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KUNR Today: Housing costs continue rising, Rare Nevada wildflower closer to federal protection

An image of the Tiehm's Buckwheat
Noah Glick
/
KUNR Public Radio
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it is proposing endangered species listing for the Tiehm's Buckwheat (pictured here) .

Here are the local news headlines for the morning of Monday, Oct. 4, 2021.

Job pay disclosure law now in effect
By KUNR Staff

A new Nevada law took effect Friday, and it has an impact on both employers and those looking for work.

Accordingto KRNV, employers can no longer ask for an applicant's salary history and they must share what the rate, wage or salary range will be to job seekers once the candidate interview is over. This applies for new applicants or someone who is promoted or transferred from within the company. The law applies to private employers, staffing firms, along with state, county, and local governmental agencies.

Employers could face administrative penalties and fines up to $5,000 for each violation. Several other states, including California, have implemented similar laws.

More than half of Mountain West ZIP codes seeing housing prices rise
By Robyn Vincent, Mountain West News Bureau

A new analysis from Headwaters Economics paints a picture of soaring housing costs across the West and beyond. Economist Megan Lawson worked on the analysis. She was expecting to see a steep rise in housing costs in cities like Boise and Denver, and resort towns like Jackson, Wyoming and Park City, Utah, but that's not what she found.

"It's not just those places that we're most familiar with, and you know that there are rural places that long have been affordable, or whose prices have been increasing slowly, that have become unaffordable during the pandemic," she said.

Still, Lawson said we were on a perilous path long before the pandemic. She points to reverberations from the Great Recession, like less housing construction. Millennials are also placing pressure on the housing supply, as they represent the largest generation group in the nation, and many are trading unstable rents for steady mortgages.

Carson City planners approve permit for slaughterhouse
By The Associated Press

The Carson City Planning Commission has approved a special use permit for the construction of a slaughterhouse along U.S. Highway 50. The Nevada Appeal reports the panel voted 4-1 Wednesday night to grant the permit for Carson Valley Meats. However, it included some special restrictions on the project, including a requirement that all animals be held and processed indoors. Opponents argued that the noise and odor from the slaughterhouse would cause a decline in nearby home values. Backers of the project cited the need for farm-to-table food sources in Carson City. The decision can be appealed within 10 days to the Board of Supervisors.

Endangered status proposed for Nevada flower at lithium mine
By The Associated Press

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing endangered species listing for a desert wildflower that’s only known to exist on a remote ridge in western Nevada where an Australian company plans a lithium mine at the center of a legal battle. The agency issued a proposed rule Friday to protect Tiehm’s buckwheat under the Endangered Species Act subject to 60 days of public comment. It says the plant is at risk of extinction due to destruction of its habitat from mineral exploration, off-highway vehicle use, livestock grazing, invasive plant species and herbivory. The agency says climate change may further exacerbate the threats.

Mountain West mammal making recovery from extinction
By Maggie Mullen, Mountain West News Bureau

Last week, more than 20 species were declared extinct by the U.S. government; meanwhile, one mammal in our region is making its way toward an exciting recovery.

Back in 1981, the black-footed ferret was thought to be globally extinct, but then a ranch dog near Meeteetse, Wyoming came across one and recovery efforts began — like captive breeding and releases at historic ferret sites. Recently, officials in Wyoming released 30 juvenile ferrets, known as kits, at two different sites.

Zack Walker of Wyoming Game and Fish said it’s an amazing thing to witness.

"Plus, these are all juvenile ferrets, so they've got that extra bit of cuteness to them," he said.

The kits came from the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in northern Colorado.

Nevada football gets first win in Boise since 1997
By Noah Glick

For the first time in more than a decade, the Nevada Wolf Pack football team defeated Boise State Saturday, 41-31. It was the first time Nevada won in Boise since 1997.

The road victory moves the team to 3-1 on the season. Nevada next takes on New Mexico State this Saturday at Mackay Stadium.

Noah Glick is a former content director and host at KUNR Public Radio.
Maggie Mullen is a fifth generation Wyomingite, born and raised in Casper. She is currently a Masters candidate in American Studies and will defend her thesis on female body hair in contemporary American culture this May. Before graduate school, she earned her BA in English and French from the University of Wyoming. Maggie enjoys writing, cooking, her bicycle, swimming in rivers and lakes, and most any dog.
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