UNR President Sandoval defends in-person classes amid surge
By The Associated Press
University of Nevada, Reno President Brian Sandoval is defending his decision to begin the spring semester with mostly in-person classes this week. His comments in an interview with KRNV-TV come after a group of faculty members called for a two-week classroom closure in the face of unprecedented growth in COVID-19 cases. The new semester began Tuesday.
Sandoval points to high vaccination rates among students and faculty and the desire from students to have in-person learning. Though Nevada remains in the throes of a record-setting surge, state biostatistician Kyra Morgan said she is hopeful the growth rate of new cases had begun to slow.
As a note of disclosure, the license to this station is owned by the Board of Regents to the Nevada System of Higher Education and all KUNR staff members are employed by UNR.
Washoe County Health District adds self-survey feature to COVID-19 case investigation
By Kaleb Roedel
The Washoe County Health District is looking to improve its contact tracing due to the region’s spike in COVID-19 cases. The district has added a self-survey that will be sent via text message to anyone 18 and older who tests positive for COVID.
Residents will be asked to fill out a form and provide the contact information of those they have exposed.
Western governors look to budget surpluses to fight climate change
By Robyn Vincent, Mountain West News Bureau
Rising tax revenues and federal relief packages have fed Western state coffers.
"We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Our budget is balanced. We have robust reserves," said Idaho Gov. Brad Little during his most recent State of the State address.
Little wants to invest $150 million into firefighting. The Republican has acknowledged climate change’s role in intensifying the flames. In New Mexico, Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham wants $2.5 million to fund a climate change bureau.
Meanwhile, Republican Governor Spencer Cox of Utah is proposing $500 million for water conservation in his parched state. And in Colorado, Governor Jared Polis says more than $400 million should go to things like electric buses and trucks, along with monitoring carbon emissions. The Democrat is also proposing $75 million for fire fighting. In December, Colorado saw the most destructive wildfire in its history.
Nevada has launched multiple climate initiatives in recent years, like its goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A government report says the state is off track to meet that goal. The state received federal funds through pandemic relief packages that equal more than 14% of its 2020 spending.
Nevada enlisting nursing students for hospital staff crisis
By The Associated Press
With Nevada hospitals reporting a staffing crisis and health officials reporting COVID-19 patient tallies at pandemic highs, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak highlighted a program Wednesday to enlist nursing students to help meet the demand for medical providers.
The move came with health officials reporting medical facilities struggling to keep doors open due to sick staff. The governor says as many as 250 nursing apprentices could be drawn from among the nearly 900 students in accredited nursing programs statewide.
The Nevada Hospital Association extended its “crisis” declaration for a third week and noted that hospitals in Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County formally requested staffing help from Sisolak.
Sisolak starts 2022 with cash advantage over GOP challengers
By The Associated Press
The long list of Nevada Republican gubernatorial candidates immersed in the bruising primary battle underway began 2022 with millions of dollars less in campaign cash than incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak.
Sisolak reported raising $4.5 million over 2021, more than all his Republican challengers combined but less than incumbents in states like Texas, Florida or New York.
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo led the Republican primary field with $3.1 million in campaign contributions. Though Republicans expect to make gains in the midterms, Sisolak’s fundraising and the spending that those hoping to unseat him will likely have to do before the primary give him an advantage in battleground Nevada.
What does the next farm bill mean to rural economies?
By Nate Hegyi, Mountain West News Bureau
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified on Capitol Hill Thursday ahead of discussions about the nation’s next farm bill. The Farm Bill is a giant package of legislation that’s renewed every five years or so. It contains everything from income support for farmers and ranchers in our region to funding for rural development and food stamps. The current bill expires in 2023 and lawmakers are beginning to craft its replacement.
Vilsack told lawmakers in the House Agriculture Committee that the next bill needs to look at programs that revamp an "extractive economy in rural ranching and farm towns."
“I think it’s going to be important for us as we look forward to try and develop what we call a circular economy, in which the wealth is created and stays in rural areas,” Vilsack told the committee.
Vilsack said right now, many rural communities grow vast amounts of America’s food, but it’s sold and packaged far away, so they lose out on some wealth. For instance, he wants to see meat and crops processed more locally.
The House Agriculture Committee will begin crafting a new farm bill at the end of this month.
Truckee to put $500,000 toward trail construction, maintenance at Canyon Springs
By KUNR staff
Truckee has entered an agreement with a local land trust to put half-a-million-dollars toward the preservation of an open space in the region.
The Sierra Sun is reporting that the funding will be used for trail construction and maintenance at Canyon Springs in Eastern Truckee. The Truckee Donner Land Trust recently acquired the 290-acre property for more than $11 million in order to protect the wildlife habitat.
