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KUNR Today: Heat Wave Slams The West, Reno Rodeo Back In The Saddle This Year

An image of a competitor riding a horse at a previous Reno Rodeo event.
Sydney Martinez
/
Travel Nevada

Here are your local news headlines for the morning of Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

Doctors Warn Of Burns From Asphalt As Heat Wave Hits Us West
By The Associated Press

Doctors who work in Arizona and Nevada burn centers are warning of injuries from contact with super-heated roadways and other surfaces as the first extreme heat wave of the year makes its way across the U.S. West. A high pressure system is expected to push temperatures above 115 degrees this week in Las Vegas and Phoenix. But heat warnings stretch from California's central and inland valleys to as far north as Montana and Wyoming, where predicted highs of 109 degrees on Tuesday are expected to shatter records. Those northern states should see relief by mid-week. National Weather Service excessive heat warnings last through the weekend for Arizona, Utah, Nevada and parts of California.

Reno Rodeo Plans To Revitalize The Reno Livestock Events Center
By KUNR Staff

This year’s Reno Rodeo starts this week after last year’s cancellation due to COVID-19. The Reno Gazette Journal is reportingthat along with hosting the annual event, the Reno Rodeo Association is moving forward with renovating the Reno Livestock Events Center over the next several years. The group plans to build a new outdoor arena with 15,000 seats. The current one can hold 9,000 people and was built decades ago.

A new exhibit hall spanning 52,000 square feet is also on the list of upgrades, along with improving the current indoor arena and building a second indoor arena.

Half of Eligible Nevadans Have Received First COVID-19 Shot
By Lucia Starbuck

Half of Nevadans 12 and older have received their first COVID-19 vaccination. That’s according to the state’s dashboard, which also shows that more than 41% of Nevada’s eligible population has completed vaccination.

Carson City, Washoe and Douglas counties lead the state in shots per capita.

Statewide, the vaccination rate has been decreasing since mid-April. At the peak, more than 25,000 people were getting vaccinated daily on average. Now, that number is close to 6,000.

Officials are also reporting an average of 122 COVID-19 cases daily over the last two weeks, along with two deaths per day.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations in Nevada, or view the stateand Washoe County COVID-19 dashboards.

Lucia Starbuck is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.

California Lawmakers Ok Budget Placeholder As Talks Continue
By The Associated Press

California lawmakers have approved a new state operating budget. The state Legislature sent their spending plan to Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday. But their plan likely will not become law in its current form. Legislative leaders are still negotiating with Newsom on a final spending plan. Lawmakers passed their budget on Monday to meet a Tuesday deadline. The state Constitution says lawmakers must pass a budget by June 15 or they don't get paid. Newsom and Democratic leaders agree on most big spending priorities. But they disagree on how much money to spend on ongoing programs.

California Adds Vacation Incentive To Spur Vaccinations
By The Associated Press

California will offer six "dream vacation" incentives to spur more people to get coronavirus vaccinations. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the offer Monday on the eve of the state's awarding of $15 million in cash prizes. It's designed to boost the state's vaccination rate as California lifts most pandemic restrictions this week. The latest promotion is also aimed at jump-starting the Golden State's travel and tourism industry after more than a year in virtual hibernation because of stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions. Newsom also said he expects California's workplace regulators this week will allow employees to "self-attest" that they have been vaccinated.

As Park Visitation Surges, Some Charge More To Out-Of-Staters
By Madelyn Beck, Mountain West News Bureau

National and state parks are seeing record turnouts this year. Some even have hours-long lines to get in.

Idaho wants its residents to have more of a chance to get in, so it’s charging out-of-staters double in certain parks. Craig Quintana is with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. He said Idaho is not alone in charging outsiders more, though.

“It varies from just a $5 fee that’s tacked onto registrations in Washington, to higher fees that accrue per day at Nevada and Utah and Montana and Wyoming,” Quintana said. He said the extra fees aim to give locals an advantage, even if it aggravates others.

“We’ve had some people call up and say they won’t be back, so that’s obviously a choice,” Quintana said.

Still, he said the increased fees could help pay for work in those parks.

Washoe County Libraries Expanding Their Hours Starting Monday
By KUNR Staff

Washoe County Libraries are expanding their hours after being open for limited hours during the pandemic. Starting Monday, most locations will offer the expanded hours and patrons will be able to browse collections, pick up items on hold, and use public computers.

The Washoe County Library System requests that visitors wear masks if they are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine but remain unvaccinated. Both the Verdi and the Duncan/Traner Community Libraries remain closed. You can find the new hours for various library locations here.

Lucia Starbuck is an award-winning political journalist and the host of KUNR’s monthly show Purple Politics Nevada. She is passionate about reporting during election season, attending community events, and talking to people about the issues that matter most to them.
Madelyn Beck is a regional Illinois reporter, based in Galesburg. On top of her work for Harvest Public Media, she also contributes to WVIK, Tri-States Public Radio and the Illinois Newsroom collaborative.
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