Nevada Health Response lists initial locations for at-home COVID-19 tests
By Kaleb Roedel
More than half-a-million free COVID-19 rapid test kits ordered by the state are now available at a dozen sites across Nevada, including the Reno area.
Governor Steve Sisolak used federal funding to make an initial order of 600,000 rapid antigen test kits. In Washoe County, at-home tests are available at the Washoe County Health Department on East Ninth Street as well as the public health non-profit ACCEPT on Washington Street. Both are located in Reno.
Additional sites can be found at the Nevada Health Response website.
Staffing shortage continues at the Nevada Cares Campus
By Gustavo Sagrero
Officials from the Nevada Cares Campus gave an update to Washoe County’s Community Homelessness Advisory Board earlier this week regarding a continued labor shortage.
They've maintained a 58% success rate in getting people permanent housing from the safe camp. The emergency shelter, however, only has an 8% success rate in getting a person permanent housing. They’re doing this all while they struggle with limited staffing. Leo McFarland is CEO and President of Volunteers of America. He spoke to the advisory board about the challenges of working in this field.
“It is a struggle because of the nature of the population, people who are in great despair, oftentimes it doesn’t work for everyone who gets hired,” he said.
McFarland said much like many other employers in the area, it’s a competitive market to find employees.
Don Tratro wants to keep his state senate seat
By Gustavo Sagrero
Republican Don Tatro recently announced he will run for Nevada State Senate District 16 in the upcoming election. He’s also already in that seat. Tatro was appointed to the role back in November when Ben Kieckhefer stepped down to take on a new job at the Nevada Gaming Commission. Republican assemblywoman Lisa Krasner is also running for that seat.
California GOP senator launches long-shot bid for governor
By The Associated Press
A little-known Republican state legislator from Northern California has launched a long-shot campaign to oust Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. In an announcement streamed online, Sen. Brian Dahle faulted the state’s dominant Democratic Party for a decaying quality of life, rising crime rates and an unchecked homelessness crisis.
Republicans haven’t won a statewide race in the heavily Democratic state since 2006 and Dahle acknowledged the long odds against him, calling his run against Newsom a “David versus Goliath” challenge.
California Democrats hold every statewide office, a nearly 2-to-1 edge in voter registrations over the GOP and dominate the congressional delegation and the Legislature.
Areas in West now "double hazard" for wildfires
By Robyn Vincent, Mountain West News Bureau
Climate change is affecting wildfire risk in certain parts of our region more than others. That’s according to new research from Stanford University. It characterizes some areas in the West as double-hazard zones. That means they’re especially sensitive to a drying climate while vegetation is also growing faster in burned areas, which can fuel fires.
Ecohydrologist Alexandra Konings led the study. She said she was surprised by some of the most affected areas.
"Population growth in the wildland urban interface seems to be the fastest in the places where ecosystems are the most vulnerable in this way," she said.
That includes parts of the Mountain West like central Colorado and southern Nevada.
Marvel star Jeremy Renner filming Disney+ docuseries in Sparks
By KUNR staff
A maker space in Sparks is leasing an area of its building to Disney+ for a series featuring a Marvel movie star.
KRNV is reporting that the Generator, located in Sparks’ new Oddie District, is leasing 20,000 square feet to Disney for a documentary series featuring Jeremy Renner. The show, called “Rennervations,” will feature Renner and a crew working on decommissioned service vehicles, like fire trucks and buses, in an effort to modify them for reuse by other agencies.
