crash at U.S. 95A and Cottonwood Lane, Cross said two pedestrians have already been struck at the intersection since August.

“The accident that happened Monday I think could have been easily prevented if that traffic was slowed down a little bit,” he said.

The visit came on a day set aside to honor the nation’s fallen service members. Local leaders began by recognizing all who have served, with special tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Rosen was welcomed by Fernley Mayor Neal McIntyre, Councilman Albert Torres, Fernley Community Foundation board members Oscar Aguilar and Cody Wagner, and Boys & Girls Club leadership. The group discussed the progress made at the CRRC building, which has become one of Fernley’s key community amenities, and the future vision for the facility.

The Boys & Girls Club said Rosen was able to see firsthand what can happen when strong community partners work together. Through support from the City of Fernley, the Fernley Community Foundation, donors and the Club, more than 600 young people now have access to out-of-school-time services in one centralized location.

“That’s 600 kids with a safe place to go, grow, and thrive,” Aguilar said in a statement following the visit.

Club leaders also highlighted the Early Learning Center, which is expected to open this fall and serve 80 children from birth to age 5. The center is intended to help address the need for childcare in Nevada, where access to early care remains a challenge in many communities.

“Access to quality early care shouldn’t depend on your zip code, and we’re working to change that,” Wagner said.

The Fernley Community Foundation also used the visit to provide an update on Polaris Plaza, a project connected to the broader vision for the CRRC area. Foundation representatives said the project has faced several months of obstacles, but they hope to see substantial progress within the next two weeks.

The foundation thanked HG Construction for its expertise and assistance with the project and said donated commemorative bricks are still planned. Those bricks will be installed after utility work is completed beneath the area where they will be placed.

Community members who donated more than $250 and qualify for a brick are being asked to submit their information so production can begin.

Foundation representatives thanked Rosen and her staff for visiting Fernley and giving local leaders the opportunity to share the facility, its progress and the vision for what the CRRC and surrounding plaza can become.

The Boys & Girls Club also thanked Rosen in their statement for her support of Nevada children and said the organization was proud to share its work with leaders committed to expanding opportunities for young people.

“Thank you, Senator Rosen, for being a champion for Nevada’s children,” Wagner said. “We’re proud to share this work with leaders who are just as committed to making sure every kid has a great future.”