Read or listen to the morning news headlines for Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.
Daily COVID-19 cases decreasing, but transmission remains high in Washoe County
By Lucia Starbuck
The thresholdset by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for high community transmission is more than 100 new infections per 100,000 people over the past week. Washoe County’s rate exceeds that.
“We’ve been at over 180 cases per 100,000 over a seven-day period for a month,” Washoe County Health District Officer Kevin Dick said.
He is urging residents to remain vigilant heading into the holidays.
“We still have hospitals that are still strained, have staff shortages, and a high number of patients that are in the hospitals, for general health care needs, in addition to the COVID cases,” Dick said.
Washoe County leads the state in vaccines per capita. 66% of residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations in Nevada or view the state COVID-19 dashboard.
Lucia Starbuck is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
Mountain West wildfires leading to evacuations, fatalities
By Maggie Mullen, Mountain West News Bureau
The Kruger Rock Fire near Estes Park in Colorado began when high winds blew a tree onto a powerline, causing it to arc. Those gusting winds paired with dry conditions allowed the fire to spread quickly.
In neighboring Wyoming, another wildfire was started for the very same reason about five miles from the community of Clark. Jerry Parker, the Park County Fire Warden, said the lack of moisture this year makes fires this late in November not at all unusual.
"We used to have a fire season, and that would usually end towards the end of September, first of October, but here recently in the last few years, fire season seems to be going year round," he said.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost all of our region remains in varying degrees of drought.
Tribes welcome infusion of money in infrastructure bill
By The Associated Press
The massive infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed this week includes billions of dollars to address long-standing issues with water and sanitation on tribal land. The Indian Health Service says it will consult with tribes on how best to use the $3.5 billion. The amount is enough to fulfill the more than 1,560 projects on the agency's list of sanitation deficiencies. Tribes welcomed the infusion of money but say sustained investments are needed to make up for decades of neglect and underfunding. The bill also includes funding for broadband in Indian Country, tribal water rights settlements, roads and climate resilience.
Survey: Mountain West residents concerned about American democracy
By Madelyn Beck, Mountain West News Bureau
Research firm Morning Consult surveyed nearly 1,900 people total from Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. They were commissioned by the Frank Church Institute at Boise State University.
About 85% of respondents were concerned about the state of the nation’s democracy. Most also believe we’ll see more violence like we did on Jan. 6, 2021.
Peter Fenn is a long-time politico on the Frank Church Institute’s board. He said the federal government has to step up and show it can get things done while building confidence in elections and outcomes.
“This is critical because if we don’t have systems in place that people feel confidence in, we’re going to see more chaos,” Fenn said.
There were large gaps between how Republicans and Democrats viewed certain topics; however, the vast majority of people preferred politicians working together and finding solutions over holding their ground.
Woman sues Saint Mary’s, former employee alleging sexual assault
By KUNR Staff
A 22-year-old woman is alleging she was sexually assaulted during an ultrasound at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in October 2020. She is suing the hospital and a former employee. The Reno Gazette-Journal reportsthat similar allegations had been made previously against the ultrasound technician who is no longer employed at Saint Mary’s.
Along with suing the technician, the woman is also suing Saint Mary’s, alleging the hospital was negligent in its hiring and supervision practices.
Editor's note: The headline has been updated to reflect that daily COVID-19 cases are declining in Washoe County even though transmission remains high.
