Here are your local news headlines for the morning of Tuesday, July 6, 2021.
Major Parties' Gains Trail Increase In Nevada Independents
By The Associated Press
Voter registration in Nevada's two major political parties both grew during June but their increases were vastly outpaced by a jump in the number of registered independents. According to the Secretary of State's Office, nonpartisan registrations increased by 9,061, an increase of nearly 2%. Meanwhile registration for the Democratic and Republican parties increased by 439 and 393, respectively, or about 0.07% for each party. Democrats now account for 35.3% of the statewide voter registration, followed by Republicans at 30.8% and independents at 25.7%. The Independent American Party has 4.5%, the Libertarian Party has 0.97% and 2.6% are members of other minor political parties.
Supreme Court Rules Corporations Serving Indigenous Alaskans Eligible For Tribal Coronavirus Relief
By Savannah Maher, Mountain West News Bureau
$450 million in emergency aid were on the line, aid that was set aside for tribes in last year’s CARES Act. The question was whether for-profit Alaska Native Corporations, which manage land and resources on behalf of tribes in that state, are eligible for a cut.
The court ruled that those corporations do count as tribes for the narrow purpose of CARES Act funding.
Stanford Law Professor Elizabeth Reese said that means millions less in funding for tribes in the lower 48, but the ruling is limited to this particular aid package.
"The outcome that everyone was the most worried about, that the definition of 'Indian Tribe' would be totally upended overnight, did not happen," Reese said.
Reese added it’s not yet clear whether the ruling will have broader effects on how funding and services are distributed throughout Indian Country. The Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Picuris and the Ute Indian Tribe, among other tribes, sued over the inclusion of Alaska Native Corporations. Dozens of other tribes in our region sided with them.
Tribe Becomes Key Water Player With Drought Aid To Arizona
By The Associated Press
A key Colorado River reservoir is at its lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s. Things would be worse had Arizona tribes not stepped in to help prop up Lake Mead amid a historic drought in the American West. As Arizona faces mandatory cuts next year in its Colorado River supply, the tribes see themselves as major players in the future of water. The Colorado River Indian Tribes received $38 million for a contribution to staving off deeper water cuts in the state. While some fields are dry on the reservation, the tribe plans to use the money to invest in its water infrastructure.
Rural County In Nevada Moving To Rename Road After Trump
By The Associated Press
A rural Nevada county which Republican President Donald Trump won solidly in the 2020 election is moving to rename a road after him. Lyon County commissioners voted 4-1 on Thursday for renaming Old Dayton Valley Road in the unincorporated community of Dayton. Commissioner Ken Gray told KRNV-TV that a constituent suggested renaming a road for Trump and that he chose Old Dayton Valley Road because only a few government facilities and no residents have addresses on the road. Gray said the planned renaming shouldn't be controversial because governments often rename roads and buildings after leaders and community advocates.
US Land Agency Plans To Round Up Burros Near Lake Mead
By The Associated Press
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is proposing rounding up more than 500 wild burros in the desert north of Lake Mead. The agency says feral donkeys are stripping the land of vegetation and could die off if the population isn't managed along the Arizona-Nevada line. It wants to gather most of them to offer up for adoption. The Las Vegas Sun reports that the government also plans to temporarily sterilize other burros and round up the animals at other points over the next decade. No date is set, but the roundup could happen as early as this fall if the drought worsens.
NBA Suspends Former Nevada Basketball Star
By KUNR Staff
Former Nevada Basketball star Jalen Harris will spend the next year sidelined from the NBA.
According to Stadium, Harris was suspended from the Toronto Raptors for violating the league's anti-drug program. Harris played for Nevada for two seasons from 2019 to 2020 before getting drafted by Toronto last year.
