Here are your local news headlines for the morning of Tuesday, Mar. 16, 2021.
California Governor Launches Campaign Against Likely Recall
By The Associated Press
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has established a political committee to begin raising money to defend his seat in a potential recall election, the strongest acknowledgment to date that he expects to be on the ballot this year. The committee started its effort Monday by attacking the attempted recall as a power grab by Republicans. Newsom claimed right-wing groups are affiliated with the campaign. But under state rules, Newsom alone is allowed to raise money in unlimited amounts, while other candidates must adhere to contribution limits. Recall supporters say they have enough petition signatures to place the proposal on the ballot.
Removal Of Invasive Plants In South Lake Tahoe Marshes Underway
By Isaac Hoops
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is working to remove invasive plants from marshes in South Lake Tahoe.
Large tarps will be stacked along the bottom of the Taylor Creek and Tallac Creek marshes in order to starve the invasive plants of sunlight.
According to the agency, if these aquatic weeds are left unchecked they can have devastating effects on Tahoe’s ecosystem and recreational resources.
Fencing was installed around the marshes and the planning agency is asking community members to avoid the protected area to help ensure the success of the project.
California Ethnic Studies Debate: Whose Stories Get Told?
By The Associated Press
Race and ethnicity can be tricky topics to discuss, especially in the classroom. But the California Department of Education had no idea how heated the debate would get when it set out to draft a model ethnic studies curriculum for high schools across the state. After several years and nearly 100,000 public comments on the curriculum, it is expected to be approved this week. The challenges of creating the curriculum highlight some of the challenges educators will face in an era of racial reckoning when America is redefining its heroes and whose stories should be told.
Schools Deciding On Commencement Events Amid Pandemic
By Maggie Mullen, Mountain West News Bureau
Soon it will be springtime, and that means graduation day for college seniors. Whether that ceremony is in person or online will depend on the school.
Karen Nedbal is in the college events business. She said she’s been hearing one of two things from her colleagues on spring graduations: either ceremonies will be 100% virtual, or they'll have some kind of hybrid event.
"In which parts of the ceremony will be held virtually, and then there will be smaller in person events as well," Nedbal said.
Whichever way a college chooses to go, Nedbal said virtual ceremonies aren’t going away - and that’s a good thing.
"We've seen subtitles in multiple languages, we've seen an increased use of American Sign Language. So it's, it's actually becoming more inclusive in that way," she said.
Some universities are also planning to let students that finished their degrees last spring or fall participate in this semester’s in-person ceremonies. The University of Nevada, Reno commencement ceremonies will be entirely virtual.
California Sues Major US Nursing Home Operator Over Ratings
By The Associated Press
California’s attorney general and local officials say the nation’s largest senior living home operator misled consumers on quality ratings and broke laws intended to protect patients. The accusations in a lawsuit filed Monday center on Brookdale Senior Living Inc.‘s 10 California-based skilled nursing facilities. The suit says Brookdale failed to give at least 30 days notice and failed to adequately prepare patients to be discharged or transferred. The suit says Brookdale also gave false information to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid that it uses to award care ratings. The Tennessee-based company operates in 43 states, including Nevada. It says it is dedicated to providing quality care and denied any fraudulent conduct.
VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System Launches Medication Management Program
By Isaac Hoops
The VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System has launched a program to help veterans with multiple prescriptions manage their medications.
The program will combine artificial intelligence and real-time sensors with patients’ smartphones to ensure medications are being taken properly. One goal of the program is to increase the amount of time veterans can live independently.
The VA, in partnership with the private company DayaMed, is currently looking for veterans to take part in the pilot program.
Art On Display At Reno Ice
By Isaac Hoops
‘The Art of Innovation’, a traveling art gallery is on display at Reno Ice in South Reno through mid-April. The exhibit features sculptures, fashion pieces and different styles of paintings and drawings from artists across the country.
Originally on display at the Reno Tahoe International Airport, the gallery is a collaboration between local non-profit art organizations.
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