Here are your local news headlines for the morning of Monday, Mar. 29, 2021.
Nevada Jobless Rate Improves A Tick In February, To 8.3%
By The Associated Press
Nevada added jobs in February and the state unemployment office reported the jobless figure improved a tick, to 8.3%. A State Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation report on Thursday was an improvement from 8.5% in January. But it was still more than twice the record low of 3.6% in February 2020. The coronavirus pandemic arrived a month later, prompting casino and business closures and pushing and Nevada’s unemployment figure past 30% last April. Nationally, the U.S. Labor Department put the Las Vegas jobless rate in January at 9.9%, ranking second behind the Los Angeles area among large metropolitan areas.
Hopeful Signs As California Adds 141,000 Jobs In February
By The Associated Press
California added 141,000 jobs in February as more than a quarter of a million people returned to the workforce. The California Employment Development Department said Friday that the state's unemployment rate in February was 8.5%, down from 9% in January. Employment in restaurants and hotels surged by more than 102,000. That's a reflection of loosening virus restrictions on businesses as more people are getting vaccinated. California's unemployment rate remains more than 2 percentage points higher than the nation as a whole. But employment numbers could improve in the coming months as the state lifts more restrictions.
Mysterious Disease Killing Young Bears In The Sierra Nevada
By The Associated Press
A mysterious disease has stricken several young black bears captured in the Sierra Nevada, and one telltale sign is their fearlessness at being around humans. California veterinarians said in the past 12 months, officials have captured four bears with encephalitis, which can be caused by a body’s immune system attacking itself. Although bears normally shy away from humans, the sickly bears aren't showing fear. Scientists have discovered five new viruses in some of the bears with the symptoms, but they have not determined whether the viruses are to blame for the disease.
Nevada Reports 143 More COVID-19 Cases, But No New Deaths
By The Associated Press
Nevada health officials on Sunday reported 143 more confirmed COVID-19 cases but no new deaths. The latest numbers increased the state’s pandemic totals increased to 303,061 cases and 5,236 known deaths. The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. New cases for the Nevada were below the two-week moving average of 196 cases per day. The state had averaged four deaths daily over the same span. Health officials said that of the 143 new cases, 142 of them were in Clark County. The state’s largest county that includes metro Las Vegas has had 234,031 cases and 4,096 deaths since the pandemic began.
DIY Gardeners Getting Tips Online Amid Pandemic
By Stephanie Serrano, Mountain West News Bureau
The pandemic launched a ton of people into the world of gardening for the first time when stay-at-home orders were placed. Now, anyone across our region can refine their harvesting skills by tuning into free virtual workshops next month.
The University of Nevada is hosting the 8-part gardening program. It’s on Zoom and aims to teach people the basics.
"You can successfully grow a fair amount of food on your own property or just in any parcel of land,” said Chad Morris, who is coordinating the program.
He said much of the information is applicable throughout the Intermountain West due to our dry, arid climate, along with typically alkali soils.
People can do all eight or just one of the evening workshops on things like the science behind hot composting, to lower-risk pesticides and best practices for preserving critical insects.
“20 years ago, you would pick up a rock and you would see a bushling biosphere of insects," said Morris, "And that’s really not something that you see anymore."
You can register for the workshops at GrowYourOwnNevada.com.
Rare 1822 Gold Coin Fetches Record $8.4M At Auction In Vegas
By The Associated Press
The coin trading world has a new gold standard with the $8.4 million sale at auction of the only known 1822 half eagle $5 piece in private hands. Coin experts confirmed the coin that traded hands Thursday in Las Vegas is one of three of its kind in existence and the price was the highest for a U.S. gold coin struck by the U.S. Mint. The buyer remained anonymous. The price approaches the most-ever for a U.S. coin, after a 1794 U.S. “Flowing Hair” silver dollar that once fetched $10 million. Thursday's public auction was staged by Stack’s Bowers Galleries.
